Dell inspiron 17

loulou41

Looking to buy a laptop and saw the above dell. I am so confused about the different models and specifications. Budget is £500. I want one with a decent battery not a battery that last only 2 hrs. How do I know long the battery will last? Thanks

JasX

check the number of cells the battery has, 4 cell ones are cheap and rubbish, aim for min 6 cell but ideally 9 cells.

opting for a larger screen (Inspirion 17" rather than Inspirion 15") will reduce battery life a fair bit too.

Stick to the above and you can expect a good 2-3hrs + battery life.

those in the 6-8hr range tend to need tiny screens and very underpowered processors that limit what you can do on the laptop to very basic PC use only

macman

If you want a decent battery then I assume you intend to use the laptop as a portable? Bear in mind that a 17 in laptop is much heavier and bulkier than a 15 in laptop and you won't want to be lugging that around on a regular basis.
A 17 in laptop is more suitable as a desktop replacement.

loulou41

Thanks, yes you are right it is intended to be used as a portable. I will aim for the 15 ins. Is inspiron 1545 OK? Will aim for 6 cell if I can get a max 4 hrs, I will be happy. Thanks

macman

loulou41 wrote: »

Thanks, yes you are right it is intended to be used as a portable. I will aim for the 15 ins. Is inspiron 1545 OK? Will aim for 6 cell if I can get a max 4 hrs, I will be happy. Thanks

I think 15in is a better choice, but don't take my word for it, go and test them for yourself before making a decision.

JasX

macman wrote: »

I think 15in is a better choice, but don't take my word for it, go and test them for yourself before making a decision.

or at least try to hunt down a good review

supermonkey

I dislike 15" now, but then I only use laptops now. 15" widescreens are so short compared to the old ones. Should be able to get a well specced 15" laptop for £500