Media:Personal Computers Operating System:Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium CPU Manufacturer:Intel CPU Speed:2 CPU Type:Intel Core 2 Duo Processors:2 System Memory:2 Memory Type:DDR2 SDRAM Hard Drive Size:160 Shipping Weight (lbs):4 Dimensions (in):12.5 x 9.4 x 0.9
COLORS Colors available in Tuxedo Black, Midnight Blue, Alpine White, Flamingo Pink. Please contact the sellers of this listing for different colored units.
Customer Reviews:
Good size for airline seatsDecember 27, 2008 size and weight of this unit are good for travelling with, 13" screen is LED backlit so is quite thin and bright (but default brightness on battery power is set to minimum, which is kind of confusing if you dont know about the Fn key combo to change the brightness)
I generally like this laptop, especially the 300Gb drive option, and that it is fast and not too hot and not much fan noise, battery life is about 1.5 hours for me, i would guess, when playing dvd etc, though meter says 2.5 hr when fully charged, using the normal size battery.
My one complaint is it is hard to use in the dark, as there is no keyboard light or backlit keys, and the power key is flush with the surface and hard to find by feel, the DVD eject button is also flush and hard to find in the dark. I can see the idea in having a compact layout of touch controls for volume and DVD play, but they should have worked a little harder on ergonomics of visibility and tactile feedback.
Also, the keyboard coloring is non-standard and low contrast. I find it kind of distracting to have a silver colored keyboard surface, it should be darker, with white lettering. The key letters are hard to see at some angles as they are a greyish color on a silver color.
I would like to see a dark colored keyboard with white letters and LED backlighting for key visibility in the dark.
But overall, it is a nice compact and attractive package.
Great Laptop - How to fix the dim screenDecember 1, 2008 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a solid laptop with great performance. I too was disappointed with the very dim display when running on battery until I figured out that Dell has set it that way in the system BIOS to persumably extend the battery charge. If you hit the F2 key while the laptop boots up you can enter the Setup and correct this. I moved it from a default setting of 3 to 6 and the display dims only slightly now on battery. Be careful not to change other settings while in setup unless you know what you're doing. You could cause major problems.
Look at the components and compareNovember 21, 2008 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I am pretty amazed at the fact that no one seems to really look at the computer's components before evaluating it. They make a huge difference, both in performance and in price. Even Consumer Reports, which rates the m1330 as a best buy, compares this with a Sony VAIO ultralight that has much better components. Not surprisingly the Sony comes out with a higher score. I think if they were evenly matched this model would blow the Sony VAIO away.
The price for the Dell m1330 advertised here is way high. I got a much better version of the m1330 at Best Buy (x1330 - they use the x instead of the m as part of their own inventory system) in early November for $950. It is going for $1099 now but even at that it is still a good deal.
Here is the comparison of Amazon's version and the BB version side - by side
Intel Core Duo T5750 - BB is T8100 2GB RAM - BB is 4GB which is what is needed to run Vista 160 GB HDD - BB is 320 GB HDD, or twice the storage capacity. WiFi-g 801.11 - Has this Bluetooth - Has this and it is operational in BB model Integrated Webcam - Has this Fingerprint Reader - Has this Express Card remote - Has this 8 in 1 card reader - Has this 4 cell battery - BB has a 6 cell battery Windows Vista Home Premium - Has this 1 year (Dell) warranty
The speed on the HD for both models is 5400 rpm and I was concerned that it might need a 7800 rpm drive or even a solid state drive to efficiently operate Vista and other programs, but it is definitely not needed. The difference in speed is barely perceptible and the solid state drive adds over $700 to the price.
Also, there is a problem with the graphics card the Amazon model comes with, the Intel Integrated Graphics Media accellerator. The BB version comes with the 128mb NVIDIA GeForce - much better. The only drawback is that it pulls more power so Dell recommends the 9 cell battery which adds considerable bulk and weight. It is not needed, though. I am getting over two hours of battery life with the 6 cell.
I STRONGLY disagree with the other reviewer's take on Dell screens. The Dell m1330 screen is superior. There are no issues with it whatsoever. It is not LED, so if you use the computer outside in the daylight you will have trouble seeing the screen. But it is an exceptional LCD screen.
Some reviewers on other sites take issue with the button for WiFi on the m1330 - I think the quality is fine. I turn it on and I leave it on and the button is out of the way and stays on so no complaints from me there. Some reviewers also think it is too noisy. The BB model I have is very quiet.
The only problem is with the NUMLOCK key. It indicates on and off okay but it does not actually work. I never use the NUMLOCK so that is not a problem for me. All of the other Function and Shift keys work fine including CAPSLOCK. Consumer Reports cites as a liability the fact that there is no latch to lock the lid shut but I have no sense that the lid will open. When it is shut it feels to me like it will stay shut.
The BB x1330 is also 64bit as opposed to 32bit which means that it runs the next generation of operating systems and software much better but for peripherals you now own like printers and scanners that are 32bit you may need to download new drivers.
The weight is slightly more than for other more expensive ultralights but IMHO it is well worth the price difference trade-off.
The keyboard feels very solid and sure. The touchpad is a little small so if you have large hands it might be a little hard to use but I prefer the smaller size myself. There is also plenty of room to rest your wrists while you type.
It has a sleep mode that is GREAT! It takes literally a second to power off and it comes on again as soon as I open the lid - no more stabbing at the enter key, shift key, power key (and accidently shutting it down) etc., trying to figure out how to wake it up. It also does a cold boot very quickly, in a minute or two.
I strongly recommend this computer with the components that I detailed here. I have used Dells, Thinkpads, Gateways, and Sony laptops and I would match this up against a similarly outfitted competitor anytime for quality and price. I am glad I gave it a seecond look.
Screen so dim it can only be read in a dark roomJuly 28, 2008 11 out of 15 found this review helpful
This is a nice starter computer, but beware, Dell screens are so dim they cannot be read easily in bright light environments. If you want to sit outside and read your e-mail, DO NOT BUY a Dell laptop. I wish I had known this before I bought the Dell XPS 1330, and I would have bought a Sony instead.
Dell XPS M1330 after owning XPS M1210April 10, 2008 4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I loved my M1210 and used it for 18 months but recently got an M1330 and I like it even better, except for a few things. I did like the 12-inch size and weight of the former, but the 1330 is brighter and the keyboard is a little larger, making for improved useability. BTW, the specs are almost equal: 2.2 GHz processor and 2 Gb. RAM; with NVidia video card. So the speed is pretty much equal also. I put 4 Gb RAM into both, and the performance difference is negligible. Don't waste your money: 2 Gb is plenty. The 9-cell battery of the 1330 is bulky and ugly, compared to the 9-cell of the M1210. by the way, about batteries: that 9-cell from my M1210 is just about shot, even though the laptop was hardly ever run from only this battery. When using the 1210 mobile, I used the 6-cell almost exclusively; only using the 9-cell when the laptop was running on AC power. Why would that wear out a battery? The 6-cell from the M1210 is still fine, having been used about 5 hours a week for 18 months. I liked the rotating camera of the 1210; the 1330 camera is fixed. The 1330 has better heat dissipation: there's a copper tubing setup that winds its way around heat-producing sources and wicks it over to the fan area; new in this latest design. I hate the multi-media touch controls of the 1330 as compared to regular buttons (cooly lit-up blue) that you push & click to use, on the 1210. I don't like the fact that screen on the 1330 doesn't tilt back further than about 120 degrees, as opposed to the 1210 tilting back all the way, flat to 180 degrees. the 1330 has HDMI port which the 1210 didn't, but it only has 2 USB ports compared to the 1210's four. The HDD of the 1330 is more difficult to get at and swap out than the HDD of the 1210. The 1330 could have been made even a bit smaller, because there's a wide wasted-space frame bordering the screen, but that would have meant making the keyboard the same size as the 1210. Fine with me, but maybe users with big fat hands complained about not enough keyboard room.
Overall a nice laptop. I especially appreciate the MedeaDirect setup that both of these laptops have: a very nice & useful touch.
This is my sixth Dell laptop and because of their excellent warranty service and great customer care support (especially XPS support) I can't see myself buying anything else.
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