Dell Inspiron 1520: Notebook with the Most Customizable Features

I've always liked Dell for making mid-range laptops that are low on the hype but big in terms of configuration and performance. The Dell Inspiron 1520 is a mid-range notebook that you can configure whichever way suits you.

The Dell Inspiron 1520 comes from the Inspiron 1500 series which consists of the Dell Inspiron 1520 and 1521. The basic difference between the two is that the Dell Inspiron 1521 runs on AMD processors while the Dell Inspiron 1520 runs Intel processors.

Like others on the Inspiron series, you can choose the colors on your Dell Inspiron 1520. Color choices include black, white, brown, red, blue, green, pink, and yellow. Out of the all the colored notebooks in the market, I think that Dell has the widest color range to choose from, other notebook manufacturers limit their color choices to three. The lowest priced Dell Inspiron 1520 runs around $699 and the most basic configuration includes: Intel Dual Core 1.46 Ghz processor, 15.4 inch display, 1GB DDR2 memory, 80GB SATA hard disk drive, DVD/CD-writer combo, 128MB NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, and Dell Wireless card.

One of the greatest advantage of choosing a Dell Inspiron 1520 is you get to choose your configuration and you can choose from a variety of configuration to suit your needs. If you're on a tight budget and you just need a basic home notebook for surfing, working on documents, watching videos, and simple games then you might want to opt for the cheapest configuration, however, if you plan on doing a lot of video watching and a few online games or games that use 3D graphics, then go for the Core 2 Duo processor. Also, you might want to know that Core Duo processors tend to get hot after a few hours of use compared with Core 2 Duo processors.

Other optional features that you might want to upgrade to is that you can choose from a glossy or anti-glare screen without additional features. Personally, I prefer an anti-glare screen since I tend to always use my laptop outdoors. If you feel that you need to see more resolution, an additional fifty dollars and you can get a 1440x900 high resolutions screen, an upgrade from the basic 1280x800 resolution.

The graphics card on the Dell Inspiron 1520 is one of the finest compared with other notebooks. NVIDIA has always been my favorite graphics card provider. Also, a word of advice, when you're checking your configuration on the Dell website, be sure to check the option to have a Dell Travel Remote Control since it doesn't cost extra, I don't know why Dell won't just automatically include it in the package.

Other optional features on the Dell Inspiron 1520 that you might want to try is a mobile broadband option which can keep you connected through the use of 3G networks though you need to be subscribe to the service with one of the 3G networks, either AT&T, Verizon or Sprint. You can also choose to upgrade to a Blu-ray Disc reader and DVD writer combo but that would set up back around $160.

The downside of is that it doesn't have an integrated web camera, you can choose have one installed though I think that would cost around $50. The Dell Inspiron 1520 also has a bit bulky and heavy compared with other mid-range notebooks and I don't like the screen latch on the Dell Inspiron 1520, I prefer a notebook that doesn't have an LCD latch.

All in all, for just under $900, the Dell Inspiron 1520 is probably one of the best choice when choosing a mid-range notebook, plus, you get the extra feature of having a cool colored laptop.