Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition Review

The rise of tablet PCs has threatened the existence of mainstream PCs, but that has not discouraged manufacturers from bringing high-end models to the masses. Dell has kept things alive, and one of their most recent attempts is with the Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition. It is a media laptop that is adequately powered, and features an impressive 17.3″ Full HD display. If you are searching for somewhat cheaper, check out Dell Inspiron 15R Special Edition.

Design:

The design is one of the striking things about the Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition. A premium chassis is forfeited to make it more affordable. Ergonomically speaking, the laptop feels big, with dimensions of 16.4×10.9×1.5 inches, and a weight of about 7.5lbs. Given its colossal screen size, this is forgivable. The matte black textured plastic and aluminum frame give it a somewhat classy, understated, yet pleasing look.

Display:

The 17.3” display is as good as advertised. With a Full HD resolution, and a non-reflective matte coating, the panel is stunning, delivering images in such great detail. It makes work and play more enjoyable and is one of the highlights of the Dell Inspiron 17R Special edition. There is an optional 1080p with 3D display.

Specifications:

The laptop is powered by a 2.3GHz Intel Core i7 3630 processor, and has an 8GB, 1600MHz DDR RAM, an Intel HM77 chipset, Nvidia GeForce 650M graphics and a 1TB HDD. Blu-Ray is optional (comes with the 3D capabilities).

Connectivity wise, the Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition is well covered. There are five USB 3.0 ports, VGA and HDMI video outputs, headphone and microphone jacks, 7-in1 card reader, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, Bluetooth and 802.11m Wi-Fi. The standard version comes with a DVD optical drive. The laptop comes bundled with Windows 8 OS.

Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition Features:

The size of the Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition is an advantage. While it impedes on mobility, it provides sufficient keyboard room for comfortable typing. A number pad is available on the right, and it is illuminated too. There are three buttons on the dashboard; one launches Windows Mobilitiy Center, the second activates/deactivates the wireless feature, and the third is user programmable. The touchpad is smooth and spacious, and has two hardware mouse buttons. Their responsiveness, like the keyboard buttons, is adequate.

The laptop has some powerful Skullcandy speakers on the front and a subwoofer at the bottom. Sound produced is loud and crisp, but not window-shattering.

The 48Wh, 6-cell battery on the unit is only modestly powerful, offering about 2.5 hours on a single charge.

Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition Performance:

The Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition is built to be a desktop replacement. Die-hard gamers might desire something a little more powerful, (like Dell’s own Alienware) but power users who are intermittent gamers will be at home with the laptop. Its GPU performance is good, so graphic intensive applications will run smoothly. For sheer productivity, the laptop is an ideal choice for its price. Prices start at $899 for the Intel Core i5 CPU, and goes to $1299 when you want the 3D, Blu-ray Disc Drive and all other extras.

For what it lacks in looks and battery life, the Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition makes up for with the spectacular display and the snappy performance. It’s the ideal laptop when you want premium features at an affordable price. Don’t forget to check the Dell Inspiron Special Edition Reviews in the Dell’s site.

Author’s Bio: This review is contributed by Sonali Guha, the founder and owner of xTekHub. Visit her blogs to read posts on android, Google, mobile and gadgets. Do express your view in the below comment form on Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition.