AlMOST PERFECT BUT...

My quest to find the perfect laptop computer has been an extensive one.I have searched high and low to find one that will assist me in work and play.Therefore, when Dell announced their release of the Xps m1330 laptop system, I was overcome with the desire to purchase this beauty.The system was by no means cheap.With the specifications I wanted, the total price came out to be around $2200.00.Careful research was done on my part in order to make sure that I was not about to throw away my money.According to at least three different sites, professional reviewers gave the dell xps m1330 great reviews.So after a week or so of drooling over this machine I whipped out my plastic and made the purchase online.

Regret about my decision started about two weeks after they charged my credit card.First, the estimated ship date was 2 weeks. Then 4 weeks, then 6 weeks, and finally two months.My laptop still was not shipped!I logged onto the dell website daily to check the shipment status but to no avail.I wanted to cancel my order a million different times but always thought better of it thinking I waited this much, I can wait a little bit more.Finally, after about a month and a half, my long awaited package arrived.

When I opened the package, I forgot all about the wait.The dell xps m1330 (I got the white one) was the most sexiest eye pleasing laptop I had ever beheld.It literally glowed.The box it came in even had a fancy decal on it!Eagerly I plugged it in and began to explore.Here is my personal opinion on the different parts:

Keyboard: Awesome.Has a slight spring to it and very comfortable.

Touchpad: No complaints here, worked like it was supposed to.

Webcam: Not the best quality but does the job.

Slot loading CD/DVD drive :Very cool feature. Fits very well with the sleek design.

Speakers: Impress sound quality and volume.

Ports: USB, firewire, headphone/mic all worked fine.(The dual headphone ports and mic port are in the front of the laptop which is great.)

Screen: By far the BEST feature of this laptop, the screen is EXTREMELY bright and glossy, making everything beautiful and crystal clear.Absolutely love the screen.

Battery: I got 3 hours 16 minutes on a DVD test.

I am a student but all study and no play makes jack a dull boy right?So yes, I did some l gaming on the side.The Dell XPS does a good job running World of Warcraft, Counterstrike, and battlefield.They run at very playable FPS and the graphics were decent if not great.The more graphically intense games such as Crysis, Bioshock, and Unreal Tournament 3 had some lag but definitely playable by my standards.

After about a week of ownership, the problems started to arise.First and worst of them was the noise emitted by the laptop.At first it was subtle but when I tried to study with the computer on it was very clear.A high pitch whining sound came from within it and drove me absolutely crazy.When I went online to different computer forums, I was not the only one.I think I talked to half of India before they finally agreed to come out and try to fix it.Get this: A service man came to my house and changed my motherboard twice and my power supply once and the problem still was not resolved.

I also had problems with random crashes of the operating system (Windows Vista) but I suppose Microsoft is to blame for that one.Another problem was the remote control which was such a neat feature because it slid right into the laptop just died after about two weeks.After a few months of ownership, I became fed up with the computer and returned it for a full refund.I could have lived with the operating system and malfunctioning remote control but the sound I could not.It drove me absolutely crazy due to the fact that it was so high pitched and annoying.

Overall, I would say this laptop is phenomenal as far as looks and design go, but it fails miserably at quality and durability.I suspect that if I had the laptop longer something else would go bad on it.I have a friend who has the exact laptop I had with no problems and he has nothing bad to say about it at all.So, for those who are looking to buy this particular laptop, know that it is unpredictable how your laptop will come.

Specs:

XPS M1330

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7300 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB, 4MB Cache)

System Color

Pearl White

Memory

2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz

LCD and Camera

Slim and Light LED Display with VGA Webcam

Video Card

128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

Hard Drives

120GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)

OPERATING SYSTEM(S)

Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium Edition

Network Card and Modem

Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem

Adobe Software

Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0

Combo or DVD+RW Drive

CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW Drive)

Sound Options

Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition

Wireless Networking

Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card

Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed)

No Productivity software pre-installed

Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed)

No Security software pre-installed

Primary Battery

85Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)

Hardware Support Services

1 Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor - Next Business Day

CompleteCare Accidental Damage Service

1Yr LoJack for Laptops Theft Protection (CD Shipped Separately)

Dial-Up Internet Access

No ISP requested

Fingerprint Reader

Biometric Fingerprint Reader

Miscellaneous

Award Winning Service and Suppor

Bluetooth Options

Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)

Dell Digital Entertainment

No Entertainment software pre-installed

Datasafe

DataSafe Online Backup 10GB for 1 year

Camera Panel

Slim and Light LCD with Pearl White High Gloss Casing and Camera XPS M1330

Processor Branding

Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor

Labels

Windows Vista Premium

Subtotal: $2,084.00

Shipping and Handling: $24.98

Shipping Discount: -$24.98

Tax Total: $122.04

Total: $2,206.04

Sorry if this review got too extensive =( I tried to make it as compact as possible!