New Vostro Lineup (3350, 3450..)

Whoa, yours came very quickly but disappointed about the fingerprints and the fine scratches. What you can do is to call Dell and tell them you wish to return the system because of the identified issues. Depending on the rep s/he might offer you a discount for your purchase (e.g., 5% off).

Anyway, I am happy to read your mini-review and I still haven't ordered mine yet...Still deciding!

 

Does anyone know if/when the 3350 is going to be released in the US?

 

I've been pretty disappointed with Dell's new lineup.

 

Indeed. I ordered my 3350 at 7pm on Wednesday and it was delivered at 2.30pm on Friday. Not bad.

A few additional impressions (this is my first ever notebook):

Dell's 1366 x 768 panels are not well-regarded and this one doesn't disappoint . Colours could be more vivid, contrast doesn't seem great and vertical viewing angles are poor. But the matte finish is great for going on the road. I personally would not want a higher resolution than 1366 x 768 because text is already at the limit of what I find comfortable without increasing DPI. For reference, I'm in my late-forties and wear reading glasses with a mild prescription.

The backlit keyboard is a really great feature, especially in bed.

The 8-cell battery makes the machine a bit too heavy for my liking. I will definitely be obtaining a 4-cell one in due course.

Ambient noise levels where I live are very high, so I cannot confirm how quietly it runs but it seems quiet. Occasionally, the fan comes on but isn't loud when it does. It came on and off repeatedly (in short bursts) while I was doing a MSE virus scan and browsing simultaneously.

I can barely feel any heat whatsoever on the track pad and palm rest area but it does get warm on the bottom right-hand side. This is with the 8-cell battery already keeping it well-ventilated by raising it at the back.

I would be happy to put it through some stress tests if anyone could link me to the utilities to do this (eg fumark?)

 

Per the Engadget article, Dell said they will announce their new ultra-portables in April. Maybe this coming week or next. Don't be too surprised if these laptops debut in the $750 range.

 

How is the battery life on your 3350?

 

I'll try and keep an eye on how long a charge lasts for but is there a utility for testing it?

Are you meant to charge the battery for a certain period before initial use or can you turn it straight on with the charger connected?

 

Battery Eater works well. It kills your battery as fast as possible to see 'worst case scenario' battery life. Though, it's only good as a comparison, because if your not using this program, obviously you'd get different results.

OP probably just wants to know how long on typical usage the battery lasts...

 

Unfortunately, the machine seems to have died. I pressed shutdown or sleep and now I cannot turn it on- with or without the lead. It had about 50% battery left prior to this.

Any advice appreciated.

 

So the machine no longer boots up even when plugged in? If so, it sounds like it needs to be replaced...