The Dell Studio 14z is a 14-inch screen portable laptop designed by Dell specifically for students.  The Dell Studio 14z packs a lot of power into a small package by dropping a built-in optical drive to decrease size and then including an Nvidia 9400m graphics card and Intel Core 2 Duo processor as the brains of the system.  This Dell Studio 14z review will cover the pros and cons for the Studio 14z when used as a student notebook.

The Studio 14z can be configured and purchased at Dell.com starting at a price of $649 or you can buy a set configuration from BestBuy for $749.  I purchased the Studio 14z at BestBuy, the store clerk indicated the model was selling well and this seemed to be true as the unit I bought was the last in stock.  The BestBuy Studio 14z is marketed as the Dell Studio S1440-022B and the specs are as follows:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 (2.1GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
• Graphics: Nvidia 9400m
• Hard Drive Storage: 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• Memory: 3GB DDR3 (1GB soldered to the motherboard + 2GB upgradeable stick)
• Screen: 14-inch WXGA Anti-Glare LED Display (720p)
• Battery: 8-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
• Wireless: Dell Wireless 1515 Wireless-n
• Ports: 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB/e-SATA combo port, Ethernet, FireWire (1394) port, 34mm Express Card slot, HDMI port, Display Port, 2 headphone ports, microphone port, AC adapter port
• Weight: 4.54 pounds without adapter, 5.4lbs with adapter
• Dimensions:
  • Width: 13.23″ (336.0mm)
  • Height: 0.79″ (20.0mm) front / 1.22″ (30.9mm) back
  • Depth: 9.02″ (229.0mm)
• OS: Windows Vista Home Premium

One important thing to note is that the Studio 14z does not come with an optical drive (DVD or Blu-RAY drive).  The only option is to have an external optical drive, you can get a DVD burner that connects to the e-SATA port via Dell.com for $120 or external Blu-Ray drive for $280.  Also note that there’s no modem or VGA monitor out ports, while these ports are certainly legacy, there are some people who might like to have them.

Dell Studio 14z Design

The Studio 14z definitely tries to set itself apart in terms of design.  This is no cookie cutter budget looking laptop.  The barrel hinge and sloped design give the Studio 14z a sports car like look.  You also have a choice of various lid colors and the option of a backlit keyboard as an extra design flair.  When you configure the Studio 14z on Dell.com your lid color options include the following:

• Black Chainlink (glossy finish)
• Ruby Red
• Midnight Blue
• Spring Green
• Plum Purple
• Promise Pink

The BestBuy configuration comes with a Ruby Red textured finish lid, the red is certainly attractive and gives a sporty and fresh look to the Studio 14z.  If you’re configuring on Dell.com I’d recommend going with the colored lid upgrade because the default lid is a glossy Chainlink Black, which is a real fingerprint magnet.  The textured colored lids do not show fingerprints, a major plus.

Dell Studio 14z Construction

The Studio 14z has a rigid chassis that consists of both magnesium and some plastics.  The entire case is made of a rigid plastic which is strong enough to resist any type of flex.  The keyboard has a very firm feel to it with no sinking when you press down keys whatsoever.  The only real complaint I have with construction quality is the battery has a bit of wiggle to it.  When the Studio 14z is in my lap I can feel the battery move about whenever I shift.

The Studio 14z with the larger 8-cell battery weighs in at 4.54lbs, with the power adapter included the travel weight totals 5.36lbs.  This is definitely a portable weight for putting in your backpack and carrying around campus.

Dell Studio 14z Keyboard

The Studio 14z keyboard is full sized and what you’d be used to with a desktop keyboard. The keys on the Studio 14z have a textured feel which is really great as it prevents any slipping and provides a pleasant feel.  The keys provide a nice tactile feedback and are certainly springy feeling, the key travel is a bit shallow but it is still adequate.  Overall I really love this keyboard and the feel is really solid, I’m very picky with keyboards and rate this as one of the better feeling laptop keyboards I have used in some time.

One of the more interesting features of the keyboard is that F1 – F12 keys in the top row function first and foremost as media buttons, just like they do with an Apple computer.  For instance, you hit F11 key for Play, F8 key for volume down, F9 key for volume up, F4 key for screen brightness down and F5 key for screen brightness up.   While this is convenient, it has the problematic side effect of forcing keyboard junkies to hold down the “Fn” key plus desired Function button to perform that buttons typical “normal” operation.  So for those PC users who like to use keyboard shortcuts such as F5 to refresh a browser (a very popular keyboard shortcut) they are forced to hold down the “Fn” key plus “F5”, and that’s almost impossible to do without removing your hands from the typing position.  Depending on who you are you may or may not like this, and if you’ve ever used a Mac before you are probably already familiar with this keyboard functionality.

One neat option for the Studio 14z is to get a backlit keyboard.  The BestBuy Studio 14z does not have this built-in, but if I were configuring a Studio 14z on Dell I would go for this.  I have used a Dell Latitude that has a backlit keyboard and found it to be a huge asset when in dimly lit or dark rooms.  Sometimes you just need to look at a keyboard to find the key you’re looking for, and when it’s a dark room that’s a real challenge.  Furthermore a backlit keyboard just adds a bit of a design flair.

Dell Studio 14z Touchpad and Mouse Buttons

The touchpad and buttons on the Studio 14z are middling.  The touchpad is mediocre in terms of responsiveness and I’ve often experienced issues when trying to use the vertical scrolling feature on the right side of the touchpad, it simply doesn’t respond sometimes.  The mouse buttons are quite small and mushy feeling, while the rest of the laptop feels high quality the mouse buttons feel downright cheap.  Investing in a wireless mouse to use in place of the touchpad and mouse buttons is a wise investment.

Dell Studio 14z Ports

The port selection the Studio 14z is quite interesting and certainly geared towards the latest media.  There is no legacy VGA monitor out port, but instead both an HDMI port and Display Port that provide better digital throughput and are more common in today’s LCD monitors, TVs and projectors.  Of course, if you have an older projector or monitor, as many schools do, this can be a problem as you won’t be able to connect to it without an HDMI/Display Port to VGA adapter.

Also missing is a modem port, I personally have not used a modem in several years and I doubt too many college students will be going to a school that doesn’t provide wireless or LAN connectivity in the dorms and on campus, so I really can’t see much use for a modem for students.

Another thing missing is a built-in SD card media slot.  There is the option to pay an extra $20 to have an 8-in-1 media card reader placed in the 34mm Express Card slot, but I believe Dell should have at least put an SD card reader in without requiring an accessory upgrade.  So many students use digital cameras and phones that have SD cards that the convenience factor of having a slot built into their computer to easily move files to and from these devices would be justified.

Major kudos to Dell for including a combined USB/eSata port.  The eSata port gives fast connectivity to things such as external hard drive and optical drives.  Overall the port selection is decent, the 3 USB ports is good and then FireWire, eSata, HDMI and Display Port are all newer technology ports that those with cutting edge accessories will appreciate and media buffs will love.

Dell Studio 14z Screen

When you purchase the Studio 14z via Dell.com you get the choice of a 14-inch 720p LED backlit screen or higher resolution 900p LED backlit screen, notice now that we’ve reached a wide 16:9 aspect ratio screen on laptops (to the dismay of some) Dell is now quoting screen resolutions in terms of what we’re familiar with on LCD TVs.  The actual screen resolution of 720p equates to 1280 x 720 while the 900p is 1440 x 900 resolution.  With the high resolution screen you have the benefit of getting crisper images and fitting more on your display at once, but if you have poor eyesight then the smaller text and icons that are inherent to 900p might deter you.  The fact the 900p resolution screen is a $50 upgrade might also make some people just go with the base 720p configuration.  The BestBuy model comes with a 720p screen, I do wish it had the 900p screen since I much prefer a higher resolution.  Nonetheless, the 720p screen is nice.  The LED backlit screen is thin and gets very bright at the highest setting.  My screen is manufactured by LG and on the very lowest brightness setting there’s an issue in which there’s a bit of screen flicker, but anything above the level one brightness the screen flicker goes away.  Since level one brightness is almost too low to be usable except in a dark room, I don’t consider this a big issue.  Overall the screen is great and if you can afford it go with the 900p upgrade as most report that screen to be superior.

Dell Studio 14z Speakers

One of the very positive surprises of the Studio 14z was the quality of the speakers.  The speakers are 4-watt 2.0 SRS audio discrete tweeters located on the top left and top right of the keyboard.  The sound that comes out of the speakers is very good, far superior to your average laptop.  The sound is crisp and clear even at higher volumes.  There is no subwoofer of course so bass is a bit lacking, but using one of the two headphone ports and a good set of headphones can fill in if you want even better audio.

Dell Studio 14z Performance

One of the main reasons to buy the Studio 14z is the fact it has a dedicated Nvidia 9400m graphics card and the option of getting a high-end Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processor.  Having a dedicated graphics card means you’ll have no problem playing high-def video (such as YouTube HD).  With the dedicated Nvidia 9400 graphics at work YouTube HD videos were fluid and seamless, it’s a far superior viewing experience to the integrated graphics most laptops come with.  In addition to providing a better media experience, the 9400m will allow you to do gaming with more recent games on low to medium settings.

The BestBuy configuration of the Studio 14z comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 2.10Ghz processor.  This processor is definitely adequate for most people, especially if you’re a student just looking to do your school work.  If you for some reason have the need for as much processor power as possible Dell does allow you configure the Studio 14z with up to a 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo.  If you want to save money online, you can configure it with an Intel Pentium dual core processor, but it would make sense to upgrade to the better performing and more efficient Core 2 Duo processor.

For those into benchmark results here are a few benchmark results from popular benchmarking tools:

• PC Wizard System Score: 3520
• 3DMark06: 2,081 3DMarks
• PCMark Vantage: 1,937 PCMarks
• Windows Experience Index: 4.8

Dell Studio 14z Heat

Under normal usage such as working on reports, surfing the internet and listening to music the Studio 14z stayed very cool and comfortable to use on your lap.  However, when running benchmarks or playing HD video for an extended time the laptop started to warm up in certain areas.  The right side palm rest got very warm and left side heat vent at the back started pumping out heat.  If you’re performing tasks that push the processor and graphics card it’d be best to use a desk or table to ensure optimal cooling and keep heat away from your body.

Dell Studio 14z Battery Life

The BestBuy version of the Studio 14z comes with the larger 8-cell battery option, online at Dell.com you have the option of getting a 6-cell or 8-cell battery.  The 8-cell costs $40 more online.  It will give you about 25% extra battery life and the great thing is that it does not stick out from the back of the laptop like many other extended life batteries do.  Using the 8-cell battery I was able to get 5 hours and 25 minutes of battery life out of the Studio 14z when screen brightness was on the 4th level, wireless was on and just letting the laptop idle (no work was done, screen was just left on).  Under normal working conditions the Studio 14z usually gave me around 4 hours of battery life.  Battery life will of course vary based on usage, but in my experience the Studio 14z has given better battery life than I’d expect and better than many other 14” laptops.

Dell Studio 14z Optical Drive (or lack thereof)

One of the more interesting decisions in the design of the Studio 14z is the fact Dell left out an integrated optical drive such as a CD/DVD or Blu-Ray drive.  Instead there is an option for an external drive.  There are many tech savvy people that know how to get around using an optical drive and download all of their content and the lack of an optical drive won’t bother them.  However, it is still very common to get software via a DVD (such as the Windows 7 upgrade Dell now promotes for the Studio 14z) and many schools distribute discounted student software available from the student technology center on disks, so eventually a student is going to find a need to have an optical drive at some point during their 4-years in school.  Basically what this means is you’ll have to buy an external optical drive that plugs into the laptops USB/eSATA port and the cost for that is $120 via Dell.com when configuring.  Personally I would prefer to see an optical drive in a 14-inch size laptop, it’s not as if the Studio 14z is so incredibly thin it could not have fit, there are thinner laptops out there than include a built-in optical drive.

Dell Studio 14z Recommendation and Conclusion

The Dell Studio 14z offers a nice price and a lot of power in a small and sporty looking design.  If you’re a media maven it has all of the latest digital out ports for connecting to a monitor, TV or projector.  The FireWire and eSata ports ensure that you’ll have fast connectivity to any external storage devices as well.  The screen options on the Studio 14z are great and the 900p resolution screen will be a must for those who love high resolution quality screens.  With the excellent built-in speakers and nice screen, the Studio 14z will also serve as a great portable entertainment device.  Speaking of entertainment, with the Nvidia 9400m graphics you’ll have no problems watching high-definition video without stuttering or frame skips and you can even do some gaming with more recent games.

Some disappointments with the Studio 14z include lack of a built-in media card reader (you have to pay $20 to have a media card reader put in the Express Card 34 slot if you want that), the touchpad and buttons are so-so, the battery wiggles, there’s no VGA monitor out port and no built-in optical drive.  Granted, some of those cons will not be a big deal to some, but many 14-inch laptops offer those missing features of the Studio 14z so it is something to consider.

Bottom line is that the Studio 14z is a solidly built laptop that’s nice and light and can serve perfectly as a student laptop, it has many features that young buyers will be looking for.  I have no doubt that the 14z can stand the test of 4-years of school and the cutting edge performance it offers today means that it will still be able to perform well during your years of school as software becomes more demanding.

Studio 14z Purchase Information

You can buy the Dell Studio 14z direct from Dell.com for the starting price of $649 with various configuration options.  You can also buy the Studio 14z reviewed here at at BestBuy for $749.99.

The Dell Vostro 1520 is sold by Dell as a small business targeted laptop. It has a 15.4″ widescreen display, relatively thin design, and has a black glossy finish.  The Vostro 1520 is an update to the Vostro 1510 laptop released last year by Dell.  Though not a whole lot has changed in terms of design with the refresh of the Vostro 1520, the newer model is slightly thinner and lighter while still maintaining a sturdy build, and it does offer more powerful processor and graphics options.

To start as a reference, here’s a link to the Vostro 1520 being reviewed on Dell.com:

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=bqcwc1z&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&kc=productdetails~laptop-vostro-1520 (opens in new window)

The Vostro 1520 is available in a wide variety of configurations, with processor configurations ranging from a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo to speedy Core 2 Duo T9550 2.66GHz, optional Nvidia 9300 dedicated graphics, and fast SSD storage or a large 320GB standard hard drive. While the Vostro 1520 is sold through Dell Small Business, it is a laptop that could suit students or indeed anyone looking for a durable well appointed machine that also comes at a very reasonable price and backed by good support.

Pictured below is the Dell Vostro 1520:

Specifications of Vostro 1520 Review Laptop

The Vostro 1520 comes in a wide variety of configurations, the one under review is a budget configuration with lower end component choices. Because of this the price was only $619:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5870 (2.0GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
• Graphics: Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
• Hard Drive Storage: 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• Memory: 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz, 2 DIMM
• Screen: 15.4 inch WXGA Anti-Glare LED Display
• Media: 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R write capability
• Battery: 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
• Wireless: Dell Wireless 1397 802.11b/g Mini Card
• Ports: 4 USB 2.0, VGA out connector, Ethernet, Modem, 8-in-1 media card reader, 54mm ExpressCard slot, FireWire (IEEE 1394)
• Weight: 5.42lbs
• OS: Windows Vista Home Basic

Below is a table comparing the Vostro 1520 weight to its predecessors:

As you can see, over the years the Vostro 15XX series has dropped weight and slimmed down, certainly good news for mobile types.

Older Vostro 1510 top view	New Vostro 1520 top view

Above you can see the glossy finish of the Vostro 1520 lid is quite reflective, so you can imagine the problems it has with showing greasy fingerprints (some of which you can see on the lid). The previous Vostro 1510 also had this glossy finish and it seems to be the favored design style for all laptops of late.

The Vostro 1520 has a typical optical drive tray that pops out, in the previous Vostro 1510 the optical drive was slot loading.  I personally like the slot loading drive, though it can be prone to more issues such as disks getting jammed inside.

Older Vostro 1510 has a slot loading drive	Newer Vostro 1520 has a more typical tray drive

With the lid open you can see there are touch sensitive button controls along the top of the keyboard and the interior thankfully has a matte finish so it’s easy to keep looking clean. Speakers are aligned along the left and right side of the keyboard.

The look of the Vostro 1520 is very “standard issue” business notebook like, it’s by no means stunning and won’t win any awards.  But for business users you’ll appreciate the thinner and lighter style, it’s much better for on the go. Students will appreciate the fresh glossy look and the extra mobility will be great for ease of carrying around campus.

Vostro 1520 size comparison to textbook

Vostro 1520 underside view

Build Quality

The durability of a laptop is one of its most important aspects, if a laptop is constructed of cheap plastics that easily breaks then you might pay a low price but it will be more prone to breaking.  Thankfully, the Vostro 1520 has a case that is extremely rigid with no flex whatsoever.  There’s especially good support in the palm rest area and the keyboard is very sturdy.  The bottom of the Vostro 1520 is also rigid so putting it in your backpack is safe as it is well protected.  Overall I was impressed with the Vostro 1520 feel and build quality.

Ports and Features

The Vostro 1520 has a decent range of ports. Four USB ports is certainly enough, FireWire is good to have and other than that everything is pretty standard as far as what’s included. The web camera and fingerprint reader are optional. For students the web camera would be a nice option to get ($40 upgrade), I’m not so sure the fingerprint reader is necessary unless you like to have that for easier logins. Missing is any type of higher resolution display output such as HDMI, DVI or even S-Video. If you don’t plan on giving presentations or using a large external LCD screen this won’t be a problem.  Blu-Ray was an option on the Vostro 1520 at the time of my purchase, but without a method for hi-def output and no hi-def screen option this would be a wasted (and expensive) selection.

Front view of Vostro 1520: Headphone and Mic jacks, 8-in-1 media card reader slot

Left view of Vostro 1520: Two USB ports, ExpressCard 54mm slot, Wi-Fi switch

Right view of Vostro 1520: FireWire port, Two USB Ports, optical drive

Back view of Vostro 1520: Battery, Monitor out port, Ethernet jack, power jack

There is no dedicated docking solution for the Vostro lineup, though you can get a USB based port replicator if you want to add more ports (just as you can with any laptop).

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard is of course full sized on the Vostro 1520. For a budget business notebook the keyboard is surprisingly good, it’s very firm with good tactile feedback from keys.  I could not find any area of flex on the keyboard, even when trying. The touch sensitive buttons for media control look nice at the top, they’re some of the more responsive touch sensitive buttons that I have used – I never had a problem with a touch not registering.

Worth mentioning is the fact the palm rests are also very firm, you can lean heavily on the palm rest areas and still not cause any sinking in the case.  This is thanks to the rigid case structure which should help the Vostro 1520 to last you a long while.

The only minor complaint I can find regarding the keyboard is the fact the Page Up and Page Down keys seem flipped to me, intuitively the PgUp should be on the right and PgDn on the left.

The touchpad works well, it could be a little bigger though. The mouse buttons actually have a nice tactile feel providing good feedback. You can get an optional fingerprint reader for an extra $25. This can be used to login to both Windows and save logins for websites that you access, so saves on time.

Performance and Internal Components

Performance of course varies depending on the configuration you select at Dell.com. If you don’t have demanding needs then the cheapest Core 2 Duo option will be enough power and offer the most power efficiency.  The “slowest” current processor, the Intel T6570, is already 2.1GHz, so for most that will be the option to take.  At the time of my purchase the Intel T5870 was the base model processor.

The Vostro lineup offers up to a 320GB hard drive, you know what you’re storage needs are, so get what you need to store all the files you need when on the go.  If you’re more concerned about the speed of your system and money is no concern, the smaller capacity 128GB SSD will give you the fastest performance at the cost of an additional $400.  The $50 upgrade to a 7200RPM is certainly a much more cost effective way to get better performance.

If you plan on playing games the Vostro 1520 might suit for some light gaming with older 3D based games, but neither the Intel 4500 or Nvidia 9300 will provide enough power to play the latest graphic demanding such as Grand Theft Auto 4. If gaming or graphics performance is of no concern, then go with the cheaper Intel integrated graphics option.

With the specifications for the Vostro 1520 under review I got a score of 4,442 PCMarks on PCMark05:

Compare this score to the Vostro 1510 with a Core 2 Duo T5870 2.10GHz, Intel X3100, 5400RPM HD of 3,783 and you’ll see it’s a significant improvement with the new Intel chipset, even though I had the exact same processor in the Vostro 1520 as was in the Vostro 1510.

In terms of 3D performance, the 3DMark results of 737 should give you the idea that with the Intel 4500 integrated graphics you’re not exactly going to be tearing things up in PhotoShop or GTA 4.

Running PCWizard gave a global performance score of 2,768.80:

Obviously the more you pay for better internal components the better performance you will get, but for most tasks except gaming your average student will have ample power with this configuration. If you’re an engineering student and need a computer for CAD design you will also need to consider getting a laptop with a more powerful graphics options.

Screen

Dell gives quite a selection of screens you can configure with the Vostro 1520. You can choose the following resolutions:

• 15.4″ Widescreen WXGA (1280 x 800) LED matte Display
• 15.4″ Widescreen WXGA+ (1440 x 900) LED matte Display
• 15.4″ Widescreen WXGA+ (1440 x 900) LED Display with TrueLife

“TrueLife” means a glossy screen finish, some might prefer this as it does make colors look brighter, if you’re in an office setting with bright lights it’s not so great though because glossy screen equates to a lot of reflection of lights. Since most students aren’t working in an office and will also use a laptop to double as an entertainment machine, glossy might be the way to go.  If you work in a brightly lit office environment then go with the standard matte screen.

The standard resolution of WXGA is the most comfortable for viewing, but if you like to fit more on a screen, which is important for design or computer science students, then a higher resolution is better.

The brightness of the Vostro 1520 screen is good, the LED screen is brighter and thinner than that of the previous Vostro 1510 laptop.

Battery Life

Dell gives you the option of getting a standard 6-cell battery or an extended life 9-cell battery. The 9-cell of course adds extra weight and will stick out a bit from the back. Under normal usage, wireless on and screen brightness two notches below full I was able to get 4 hours and 50 minutes of life out of the 6-cell battery, which is very impressive. Unless you know you need longer battery life for a marathon lecture the standard battery would seem to be just fine.  Dell claims up to 8 hours of battery life with the 9-cell battery.

Heat

The Vostro 1520 was disappointing in the respect that the palm rest areas did get more warm than I would like.  The left palm rest became noticeably warm to the point of annoying after prolonged usage.  The fan on the Vostro 1520 was also sporadic in the way it turned on and off.  Though it was overly loud, it can be heard quite easily and it will kick in for about 10 seconds, turn off, and then 30 seconds later repeat.  Quite annoying.

Audio

The Vostro 1520 has audio speakers on either side of the keyboard.  They’re a bit tinny sounding as many laptop speakers are, but certainly not awful and better than many other business notebooks I have heard.  Volume levels are good and the touch sensitive volume controls make it easy to turn volume up or down.  As usual, headphones will provide the best listening experience and you of course have a headphone out port on the Vostro 1520.

Buying Advice

When buying through Dell Small Business there is no student discount such as is offered on the Inspiron and XPS line. Recently Dell has been offering more coupon codes on the Vosto lineup, so it’s worth searching around for coupon codes before buying.

If you configure the Vostro 1520 to be over $1,200 it’s probably worth considering an extended warranty to protect such a large investment. If you get a budget configuration skip the expense of an extended warranty. Also keep in mind that if you use an American Express card to make your purchase then American Express will automatically double your warranty with a max of one extra year coverage, effectively making your 1-year warranty a 2-year warranty or turning a 2-year warranty into a 3-year warranty — it certainly makes getting an Amex card worth it.

Conclusion

There’s nothing particularly fancy about the Vostro 1520, but the price and features are in line with what many people look for when purchasing a laptop computer.  It might indeed be an exactly middle of the road offering – not too big and not too small in size, not to powerful but not to weak with performance, not too flashy yet not too dull, and not too cheap yet not too expensive.  For a student on a budget the Vostro 1520 is a great choice as it shoud last you 3 – 4 years yet not break the bank.  There’s not too much to complain about with the Vostro 1520, the heat issue on the palm rest and slightly warm temperatures in that same area is the most I can think of as being a problem.  The features, performance and price make the Vostro 1520 easy to recommend.

Even though the times are tough and many students and their families have a pinched budget, when you’re in school and need a laptop to do your school work, there’s not much you can do but to bite the bullet on making a laptop purpose.  Laptops are a very important tool for being efficient and succeeding in college these days, so it’s worth buying a quality laptop to last your four years.

The good news is that there are man ways to reduce your costs of buying a laptop and scoring a deal, we’ve covered options in the past such as student discounts from Dell, HP and Lenovo and of course the use of discount coupon codes.  Another way to really save money is by buying refurbished “like new” laptops direct from a manufacturer.  Several manufacturers offer refurbished laptops, but Dell has one of the best online sites for buying refurbished laptops, and they also offer some of the best deals.

Dell calls their refurbished laptop sales area Dell Outlet.  Dell Outlet sells laptops that fall into one of three categories in the Oulet:

1. Previously Ordered New - Laptops that were ordered by a Dell customer, delivered and either immediately returned without being opened or removed from the box and then returned without being powered up.
2. Refurbished - Laptops that were ordered by a Dell customer, delivered, then opened and used for a period of time (generally 21-days or less).  If there was anything previously wrong with the system Dell replaces the part and then resells it as refurbished.  There is a chance that some cosmetic blemishes exist on a refurbished laptop, the Dell Outlet listing will not specify if a laptop does or does not have a cosmetic defect.
3. Scratch & Dent - Laptops that were cosmetically damaged during the production process and never shipped to a customer or laptops that were shipped out to customers and are returned with a cosmetic blemish.  Cosmetic blemishes generally mean paint scratches or nicks, not gigantic dents that compromise the structural integrity of a laptop.

In general the Scratch & Dent offerings are the most discounted, Refurbished second most and Previously Ordered New are the highest priced Outlet systems.  Below is a price comparison table of a Dell Outlet Studio 15 laptop compared to the new system price at the time of this writing:

Here you can see that the Scratch & Dent system is $50 cheaper than an equivalent Refurbished system.  The total savings on the Scratch & Dent from brand new is $270, which is about a 30% off savings.

Dell Outlet Warranty

A lot of people buying a refurbished system are worried that they won’t receive the same support or warranty as a new system.  This is not the case, Dell Outlet backs up all refurb laptops with a 1-year warranty.  You actually get the same level of tech support (24 hours a day 7-days a week phone support) and ability to upgrade or extend a warranty as you do with any new system.  You also have the same 21-day Dell return policy that comes with new laptops, note that there is a 15% restocking fee and you still pay for the shipping and handling.  You can check out Dell’s warranty and return information here.

How “Used” Does a Refurbished Laptop Look?

There is of course some variation in how used a system looks, the reason prices are low is because you take a slight risk in not knowing the exact condition of a system.  You might get a system that looks 99% new, or you might get one that’s got a noticeable blemish, such as scratches in the paint.  There is no way to tell exactly what a system looks like ahead of time, don’t bother calling Dell to ask if they can send a photo or tell you exactly what is wrong with the cosmetics of a system, they won’t be able to tell you.  When I ordered an XPS M1330 laptop from Dell Outlet last year the only noticeable difference was that there was a “Refurbished” green sticker on the bottom of the laptop and the instruction manual was a bit crumpled.  The sticker was easily removed and I could care less about the instruction manual.  Even the packaging was new, as Dell reboxes and repackages all Outlet PCs after inspecting them.

Advantage Other than Price

There is an advantage other than the better price you get on a Dell Outlet PC.  The laptop will ship almost immediately.  I ordered a laptop on a Monday morning and had it by Wednesday with 2-day shipping.  Typically with a new Dell PC you configure a system, order it and then have to wait 2 - 3 weeks as your laptop goes through a series of build, test and shipping phases.

Tips on Buying

A good idea is to come up with a configuration you want to buy for a laptop, and then keep checking Dell Outlet to see if the configuration shows up.  The online tools are pretty easy to use for filtering by a specific configuration, price or model.  The stock is frequently updated, it seems like the morning is best for finding the most newly added and available products so certainly check then.  You should also be flexible with the configuration you want, sometimes the precise configuration will take a while to show up, so if you need a laptop fast just be ready to accept the fact you may just have to go with something close to what you want.

Dell Outlet Coupons

As crazy as it may seem with prices already being much below new prices, Dell Outlet does offer coupon codes, sometimes in the range of 15 - 20% off.  The best way to track these coupon codes is via Twitter: http://twitter.com/delloutlet

Conclusion

Some people really like to have something that is entirely new and never used by somebody else before, but if you’re not such a person and also really like to save money then the Dell Outlet is a great option.  Chances are the laptop you’ll get is as good as new in its looks and it will definitely function as well as any new laptop.  Also consider the fact you get the same warranty and support treatment as you do with a new laptop, and you’ll see there’s little downside to ordering from the Dell Outlet to save money.