With there being several different versions of this laptop, the features vary, but this particular model includes these:
Windows Vista Home Basic operating system
3.2 hours of battery life (Bapco MobileMark 2007 battery)
8-in-1 media card reader
Intel X3100 Integrated Graphics card
4 USB 2.0 ports
DVD RW drive
Built-In 802.11b/g wireless

Speaking as someone who has been using Window’s XP up until now, the laptop’s operating system does take some getting used to. As a whole it’s a very competent system and even the Basic package comes with everything you’ll need for student life – including the full Microsoft Works, giving you the word processor for those 10,000 word dissertations and spreadsheets for keeping that budget up-to-date! Furthermore, Vista’s ‘Welcome Centre’ is an invaluable help in so far as getting started on your new laptop – walking you through the easy transfer of files from an old computer and getting you connected to the net quickly and efficiently. You can even customise the side-bar to host a whole range of gadgets specific to your own needs. However Vista does have its downsides. It isn’t always the most user-friendly system. One odd quirk I’ve found is that the process of saving documents has been changed considerably since XP and, in my opinion, overcomplicated. On the other hand this is just one of a few small quirks which don’t really affect the laptop’s performance, but just take a little getting used to. On other problem which has been reported with Vista (although I’m yet to experience this problem for myself) is that the operating system takes such considerable effort for laptops to run, that it can severely impact the computer’s performance in terms of speed and the use of multiple applications.

In so far as the graphics go on the Inspiron 1525, opinions are mixed. The 15.4 inch screen and X3100 Integrated graphics card combine to really do justice to those stunning holiday photos and make for excellent viewing if you’re watching films on the laptop. So from what I’ve personally seen the graphics on this computer are excellent. However, I’m no gamer – and reviews of the X3100 graphics card itself in relation to gaming potential aren’t so enthusiastic. It seems that this card isn’t up to the challenge when it comes to games with seriously in-depth graphics and can produce a very slow frame rate. It seems that this graphics card has more to show for itself when used in conjunction with XP than with Vista – so if you’re a gamer, it might be worth looking into something with a different graphics card or operating system.

As for the sound, its nothing extra special, but its not bad either. The speaker is one long strip located above the keyboard / below the screen and its output can be controlled by the touchpad beneath it. The touchpad allows the user to change the volume and mute as well as controlling the media player, with options to change track (or scenes, if you’re watching a movie), play/pause and stop. At first this can be odd to get a feel for, as you can find yourself constantly reaching for the turning dial on the side of the laptop to change the volume, only to find it isn’t there – however, it doesn’t take long before you can enjoy the novelty of your shiny new touchpad! As for the sound itself, it is of a very good quality. Although, like most laptops, not very loud, it does have very good clarity and I’m more than happy to listen to music and watch films without having to plug in external speakers. Furthermore, the laptop does also have a built-in microphone – the quality of sound produced by which I was happily surprised by!

Other features of the Inspiron 1525 include a very reasonable battery life. At 3.2 hours it outstrips many other laptops within its price range, most of which seem only to last for up to 2-2.5 hours. As with most computers it is also possible to change the power settings so as to consume less energy and make that battery life stretch even further. The 8-in-1 media card reader is an excellent little space-saver, conveniently located at the bottom of the laptop’s front and supports several of those commonly used media cards such as SD camera cards. Plus it comes with a card-shaped piece of plastic that slots into place when the reader is not in-use to help keep out the dust and such. The laptop also comes with 4 USB ports (which I find particularly useful and convenient!) and a DVD re-write drive, as is standard for the majority of products on the market today.  The drive is not capable of supporting HD, but considering the youth of HD technology, most (sensible) people won’t consider that to be a serious flaw in a £339 laptop!

All-in-all I’m very happy with the Dell Inspiron 1525. It does have a few small drawbacks, for example certain usability issues, but these just take some getting used to, and some graphics issues – but those are only really drawbacks depending on what you’ll be using your laptop for. It is also worth noting that you can buy this laptop with Window’s Vista Home Premium, and with a higher-power processor and a greater capacity memory through Dell’s own website, although this is perhaps not for most of us ‘financially challenged’ students as it does, of course, mean paying more. I, however, am more than happy with the lower spec version: its still a fantastic little laptop with a good memory and processor, decent sound and graphics, a great battery life and a sleek, stylish look. Gamers; this laptop probably isn’t for you if you’re hung up on mind-blowing graphics – but for anyone else the Dell Inspiron 1525 is not only an excellent laptop, but also great value for money!

Score: 4/5