DELL INSPIRON 14Z REVIEW

Despite having the designation ‘z’, the Inspiron 14z isn’t probably the thinnest and lightest laptop in its category offering the best battery life, but it does have some impressive features.

Dell Inspiron 14z (Cherry Red) Specifications:
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo CULV SU7300 (1.3GHz, 800MHz, 3MB)
Operating system: Windows 7 Premium (64-bit)
RAM: 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
Storage: 250GB 5400rpm HDD
Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD
Display: 14.0” HD (1366x768) WLED Display and webcam
The machine weighs around 4lbs. Price as configured: $839.

Build and Design
In design and looks the Inspiron 14z is similar to the Inspiron 14. There are, nevertheless, some differences between the two models. The 14z is more power efficient than the Inspiron 14 due to its CULV processor and WLED display.

The notebook is made of relatively thin plastic, but build quality is good. The display lid, however, does suffer from minor flex: you can create ripples on the screen by pressing the back of the display. Other than that, there are no major problems with the build quality.

The bottom of the notebook provides easy access panels for the hard drive and RAM.

Screen and Speakers
The 14-inch display has 1366x768 pixels. Colors are good but contrast isn’t very impressive. The WLED backlighting is even and provides a wide range of brightness settings. Horizontal viewing angles are pretty good, but vertical viewing angles are average.

The stereo speakers are located beneath the front edge of the notebook palmrests so you will only hear a muffled sound when you put the laptop on your lap. Put the device on a desk and you should be able to hear better audio. Sound quality isn’t particularly good or bad. Audiophiles will definitely find a pair of headphones useful and the headphone jack produces clear, distortion free sound.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard has full-sized keys. It is very firm and shows absolutely no flex at all. The only problem with the keyboard is probably the lack of backlighting.
The touchpad is a Synaptics model using Dell’s proprietary touchpad drivers. It supports multi-touch controls. Sensitivity is good with very little lag.

Ports and Features
Port selection is average for a notebook of this size. There are 3 USB ports, HDMI video out port, VGA, a multi-format memory card reader, Ethernet and a standard 8xCD/DVD burner with dual-layer support. The Inspiron 14z doesn’t have an ExpressCard slot, eSATA or FireWire.

Performance
The Inspiron 14z runs on an Intel Core 2 Duo CULV SU7300 processor with Intel X4500HD integrated graphics. Performance is good for daily activities such as surfing the web and processing Office documents. You can also make simple edits to your photos or videos.

The CULV processor is highly power efficient but it does affect the overall performance of the notebook. That said, the machine is still good enough to serve your basic needs as a family notebook. But if you want to play the latest 3D games or run high-end photo editing applications, this is not the laptop to buy. The price tag, too, seem a bit odd. The Inspiron 14z starts at $799 whereas the Studio 14z, which offers much better performance, starts at $699.

Battery
The Inspiron 14z has a 6-cell 48.8 WHr battery. At around 6 hours, battery life is impressive for a notebook of this size, but still it falls short of Dell’s promise of 66% better battery life.

Heat and Noise
The cooling system does a good job and keeps the heat and noise levels well within normal limits.

Conclusion
The Dell Inspiron 14z delivers reasonable performance and an impressive battery life. This is not a high performance machine, but is good enough to be a convenient notebook for general use. On the flip side, the Inspiron 14z is costlier than the Studio 14z which offers much better performance at an affordable price.

Pros:
Impressive battery life
Nice design
Good keyboard

Cons:
Average performance
No eSATA, FireWire or ExpressCard slot
Keyboard lacks backlighting