Dell Inspiron 700M - Taking the Widescreen Display to Ultraportables

Final Words

Having seen and used the HP Pavilion DV1000, the Dell Inspiron 700M isn't as eye-catching or revolutionary at first. The HP Pavilion DV1000 was something of a new breed in the multimedia notebook field because just about all previous multimedia notebooks were something like the Dell Inspiron 8600: 15.4" widescreen, bulky, wide, etc. Basically, none of them were in the mobile sense. The DV1000 was something in a similar profile of a typical notebook like some of the mainstream IBM's ThinkPad, Dell's Inspiron, and HP/Compaq's Presario with a slightly wider display, which made it a good, all-purpose and multimedia notebook.

The 700M is a bit different because an ultraportable notebook is suppose to emphasis characteristics like: lightweight, small, compact, etc. However, the 700M weighs in at a little over 4 pounds, which is a little under some of the thin and light notebooks. It is also a bit thicker than other ultraportable notebooks from Dell, IBM, and HP/Compaq. Overall, this feels more like a miniature version of Inspiron 8600 rather than an X300 with a wide screen, from which is where some of our complaints come. Add on the problem we have the keyboard, this notebook takes a bit of time to get use to, if you are just coming off a desktop or 15.4", 15.0", and 14.1" notebook.

Despite all of these concerns, it is the smallest and lightest weight multimedia notebook, and if you are measuring it as a multimedia notebook with the occasional use for business/school/etc., it has a great design. Movies are all that much easier to take with you on flights and the 700M fits comfortably in the seat tray. The keyboard and touchpad are less of a concern for heavy multimedia users, since they will be spending their time on the screen as opposed to punching away at that report due Tuesday.

What truly makes the 700M more appealing to us are the configuration options, lower price, and its ability to become a true lightweight powerhouse notebook. Most ultraportable notebooks tier off at Pentium-M 1.4GHz (Dothan), but the 700M raises the ante to a max with Intel's Pentium-M 2.0GHz - remarkable considering its size. The battery life has a good range, as a standard and extended battery rivals that of other notebooks. The only difference is that you will actually need to swap batteries during use to extend battery life, as there is no multi-bay battery option.

Our sample came with 1.8GHz, the mid-CPU option, which is what we recommend for those looking for budget-conscience, powerful, and compact multimedia notebook. This really can be made to be a powerful compact road warrior, ready to tackle some of the duties that heavier and much larger 15.0" notebooks can. At a mid-price, at least $200-$300 less than most of the starting prices for other comparable ultraportables, this is an awesome great buy with those on a budget, want a bit more power than what typical ultraportables offer, and those with more of a movie bug in them, or this is something to consider as a Christmas gift to occupy that frequent flyer on business trips.