Which Dell notebook is right for me?

Which Dell notebook is best for me: Inspiron, Vostro, XPS, Studio, Latitude, Precision, laptop, mobile workstation

Elias Plastiras (PC World Australia (online))
— 25 January, 2011 10:00

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There's no doubt Dell laptops are among the most popular brand of notebooks for Australian users (be sure to take our brand survey which, is on our main notebooks section page). When shopping for a Dell laptop, it's important to know which range you should consider. This will depend on the type of user you are.

Budget users should consider a Dell Inspiron Mini netbook or a Dell Inspiron M101z 11in notebook. These are low-cost laptops that still allow you to perform basic office work and Web tasks, and they can even be used for some multimedia tasks such as watching videos and listening to music.

Home users should consider a Dell Inspiron 15, Inspiron 15R, Inspiron M501R or an Inspiron 17. Even a Dell Studio laptop can be considered. These laptops offer plenty of speed and features and can be used for running office applications, some gaming and they can even be used as media centres if the configuration features a TV tuner card.

Students can consider any of Dell's laptops, depending on their budget. We'd stick with an Inspiron laptop, but there is nothing stopping a student from buying a business-focused Vostro or even a stylish Studio laptop. You could even go for a Dell XPS laptop (such as the Dell XPS L501x)if you want something with better-than-average grunt.

Business users should consider a laptop in Dell's Vostro range. We think these are very well built laptops with surprising good looks and plenty of useful features. Depending on the work you do, you might also want to consider a Dell Latitude, which has even better build quality, and more advanced features such as integrated broadband.

Gamers and enthusiasts should consider an Alienware laptop, a Dell XPS laptop, or even a Dell Studio, which are big and have plenty of power under the hood. Configure it with a high-end graphics card so that you can get the most out if when playing the latest games.

Professionals who require a mobile desktop with lots of power under the hood and plenty of connection options and storage should consider a Dell Precision mobile workstation. This isn't a notebook that can be lugged to and from the office on a daily basis, but if your work requires you to use a computer with serious power at a remote location or on-site job, then the Precision is perfect.

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Dell Inspiron M101z
Dell Vostro V130
Dell XPS 17 (1710X)
Dell Studio 17 1749
Dell Inspiron M501R
Dell Inspiron 15R N5010
Dell Vostro 3700 notebook
Dell Inspiron 11z
Dell Latitude E4300
Dell Vostro V13
Dell Precision M6500
Dell XPS 15 (L501x)
Dell Latitude E5520

Dell Inspiron M501R

Dell's Inspiron M501R is a nice looking 15.6in notebook with a quad-core AMD Phenom II CPU and 6GB of RAM. It's a good performer that's suitable as a desktop replacement and even as an entry-level gaming machine. We just wish it wasn't so glossy and that it came with a digital TV tuner card.