The bad: Limited upgrade options and no dedicated graphics might switch off some who need more flexibility, and flip-down port doors really are a minor annoyance.
The bottom line: The Dell Inspiron 14z thins down the bulky look from the average Inspiron laptop while sacrificing none of the overall performance or battery life, adding up to an affordable mainstream notebook that's a great late consideration for back-to-school shopping.
Review:
When it involves laptops in 2011, "thinner is better" seems to be considered a consistent trend. The MacBook Air and Samsung Series 9 head the pack for the reason that regard, but laptops such as the Sony Vaio ZE and Dell XPS 15z have followed suit. It's no real surprise, then, that the mainstream Dell Inspiron 14z line has gotten its thinned-out model in the Inspiron 14z. Borrowing the "z for thin" convention that Dell's used somewhat confusingly for a long time (HP uses "z" to indicate an AMD-powered laptop), this particular Inspiron's undeniably slimmer than its clunkier 2011 Inspiron UR counterpart. If... Expand full review
When it comes in order to laptops in 2011, "thinner is better" seems to be considered a consistent trend. The MacBook Air and Samsung Series 9 head the pack for the reason that regard, but laptops such as the Sony Vaio ZE and Dell XPS 15z have followed suit. It's no real surprise, then, that the mainstream Dell Inspiron 14z line has gotten its thinned-out model in the Inspiron 14z. Borrowing the "z for thin" convention that Dell's used somewhat confusingly for a long time (HP uses "z" to indicate an AMD-powered laptop), this particular Inspiron's undeniably slimmer than its clunkier 2011 Inspiron UR counterpart. If the name rings a bell, that's because there is a previous Inspiron 14z released in 2009, with the Core 2 Duo processor, but that "thin" laptop was inferior for this new 14z in nearly every way. Dell's latest 14z is an excellent laptop, and one of the best affordable mainstream models we've seen Dell make inside a while.
Still, it's "thinner, " not "ultraslim. " The $599 starting price about the Inspiron 14z represents a reasonable budget price for the actual Core i3 processor, 500GB hard drive, and 4GB of RAM it offers; the highest-end Inspiron 14z tops out at a still-reasonable $829, even though it lacks dedicated graphics, which will annoy some. The swappable snap-on back again lid, a show-off feature of the new Inspiron UR series, is also gone. Consider it a trade for any more compact form.
Its improved battery life, a DVD AND BLU-RAY drive, and USB 3. 0 ports could make probably the most difference for potential buyers. The clean aluminum lid and uncluttered look will also be better than we've seen from recent Dell laptops. The Inspiron 14z is really a better back-to-school laptop than the Inspiron R; for very little of an extra investment, the overall design is a lot improved. We'd recommend it, even in its entry-level settings, wholeheartedly.
Much like the Inspiron R laptop, the Dell Inspiron 14z includes a hinge-forward top lid that results in a back lip about the end of the laptop. Here, however, that added back padding may be much reduced, feeling far more integrated into the general chassis. The Inspiron 14z has less of a wedge-shaped design and it has a universal thickness; the top lid slips down within the rear, tucked into recessed side walls. With the display lifted up, the laptop feels simple, and somehow intimate due to the hinge-forward display and the side walls, which narrowly enclose the underside of the screen.
Our review unit came in a stylish metallic Fire Red, which costs an extra $29. The actual Inspiron 14z otherwise comes standard in Diamond Black. Brushed aluminum about the back of the lid and around the keyboard deck adds a classy touch, while the bottom and sides are black plastic material. The back lid is, however, strangely flexible on the very best; we could press down on the Dell logo also it would bow. A six-cell battery tucked into the back end bulges in the bottom a little, creating a slight riser.
Does the reduced thickness within the Inspiron 14z matter? The Inspiron 15R (admittedly, with a bigger screen) was 1. 2 inches thick at the thinnest, as well as maxed at 1. 29 inches. It weighed just a hair under 6 pounds having a six-cell battery. The Inspiron 14z is 0. 92 inch to at least one inch thick, and weighs 4. 58 pounds. The lighter in weight weight is noticeable, although this laptop weighs nearly just like other 14-inchers such as the Gateway ID47H02u and Toshiba Satellite television P745--or the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro. One inch thick was previously considered ultraslim, but it's now the standard for well-designed popular laptops.
We're happy to report that the backlit island-style keyboard about the Inspiron 14z is crisp and roomy, and feels excellent to type on. We appreciated the backlighting, which pooled round the sides of the smooth, concave keys. The smallish square touch pad below we can not be as bullish about. The cheap-looking discrete buttons beneath and iffy tactile response make the multitouch pad seem like a budget component.
A few dedicated buttons above the keyboard launch Dell Support Center along with a handy set of commonly used control settings for Wireless bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and battery, among others. A third button could be customized to quick-launch an application.
The 14-inch glossy display includes a native resolution of 1, 366x768 pixels. The screen lighting and colors were fuller than we expected, making movies and Television shows pop. Viewing at angles eventually caused the picture to clean out, but no more than on most average laptop computer screens.
A 1-megapixel Webcam takes photos and video at resolutions as much as 1, 280x720 pixels. Audio and picture quality are certainly adequate for Web chat and quick self-made clips.
Despite becoming small, the Inspiron 14z comes packed with useful plug-ins. Two USB 3. 0 ports, HDMI, and Mini DisplayPort (no VGA) are tucked behind flip-down port doors about the left and right sides. The doors are an unusual touch, and don't affect accessibility much--although the narrow clusters of ports on either side could possibly get a little cramped. A tray-loading DVD burner fits across the right-hand side. Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) 2. 0 can also be included, which allows wireless HD streaming of audio and video--or anything displayed about the Dell's screen--with the purchase of an additional box which plugs into your TV, made by Netgear or one of many other companies. It's hard to locate the WiDi launcher about the system, and we'd recommend that, if you care, you map WiDi towards the quick-launch button above the keyboard.
The 2. 3GHz Core i5-2410M CPU in our Dell Inspiron 14z is really a processor we've seen in many 13-, 14-, and 15-inch mainstream laptops this season, ranging from the Gateway ID47H02u to the HP Jealousy 14 and Sony Vaio SA. It's also the identical processor we reviewed in the 2011 Dell Inspiron 15R. Overall performance matches those models, not surprisingly; multitasking works very well despite multiple open windows, and everything from HD streaming movie to basic multimedia editing runs well. The extra RAM within our configuration is a helpful boost for multitasking.
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