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Dell Dell XPS M1210

81

Very Good
  • Pros
  • Includes a Webcam
  • Ports are conveniently laid out
  • Cons
  • Subpar sound

User Reviews for Dell Dell XPS M1210

  • Reviewed by: interage

    Duration of ownership: 2 Months

    Strengths: Nice size, nice design, great Dell support.

    Weaknesses: Vista OS, software conflicts, corrupted files galore.

    Overall Evaluation: I spent $2800 on a juiced up version of the XPS M1210 and can tell you without exageration that I've spent two months in computer hell. This notebook has had FOUR different catastrophic incidents in two months -- each involved corrupted system files and endless hours on hold with Dell support. I've been a computer owner and online since the early 1990's and never have had headaches like this. C'mon Microsoft and Dell, you still can't make a stable computer? Dell's rep finally admitted that there had been Vista-related problems and they offered me a new one. Geez, just what I need.

  • Reviewed by: bigmutt

    Duration of ownership: 3 Months

    Strengths: Size is just right; attractive but not flashy; excellent tech support and great XPS extras; nice to have 4 USB slots; has good air-flow system to disipate the heat.

    Weaknesses: keyboard is a bit cheap & has flimsy feel; location of the media buttons (front edge) is inconvenient when using on lap: buttons always get pushed accidentally. speakers are small but what do you expect in a 12-inch slim notebook! it does get warm in the lap. the 9-cell battery sticks out the back, preventing it from fitting into most of the sub-compact laptop sleeves or cases.

    Overall Evaluation: It's so easy to pack for a trip; it's so nice to carry around the house from bedroom to kitchen to den to terrace. I went from a 15-inch screen (Dell) to this 12-inch and the transition was easier than I expected. (except for the shiny screen: I hate it!) It runs Vista wonderfully, and the only drawback is that the MediaHome button functions don't work with Vista. the ports and general design is very nicely done, and the only thing I could want is a built-in tuner. The camera is nice, but the WiFi finder is somewhat gimmicky, since a seperate, $25 WiFi finder accessory is much better and more convenient. It has good airflow, with fan, but still gets hot in the lap. The reflections off the "Brite" screen are annoying compared to matte screens, but all-in-all I love it. Just wish I'd gotten the biggest hard-drive available instead of the 80GB.

  • Reviewed by: romacpher

    Duration of ownership: 4 Months

    Strengths: Excellent size, weight for travelling. Comfortable keyboard for extended writing.

    Weaknesses: Tinny speakers, of course (odd echo-y sound). Could have better styling. And, when using this laptop on one's lap, it is too easy to set off the volume/disc controls on the front edge of the unit.

    Overall Evaluation: Mine was purchased from Dell Outlet as a refurbished model, and there has been absolutely no problems with it. Hardware seems sturdy enough -- my M1210 fell about 18 inches onto a wooden floor today and it's still ticking. Despite quibbles, no regrets.

  • Reviewed by: larkin1721

    Duration of ownership: 2 Months

    Strengths: Durable and stylish. Small footprint but easy to use with adequate keyboard. Fast response and equipped with everything needed for a combination personal and business laptop. Adequate ports and flexibility. Crystal clear screen, adequate size for business documents and spreadsheets.

    Weaknesses: Extended battery, while providing great power for extended use, is heavy and if weight is a strong consideration you might be disappointed in the added bulk and weight.

    Overall Evaluation: This laptop meets all of my high expectations. I expected a very stylish and durable unit based on PC World and other reviews, and the M1210 is as good as described. Extended battery performs at least as well as advertised. The M1210 replaces a pretty good laptop that is 30 months old, and I didn't realize what I was missing in size, portability, looks and speed.

  • Reviewed by: mrotmd

    Duration of ownership: 6 Months

    Strengths: Excellent laptop, ergonomic

    Weaknesses: Lack of dedicated docking station

    Overall Evaluation: I was dissapointed to see that Dell didn't include a dedicated docking station with this laptop. With college students in mind, a one-step connect to monitor, printer, etc. is important. The Lensignton third party port replicator is adequate, but... doesn't charge the battery. My daughter loved the design and that is why I went along with it. I had 3 other Dell laptops, all with dedicated port replicators. Big boo-boo!

  • Reviewed by: ispcapret

    Duration of ownership: 2 Months

    Strengths: Size and weight are outstanding for travel

    Weaknesses: Sound system is sub-par.

    Overall Evaluation: I really like this laptop so far, having taken it on several business trips and using it at home for wireless Internet access. I've ordered a "chill pad' as I noticed that after 6 hours of running a Power Point presentation the machine got very warm. The performance is good but quite frankly I don't care for the plug-in for the LCD projector. There is no place to secure the plug by screws, it simply plugs in. As long as you don't move the laptop you're OK, but if moved it can easily become dislodged.

  • Reviewed by: sycolamb

    Duration of ownership: 1 Month

    Strengths: Very Fast. Looks great. Small.

    Weaknesses: None so far.

    Overall Evaluation: This computer is fast. My configuration is the Core 2 Duo 2Ghtz, 2 GB 667 MHz RAM, 100GB 7200RPM drive and NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 Graphics. I have carried it on business and its light. It did come to me with the right speaker not working but Dell sent a tech right to my home and replaced it at no charge. It has handled everything that I have loaded onto it. The graphics are spectacular. I've heard things about the viewing angle of the LCD but mine is flawless and not one dead pixel. There is a little bit of bounce on the right side of the keyboard but it's hardly noticeable. To top it all off, this laptop looks great. It would even look better if Dell would have illuminated the XPS logo but I can live without it. The laptop feels solid. It has a quality feel to it not a flimsy one. This is a great laptop at a great price! I highly recommend it.

What You Should Know about the Dell XPS M1210

Not Much RAM for Multitasking

The more RAM your laptop has, the faster programs will run and the greater number of windows you can work in at one time. If your needs are simple and you rarely do more than two things at once on your PC, the relatively modest amount of memory that comes installed in inexpensive laptops will be enough. Today the standard amount of RAM shipped in most PCs is 2GB. If you like to multitask--say, you want to launch a search for a file and start backing up data to a disc while you watch a news video--you need more memory.

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