Dell Inspiron 1525 review

On pulling the 1525 from its packaging, we were confronted with a striking glossy purple lid with blossom detailing. It's an acquired taste, sure, but with a choice of 13 colour schemes there's something to please every eye.

It's clear that some of the styling from Dell's pricier XPS-branded laptops has trickled down to the 1525. The chassis is curvier than its dearer siblings, but shares the wedge design, which helpfully leans the keyboard towards the typing position. And the touch-sensitive media-playback buttons along the keyboard's top edge echo those found on the XPS M1530.

The keyboard is one of the finest on test - its layout is spacious and its keys have a crisp, positive action, which is rare for such a keenly priced laptop. We weren't quite so enamoured with the soft feel of the trackpad's buttons, however.

Build quality is reassuring. We had to really wrestle with the Dell to get the base to give in any direction, and the lid feels stiff and resilient. Factor in the decent battery life - nearly four-and-a-half hours - and the Dell will make a fine, if bulky, travelling companion.

The Dell's specification is the best on test. A 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5550 is supported by 2GB of RAM to keep Vista happy, and it took top place in our benchmarks with a score of 0.87. Gaming is compromised by the Intel GMA X3100 graphics, but it still managed 5.5fps in our Low Crysis benchmark, so older games may be playable.

Another feather in the 1525's cap is its long list of features. There's a 2-megapixel webcam, HDMI, FireWire, four USB ports, an ExpressCard/54 slot and a memory card reader. Dell also bundles a media remote control, which stows away in the ExpressCard slot when not in use.

The only disappointment is the display. The matte finish keeps reflections at bay, but colours lack vibrancy and contrast is a touch weak. The speakers are similarly average, with a lack of overall volume and a slightly tinny sound quality.

So if you need a high-quality screen, you should probably look to the Fujitsu Siemens, and Dell's extortionate £59 delivery charge further weakens its appeal. But as an all-round budget laptop, the Dell is still the best of the bunch.

Author: Sasha Muller