TECH6.0

Alright its been a week today since I received my Dell Studio 1555, and I am simply loving it.

This is my very first laptop and I chose Dell Studio 15 after a LOTTT of research among SONY Vaio, HP Compaq, Acer and Lenovo.

Do note that its been just a week today since I am using it and my review is based totally on my personal experience of 7 days of heavily using it.



Overview of what I bought or customized :-

1. Dell Studio 1555 Star Performer E-Value Code: S540506IN8, now known as Entertainment Powerhouse.
2. Ruby Red Colour with Black U-Trim
3. Intel® Centrino® 2 Mobile Technology Intel® Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz/ 1066 FSB/ 3MB Cache)
4. Intel® Cantiga GM45 Chipset
5. Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium SP1 64 bit (English)
6. 4GB Dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM (2 x 2GB)
7. 320GB SATA Hard Drive 7200 RPM
8. 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570
9. Integrated CREATIVE Sound Blaster(R) X-Fi MB Audio Software Solution
10. 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
11. Dell(TM) Backlit Keyboard with Touchpad (English)
12. 15.6" 720p WLED (1366x768) TrueLifeTM
13. Dell(TM) Bluetooth Travel Mouse (Got it for free as a Promotional offer )

The price has increased by almost 7000/- INR now. Lucky me Though they have added Blu-ray BD-ROM (which is of no use to me at present) and 500 GB HDD (which is NOT 7200 RPM and no option to switch)

I got lucky enough that my Invoice was generated on 26th of June thus got eligible and registered for Windows 7 free Upgrade at https://win7.dell.com



My recommendations :-

1. One and the only reason why I chose the highest priced model at first was because it had the Intel Centrino 2 technology, unlike any other. I have read a lot about the all-new Centrino 2 and just could not leave it out of my configuration.
2. Must opt for Backlit keyboard - I think this is one really amazing feature contributing to its beautiful looks. Seriously, any laptop without backlit keyboard now looks really dull and boring to me.
3. Ruby Red is awesome. Very nice finish in coloring. Its not shiny and glossy as I thought it to be, nor it attracts fingerprints at all. Red color sounds a bit childish or funky at first, but trust me it really has the professional feel.
4. Upgrading the processor to atleast P8600 2.4Ghz is highly recommended for max performance.
5. If you're going for atleast 4 GB RAM, go for 64 bit edition of Windows as 32 bit OS won't recognize more than 3 GB. One problem this has lead to (for me) is that its not compatible with most USB broadband modems as you won't find compatible x64 drivers. Thus I had to switch to Ethernet modem finally. But again, it gave me a reason to advance.
6. The only thing I care about in chosing a PC is ultimate performance, so 7200 RPM Hard disk is what I chose instead of default 5400 RPM. But as I see it today, they are just providing the default 5400 RPM now with 500 GB space.
7. 512 MB dedicated VRAM is something worth buying for handling graphics. Even games like Prototype, Assassins Creed and Burnout Paradise are running like anything.
8. Do go for the Creative Sound blaster as I have not read some good reviews about the default sound quality in this laptop. Though I am happy with the sound quality, but not the volume. But infact, its much better than what I had experienced on my brother's Compaq. Otherwise I always use a nice Headphone for my laptop. And yes, the Creative noise isolation earbuds are your friends.
9. I did not chose the 9 cell battery cause I got to know that it sticks out from behind and also increases the weight by 400 grams. In short, it does make it bulky. I am really loving the slim look of the laptop, and now cannot even imagine something popping out from behind.
10. Lastly, I am quite surprised (and happy ofcourse) about how beautifully the Dell Bluetooth mouse works. Its just amazing, and I got it for free what else.

In addition to above, some other quick Pros :-

1. I like the placement of MS COA label under the battery, instead of making it too open by placing right beneath the laptop.
2. Don't know about others but I am happy with the placement of the ON button, plus it glows wonderfully.
3. I also loved the Face Recognition software. It works like magic for me.

I guess I have already detailed enough. Let me list out a few Cons of the product off the top of my head :-

1. No LED's for anything - Can be a pain to some people, not for me atleast.
2. Default factory-setting for Function keys should be NORMAL. For those who are struggling to make F1, F2 keys work normal as they should, just look into your BIOS setup.
3. Two USB ports are really less.
4. Gets a bit hot after few hours of continous use. I guess thats due to the heavy graphics card in use.
5. The slot load drive works really smooth. Small discs not compatible is definitely a disadvantage.

My Purchasing experience :-

1. Ordered, and within 24 hours got a call from Dell sales representative. Got to hear about the promotional offer (Bluetooth mouse). I was still thinking then. Representative kept calling/emailing everyday asking when would I like to make the payment and confirm the order.
2. EFT'd on 23rd and order confirmed the next day itself i.e. 24th June. Within two days i.e. 26th my invoice was generated and product was despatched on 27th. That was really fast.
3. Now Bluedart took almost 7 days to deliver the box. I had to call and keep bugging the local office to make the delivery ASAP. That was a bit irritating considering the fact that it took just 3 days to manufacture and ship the product. In total, it took 10 days as I was told by the representative, so thats fine.
4. The package that arrives is really impressive. Very nicely packed, not even a scratch anywhere. Lovely set of 8-9 DVD's.
5. Lastly, on 25th I got to know about Windows 7 free upgrade Offer by Microsoft. This made me a bit scared as I did not wanted to loose it. I was confused between Order date OR Invoice date, which had to be atleast 26th June in order to be eligible for the offer. Luckily, India site started working today and I registered successfully.

My Suggestions for DELL :-

1. Please enable discount coupon codes for India.
2. Every company provides a carry case inclusive of the package. I had to buy the Dell Backpack seperately from a retailer in my city. I even wrote about this to Manager at Dell, India, but no response. It feels really incomplete without a Laptop Carry Case.
3. Please update your Sales representatives about upcoming offers in advance. They do not even know what is going to change after 2 days. Like for example, I was never told that if I purchase the laptop on or after 26th June, I'd be eligible for Windows 7 free upgrade. Infact I pointed her out this thing. Even your Customer Care doesn't know about this after 10 days of the offer. I would have screwed myself if I was ineligible.

Alright so that was my quick review of the product.
Hope you all enjoyed reading it.

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Thats a wonderful review wizzy boy.

My cousin has recently purchased a Dell Inspiron btw, but the configuration isn't this high.

Added a shiny pic of the laptop in the first post. Also check out my Burnout Paradise Gameplay video on Dell Studio 15.

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Really a very useful post and a excellent review. even i was planning to buy a laptop for me dell is my first choice also. but have thought abt the figure print recognizing feature of accer . what you think about it. really wanted to know about this. BTW congrats for wonderful laptop.

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You got to be kidding right?

How many times a day would you be scanning your fingers? And what for?

If secure login to Windows is what you are thinking about, then you have the awesome Sensible Vision's Face Recognition Software provided by Dell in all of its models. As said before, it works like magic for me and is amazingly fast and responsive.

FYI, the previous version of Dell Studio 15 i.e. 1537 had this. But its now removed in the latest revision which is 1555 as it just did not fit or worked well. In other words, its removed for good.

Also check out some other models of Dell like Vostro, Inspiron etc, maybe they have it.

By the way, switching to Acer JUST because Dell does not have a Fingerprint reader, isn't a wise decision at all.

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what you think of accer's price range i think it provides the same features in less.

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Then I would have bought Acer.

I could not get the same configuration in any other company's laptop.

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hai

Great review webwizzy keep up the good effort nd congrats for the new matchine (i know its bit late though),personally i like the configuration of your matchine and hope performance ways ur satisfied with new matchine also .

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I want one too...

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Then buy one.. laptops aren't a big deal today unless you live in the third world.

btw webwizzy, I am missing the i7 core processor and DDR3 RAM in your configuration.

Sadly I am missing those too. But can't help, Dell India didn't have those in options to choose from, and they don't have it even today.

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You are pretty much sarcastic in most of your posts. I was just kidding, I'll buy when I have to.

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I wasn't being sarcastic, I was just stating the fact.

Just thought of adding a pic.

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Looking nice. Is that a cooling pad beneath it?

yep I just created a thread about Cooler Master Notepal Infinite.

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