Dell M1530

The Dell M1530 is another member of the XPS series which is known to blend together glamorous looks with blazing performance.The Dell M1530 is a truly value for money laptop and with recent price reduction it has become a hot buy with the consumer.

Dell XPS M1530 specifications:

• Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 (2.0GHz)
• RAM : 2GB
• HDD : 160 GB SATA 5400rpm
• Display : 15.4″
• Graphics card: Nvidia 8600GT
• DVD Writer
• Microsoft Vista Home Premium

Although you can choose components according to your needs and budget I chose this configuration as it is a bit future proof.Dell gives you warranty against accidental damage and it makes sense to buy 2 years additional warranty to extend total warranty to 3 years which is highly recommended as Dell customer service is great and you will surely recover the cost and more in 3-years time.

The Dell M1530 is based on the Intel P965M chipset and is a Santa-Rosa based laptop.The dimensions of the laptop are at par with other 15.4″ models available in the market.But the weight is definitely lower than most of them which increases it portability.You can choose from three lid color which are black, red or white.

Dell has taken measures to make sure the laptops has right color combinations in order to make the laptop looks glamorous and sexy which is truly the essence of XPS series! The keyboard has been made in silver with touches of black.The laptop also has touch-sensitive keys to control multimedia playback.The remote control fits snugly into the express card slot, so you do not need to worry about it when on the move.

The display has a native resolution of 1440 x 900 which is generally hard to find on other 15.4″ laptops.The LCD screen is a standard one but it is very thin.A power saving LED backlit display would have been icing on the cake.The display clarity is very good and the brightness and contrast levels are high enough to be usable in sunlight also.Some of the standard extras include a webcam , HDMI output, WiFi and bluetooth support.

The performance of the laptop is excellent as expected.The Core 2 Duo processor,2GB RAM,8600GT graphics card make for a pleasant gaming experience on the laptop.The laptop is butter smooth in multi-tasking and you would not notice any lag.The performance is at par with HP and Sony models having same configuration.The backup time depends on whether you choose the 6-cell battery or the 9-cell battery.Although the 9-cell battery will give you a significant boost in backup time but it will make your laptop bulkier and also raise the rear end of your laptop.Under moderate usage the 6-cell battery lasts about 3 hours.

Pros:

• Glamorous looks
• Light weight
• Optional Nvidia 8600GT
• Good performance
• Good battery backup
• Excellent customer support

Cons:

• A bit expensive
• Only 3 lid colors
• Less customization options available

Final Thoughts

The Dell XPS 1530 as I mentioned earlier is truly a value for money laptop.It combines sexy looks with great performance.Dell has managed to get almost everything right with this laptop and is justified in demanding a bit higher price.Dell excellent after sales customer support is another reason to buy a Dell.I would highly recommend this laptop to anyone looking to buy a 15.4′ laptop.