On this forum, I've been reading that the new Vostro line of computers are
essentially painted versions of the Inspirons, in terms of build.
Through the little research I've done, I've noted that Latitudes are made of a Magnesium alloy, and are considered very well built machines. At the same time, looking on the Dell site, I see that the Vostro PCs are also made of the same material. And I gather (from these forums) that Inspirons are good consumer level PCs, though not the toughest build.
If what I read on this forum is true, Latitudes and Inspirons are made of the same Magnesium alloy case. So what makes the Latitude's build superior to the Inspiron?
Background: I'm considering a D630. I used to have an Inspiron 700m, and while it worked, I wasn't too thrilled with the build quality. So I'm curious as to what distinguishes the three lines.
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As long as I'm not throwing the Inspiron off a cliff, I think I'll take my chances with the build quality.
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Only the newest inspiron line comes with the magnesium alloy protection, and it's covered in plastic. The Latitude line has an all-metal chassis, and is much thinner/lighter than the Inspiron/Vosotro line. However the new Inspiron/Vosotro line should still have good build quality, for a consumer notebook.
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I don't care on build quality, I got a 2 year fullcover warranty. Hopefully sometime after 1 and a half years I will accidentally drop the laptop off a cliff.
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is that going to be a brand new 1-2 year old tech laptop?
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Well, you could wait until the next line of Inspirons come out, and then drop it off a cliff (accidentally, of course). Then they'd have to replace it with the newer model.
Not that I'd ever condone such a thing... -
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I work at an IT Help Desk at my University, so I see a LOT of laptops come in. I haven't seen the new Inspirons yet (not working this summer), but in the past, I've always been impressed with the build quality of the Latitude line. I've likewise been unimpressed with the build quality of the Inspirons. The Latitudes just feel more solid, the keyboards are nicer, little to no flex in the chassis... whereas the Inspirons, to me at least, feel almost fragile, you open the lid and it wobbles back and forth a little before stopping (loose hinge), you pick it up and you can feel the case bending...
With that said though, it's not like the Inspirons were any worse than the majority of the consumer class models, the business class models are just that much nicer.
I'm planning on going to a Dell kiosk soon to see for myself how much better the build quality is than the old ones. I'm in the market for a Dell, and I'm leaning towards the Latitudes right now, but, if the Inspirons are built well enough now, I may decide to go the cheaper route. -
freefisheater Notebook Consultant NBR Reviewer
I made this post over in the Pre-Purchase D830 Questions thread; sorry to cross-post, but this might give you an idea of the Latitude's build quality:
Build quality: Latitude vs Vostro vs Inspiron
Discussion in 'Dell' started by amitface, Jul 12, 2007.