Dell Studio 17
Last year Dell finally
realized that consumers don't want another nameless,
faceless black and gray laptop that gets lost in the
crowd. Today's mobile generation wants notebooks that
are as unique and stylish as possible. The result
was the amazingly attractive and amazingly popular
13.3" XPS M1330 and the 15.4" Dell XPS M1530.
Taking things one step further, Dell announced the
highly customizable Studio 15 and Studio 17 notebooks.
Is the 17-inch Dell Studio 17 as
impressive and unique as Dell wants you to believe?
Keep reading and you'll find out.
Our pre-production Dell Studio 17 notebook is equipped
with the following specifications:
* Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz)
processor
* Windows Vista Home Premium SP1
* 17-inch WUXGA Glossy Display (1920 x 1200)
* 3GB system RAM - 2 DIMM (DDR2-667)
* 320GB 5400rpm HDD
* 256MB (GDDR2) ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 graphics
* Webcam and Fingerprint reader
* Backlit keyboard
* Slot Load DVD+/-RW with Dual Layer DVD+R write capacity
* Dell Wireless 1510N
* 9-cell battery (85WHr)
* Dimensions: 1.18" to 1.69" x 15.46"
x 11.36" (H x W x D)
* Weight: 7.87lbs
* Other: "Dell Dock" software; 30-day security
trial; 3GB Dell DataSafe; Dell Support Center
* Base Price: $999
* Price as configured: $1,599 (E-Value Code: 1-DNDPVA1)
Build and Design
For a number of years the phrase,
"Dude, you're getting a Dell" from old Dell
television commercials was synonymous with heavy,
thick, and boxy laptops that offered great value but
where short on style. In fact, several competing laptop
manufacturers developed sleek notebooks over the last
five years that attracted consumers mainly due to
their more "personal" appearance. The new
Studio line from Dell is the latest example of how
Dell has finally learned that the package matters
almost as much as the contents of the box.
The first time you look at the Studio
17 it's as if Dell added a few inches to the XPS M1530,
cut out the brushed aluminum parts, and offered a
few more ways to customize the look. The end result
is an impressive looking desktop replacement. I use
the term "desktop replacement" because most
people in the market for a 17-inch notebook aren't
planning to haul their notebook everywhere and use
it during regular airline travel.
What the Studio 17 lacks in mobility
it more than makes up for in solid design and construction.
As mentioned above, the Studio 17 takes several design
elements from the latest XPS notebooks: the wedge-shaped
profile, drop hinge, slot-loading optical drive, and
touch-sensitive media buttons are all hallmarks of
the XPS M1330 and M1530. That said, there's more to
the Studio 17 than just design elements from the XPS
line.
The Studio 17 is available in your
choice of seven colors: Plum Purple, Tangerine Orange,
Flamingo Pink, Midnight Blue, Ruby Red, Spring Green
or standard Jet Black. Our pre-production unit came
with the "Midnight Blue" paint job and it
looks absolutely flawless. The matte paint has an
almost rubber-like texture similar to the paint used
on last year's Inspiron notebooks and, of course,
the XPS notebooks. Dell also took the customization
options one step further by offering an optional high
gloss "Graphite Grey" color that comes in
your choice of black, blue, pink, or red edge trim
around the display back and sides
Another nice touch is the use of
an imprinted design on the palmrest area (also on
the display lid if you select the high gloss graphite
grey color options). The design looks like a close-up
view of a topographical map and is yet another way
that the Studio notebooks stand out from the rest
of the Dell lineup.
In terms of overall chassis construction
the Studio 17 is quite solid and suffers from virtually
no flex or creaks when squeezed and twisted between
your hands. I don't recommend tossing the Studio 17
across the room, but it should survive a drop from
your desk without significant damage.
The one design element I'm not 100
percent in love with is the bottom access panel. Rather
than have the typical RAM cover, hard drive covers,
and main panel on the bottom of the notebook, the
Studio 17 uses a single, massive panel that provides
access to all of the notebook at once. While this
is helpful for those people who want to make multiple
modifications or service their notebook, exposing
the entire bottom of the notebook is a little intimidating
for people who just want to upgrade their RAM.
Screen
Adding to the lengthy list of customizable
options on this notebook, Dell offers the Studio 17
with a WXGA+ (1440 x 900) glossy display, a WUXGA
(1920 X 1200) glossy display, or a WXGA+ LED (1440
x 900) glossy display. Our review unit came with the
WUXGA (1920 x 1200) glossy display and it looks wonderful.
I'm certain it would be even more impressive when
paired with the optional Blu-ray drive for 1080p HD
movies.
The screen on our pre-production
unit looks beautiful from straight on. There was some
slight uneven backlighting in the upper right corner
of our review unit, but this is a pre-production notebook
and the high-resolution display panels used in Dell
notebooks usually tend to be better than the lower-resolution
offerings. The horizontal viewing angles on our review
unit are great. Upper vertical viewing angles are
good, but colors did begin to invert at lower viewing
angles when the screen is tilted back.
One additional item of note that
somewhat falls into the category of the screen is
the new "Dell Dock" application included
with all Studio notebooks. The Dell Dock is a unique
visual interface similar to the Dock in Apple's Mac
OS X or the StarDock Object Dock application. The
primary benefit of this application is that it helps
you keep your desktop free of clutter and makes using
Vista a little more user friendly. Kudos to Dell for
adding this to the desktop interface on the Studio
17.
Keyboard, Touchpad and Media
Controls
The keyboard on the Studio 17 is
one of the better keyboards I've used on a 17-inch
notebook. The keyboard is firm with only a minor bit
of flex detected near the "K" key. All the
keys have excellent travel and cushion. The Studio
17 is really quite a pleasure to type on and the dedicated
number pad is something that I personally love to
see on larger notebooks. The only complaint I have
for the keyboard is that if your fingernails are slightly
long they might get caught under the keys, this shouldn't
be a problem for most males though. As you can see
below, the keyboard also features a nice backlight
function when you're typing in the dark.
The touchpad works well enough,
though it's seems a little on the small side given
the size of the notebook. The mouse buttons have excellent
travel and cushion, though I did feel like they made
a bit too much of a "clicking" sound when
pressed. The good news with the touchpad is that it's
responsive, has dedicated scroll areas and the glossy
textured feel is extremely good.
A series of touch-sensitive media
buttons with white LED backlights are located above
the keyboard similar to the buttons on the M1330 and
M1530. One nice feature about the media buttons is
that the LEDs only stay lit for a fraction of a second
after being pressed, so they won't distract you by
staying lit all the time.
Dell also includes a Media Center
remote control that fits neatly into the ExpressCard
slot on the side of the notebook. This is a great
accessory for presentations or if you want to control
a DVD from across the room.
Article: http://www.notebookreview.com/
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