Dell Inspiron 15

Compact design ; Low weight ; HDMI port ; Numerous possibilities for configuration ; User-friendly keyboard ; Low heat generation ; Excellent battery life

Unfavorable positioning of interfaces ; Glare-display dependent on viewing angle ; Cooling fan consistently running

UMTS, at least as an option. A docked USB-modem doesn't work well with the overall positioning of the various interfaces

Good material quality ; Excellent connectivity ; Spacious keyboard and touchpad ; Solid performance

Glossy display with dim backlight ; Optional touchscreen is a poor value

Going big hasn’t caused the 15z to compromise its Ultrabook roots. This is a snappy, portable system. While it isn’t a performance powerhouse, it does meet the demands of the average consumer.

Attractive lightweight design; Good performance and graphics; Swift boot times; Runs cool

Subpar battery life; Loud tinny audio lacks bass

Click to EnlargeWith the Inspiron 15z, Dell delivers a lightweight (for its size) notebook with a handsome aluminum chassis and a 15.6-inch Gorilla Glass touchscreen display. Aditionally, its Core i5 CPU and 32GB cache deliver above-average...

Power to spare for most tasks ; Great big widescreen to work on

Missing video connections ; Offset keyboard with a too-small number pad

There's no denying that the 1564 has a lot of power--but with so few ports on this laptop, how are you going to make use of it?

Good looks ; Easy to upgrade all components ; Good cooling system ; Great touchpad buttons

Screen lid doesn't stay closed with the notebook held vertically ; Battery life could be better

All of the 3DMark06 scores for all of the systems listed above were run at 1280 x 800 (for screens with a 16:10 ratio) or 1280 x 768 resolution (for screens with 16:9)

As you might expect with a budget notebook, the $499 Dell Inspiron 15 is a no-frills machine: It lacks multimedia controls or a webcam, and its graphics performance is poky. But for users on a budget with light computing needs and a desire for a screen...

Strong wireless performance ; Solid battery life ; Nicely designed touchpad

Lacks multimedia controls ; Substandard dual-core multitasking power

Very respectable battery life ; Quiet under normal use ; Cool running ; Good keyboard ; Overall very good build, sturdy in its feel

Not much of a looker in terms of design ; Price compared to higher end e1505 doesn't make sense -- this should be cheaper ; Lots of annoying pre-installed software (AOL, NetZero, MusicMatch etc.) ; No DVI port, no S-Video, no FireWire -- a serious lack...

In the end, the 1501 is sort of like a neutered e1505. It's a shame, if you're an AMD fan it kind of makes it hard to go with the AMD Dell option here. If pricing were significantly lower for the 1501 than the e1505 I could see the selling point, but...

Well-rounded, solid performance; good specs overall; 2GB of memory for peak Vista operation; great display quality

Short on extra features; minimal port, input/output selection; small hard drive seems smaller with pre-installed software

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The TrueLife screen plays well with high-definition movies, making colors look vibrant and clear

The integrated graphics card is weak and only goes as far as watching movies and viewing images. It won't manage graphics-heavy gaming

The Dell Inspiron 15 doesn't provide any special features or powerful components, but this entry-level laptop is a great laptop for basic tasks.