Dell Inspiron

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Dell's Inspiron portable systems product line started as a range of computers targeted at the entry-level consumer market (as opposed to the Latitude range of laptops aimed at the business market). The first Inspiron laptops date back to as early as 1998. As of June 26, 2007 the Inspiron name also refers to a range of Dell's entry-level desktop systems which replaced the Dimension line of desktop PCs.

Contents 1 Current Models 1.1 Netbooks 1.1.1 Inspiron Mini 10/10v 1.1.2 Inspiron Mini 12 1.2 Laptops 1.2.1 Inspiron 1318 (Inspiron 13) 1.2.2 Inspiron 14 1.2.3 Inspiron 1545 (Inspiron 15) 1.3 Desktop models 1.3.1 Inspiron 537 1.3.2 Inspiron 537s 1.3.3 Inspiron 530 1.3.4 Inspiron 530s 1.3.5 Inspiron 531/531s 2 Previous configurations 2.1 High-end models 2.1.1 Inspiron 9300 2.1.2 Inspiron 9400/E1705 2.2 Mainstream models 2.2.1 Inspiron 6000 2.2.2 Inspiron 8000, 8100, and 8200 2.2.3 Inspiron 1420 1520/1521, 1525, 1720/1721 2.3 Portable models 2.3.1 Inspiron 700m 2.3.2 Inspiron 710m 2.3.3 Inspiron 640m/E1405 2.3.4 Inspiron 1501 2.3.5 Inspiron Mini 9 2.3.6 Inspiron 5100 2.3.7 Inspiron 5150 2.3.8 Inspiron 6400/E1505 (N) 2.3.9 Inspiron 600m 2.3.10 Inspiron 8600 2.4 Basic/entry level models 2.4.1 Inspiron B120 2.4.2 Inspiron B130 or 1300 3 List of Dell Inspiron laptops 4 Rebadging 5 Problems 5.1 Optical drive button 5.2 Overheating 5.3 Motherboard 5.4 Defective graphics boards 5.5 Display resolution 5.6 Battery recall of 2006 5.7 Screen Rotation with SP 3 5.8 Vertical line LCD problem 5.9 Other common problems 6 History 6.1 Laptops 6.2 Desktops 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Current Models

[edit] Netbooks

[edit] Inspiron Mini 10/10v

Released on Dell's website on February 26, 2009, the Inspiron Mini 10 is Dell's latest netbook. It includes an HDMI port for connectivity to an HD display. The base configuration is an Intel Atom Z520 and can be customized with up to an Intel Atom Z530. The Inspiron Mini 10 has a 10.1" 1024×576 display and can be configured with a 10.1" 1366×768 HD widescreen display. The Inspiron Mini 10 has 1 GB of DDR2 SDRAM, and there will be a 2 GB upgrade oportion available in the future. A 2.5" 160 GB 5400 RPM SATA hard drive comes standard. It has an integrated Intel GMA 500 graphics processor and a 3-cell 24 watt-hour Lithium-Ion battery and can be upgraded to a 6-cell 56 watt-hour Lithium-Ion battery. It also contains a Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g Wi-Fi card and can be configured with a Dell Wireless 1505 802.11n Wi-Fi card. There is a webcam built in to the system. There are also options for Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband EVDO-Rev A and a Bluetooth 2.1 module w/EDR.

The Inspiron Mini 10v is a cheaper version of the Inspiron Mini 10 and was made available on May 11, 2009. It has many of the same configuration options but some different ones as opposed to the Insprion Mini 10.

[edit] Inspiron Mini 12

This netbook is simply a bigger version of the Mini 9, and most of the hardware is the same used in the Mini 9. The size, display, hard drive type, and video card are the only differences. The Mini 9 has a 8.9" LCD screen and a 1024x600 resolution. The Mini 12 has a 12.1" LCD screen and a 1280x800 resolution. The Inspiron Mini 12 uses a HDD while the Mini 9 uses a SSD. The Mini 12 also uses an Intel GMA 500 while the Mini 9 uses an Intel GMA 950. Dell offers either Ubuntu Linux version 8.04.1 or the Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic Edition SP1 for operating systems on the Dell Mini 12. Dell later put the option on their website to customize the Inspiron Mini 12 with the Genuine Windows XP Home Edition one month after releasing it with Vista Home Basic.

[edit] Laptops

[edit] Inspiron 1318 (Inspiron 13)

This laptop is only available in Pacific Blue. The laptop has a slot-load DVD drive which cannot be upgraded to a Blu-ray Disc drive. The laptop has an Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200 processor (up to Intel Core 2 Duo T8300). It contains 3GB shared Dual Channel DDR2 RAM (up to 4GB of the same type of RAM). The baseline 4-cell Lithium Ion battery can be upgraded to 6-cell or 9-cell. Like the Inspiron 14, the Inspiron 13 has an Intel GMA X3100, but it can be upgraded to a 128MB Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS. There is an optional built-in Bluetooth EDR 2.0 capability available for $20. The laptop includes a Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Mini-card, which can be upgraded to a Dell Wireless 1505 Wireless 802.11n Mini-card.

[edit] Inspiron 14

The Inspiron 14 was released on Dell's website on June 25, 2009, almost two years after the online release Inspiron 1420. The 14 has the same design as Dell's Studio 14z laptop, but lacks the HDMI port and includes a built-in optical drive. The Inspiron 14 can be configured with an Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4200, Core 2 Duo T6600, or P8600. it has an LED-backlit display w/a 1366×768 display resolution, and it can be upgraded up to a 1600×900 resolution. The laptop has 2 GB of Shared Dual-Channel DDR2 SDRAM @ 800 MHz, which can be upgraded to 4 GB. The Inspiron 14 has a 160 GB SATA hard drive @ 5400 RPM, and this can be upgraded to 500 GB. The laptop uses the integrated Intel GMA X4500 MHD found in most entry-level laptops. There is an 8X DVD+/-RW drive, which can be upgraded to a 2X Blu-Ray Disc Combo Drive. The laptop's 37 WHr 4-cell Lithium-Ion battery can be upgraded to a 56 WHR 6-cell Lithium-Ion battery. The inspiron 14 has a Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g half mini-card and can be customized with an optional Intel Wi-Fi Link 802.11a/g/n half mini-card. There is an option for Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth Internal (2.1). The laptop also has an option for a built-in 1.3 MP webcam, as well as a webcam w/optional facial recognition software.

[edit] Inspiron 1545 (Inspiron 15)

Released in January 16, 2009, it is currently available at Dell's website and at some select retailers, including Best Buy, and replaces the Inspiron 1525 as Dell's latest 15-inch budget laptop. The Inspiron 15 costs $349 plus tax and shipping at Dell's website if it is configured and bought with the cheapest configurations. The Inspiron 15 has a glossy design, like the Inspiron 13. The Inspiron 15 uses integrated Intel GMA X4500MHD graphics, and can be customized up to an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 . The Inspiron 15 has 2 GB of Shared Dual Channel DDR2 RAM @ 800 MHz, and can be upgraded up to 4 GB. The Inspiron 15 starts out with a Intel Celeron 585 processor, and can be customized up to a Core 2 Duo P8600. The display is a glossy widescreen 15.6 inch display with a 1366x768 display resolution, and can be upgraded to a bright, glossy widescreen 15.6 inch WLED display with the same resolution. It also features an optional 1.3 megapixel webcam. The Inspiron 15 uses a Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g half mini-card, but it can be upgraded to a Intel WiFi Link 5100 802.11n mini-card, which, when paired with the Core 2 Duo P8600, gives the Inspiron 15 Intel Centrino 2 processing technology (the Montevina platform). If it is paired with the Core 2 Duo T6400, the laptop has Intel Centrino processing technology (the Santa Rosa platform). There is also an option for a Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth Internal (2.0) mini card. The Inspiron 15 has a tray-load Dual Layer 8x DVD+/-R optical drive, which can be upgraded to a Blu-ray Disc Combo drive. The laptop lacks the HDMI port from the previous model.

[edit] Desktop models

On June 26, 2007, Dell released the new Inspiron desktop series as a replacement to the Dell Dimension chain. The Inspiron marks Dell's return to a mATX case and motherboard with one exception: the rear i/o panel is not removable. As a result, motherboard upgrades are nearly impossible without modifying the case. The case has a metallic silver front and top with gloss-white side panels. The overall size of the Inspiron case is smaller than the Dimension series case.

[edit] Inspiron 537

Released on Dell's website on May 12, 2009 the Inspiron 537 is a mini-tower desktop that replaces the Inspiron 530. The desktop has a black chassis, but the front shell can be customized with one of eight colors. The base processor is an Intel Celeron 450 and can be customized up to an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400. The Inspiron 537 has 2 GB dual channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800 MHz, and can be upgraded to 4 GB. The base model has a 320 GB 3200 RPM Serial ATA hard drive w/DataBurst Cache and can be upgraded up to 750 GB. It has a 16X DVD+/-RW drive, and can be customized with a Blu-ray Disc Combo drive. The Inspiron 537 has integrated Intel GMA X4500, and can be customized with an ATI Radeon HD 4350 dicreate graphics card. There is no initial Wi-Fi card in the 537, but it can be customized with a Dell 1505 WLAN PCIe card with 11n mini-card and external antenna.

[edit] Inspiron 537s

The Inspiron 537s is simply the slim version of the Inspiron 537 with similar features. It replaces the Inspiron 530s. The Inspiron 537s is limited to a Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 whereas the Inspiron 537 can be customized with up to a Core 2 Quad Q9400. Because of of its slim form factor, it only has one optical drive. The other hardware configuration options are identical to those of the Inspiron 537.

[edit] Inspiron 530

Released on June 26, 2007, the Dell Inspiron 530 is Dell's first desktop to use the Inspiron name. The Inspiron 530 has an Intel Celeron 450, and can be customized up to an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550. It has 2 GB of DDR2 SDRAM at 800 MHz, which can be upgraded up to 4 GB. The desktop has a 320 GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA hard drive w/DataBurst Cache, which can be upgraded to 750 GB. There are also data recovery versions of the 320 and 500 GB hard drive sizes. The Inspiron 530 is customizable with a variety of DVD+/-RW and Blu-ray Disc drives. The Inspiron 530 has integrated Intel GMA 3100, and can be customized up to an ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete grapics card. It has integrated 7.1 channel audio and can be customized up to a Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer sound card. The Inspiron 520 has no initial Wi-Fi card, but can be customized up to a Dell 1505 Wireless-N PCI-e card. The Inspiron 530 has two variants of motherboards, both made by Foxconn and based on the G33M series. The G33M02 which supports up to Core 2 Duo processors and the DG33M03, which supports up to Core 2 Quad processors. Inspiron 530 systems sold with Pentium D or Core 2 Duo processors can not be upgraded to Core 2 Quad processors without adding at least a 350W power supply and swapping motherboards to the DG33M03 motherboard. The reason the G33M02 doesn't support Core 2 Quad processors is because it only has 6 voltage regulator ICs, the DG33M03 has 11.

[edit] Inspiron 530s

The Inspiron 530s has the same design as the 530, but it is 41% slimmer. However, because of its design, it is not physically compatible with all desktop hardware, especially graphics cards (Dell only gives you the option of the ATI 2400 XT, which is not a high performance card). The case used in the 530s can accommodate one 5.25" optical drive, one 3.5" drive (either a 1.44Mb floppy or 19-in-1 card reader), and up to two standard 3.5" hard drives. The motherboard used in the 530s is the exact same Foxconn G33m02 mATX motherboard used in the Inspiron 530. While almost any low profile PCI-E x16 video card will physically fit in the 530s, the custom sized Delta 250W power supply that the 530s is equipped with may seriously limit the potential for using higher end cards.

[edit] Inspiron 531/531s

The Inspiron 531 and the Inspiron 531s are the same as, respectively, the 530 and the 530s but use an Athlon 64 x2 processor and a Nvidia chipset.

[edit] Previous configurations

[edit] High-end models

[edit] Inspiron 9300

The Dell Inspiron 9300 was a laptop that had either a 1.6, 1.73, 1.86, 2.0, 2.13 or 2.26 GHz Intel Pentium M processor and a 17" wide-screen (available in WXGA+ with a 1440 by 900 resolution and WUXGA with a 1920 by 1200 resolution). At the time, it also featured DDR2 memory, a new feature for laptops. Compared with the other Inspiron laptops, it is considered to be the "Entertainment Powerhouse".

The Inspiron 9300 was based loosely on its more expensive and more powerful big brother, the gaming-oriented Inspiron XPS Generation 2. With the right upgrades, the Inspiron 9300 can deliver most of the gaming power as the XPS Generation 2 at a much reduced cost. These upgrades start with the nVidia GeForce Go 6800 video card (or higher such as a GeForce 7800 GTX in later models), and continue with extra RAM, a 7200 RPM hard drive, and a Pentium M that is faster than the baseline 1.6 GHz speed.

[edit] Inspiron 9400/E1705

The Inspiron E1705 and Inspiron 9400 (non-US models) are essentially the same machine but with a few minor differences in configuration. The Inspiron 9400 was basically a more up to date redesigned version of the Inspiron 9300 with a few extra added features such as the Dell MediaDirect button which was next to the powerbutton.

Available with either an Intel Core Duo or Core 2 Duo processor, this laptop features a 17-inch WXGA+ (1440 x 900) or WUXGA (1920 x 1200) wide-screen LCD. Video card options also include an nVidia GeForce Go7900 GS (single heat pipe), ATI Radeon x1400 with 256mb of RAM, or an Intel GMA 950. This model uses 533 MHz or 667 MHz of DDR2 memory. The E1705 tends to run hot on its underside, which might be the perpetrator in making the card overheat and burn out within a year because of inadequate cooling.^{[citation needed]} On most accounts of users who have experienced this problem, it occurred after the warranty expired therefore "alienating" the end user.^{[citation needed]}

Note: For gaming and high-end graphics use, the GeForce Go7900 GS video card is highly recommended over the Radeon x1400. This is primarily due to faster data processing and fewer heat problems. Additionally, 7900GS can be easily overclocked to reach 3DMARK06 scores as high as in the 5000 range. [3]

[edit] Mainstream models

[edit] Inspiron 6000

The base model was shipped with a 1.5 GHz (upgradeable up to 2.13 GHz) Intel Pentium M processor or a 1.3 GHz (upgradeable up to 1.5 GHz) Intel Celeron M processor, 256 MB RAM (upgradeable to 2 GB), 400/533 MHz FSB, Intel 915GM/PM chipset, an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (with up to 128 MB shared memory), 40 GB Ultra ATA hard drive (upgradeable), and a 15.4-inch WXGA wide-screen monitor. Like the Inspiron 9300, it featured DDR2 RAM. In comparison with other Inspiron models, the 6000 was considered the "versatile and affordable" member of the Dell notebook line.

The higher-priced Inspiron 6000D provided a dedicated graphics chip, the ATI Mobility Radeon X300 64 MB PCI Express x16 (upgradeable to 128 MB), which ran at a core speed of 300 MHz and DDR memory speed of 216 MHz.

The Inspiron 6000 was among the first notebooks to arrive on the market with Intel's new Sonoma technology. According to Dell, the Inspiron 6000 would deliver faster data processing, and users - particularly gamers and graphics pros-would see less audio and video choppiness, quicker task execution, less power consumption, and enhanced battery life as a result. The Inspiron 6000 notebook added features and "help" files, making it easier and faster to operate.

In addition, the Inspiron 6000 offered a number of improvements over the Inspiron 5160 which it replaced in Dell's home/small business line-up. Upgraded features included a 15.4 in wide-screen display (available in WXGA with a 1280x800 resolution, WSXGA+ with a 1680x1050 resolution and WUXGA with a 1920x1200 resolution), a slightly slimmer profile (although 2.5 cm wider) and a Manufacturer's bundle- (starter) memory cards that accommodated only a handful of photos.

[edit] Inspiron 8000, 8100, and 8200

The Inspiron 8x00 models are very similar in appearance and function. The 8000 and 8100 featured Pentium III processors, but the SpeedStep CPU speed control was not supported on the 8000 because of a chipset limitation. To switch processor speed, the PC needs to be suspended and resumed. The 8000 processor is clocked between 733 MHz and 1000 MHz. The 8000 (at least early versions) had a weak flexible cable in the hinge, and frequently suffer from the display cutting out. The cable design was improved later.

The 8100 processor is clocked between 866 MHz and 1.2 GHz, SpeedStep processor speed switching is enabled. Both computers have 2 standard RAM slots. Standard memory was 128 MB for the 8000 and 256 MB for the 8100 (Upgradeable to a maximum of 512 MB of RAM). Custom configurations were available, so actual numbers may differ. Both computers came with a CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drive, however CD-RW functions are only available on the 8100. Both models shipped with either an nVidia or an ATI graphics card, with a maximum Video RAM of 128 MB.

The chassis came in interchangeable color palmrests in silver-ion, black, blue, burlwood, purple/violet, and yellow.

The base Inspiron 8200 came with a Mobile Pentium 4-M processor clocked at 1.6 GHz (upgradeable to 2.6 GHz). It had a standard 15 inch SXGA (1400 x 1050 pixels) display which was upgradeable to either the UXGA (1600 x 1200) or the UltraSharp UXGA (1600 x 1200) which added a cleaner and crisper look to the display. The memory came standard at 256 MB of RAM (Upgradeable to 1 GB of RAM). However, some people have said that they were able to put 2 GB of RAM into the system with no problem.^[1] 2GB RAM 2 parts PC2700 SODIMM from Kingston works fine.

The Inspiron 8200 was equipped with two standard notebook RAM expansion slots and it was not difficult to simply remove the standard RAM the machine was shipped with and re-equip it with two aftermarket 1 GB cards. The Inspiron came standard with a DVD-ROM drive in its fixed bay (upgradable to a DVD/CD-RW Combo drive) and a 1.44 in floppy drive in the media (removable) bay (upgradeable to a DVD/CD-RW drive). The video card came with an nVidia GeForce2 Go graphics card with 32 MB of dedicated video RAM and upgradeable to an nVidia GeForce 4 Go 440 with 64 MB of dedicated video RAM, an ATI Radeon 9000 Mobility graphics card with 64 MB of dedicated video RAM, or the Quadro4 700 GL, a professional GL-enhanced notebook equivalent of the desktop-based Geforce4 4200 Go.

[edit] Inspiron 1420 1520/1521, 1525, 1720/1721

Released on Dell's website on June 26, 2007, the Dell Inspiron 14 is a 14.1" laptop that weighs 5.4 lbs. The laptop has an Intel Pentium Dual-Core T2390 processor, and can be customized up to an Intel Core 2 Duo T8300. The Inspiron 1420 has 2 GB of Shared Dual-Channel DDR2 SDRAM @ 667 MHz, and can be upgraded up to 4 GB. The 14.1" display is a glossy, high contrast display w/a 1280×800 resolution. The laptop has a 120 GB 5400 RPM SATA hard drive, and can be upgraded up to 320 GB. There is the option for a 160 GB SATA 7200 RPM hard drive. The Inspiron 1420 has an nVidia GeForce 8400 GS w/128 MB graphics memory. there is a CD/DVD burner integrated into the laptop, and can be upgraded to a Blu-ray/CD/DVD burner. The Inspiron 14 was replaced by the Inspiron 14 model in June 25, 2009.

Mid-size (6.40 lb), mainstream models based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform (Model: GM 965 or PM 965). The 1520 features an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (up to 2.5 GHz) with an integrated Intel X3100 or NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS/8600M GT (it is important to note the 8600 GT on this model is slower as it uses DDR2 memory, not the GDDR3 in the XPS model, and also that the 8000 Series graphics cards have been found faulty and prone to overheating). The 1521 features an AMD Turion 64 X2 (up to 2.2 GHz) with an ATI Radeon Xpress 1270. Both models have a 15.4" display (up to 1680x1050), 160 GB SATA hard drive (option for 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM), and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up to 4 GB). The notebooks also have the option to come installed with a Blu-Ray drive. It is available in 8 colors with a webcam.

The Inspiron 1525 is a mid-sized (5.9 lb, 14.05" x 10.08" x 1.00"-1.48"), low-end replacement for the 1520. Features only integrated Intel X3100 graphics. Has a 15.4" screen. Features an HDMI connector. Was replaced on February 26, 2009 by the Inspiron 15. It is also thinner and comes in a wider range of cover colours. A television advertisement was released for this laptop.

The Dell Inspiron 1720 is a large (7.62 lb), mid-range model based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform (Model: GM 965 or PM 965). The 1720 features an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (up to 2.5 GHz) with an integrated Intel X3100 or NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS/8600M GT. The 1721 features an AMD Turion 64 X2 (up to 2.2 GHz) with an ATI Radeon Xpress 1270. Both models have a 17" display (up to 1920x1200), support for dual SATA hard drives (up to 640GB - 2 x 320GB drives), and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up to 4 GB). The 1721 also features RAID 0 or 1 hard drive configurations, an option which is strangely missing from the 1720. They also lack DVI or HDMI connections, which should be expected for a mid-range desktop replacement, given their HDCP compliant graphics cards and Blu-ray Disc option. Both models are available in 8 laptop colors.

[edit] Portable models

[edit] Inspiron 700m

Unlike Dell's traditional black or grey color scheme, this laptop case featured a silver, white, and black design. Measuring under 2 inches thick and having a 12.1-inch TrueLife screen, the laptop was a departure from previous versions. However, without the extended battery, life was short, and the 12.1-inch screen was a dust magnet. The base model had a 1.5 GHz Pentium M processor, 256 MB (256 MiB) of RAM, a 30 GB (30 billion bytes) HD, and a DVD optical drive.

Many users report two major flaws with the 700m: the audio-input quality, where audio recording using the audio input jack is nearly impossible (reparable with a simple driver update),^[2] and severed speaker wires caused from the normal use of opening and closing the screen.^[3]

[edit] Inspiron 710m

An important upgrade from the previous Inspiron 700m, which fixed the serious audio-input quality issues, a base Inspiron 710m is shipped with a 1.7 GHz (upgradable to 2.0 GHz) Intel Pentium M processor and a 12.1-inch XGA wide-screen monitor as well as DDR memory. Based on the first generation Centrino platform Carmel, the internal components are now outdated. In comparison with other Inspiron models, the 710m is the most portable laptop of the Dell Inspiron line combining a good mix of processing power and style.

[edit] Inspiron 640m/E1405

• see Dell Inspiron E1405

A 14" notebook configurable with components similar to the E1505 (excluding the dedicated GPU options) but a bit smaller in total size. The E1405 at the time of release is known for its excellent battery life (which under optimum conditions exceeds five hours with a six-cell battery and well over eight hours with a slightly more expensive, optional nine-cell battery). The main attraction of this laptop is its price. For gamers, the E1405 comes standard with a Mobile Intel(R) 945GM Express Chipset Family, which in most cases will not be enough for most new high end games. Also, it is near impossible to add a new graphics card because this chipset is integrated, therefore you cannot add a new graphics card unless you get a new motherboard. Otherwise most other system specifications are rather basic, if you want serious media on the machine you will have to buy some things, the easiest (and most in-expensive) route is to buy system RAM for the computer. Dell claims that its maximum supported memory is 2GB, however E1405's have been known to accept up to 4GB^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Inspiron 1501

The Inspiron 1501 is a midsize, mainstream model with either a AMD Turion or AMD Sempron processor. The Inspiron 1501 is equipped with:

• a 15.4" glossy or standard 1280 x 800 pixel wide (16:10) screen TFT Display. This screen has the same height as a 13.6" screen of standard 4:3 aspect ratio.
• an ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 mobile video card
• a serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) (up to 500GB supported). The drive is easily removed be unscrewing two screws and sliding it out, and it is possible to have several interchangeable drives, for example for Windows and Linux.
• DDR2 SDRAM. Up to 2 GB officially supported, although it is widely reported that 4 GB works without trouble,
• a UK Modem Cable and Adapter Internal V.92 Data, Fax, Voice Functions
• Dell Wireless 1390 or 1490 802.11b/g Mini-PCI Card,
• Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive, removable by removing one screw,
• a 3-in-1 memory card reader compatible with SSD/SDIO and MMC formats. A driver update (not supplied by Dell) and Windows XP SP3 (or a hotfix) is required to operate with SDHC high-capacity card.
• Li-Ion main battery available in lightweight, standard, or high-capacity (9 cell, 85 Wh) versiopns.
• Windows XP; compatible with Vista and some Linux distributions.

Weight: 6.19 lb Height: 36 mm (1.42 inches) Width: 265.5 mm (10.45 inches) Length: 356 mm (14.02 inches)

[edit] Inspiron Mini 9

As reported on May 28, 2008 by Gizmodo^[4], the Inspiron 910 (or "Mini Inspiron") will be and now is Dell's first netbook. In August 2008, Gizmodo claimed to have obtained leaked specifications and photographs, which indicate it uses the Intel Atom processor, a flash drive (pata), and an 8.9" screen.^[5] Reportedly, Ubuntu will be offered as an operating system choice alongside Windows XP. As of August 28, the support pages of the Dell website contain details of the screen, keyboard, etc. Weighing at 2.28 pounds, it was on general release as of September 4, 2008. ^[6] It is built by Compal, which also makes the MSI Wind and the HP Mininote 2133. ^[7] It was discontinued in May 2009. ^[8]

[edit] Inspiron 5100

Many units encounter power supply failures, with the battery not charging, the power jack bending out of a usable shape, USB port failing to work with newer USB devices, and other related errors.

[edit] Inspiron 5150

This was the high end version of 5100. It weighs over 7.5 pounds. It was designed for the Mobile Intel Pentium 4 processor upto 3.2Ghz, The hyper-threading features of the CPU were available only if the BIOS firmware supported it, a choice made at time of purchase. It had a Intel 852 PM chipset, and supported a 333Mhz system bus, Max 2Gb PC333 SDRAM, 4x AGP ATI Mobility Radeon 9000/Nvidia Geforce Fx5200 go 32/64mb, 15.4 inch 1400x1050 SXGA widescreen, >40GB Ultra-ATA/100 44 pin IDE ATA/EIDE/ATAPI, 1 IEEE 1394 Firewire, 2 hi-speed USB, 18bit AC97 sigmatel 9750, 1 external VGA, 1 S-video, 1 compact flash slot, mini-PCI slot containing dell true-mobile 802.11b/g 1350, 1 fast ethernet, 1 RJ11,1 optical drive, 6 cell 4400mah battery. The wireless networking was based on a closed broadcom chipset. This laptop had a huge number of design failures, overheating, battery failures, connector loosening, motherboard failures.

[edit] Inspiron 6400/E1505 (N)

Mid-size (6.18 lb, 14" x 10.45" x 1.42"), mainstream models with an Intel Core (Solo, Duo, or 2 Duo) at up to 2.16 GHz, 15.4" WXGA+ or WSXGA+ display, SATA hard drive (up to 160 GB), and DDR2 SDRAM (up to 2 GB). The 6400 features an ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 or X1400. The E1505 (N) features an integrated Intel Media Accelerator 950, ATI Radeon X1300, ATI Radeon X1400, or NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300. Included are 7 multimedia buttons on the front. Offered with Windows XP Home, Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, or Windows XP Professional. May include Dell Media Direct. It was offered with optional Wireless N Intel OR Dell Wireless Mini-Lan Cards. It included a 65 whr 6 cell Lithium Ion "Smart" battery, the 85 Whr 9 cell Lithium Ion "smart battery" was included as an option which gave it 6 hours of general use with WiFi.

[edit] Inspiron 600m

This model has the Pentium M or Celeron M Processor.

When a Mobile Processor is coupled with an Intel wireless Mini-PCI card, the system is branded with an Intel Centrino Mobile Technology label.

Features:

• 512kb ~ 2MB L2 Cache
• Intel 855PM/ICH4 low power consumption chipset
• Multi-Bay which can accept a CD-Writer/DVD Reader or DVD-Writer, Extra Battery, 3.5 inch Floppy Disk, or extra Hard Disk Drive. (this multi-bay is exactly the same as many of the newer model Inspirons and Latitudes)
• Either with a 32MB or 64MB ATI Radeon Mobility 9000 video card on the 4x AGP bus
• Touch pad mouse
• 14.1 inch screen with XGA 1024x768 or SXGA 1400x1050 resolution
• Broadcom Gigabit Network Interface

Internal ports:

• Mini-PCI slot
• 2 DDR Memory Slots (supports a MAX of 2GB of RAM, preferably PC2700, but other speeds may also work [especially PC2100])
• IDE ATA 66/100 laptop hard drive

External ports:

• 2 USB 2.0, Gigabit NIC, 56k modem, Parallel, Serial, VGA, Built in microphone
• Microphone & Headphone jack, Infrared, PCMCIA type II

600m screen specifications include but are not limited to the following:

Sources: http://www.gblcd.com, http://www.samsung.com

Manufacturer	Part#	Resolution	Contrast Ratio	Refresh Rate	Viewing Angle (L/R/U/D)	Brightness
Quanta	QD14XL07	1024x768	450:1	35ms@25°C	45/45/15/35	170 cd/m²
Quanta	QD14FL07	1400x1050	450:1	25ms@25°C	45/45/15/35	175 cd/m²
Samsung	LTN141XB	1024 x 768	300:1	25ms@25°C	45/45/20/45	175 cd/m²
Samsung	LTN141P4	1400x1050	300:1	25ms@25°C	45/45/20/45	170 cd/m²

Some extra notes:

• This laptop has a real dedicated video card, so it will play some graphic intensive games (especially some that are a few years old)--- it runs great with Steam (for Counter-Strike).
• This laptop does get extremely hot and the plastic will become discolored after some time.
• Unlike some of the newer Inspiron laptops, this does not have a DVI plug for a monitor, but rather, it has a VGA plug.
• The keyboard on this model is not well supported and flexes as it is typed on.
• The plastic screen cover on the back of the LCD is somewhat flimsy which, under normal laptop transportation conditions, can result in the keyboard keys rubbing on the screen creating a light thin mark at about the position of the spacebar. The said mark is not easily seen when the screen is on with a bright background. To reduce this effect, optional hard plastic LCD covers can be purchased and attached to stiffen up the LCD. These covers come in a variety of images and colors and pre-date the skinning craze. Also, ensure that all the little rubber snubbers that go all around the screen perimeter are present and accounted for; if one falls off, glue it back on right away!
• Battery life will vary, as there are different types of batteries for this model (some with more cells than others---the more cells, the greater the battery life).

[edit] Inspiron 8600

Based on 1.4 GHz Intel Pentium M CPU, featured 1920x1200 display resolution on a 15.4" wide-format screen, as well as both touchpad and "nipple" pointer control, and up to 2 GB onboard RAM.

[edit] Basic/entry level models

[edit] Inspiron B120

The Inspiron B120 was Dell's lowest priced offering. Standard options included a 1.40 GHz Intel Celeron M 360 processor, 14.1 inch WXGA screen, 256 MB shared RAM, a 40 GB 5400 rpm hard drive, and a 24X CD burner/DVD combo drive. By default the B120 did not come with any integrated wireless support, but it can be added as an option.

[edit] Inspiron B130 or 1300

The Inspiron B130 or Inspiron 1300, successor to the aforementioned B120, was until recently the lowest-priced laptop offered by Dell. A basic entry-level laptop, the B130 came with a 14.1 inch WXGA screen, 1.60 GHz Intel Celeron M 380 processor, 512 MB of RAM, 40GB 5400rpm hard drive, and a 24X CD burner/DVD ROM drive. Wireless support was optional. Picking the mid-model B130 you could get it with the 1.73 GHz Pentium M 740 & a 15.4 inch WXGA widescreen for only a little more money. The Inspiron 1300/B130 came with a Intel GMA 900 128MB Graphics card. Because of its affordability and ease of use, the B130 was a popular choice among college students. It was retired in early November 2006.

[edit] List of Dell Inspiron laptops

• Inspiron 1000
• Inspiron 1100
• Inspiron 1150
• Inspiron 1200
• Inspiron 1300
• Inspiron 1318
• Inspiron 1420
• Inspiron 1501
• Inspiron 1520
• Inspiron 1521
• Inspiorn 1525
• Inspiron 1526
• Inspiron 1545
• Inspiron 1720
• Inspiron 1721
• Inspiron 2100
• Inspiron 2200
• Inspiron 2500
• Inspiron 2600
• Inspiron 300m
• Inspiron 3700
• Inspiron 3800
• Inspiron 4000
• Inspiron 4100
• Inspiron 4150
• Inspiron 5000
• Inspiron 500m
• Inspiron 5100
• Inspiron 5150
• Inspiron 5160
• Inspiron 6000
• Inspiron 600m
• Inspiron 630m
• Inspiron 6400
• Inspiron 640m
• Inspiron 7000
• Inspiron 700m
• Inspiron 710m
• Insprion 7500
• Inspiron 8000
• Insprion 8100
• Inspiron 8200
• Inspiron 8500
• Inspiron 8600
• Inspiron 9100
• Inspiron 9200
• Inspiron 9400
• Inspiron B120
• Inspiron B130
• Inspiron E1405
• Inspiron E1505
• Inspiron E1705
• Inspiron Mini 9
• Inspiron Mini 10
• Inspiron Mini 12

[edit] Rebadging

In the past Dell has modified some offered Inspiron machines to produce computers of higher or lower quality. Note for example the first-generation Inspiron XPS and Inspiron 9100 (2004–2006). Both machines (non-base) shared the same options in processors (Intel Pentium 4 HT "Prescott"), RAM (DDR 400 MHz), hard-drives (Ultra-ATA 5400/7200 RPM), wireless cards, LCD screens (at 15.4-inches; WXGA, WSXGA+, WUXGA) and graphics cards (ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64MB/128MB), as well as the same chassis. Dell marked the XPS as an "ultimate gaming machine", while marking the 9100 as a "desktop replacement". The Inspiron 9100 is a rebadged XPS. The only difference between Inspiron XPS and Inspiron 9100 is the LCD Panel. Although both support a 15.4 Samsung LCD only later models of the 9100(3.2 GHz) use the identical LCD screen(Dell Part #s 7T774/W3866). The Samsung LCD Panel supports 1920x1200. Previous 2.8-3.0 GHz Inspiron 9100 use a lesser panel with resolutions of 1280x800 (Dell Part # Y0316).

[edit] Problems

[edit] Optical drive button

The optical drive button of some early Inspiron 1545 laptops, when pressed, would freeze the laptop and open the optical drive. Later customers did not report this problem with their Inspiron 1545 laptops.

[edit] Overheating

Reference: Dell's Official statement: the Lundell Settlement. Dell Inspiron 5150 only

In 2003, Dell released several lines of Inspiron notebooks which had cooling problems, causing them to overheat and damage the video card and motherboard, or to shut down automatically. Overheating in Inspiron systems is mainly caused by performance-consuming tasks and software. This problem was determined to be due to the design of the air-flow from the bottom of the system. Affected models include the Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 1525, 5100, 5150 and 6400. For more information on the 5100/5150 models in particular, see the following two links: Dell Inspiron 5100 Overheating Problem and Inspiron 5100 shuts down automatically.

Dell has acknowledged this problem and designed a new fan with a better heatsink and heatpipes to provide better cooling with less noise. Any repairs made at this point will include the redesigned parts.

A Windows utility exists to control most Inspiron fans based on CPU temperature. Users should check the compatibility list before installing it.

In September 20 Inspiron 5150 owners in the US brought a class action against Dell. The settlement included 100% cash reimbursement for certain repairs, and an extended limited warranty to cover those types of repairs that become necessary for one year. Dell's published statement of the scope of the repairs covered appears here.

Following the lawsuit detailed above, in October 2006 customers who had purchased Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100 and 5160 notebooks filed a class action lawsuit against Dell, alleging misconduct in connection with the design, manufacture, warranting, advertising and selling of these computers. A similar action started in Canada.^[9]

The overheating problems on the Inspiron 5150 model was due to the position of the fan and fan-vent and the way in which it vents air through the CPU's heatsink.^{[citation needed]} The fan draws air from underneath the unit and vents it through the rear after passing over the heatsink. However, the unit also sucks up dust from underneath it. Over time a buildup of dust constricts the airflow through the unit, reducing cooling. The airflow is perceptibly diminished. A simple test is to place a hand near the fan vent; when the fan is running at high speed there should be a good flow of warm air. Heat will also build up along the top of the unit near the LCD display and left toward the optical drive. Users may notice this while typing. Performance may also suffer, with jittery game movement and slow Windows performance. Some systems may experience jerky reactions where the unit goes into an almost slow-motion phase for short periods of time. Continued operation in this condition may lead to overheating and could result in permanent damage to the CPU, GPU, motherboard and other internal components. To remedy this the unit must be disassembled, the dust removed, and fan operation checked. This problem not uncommonly results in a CPU temperature-increase of between 15-20°C over an normally functioning unit. Further temperature increases may damage the casing of the unit.

Overheating has been reduced by using compressed air duster spray. Spraying the keyboard, the Microprocessor Thermal-Cooling Assembly is located under the "I" - "backspace" keys, and side air intakes, located on the far right and left sides, has been effective in reducing the running temperature from a normal operating temperature of 77-87°C to 45-55°C under average load.

See the following links: * Inspiron 5150 overheating problems - what to do.... *Removing the Microprocessor Thermal-Cooling Assembly and Useful images

[edit] Motherboard

On a number of Inspiron 5150, and 100L machines, a design flaw in the positioning of a tab on the C panel on the underside of the laptop has led to problems.^{[citation needed]} Any pressure applied to the top left hand corner of the laptop causes this tab to press against the motherboard and in particular against the "LVC14A" chip. This causes the solder between this chip and the motherboard to break. This causes sudden shut-downs of the system as a result of any movement of the laptop; in certain cases the laptop will not re-boot at all. Dell has redesigned later models of the 5150 to avoid this problem. Some models reveal cases where someone has manually snapped off the tab from the C panel by hand during the manufacturing process. Dell currently^[update] covers this fault in the USA under the Lundell Settlement, although it remains unknown whether Dell will fix this fault for free outside of the USA. As of January 2007 a similar lawsuit started in Canada^{[citation needed]}, and Dell in the Netherlands has agreed to repair Dutch computers following criticism in the consumer programme Kassa^[10].

This has also been a problem with the Inspiron 1150, with the same chip giving problems with broken solder. Re-soldering is not recommended, but re-heating the pins can re-establish the connection and solve the power-off problem - at the expense of possibly losing the use of the touch-pad mouse.

The 5160 has also experienced mainboard failures resulting in an inability to charge the battery or run from the external power supply. Perhaps in response to the previous lawsuits, Dell has been replacing mainboards on these failed units well after warranty expiration, even if the 5160 has been a refurbished machine or resold. Owners must register their current ownership online at the Dell support site, then contact a support representative for service.

[edit] Defective graphics boards

In 2006 Dell delivered numerous Inspiron 9400 machines with defective nVidia GeForce 7800 Go graphics boards. Dell generally replaced all A00 with A01, and next with A02, until the 7800 Go was finally replaced with the 7900 GS.^{[citation needed]}

Dell has yet to admit any problems regarding the suitability of the GeForce 7800 Go for the design of the affected notebooks.

No pattern has emerged with defective graphics boards for this model. Most reviews indicate no problems with the nVidia GeForce 7800 Go. See one such review.

[edit] Display resolution

Some Dell Inspiron models with Intel graphics chipset 855/865/915 and 1400 x 1050 display resolution have display-driver problems.^{[citation needed]}..

[edit] Battery recall of 2006

Dell posted notices to many of their laptop customers on August 14, 2006, saying that the Sony batteries on the following models could burst into flames, or even explode:^[11][12]

Latitude: D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810

Inspiron: 6000, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 500m, 510m, 600m, 6400, E1505, 700m, 710m, 9400, E1705

XPS: XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170, XPS M1710

Precision: M20, M60, M70, M90

Users of many of these computers purchased between April 2004 and July 18, 2006 received the recommendation that they should remove the batteries and run their the computers on AC power until replacements arrived.^[13] Problematic Sony batteries led to battery recall programs at other laptop companies as well, including Hitachi, Toshiba, Lenovo (IBM) and Apple.

[edit] Screen Rotation with SP 3

Dell has not updated their drivers for the Inspiron 6400 model to support Windows XP Service Pack 3. Drivers to support screen rotation can be found at http://www.ati.com/online/mobilecatalyst/

[edit] Vertical line LCD problem

Some 17" Inspiron 8600, 9200, 9300, and XPS Gen 2 notebook LCDs have a vertical line manufacturing defect. Symptoms range from individual lines to entire bars of the screen with inverted colors. Most problems showed after 2–4 years of usage. Dell has been very reluctant to replace these panels after guarantee, although there was a direct link to the defective parts from their suppliers. Even warranty customers have had difficulties to get replacement, and replaced screens often develop the defect after a short time. [4] Other computer manufacturers have handled similar problems in ways more satisfactory to the customer. Reference: [5] [6] [7][8]

[edit] Other common problems

Several owners of Dell Inspiron and other laptops have reported the following problems developing after 18 months or more. New owners may be advised to opt for extended warranties.

• Battery Lifespan - After about 18 months of use some Dell laptop batteries fail^{[citation needed]}.

• Hinge breaking - The case hinges become less tight with use, and eventually one or both may crack^{[citation needed]}.

• Case cracking - Cracks form in the lower left or right corners of the case. This may be due to continued pressure from hands resting on the case or from overheating^{[citation needed]}.

• Screen blanking - The screen may occasionally blank when switching from AC to battery power, or not activate when powering on the laptop, needing a restart^{[citation needed]}.

• Touchpad sensitivity - The touchpad is sticky and insensitive, despite adjusting. It sometimes does not respond to several taps.

[edit] History

[edit] Laptops

• 3 January 2008: 1525 announced
• 26 June 2007: 1720, 1721, 1520, 1521, 1420 announced
• 6 November 2006: 1501 announced

[edit] Desktops

• 26 June 2007: 530, 530s, 531, 531s announced

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Dell Laptops Buying Guide Dell's official laptop buying guides site for the UK.
• Dell Inspiron Notebook Range at Dell.com
• Linux on Dell Notebooks (user documentation)
• Inspiron 1100 overheating problems and solutions
• Standard Memory Configurations for Inspiron Models
• New models: Inspiron 1720, 1520, Vostro
• Inspiron 1300 Overheat solution (link to photo of heatsink that gets fluff in it)
• Dell inspiron 6000 battery replacement (links to battery from the distributor of replacement dell laptop battery 6000)
• Dell Inspiron 8500 replacement parts
• Dell Inspiron 8000 manual
• Dell Inspiron Mini Discussion Forum (covers Dell Mini 9, 10 and 12)

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