OK I can write a better review now, I was too excited.
BUILD: 9/10 This is a pretty solid machine, everything seems to be well built, I thought I heard a bit of flex in the case when I picked it up, but it was my imagination. I wish they had used alluminum instead of silver painted plastic, I am sure this thing will get scratched one day. One thing I do not like is that when you attach any thing like a USB device or the power adaptor, it does not "click" into place, and it seems like it could be inserted in more. Mabye it is done that way so that you don't damage the port if you have an accident.
SCREEN: 9/10 First thing out the box, I checked the screen. I would not of checked or noticed if the issue wasn't brought up. I do see some light leakage at the bottom, but I only notice it some times, mabye I am getting used to it or something. I also now know what people mean about the "sparkles", it is just the coating on the screen, when you loook at a solid white background, it looks like the screen has thousands of little "freckles" or particles on it, you only really notice them if you (well I) work n a background of SOLID white without any text, if even.
The 17" Truelife is BRIGHT!! It made me check my old notebook screen to see if it was dirty. Pictures do not do it any justice, you just have to see it in person. I have had no problems with the UXGA resolution, and I have horrible eyesight. The only issue I had was with web surfing, but I solved it by just using Operas zoom function. it also looks good with anything over 800 x 600, although right now I am using WSXGA+.
KEYBOARD/MOUSE: 9:10 It ain't no Thinkpad, and it took me a day to get used to it. Would of been nice to get a num pad, but then the machine would have to be wider. The touchpad is pretty good, it is made by Alps, it is no Synaptics. When I first tried out a XPS 2, it was at E3, and the touchpad felt like sandpaper, but on my machine it is pretty smooth.
AUDIO: 10/10 My old notebook had a Harmon Kardon speaker system with a sub. I am not sure who makes the speakers on this Dell, but they are pretty loud. I have used them on the max setting with out any distortion. One thing I do not like is that the volume settings don't have enough "play" between them. For example, when you are at the lowest "mute" and want to go up to the next level it is pretty loud, there seems to be no medium setting. And I miss my Toshibas actual volume wheel.
BUILD: 9/10 This is a pretty solid machine, everything seems to be well built, I thought I heard a bit of flex in the case when I picked it up, but it was my imagination. I wish they had used alluminum instead of silver painted plastic, I am sure this thing will get scratched one day. One thing I do not like is that when you attach any thing like a USB device or the power adaptor, it does not "click" into place, and it seems like it could be inserted in more. Mabye it is done that way so that you don't damage the port if you have an accident.
SCREEN: 9/10 First thing out the box, I checked the screen. I would not of checked or noticed if the issue wasn't brought up. I do see some light leakage at the bottom, but I only notice it some times, mabye I am getting used to it or something. I also now know what people mean about the "sparkles", it is just the coating on the screen, when you loook at a solid white background, it looks like the screen has thousands of little "freckles" or particles on it, you only really notice them if you (well I) work n a background of SOLID white without any text, if even.
The 17" Truelife is BRIGHT!! It made me check my old notebook screen to see if it was dirty. Pictures do not do it any justice, you just have to see it in person. I have had no problems with the UXGA resolution, and I have horrible eyesight. The only issue I had was with web surfing, but I solved it by just using Operas zoom function. it also looks good with anything over 800 x 600, although right now I am using WSXGA+.
KEYBOARD/MOUSE: 9:10 It ain't no Thinkpad, and it took me a day to get used to it. Would of been nice to get a num pad, but then the machine would have to be wider. The touchpad is pretty good, it is made by Alps, it is no Synaptics. When I first tried out a XPS 2, it was at E3, and the touchpad felt like sandpaper, but on my machine it is pretty smooth.
AUDIO: 10/10 My old notebook had a Harmon Kardon speaker system with a sub. I am not sure who makes the speakers on this Dell, but they are pretty loud. I have used them on the max setting with out any distortion. One thing I do not like is that the volume settings don't have enough "play" between them. For example, when you are at the lowest "mute" and want to go up to the next level it is pretty loud, there seems to be no medium setting. And I miss my Toshibas actual volume wheel.
