[ubuntu-uk] Dell Inspiron 15 Laptop

[Liam Proven]

2009/3/4 Matt Jones <matt at mattjones.me.uk>:

> Dell build has improved recently, apart from the odd cockup. I have a
> vostro 1400 that I have had for quite a while now,

I thought the Vostro range were quite recent? So it can't be /that/ old.

> The
> build still isn't quite as good as my thinkpad, but isn't that far
> off, and certainly better than many.

Well that's what I was going to compare it with. I'm on my 3rd
Thinkpad now. #1 was a 701C, the famous "Butterfly" model with the
folding keyboard. 486DX75, 40MB RAM. Apart from me stupidly storing it
with batteries fitted, so that they rotted & corroded its contacts, it
is still perfectly intact, after a long, hard and heavy life - I got
it 2nd hand and it was my main laptop for about 4-5 years. That was
8-9yr ago.

Too many manufacturers do stupid things, like screen hinges screwed
into the plastic lid, rather than a metal frame. Apple are better than
most and even they don't age anywhere near as well as Thinkpads.

A laptop need not be build of unobtainium and cost £4K to be robust -
it just needs a bit of thought at the design stage and slightly better
choice of parts. At the end of the day, if it costs £50 or £100 more
but doesn't require a few hundred quid's worth of spares over its
life, it's a better deal.

-- 
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