1520 vs. 1505/6000 Cheap plastic?

Hi everyone,
I'm really interested by the new inspiron line. However, my 6000's cheap plastic chassis greatly disappoints me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume that e1505 has the same horrible chassis. Anyway, I heard that the new inspiron line actually finally uses something other than cheap plastic. Can anyone confirm this? If so, is the new design, chassis, and overall build quality AT LEAST comparable to the new HPs and Asus (such as W3) notebooks?

I've compared my Inspiron 6000 to Asus W3, and the difference in quality is just astounding.

Thanks for reading this post.

 

There has been a comparison between Dell's 1520 and HP's dv6500t. HERE.

 

The chassis is magnesium alloy. I haven't heard what the other metal(s) in the alloy is/are. From what I've heard, though, it is the interior of the chassis that is magnesium alloy, while the exterior remains plastic.

It's certainly an improvement over what it was. And based on what I've seen, I'd say the new Inspirons are probably more heavy-duty than the HP dv6500t. The Dells weigh a bit more, but based on Andrew's front-page comparison yesterday, they have less flex and are "beasts". I'm have no idea about Asus.

edit: Haha, crosspost with larson who conveniently enough linked to the article I was referring to the the second paragraph.

 

Hey thanks...
If it is really as good as the reviewer pointed out, I guess the new inspiron is indeed a whole lot better than the old ones. My 6000 flexes and CREAKS so easily that it seems it will fall apart any moment.

Though, the review wasn't very clear about the chassis. I just hope it doesn't have the cheap plastic feel. I mean, the plastic HP uses hardly feels like plastic.

 

My E1705 does feel like plastic, but it's pretty strong -- much stronger than the current HP housings.

 

Is the casing made of the same material as the metal on the new iPod nanos? My friends had his iPod for a while and it doesnt even have a dent or scratch in it.

 

No, the second gen iPod Nanos are brushed aluminum.

 

Any more input on the topic? I'm seriously considering e1520 now.

I'm also facing a dilemma...
Same price and specs for e1520 and 1420 except...graphic and weight
I won't need portability currently... but I will in 3 years when I go to college.
By choosing e1520 I will be sacrificing portability, but by choosing 1420 I will be sacrificing graphic performance.
I really prefer 8600GT because of vista, video editing, and some occasional gaming. After all, the two system are the same price but 1420 maxed out at 8400S. The mere 128MB of video memory really worries me.
Yet... I know how painful it is to carry around a 6lb notebook.

 

You're in high school I'd imagine, so you're probably not carrying the laptop to classes all the time. I'd probably go for the 1520 and better graphics. You may as well get as much gaming in as you can while you're young. When you're in university/college, you'll probably find a smaller, lighter laptop is more useful for actually taking to classes. And you won't have too much time for games. It's better for the grades that way too.

 

honestly carrying a 6lb notebook is not that bad, especially if you have a backpack made for notebooks, hell I carry around more weight then that in books that i don't need half the time in college...lol. Teachers damn near never use them. Well mine anyway.

 

I'm pretty sure it has a poly carbonate lid, pretty strong, and a plastic bottom.

 

From what I saw today, it's the same plastic as my wife's e1405.

 

But the inner chassis is magnesium, giving it a much stronger feel/build. Although, I am disappointed to hear all this, I was really hoping the casing was made of magnesium alloy. I used to have a Powerbook G4 Titanium, and that thing was sweet! I wish now I wouldn't of gotten rid of it, but oh well... it would have been about time to upgrade anyways so...

 

I agree with chuck232. The 1520 will be better now, and you'll probably be replacing it no later than after two years of college, so you could always get a smaller one then if you want, or stay at 15-inch if you like that.

And I, too, don't see how a 6-pound notebook is that heavy. But then again, I've never had one less than 6.8 pounds.

 

Thanks for the input... However I've to put off the purchase for a long time since the current -$350 deal just expired.

Just curious, how strong are you guys anyway? I guess 6-pound isn't that bad. Maybe it was because that I was carrying it like a briefcase with one hand. Personally, I don't have such a big problem with 1520. However, my dad just hates anything above his 1kg thinkpad. I believe that he had really bad aches from carrying heavy stuff since he's a frequent traveler.

I still a little disappointed that the outer layer is still mainly plastic though...

 

well it does make a difference how you are going to carry it. And make sure to look around, I have seen there is another $350 coupon, can't remember where though, but right now you also get the 2 gig upgrade and 160gig upgrade free. Definitely worth looking at. But what I was saying is that if you are going to carry it briefcase style then yes, it is heavy, but in a messenger/backpack, you don't notice it any more then another book or two in your backpack. I often carry 6-7 books in my backpack, and because of the design of the bag, it's really not that heavy for me until I grab the top handle then its a bit more difficult.