Prosgood value
Consfirst... the keyboard is too hard... on the ins.p.r.on the keys are slick and too hard... on the v.s.t.r.o the keys are not so slick .. but still too hard to push down.
second....the resolution is crop for a 17" screen 1400x900
third.... don't count on using the v.g.a out.... because the picture quality is severely degraded
fourth.... way too heavy....
... my main gripe is the video.... you can see more on a higher res 15 inch screen
... my old dell c610 latitude will export the v.g.a at the same quality as is on the laptop ... but when you pipe out v.g.a on the v.o.s.t.r.o... you just get crop
.... dell c610 has 16mb video card and the v.g.a out is better than on this 128mb v.o.s.t.r.o v.g.a out
.... not to mention on my c610... you can increase the resolution much higher than the v.o.s.t.r.o is limited to

Review:... i would say ... that if you are going to carry this clunker around.... you are much better off going for the higher res screen.....
..... but you don't need the dedicated video card.......
.... an integrated video card is just fine.....
.... the main thing is the resolution.....
... or buy a laptop which has a better video card which provides higher resolution

ProsThe laptop runs very quietly and rarely gets hot which is an achievement given the powerful spec. The keyboard, numeric pad and mouse pad are all excellent.
The MediaDirect software is a great addition as this is not primarily a media focused laptop.
ConsI had some issues upgrading from the 32bit version of Vista Home Premium it came installed with to 64bit Vista Ultimate. In particular, getting hold of the correct drivers for the hard drives was a painful experience that could have been avoided if the DELL support site had listed all the 64bit options for the model, not just the 32bit options.
Once installed with 64bit Vista Ultimate I have regularly experienced the laptop not responding to ANY input following boot up. I literally have to power the laptop off and reboot which has so far remedied the issue every time. I am exploring the possibility that it may be an issue with my antivirus (AVG 7.5) rather than the Vostro so will not say anymore at this point...
I found that installing MediaDirect on a clean install is far from straight forward and involved reinstalling the operating system because it should have been done in advance (not made obvious anywhere before I started).
Minor things; I find the positioning of the 'media' buttons (volume, play/pause, forwards, back, etc) on the front of the laptop (just behind where I rest my hands) can be irritating. The speakers distort badly when watching DVDs at anything over half volume although I accept this is not a media focused laptop.

Review:I spent a long time comparing DELLs (and in particular the Vostro) to all the main competitors - Sony Vaios, HPs, Toshibas and especially the Mac Book Pro. Nothing else came close to the Vostro - most of the others could not be spec'd exactly to my requirements and the closest like for like for all the others was more expensive (the Mac was OVER £1k more!!!!)

ProsThe 17" screen and full size keyboard are great. The battery life is very good. The finish on the laptop resists fingerprinting. The machine performs fast. The onboard speakers are pretty good. The DVD player works great and so does the built in G wireless. Very easy to connect. Also, nice touch pad. I usually hate these things!
ConsI don't like installed software that dings you to buy a subscription as in the antivirus that was installed! I took it off and installed my own.
It's a little heavy, but I bought this for my son so he can carry it OK. If I traveled a lot I would probably go with the smaller screen version.

Review:Possible lighter weight materials if possible. Great all around system. I am considering another one for these for my daughter. She needs the exercise!! Can't do facebook on a little screen!

ProsThe price/value is great. This was an inexpensive model and has more than enough capabilities for what we need for our home business. The screen looks great when you're sitting in front of it. From an angle, it fades a little. It was an extremely easy setup - plug it in and we were ready to go.
ConsThe case seems to be a cheap plastic. Although we've had no problems yet, I would think that it we travelled with it there might be issues as the case (plastic components) seems like it wouldn't be as durable.

Review:Overall, a really nice computer that we would definitely recommend for the home-office or personal user. I might not recommend it for someone who travels a lot where it might get banged around.

Pros- order shipped promptly and correctly
- laptop appears well made and rugged
- able to select Windows XP (main reason I purchased this laptop)
- reasonable performance and quiet operation
- 5 USB ports very handy
Cons- shiny style display glares easily with lots of reflections
- media buttons on front edge easily hit by mistake (would be better above keyboard)
- no sound from speakers when using external line input (makes it difficult to record vinyl LPs -- need to monitor signal while recording)

Review:- large, wide-aspect display is very useful
- numeric keypad is useful for data entry
- touchpad gets unwanted, erroneous input while typing -- connected external wireless mouse and disabled touchpad -- now works great

ProsI also was afraid to switch to Vista, after using it for a month or so I am very happy. I think the previous problems have been worked out. I actualy like it better than XP now. This is a great desk top replacement, a real time saver.
ConsRuns a little differently than I am used to, but easy to retrain and get used to using. Not as flashy colors etc. as other laptops, but these are not needed for buisiness anyway.

Review:Great Key board for people like me that have big,clumbsey fingers!

ProsWorks fast which i love. Really like the screen size, 17 inches. I got an optional optical mouse and love, love, love it. Very fast and accurate. Keyboard is wonderful that comes with it. I was worried about getting Vista after using XP but no problems. I compared lots and took time comparing and think this a a great value for what I got. I'm very satisfied with it. Moree than satisfied.

Prosbig clear screen. great graphics. fast.
Conscant think of any.

ProsThe experience with this machine has been great. We are planning to buy a second one. Great design, the front bottons are very useful. Excellent screen.
ConsIt is a liitle heavy if you are planning to travel with it.