Dell Inspiron 1520

1126 reviews

May, 2013

Positive
Performance (161)
Keyboard (79)
Usability (74)
Build quality (49)
Resolution (17)

Negative
Portability (131)
Screen (4)

General overview
Price comparison
Product Specifications

alaTest has collected and analyzed 1126 reviews from magazines and websites. Reviewers really like the sound and build quality. The usability and keyboard are also appreciated. Some have doubts about the screen and touchpad, and views about the energy efficiency and battery are mixed.

performance, keyboard, usability, build quality, sound

portability, touchpad, screen

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Laptops the Dell Inspiron 1520 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 84/100 = Very good quality.

See all Dell Laptops

Review analysis

(Based on 1126 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(60% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (30% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (6% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (3% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (1% of reviews)
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Features

Performance
Show positive (72%)Show negative (28%)(Show all)

Portability
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Battery
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Keyboard
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Usability
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More features

Showing 519 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Showing 1 - 10 of 519 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (789)

Expert review by: Martina Osztovits (notebookcheck.net)

Review Dell Vostro 1520 Notebook

Reasonably priced and customizable. If you?re searching for a rea ...

Classic timeless design ; Matt screen ; Good keyboard and touchpad ; Pleasant matt finish on the base unit ; Very customizable ; Recovery media included ; Good performance for the price ; Access panels allow maintenance and upgrades

Some useful ports have been omitted ; Customizing quickly drives up the price ; Tendency to overheat (touchpad gets quite warm)

Almost all major laptop manufacturers have a range of reasonably priced business models, for instance HP's Probook range, Lenovo's Thinkpad SL range or Acer's Extensa range

Sep, 2009

Partner Source

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Expert review by: J. Simon Leitner (notebookcheck.net)

Review Dell Inspiron 1520 Notebook

Topseller? Late, but, finally we got the new 15 inch Inspiron 152 ...

Decent pleasing design; Very stable and fexural rigid aluminum case; User-friendly input devices; Variety of display versions available; Reasonable office or powerful mutlimedia equipment available; Low noise emissions; Low surface temperatures; Very...

Smaller weaknesses regarding gaps; Display hinges allow see-saw, display wobbles, if closed.; No DVI-D/HDMI port; Mostly glossy displays available

Also the runtime with WLAN operation of above 4 hours are a criterion supporting the battery upgrade of the Dell Inspiron 1520

Oct, 2007

Partner Source

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Expert review by: hazel_motes (NotebookReview.com)

Dell Inspiron 1520 Review

These prices reflect no special discounts or coupons, just today's standard upgrades and reductions, which are plainly available to anyone who orders a 1520 today. In any case, at the high end particularly, these prices strike me as very competitive,...

Excellent performance with the right configuration ; Solid, inexpensive multimedia notebook with more basic hardware ; Good screen ; Wide variety of LCD resolutions, configurable by user ; Well built ; Nice appearance, with user-selectable colors ;...

Dual LCD latch does not hold as firmly as it should ; Window XP is not an option (though it is with the Vostro 1500)

There are so many positives, including the overall build quality, and so much flexibility in terms of configuration, the 1520 would seem to make a lot of sense for a wide range of notebook users, and a little bit of latch looseness should not be a...

Jul, 2007

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Expert review by: Jeffrey L. Wilson (laptopmag.com)

Dell Inspiron 1520

Featuring a fresh new design, solid performance, and free online backup, Dell's latest mainstream notebook is a winner.

Modern design with multiple color options ; Useful DataSafe backup utility ; Mobile broadband option ; Good endurance with nine-cell battery

A bit heavy ; Speakers lack high volume ; No HDMI port for optional Blu-ray drive

Jul, 2007

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Expert review by: Stella (NotebookReview.com)

Dell Inspiron 1520 User Review

My final cost was $1,640.55. I chose not to include internal Bluetooth or Bluray, but they are offered as options in most markets. I placed the order over the phone as I have found that is the best way to ensure a quick confirmation. Of course, the...

Gorgeous design ; Great specs ; Low cost ; Solid build

Confusing and complicated to order at the best possible price ; Larger and heavier than some other laptops in its class ; Flimsy latch ; Unattractive media buttons detract from overall appearance ; Silver interior may show wear more quickly

Effective battery life under heavy processor load with high performance settings appears to be about three hours with the 9-cell battery. You could probably extend that to four hours or more by disabling wireless, turning down screen brightness, and...

Jul, 2007

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Consumer review by: (amazon.com)

Amazon review summary for the Dell Inspiron 1520

alaTest has collected and analyzed 7 user reviews of the Dell Inspiron 1520 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 3.0/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.0/5 for other products on Amazon.com.

screen, value for money

57% of reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

May, 2013

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Consumer review by: angeldotcom (mysears.com)

Best Laptop I have ever had”

Dec, 2011

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Consumer review by: Pavel Romashkin "PaulDaisy" (amazon.com)

Excellent cost effective laptop

I think the reviews for this laptop are skewed because only people with bad experiences were vocal. I bought this laptop (the 1520) for $700 with a dedicated 512 Mb video card, and it is an excellent inexpensive machine. It has been with me on the...

Apr, 2011

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Consumer review by: jake (amazon.com)

This PC is really horrible...

I got this laptop for a graduation gift. This was last year. Ever since I've had it, I've had to replace the hard drive at least six times, it overheats in 10 minutes, the battery was shot in six months, and it currently has many issues. Now, it won't...

Nov, 2010

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Consumer review by: kanzzz (epinions.com)

Inspiring Inspiron 1520

I bought DELL Inspiron 1520 two years ago. I was very excited after buying this as it was my first laptop. After 2 years of usage, I have mixed experience with it which I am going to share with you as a review. Let's start from the starting...... ...

Looks, graphics, fast, value for money

Bulky, short battery life

Jul, 2010

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Product Specifications

Designed specifically to meet the unique needs and requirements of small businesses, Vostro laptops give you the freedom to buy exactly what you need in a small business laptop. The Vostro 1520 15.4" laptop is packed with some of the latest technologies, connectivity options all at a great price - so you can achieve more while spending less. With Vostro laptops, you can get the big business technologies without the big business price. Customize to your heart's content. The Vostro 1520 gives you load of choices - pick features that mean the most to you, whether a premium panel, mobile broadband or a solid state drive.

Audio Output

Type:Sound card

Battery

Technology:Lithium ion

Cache Memory

Installed Size:1MB/2MB

Dimensions & Weight

Depth:10.2in/10.6in

Height:1.5in/1.7in/1.8in

Weight:5.3lbs/5.5lbs/6.4lbs/6.6lbs

Width:13.1in/14.1in

Display (Projector)

Diagonal Size:15.4in

Diagonal Size (metric):39.1cm

Max Resolution:1280 x 800/1440 x 900

Technology:TFT active matrix

Widescreen Display:

Yes

Environmental Standards

ENERGY STAR Qualified:

Yes

EPEAT Compliant:

Yes

EPEAT Level:EPEAT Bronze

Header

Compatibility:PC

Localization:English

Manufacturer:Dell

Model:1520

Packaged Quantity:1

Product Line:Dell Inspiron/Dell Vostro

Input Device

Type:Keyboard / Touchpad/Keyboard / Touchpad/Touchpad / Keyboard

Mainboard

Data Bus Speed:533MHz/667MHz/800MHz

Miscellaneous

Color:Alpine white/Black/Jet black/Midnight blue

Modem

Max Transfer Rate:56Kbps

Protocols & Specifications:ITU V.92

Type:Fax / modem/None

Networking

Data Link Protocol:Ethernet / Fast Ethernet / IEEE 802.11b / IEEE 802.11g/Ethernet / Fast Ethernet / Gigabit Ethernet / IEEE 802.11a / IEEE 802.11g / IEEE 802.11n (draft)/Ethernet / Fast Ethernet / IEEE 802.11b / IEEE 802.11g/Fast Ethernet / IEEE 802.11b / IEEE 802.11g/IEEE 802.11g / IEEE 802.11b / Gigabit Ethernet / Fast Ethernet

Type:Network adapter

Wireless LAN Supported:

Yes

Wireless Protocol:802.11a/g/n (draft)/802.11b/g