Dell Intros Vostro 3000 Series Notebooks Discussion

Dell has announced its new Vostro 3000 series notebooks. The Vostro series feature the latest Intel processors and screen sizes ranging from 13.3" to 17.3".

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Dell Hong Kong still doesn't have the backslit/spill-resistant keyboard option for the Vostro 3700, and 64-bit OS only for the Core i7 config.

Great laptops, pity Dell laptops aren't widely available in retail stores around these parts.

edit: Anyone knows if these machines use an MXM-slot for its GPU? Possibility of upgrading it myself when new graphics chips come out next year?

 

I can't seem to tell from the pictures, do these have a glossy or matte finish? (Not the screens, the chassis.)

 

The photos on the Dell UK site suggest to me that the paintwork is matte, similar to that used on the Latitudes.

John

 

Yes, it does not seem to be glossy based on the pictures I have seen. It seems to be a plastic that attempts to give the appearance of a metallic look. The plastic seems to retain a reflective appearance though. I guess you cannot get true dull metallic look without using metal. Still, I am glad to see Dell is returning to the matte finish on its business notebooks. Glossy business notebooks are just a bad idea. (I am really surprised even Lenovo fell for it with their SL line!)

 

Every time I see a laptop with a glossy finish, I flash back to the 80's! It reminds me of the dreadful black lacquer furniture trend...it was dreadful back then, even worse now! Fingerprints are bad enough, but scratches and scuffs on a business notebook are just tacky, IMO...

Glossy finishes SUCK! We want more matte finishes that don't attract fingerprints and hold up well to constant travel and heavy use!

 

Wow the 17" is only 5.95 lbs? My old 14" laptop was around that weight lol =(

 

I think my 15.4" laptop actually weighs more than that too - ~6 lbs is very light for a 17" laptop.

I like the way these Vostro notebooks look, the previous gen was very generic looking (though decent machines). As business notebooks I question the inclusion of an HDMI port (versus DisplayPort). Also when dressed up in one of the colors they look a bit tacky to me, too consumer notebook-like.

 

Amen!

I think HDMI was a good call sense these are being marketed at small businesses instead of large corporations. DisplayPort just isn't widely used yet, especially outside of the business world. Dell is really targeting the Vostro market at people who want a business notebook but with the consumer media rich features. (Like the media touch buttons across the top.) Besides, it gives them a reason to sell you their premium Latitudes.

 

The Vostro 3300 looks like a very very nice laptop.

This is the first Dell release in awhile where I commend them for a good looking, functional, and reasonable laptop.

 

The Vostros have an aluminum chassis, so it's very unlikely they're glossy.

These looks quite nice for budget business machines. The 13" version doesn't have HDMI as far as I know - perhaps that should be updated in the article.

 

Beat me too it. I was about to point that out myself.

These have an aluminum chassis? That is a first for the Vostro series if in fact the case. (excluding the v13)

 

I'd like to hear comments on the resolution of the screens. I could only find 1366x768 on all 4 sizes. it's okay on a 13" but I have 1440x900 on my Asus 14" which i find slightly cramped. But on a 15.6" and 17"? That just seems wrong to me.

Maybe they will add more screen resolutions at a later time but it seems 1366x768 is used on too many computers lately for my liking.

 

Yep!

http://www.dell.com/us/en/business/notebooks/vostro-3300/pd.aspx?refid=vostro-3300&s=bsd&cs=04

 

If 1440x900 is cramped for you then 1366x768 will be even more limiting.

I have a 1366x768 screen on my laptop and the best way I can describe it is confining. Using two windows side-by-side is nearly impossible and only 768 pixels of vertical space means a lot of scrolling. The space confines can be frustrating at times; for example, using a web browser, PowerPoint, and Word is a juggling act which stresses my patience. I am much more productive using my desktop's 1920x1200 screen.

1366x768 is the mainstream standard; the new 1280x800. It is by far the most popular resolution . . . 14"/15.6" laptops with 1600x900 and up are few and far between.
HP's ProBook line (which competes with the Vostro) offers 1600x900 on its 14"/15.6" models though they are difficult to find with the higher resolutions and can be expensive.

 

In general, the new 16:9 screens are annoying, but thus far, I haven't found 1366x768 to be any more or less difficult to use than 1280x800.

Usually with Dell, they will add the higher res configuration options later on. Keep checking every so often on the notebook configurator and it'll show up at some point in the near future. The old Vostros had higher res screen options, so I don't think Dell would limit people to WXGA on the entire Vostro lineup.

 

And that expensiveness explains why you're not seeing 1366 x 768 on these new Vostros. The small business offerings have to be more cost competitive than the enterprise notebooks. Plus it forces those that want the higher res screen to step up to the more expensive Latitudes.

Personally I really like the look of these Vostros, it seems HP and Dell took a page from the same play book, the design is very similar to the new ProBooks: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5553

 

I don't have a desktop machine. I do all my work on my 3 year old 14" Asus A8js which runs 24/7 and has never given me a problem. Yes, running Dreamweaver and Outlook at the same time so I can be productive is crazy with this amount of real estate but I do it just fine.

I was very interested in these new Vostros because pretty soon I'll need a replacement. I want something that can take the abuse my A8 has for another 3 years. But I won't do 768 pixels high. I guess I will have to keep looking.

 

The product page for the 3700 lists HD+ as the screen under Tech specs, so that's probably 1600x900. The 3500, 3400, and 3300 are just listed as HD, though, so those are probably 1366x768.

 

Im thinking about grabbing myself a new notebook, and that 17" Vostro 3700 looks like a decent notebook.

Just gotta find out how it handles heat and if it supports Nvidia Optimus if i choose a Intel Core i5 with GMA 5700.

 

Dell has been one of the few to offer options for higher resolution displays since then shift from 16:10 to 16:9 aspect ratio in the consumer market! In particular, they offer a 1600x900 upgrade on some 14" models (Studio 14/14z; Inspiron 14).

They also offered a 15.6" upgrade to 1600x900 on the Studio 1555 in addition to the "Full HD" 1920x0180 display. The upgrade to the 1600x900 was $50 and 1920x0180 was only $75, so it was only $25 more for the highest resolution! The take-rate on the 1600x900 wasn't very high and it was discontinued. The Studio XPS 1645/1647 has standard 15.6" 1600x900 display also.

Hopefully, that will carry over to the Vostro line as well. The Vostro 3400 and 3500 (14.0" and 15.6") should offer a 1600x900 upgrade. The Vostro 3700 already has a 17.3" 1600x900 display and might offer a 1920x1080 upgrade (based on the current 17" Vostro 1720, which offers a 1920x1200 upgrade).

I guess we'll know pretty soon...

 

Its highly unlikely that the 17,3" 3700 is 1366x768 - the usual native res for the 17,3" size is 1600x900.

 

Just curious... what exactly makes these notebooks different for "business customers?" I've been wanting a slim/portable but reasonably powerful laptop with discrete graphics for school, internet, very mild gaming (I have no time/attention span.... but I want the option of playing older games if I get bored while traveling, etc.) and I really hate the look of the stuff on the consumer side. I hate super glossy rounded notebooks.

I'm sending back a defective Inspiron 14, and was checking out the Vostro 3400.

Thanks in advance!
Heather

 

The Vostro laptops have various features intended to make them more durable compared to entry-level consumer models like the Inspiron 14. For instance, a spill-resistant keyboard is standard and most models have hard drives with Free Fall sensors and StrikeZone technology to protect data integrity and the drive itself in the event of a drop/fall/bump. The new Vostro 3000 lineup is constructed largely of aluminum which is much more durable than the shiny, glossy plastic common to most entry-level laptops.

The Vostro 3000-series also have Anti-Glare (matte) LED displays compared to the the Glossy TrueLife displays found on almost every consumer laptop model (including the Inspiron/Studio/XPS models). Glossy displays tend to have major glare issues under fluorescent lights found in most offices. The anti-glare display is more useful in a wide variety of less-than-ideal lighting conditions.

Tech support and warranty service are also much improved compared to Dell consumer/retail products! The support folks for business customers are much more knowledgeable and helpful than typical Dell "support"! Another perk for Vostro models- they have a 30-day Money Back Guarantee if you aren't satisfied for ANY reason and there is no restocking fee!

As a rule, I do not buy any sort of extended warranty coverage on any product. In most cases, they're overpriced and provide little if any benefit for the additional expense. But the Vostro has very reasonably priced warranty extensions if you plan to keep the laptop for a few years. A 1-year Warranty with Next Business Day (NBD) On-site repair service is standard. Extended to 2- or 3-years is only $50 per year ($50 for the 2-year or $100 for 3-years). With the Vostro 3000-series being a brand new design, the extended year or two of coverage is worth the additional cost, IMHO.

 

How soon are we talking? I really want a Vostro 3700 with 1920. =)