If You're A College Student...Check Out The Dell M5030

Dell Inspiron 15 (M5030) Review

The Pros: Very inexpensive; Comfy keyboard; Stays cool and doesnt overheat


The Cons: No HDMI; Short battery life 


The Bottom Line: The Dell Inspiron 15 (M5030) offers a large screen and all the necessary features for basic computing at a very good price. It is an affordable notebook that is adequate for everyday computer activities such as surfing the web, updating Facebook, and playing games. 


The Dell Inspiron series includes good-looking notebooks with plenty of power at affordable prices. These notebooks are traditionally available with many optional features but arent a master of any particular task. The Inspiron 15 is one of Dells notebooks that offer good performance at a value price. The Inspiron 15 M5030 is a basic black rectangle that weights in at about 5.6 pounds. Its glossy black lid adds a stylish flare to this notebook including the embossed chrome Dell logo in the center of the lid. When you open up the notebook, youll find everything is matte black. The keyboard has a traditional layout with the keys positioned more closely together. There can be a little noise from the keys when typing, but its nothing to whine about. The touchpad is roomy and extremely responsive. 


The 15.6 inch display has a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution, making the screens colors look bright. The sound filled up the room when I cranked up Foster the Peoples Pumped up kicks, but at full volume the sound got a little distorted. The Inspiron 15 has three USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and a VGA port. There is also a DVD burner on the right side of the notebook. 


The Inspiron 15 M5030 is a great notebook to get if youll be happy with a notebook that is equipped with components necessary for basic computing activities or on a budget. If you want something bigger than a netbook but still at a decent price, the Inspiron 15 M5030 is definitely one to consider buying.

Memory Type	DDR3
Video Card	ATI Mobility Radeon HD4250
Display Port	VGA
Wireless Type	IEEE 802.11 G
USB Ports	3
Screen Resolution	1366 x 768
Battery	6-cell
Weight	5.6 lbs

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How Much Longer Will DVD Drives Be Around?

We've all been hoarding DVDs since the day they became more popular than the prior VHS. Now that we have more DVDs than we probably should, what's next. More importantly, are we going to have drives that read DVDs in 10, 20, or 30 years? Contributing Editor for PCMag, Lincoln Spector, writes his thoughts on the issue.

"It's impossible to say with complete confidence what present-day media will be supported by readily-available hardware when our grandchildren have grandchildren. But we can make educated guesses. And I'm guessing that DVDs and CDs will be readable, with some moderate investment, for a very long time to come.

When a medium has enjoyed wide consumer popularity for a significant amount of time, the market for players stays alive for decades. You can no longer assume that every home has a floppy drive, phonograph, or cassette player, but you'll have no trouble buying these devices--all brand new. In fact, you can buy them with USB ports, which you couldn't do when these types of media were popular.

Of course, if a medium was popular only briefly, never enjoyed wide popularity, or was entirely controlled by one company, finding a player decades later becomes more of a challenge. To my knowledge, no one is making Laserdisc players or Bernoulli Box drives. You can still buy used ones, but eventually these will disappear.

Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector writes about technology and cinema."

source

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Check It Out: The Dell Latitude D420

Dell Latitude D420 Review 

 The Pros: Ultra portable; Sturdy; Good battery life; Slim; Lightweight design 


The Cons: Small keyboard; Low sound quality 


The Bottom Line: Even though the Dell Latitude D420 is Dell's smallest business laptop, it has plenty of positive perks including its great balance between features, portability, and price. It combines decent specs with a convenient form factor. 

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The Latitude is Dell s laptop brand that is targeted for business use. Latitudes are made of plastic with a durable magnesium-alloy casing and Strike Zone shock protection in case of an accident where it s dropped or suffers some type of impact. Latitude models are made more durable and tend to have a higher quality than the other Dell notebook lines.

The Dell Latitude D420 is a a very solid notebook, despite it s feather-light weight. The chassis is constructed of magnesium alloy, but some of the laptop s exterior is made with a solid plastic material. There is only a small sign of flex in the palm rests but I believe that s just because the battery is the only thing found underneath that location. Overall, the D420 has a very strong frame that protects the entire chassis.

The keyboard is smaller than what you might be used to, but the keys feel nice to touch and the key feedback is user-friendly. This Dell comes with two mouse replacements, a pointer and a touchpad. Both of them allow you to precisely control the mouse pointer in a quiet manner. The Latitude D420 is also equipped with two USB ports, VGA port, Firewire, and a PC Card slot. Not to mention, the battery life is impressive and can last more than four hours. The D420 will also keep you connected with an 802.11 G Wireless.

The Dell Latitude D420 would be an excellent companion for someone who does frequent traveling. This notebook is light, looks professional, feels sturdy, and has a battery life that could last throughout those long flights. This is a well-equipped notebook that has definitely earned it s right to be called a business notebook.

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Memory Type	DDR2
Video Card	Intel GMA 900
Processor	Intel Core Duo 1.2 GHz
Display Port	VGA
Wireless Type	IEEE 802.11 G
USB Ports	3
Screen Size	12.1"
Screen Resolution	1280 x 800
Height	1.1"
Width	11.5"
Depth	8.5"
Battery	6-cell
Battery Life	Up to 4.5 hrs
Weight	3.0 lbs

TechTurn Editor's Rating

Reviewed by Chelsea Rivet

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