The Dell Inspiron Notebook Computer: Best for Small Business and Home Office Use

My Dell Inspiron notebook computer has become a part of me since I bought it through the Dell website two years ago. It's reliable, sleek, fast, and affordable-everything a small business owner on a tight budget could want. As a writer and editor, I spend hours online or using Microsoft Word every day. If I couldn't depend on my computer, I'd pretty much starve. It's as simple as that. But I've never had a major crash or hard drive problem, never lost data of any kind. That's been enough to inspire my love for the Dell Inspiron.

I'm not exactly a tech-savvy person; I had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. I got through graduate school with an ancient Macintosh, so when it finally died, I figured it was time to splurge on a new computer. I spent months researching notebooks on the Internet. The new Apple notebooks were far too expensive for my budget. Gateway's most economical model was comparable to Dell's Inspiron, but when I checked Consumer Reports online, Dell was rated above Gateway and every other computer manufacturer except for Apple in terms of reliability.

I found the Dell website easy to navigate. I never needed to call Dell for information, since the descriptions of all the features and components were written in plain English instead of pure tech-speak. For a small additional charge, the Inspiron came preloaded with the Microsoft Works suite of programs, which was all I needed to get down to business.

Two years ago, Dell offered the Inspiron for just under $800. Now the same economy model (the model number is different, but the components are essentially the same) is going for about $500. I have a Dell Preferred Financing account, and I have to fight the urge to pop a brand-new Inspiron into my shopping cart through the Dell Online Store, just for fun.

My one complaint about Dell is their tech support. I called recently to find out why my computer was running slowly all of a sudden; this had never happened before. The support person, who was obviously reading from a script, asked me a couple of vague questions about the computer's performance, then informed me that I "apparently, unfortunately" had a computer virus. The dreaded "V" word! Frantic, I ran a full system scan: no virus found. Then it occurred to me that-duh!-I'd never replaced the battery that came with the computer. Back to the Dell Online Store for a replacement lithium-ion battery: problem solved.

Remember that annoying "Dude, you're getting a Dell" twerp? It seems like yesterday, when you couldn't flip channels without hearing that tagline at least 12 times an hour. Well, they got rid of the kid, but I guess the tagline must have attached itself to my subconscious like a barnacle, because here I am, tapping away merrily on a Dell. So I have to say, Thanks, twerp!