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What do you get when you strip a Dell Inspiron laptop of its colors, remove all the trial software, and add a full range of support services for small businesses? You get a Dell Vostro, of course.
The Dell Vostro 1500 ($1,282 direct) is a laptop that caters to business environments with fewer than 25 employees.
Its a little on the heavy side, but overall, you get quality features and premium processing parts for a price that even Inspiron lovers can love.
Everything about the Vostro 1500 is reminiscent of the Inspiron line, with the exception of the black-clad frame.
Its obvious that Dell instructed the design squad to make the Vostro line as bland and conservative as possible, to meet the expectations of serious business users.
Luckily, only the color scheme was sacrificed. The 1500 is a desktop-replacement laptop with a 15.4-inch glossy widescreen and a back-straining 7.3-pound chassis; alternatively, Dell offers a 14-inch model that relieves some of the weight.
The keyboard is just like the one found on the Inspiron models—comfortable and very responsive. Im also a huge fan of the quiet mouse buttons.
Just because this is a small-business system doesnt mean you lose out on multimedia features. The standard features include four USB ports, a FireWire port, VGA-Out and S-Video out. A four-in-one card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro) lets you transfer images from your digital camera.
The Vostro 1500 comes standard with a dual-layer DVD burner and an ExpressCard slot, and you can select a variety of optional features, including a 2-megapixel Webcam for videoconferencing.