DELL Inspiron 1545 Laptop Review
Dell is one of the most popular computer brands in the world and is the preferred choice of many a shopper. An entry level product from the Texan manufacturer, the Dell Inspiron 1545 has a lot of expectations to live up to because the last product from the Inspiron series, the Dell Inspiron 1525 Laptop was one of the best products released that year. The Inspiron 1545 is one of the most versatile and affordable mid range laptops available in the market right now.
The configuration we are reviewing is a 15.6 inch laptop with Core 2 Duo processor. It is empowered with a 2 GHz processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard drive, DVD RW and a Webcam. Another highlight of the laptop is the fact that it is equipped with Window’s latest Operating System the Windows 7. Being a highly customisable laptop, it is not a surprise that the Inspiron 15 line is Dell’s most popular laptop in several markets across the world. Will Dell be able to pull off another successful product? We have done extensive testing to uncover the plusses and minuses of the Inspiron 1545.
Design:
First Impressions:
Like most new models in the market, the Dell Inspiron 1545 is available in a number of different colours and a lot of artistic designs as well. The model we choose was a default Standard Black one and for any other choice of colour, you would have to shell out extra cash. The Inspiron 1545 notebook has a glossy black plastic surface on the inside and a matte black plastic on the outside, making its look rather ordinary. As the device is very glossy, people who hate fingerprint smudges would be better off choosing another colour. Since the device is black all over, using it would attract a lot of smudges. There are no patterns such as the Toshiba A350 11N or the HP HDX 16 have to disguise these fingerprints. While semi matte palm rests are less attractive, at least they would require less maintenance.
Body:
The design is streamlined and pretty minimalistic. On the top casing was the silver Dell logo embossed on the black glossy surface. The case feels rather stiff and could be twisted a little bit on applying force. There was also some creaking noise while opening or closing the lid. The frame felt loose and the lid was fragile.
Keyboard:
The keyboard sits rather tight and only slightly gives close to the right shift and hence, the stroke is firm. We were not satisfied by the feedback we got while typing. The keys are arranged in a standard layout. They are reasonably big and are adequately spaced from each other. The outermost column with Del, Page and Down buttons are clearly separated from the rest; thus, separating the enter key and preventing one from accidentally pressing the Enter button. Touch typists beware! The haptical marks for the home position of the hands are not really distinct. But on the whole, the keyboard seems suitable. People using desktop keyboards will have to get used to the spongy feedback.
Touch Pad of Dell Inspiron 1545:
The touchpad has a shiny surface and sadly does not seem to support multi touch gestures. The surface of the pad is smooth enough, for one not to notice any sort of resistance while the finger is gliding on it. There are separate horizontal and vertical scroll areas, though they are not really distinct and the according areas are on the bottom right edge. This touchpad even comes with a separate tool for setting up the width of the scroll areas. As mentioned earlier, the touch pad does not support two finger input, but it does feature zooming. The mouse buttons have great travel and feedback. The click feels hollow but is fine.
Display:
The Inspiron 1545 Laptop Notebook features a 1366 x 768 pixel screen that is HD ready as well. It has a standard 16:9 resolution, which is a standard amongst all mainstream office and multimedia laptops. The TFT screen without an anti reflection protection, has a moderate contrast. At its maximum brightness, the display was able to achieve a contrast ratio of 205:1. The blacks were not deep and the colours could have been even livelier. When we used the notebook in the sun, we noticed that the shine of the sun was able to outshine the brightness of the screen and hence, the notebook is less readable outdoors. The viewing angles of the Inspiron 1545 are 45 degrees when the movement is horizontal. The colours start to bleach at 30 degrees when the eyes are moved up or down. While there is a display of higher resolution (600 x 900 pixels) is available, the screen is adequate for most tasks. However, Dell looks stingy when one considers that Sony has the 1366 x 768 pixels resolution into its 10.1 inches W series netbook, which makes it look simply stunning.
Speakers:
An aluminium bar like speaker is present right below the display. They were unusually loud and are adequate for games, songs or movies. Most of the time the volume was never above the half way mark and we had no problems whatsoever. The volume from the speakers is crisp clear and audible at lower limits. But at maximum volume, the sound scape of the stereo speaker includes a grating noise and the middle tone quality deteriorates. The sound via a headphone on the contrary, is quieter and even the annoying click sounds are inaudible.
The quality of the built in mike is bad. Built right into the front of the case, the input of the mike is low even after adjusting the input levels. So, having a conversation on Skype will be incomprehensible.
Webcam:
Dell offers the Inspiron 1545 an optional webcam. The 1.3 megapixel camera is pretty decent and it takes great pictures and is okay for video conferencing. But, the real surprise was, when we found the facial recognition software. The software adds a whole new meaning to securing personal data.
Features:
Connectivity:
The Inspiron 1545 Notebook computer is equipped with a decent set of ports. The notebook has all its ports arranged on its three sides. The rear side is spared because of the battery slot sitting in there. The front side has a card reader and two audio ports which are pretty handy and hence, the headphones can be connected directly. The 1545 has three USB ports, a VGA network and audio (headphones and microphones) interfaces. The highlight however, is the Express Card 34 slot on the right. Music lovers can transfer music to a hi-fi system or enjoy headphones sound without cables. If music is not your cup of tea, you could just add a UMTS module in the Express Card 34 format. There is a wireless WLAN draft n provided as well, enabling the usage of Internet via a router. The model being reviewed also has a 1.3 megapixel webcam.
Hardware:
Beneath the glossy exteriors of the 1545 lie a few better internals, than what one would uaually expect. There is an Intel Core 2 Duo T8500 processor that runs at 2 GHz with an 800 MHz front side bus. In layman’s terms, that is sufficiently fast enough to handle any piece of software you would be using on a notebook like this. There is a 3GB memory along with Windows 7 Home edition Operating System. The Intel Integrated GMA4500 graphics card is not recommended for gaming, but is sufficient for most other things. The storage is handled by a decent 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive. The absence of Bluetooth is sadly regrettable.
Software:
The Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop has a couple of pre loaded software included in it. There is Microsoft Works 9.0 included for word processing and spreadsheet work. On the security front, Dell has McAfee Security Centre for anti virus protection bundled along with 30 days of free updates. There is also the Dell Dock included which enables a user to sort software applications on your PC into user friendly categories right on the desktop.
Operating System:
Yes, the Dell Inspiron 1545 ships with the Home Premium Edition of Windows 7. It is solid, nimble and the most attractive Operating system till date. The Start Menu, The Task Bar and the System Tray have got a thorough makeover and the new design reduces clutter. These Windows 7 interface changes are minor, but are sensible enough to make you wonder why they were not included earlier. When it comes to speed, the Windows 7 Operating system requires lesser power to work and is highly efficient when compared to the incumbent Vista. Another highlight of the Operating System is the Windows Media Centre that allows you to watch free shows on Internet TV. Thus, the OS makes the Inspiron experience a much better one.
Performance:
Speed:
The DELL Inspiron 1545 notebook has an Intel Pentium Dual Core 2 Processor with a clock rate of 2 GHz. The CPU features an FSB of 800 MHz and one Megabyte L2 Cache. The T4200 has 2 physical cores, something that is common in most midrange systems. Processor heavy tasks such as image processing or even video editing are inappropriate on this model or for that matter most mid range systems. As a matter of fact, The Pentium T4200 has replaced the Celeron M in most entry level PCs and hence one cannot really expect a wonderful performance. The lack of a dedicated graphics card, applications tend to burden the CPU.
In one of our CPU rendering tests, we were able to determine that the T4200 is purely an entry level processor that takes the advantage of dual core architecture. In the 3D Mark test it scored as much as the Asus P50IJ – so036x (an Intel Core 2 Duo system with low clock rate). Anyone looking for a solid office performance can be satisfied with the T4200. The Online store from Dell has customisable processors, and if you want a faster processor you could choose the Intel P8400 which is better when combined with an ATI or a Nvidia graphics card. The Hitachi hard drive inside with 320GB capacity has meagre access times. While contemporary notebook record an average of 60-75MBps, this drive had an average of 45MBps during sequential reading on the HD tune tool.
System Noise:
One of the strengths of the Inspiron 1545 is its very low noise emissions during office use. If alteration of low demand states, and load occurs, the fan seems to flare up for a short flare up of the fan. The noise falls to a quieter state soon. This continues till the load is stopped. The sound is nevertheless okay to bear with.
Temperature:
The heat generated by the machine stays below under an acceptable limit as long as the benchmark tests are not use to increase the load. While being on idle mode, the touchpad reached a temperature of 36.3 degrees centigrade. Under normal load, the screen touched 37.5 degrees. The keyboard’s temperatures ranged from 28 degrees to 35 degrees and are convenient values for a notebook. We did not have any inconveniences while using the Inspiron on a lap.
Energy Consumption:
The Inspiron 1545 has low energy demands. The Inspiron 1545 laptop consumes about 27w during the 3DBenchMark test and about 45w about CPU benchmark test. In reality, the power consumption of the laptop will be somewhere around 17w and 27w. On standby, the energy demand falls to a meager
0.3 watt. Putting the notebook in idle will cause the system to burn only 9 watts.
Battery Life:
Being a laptop targeted at the office goers and users looking for a desktop replacement, most of the tasks that one would do on the Inspiron 1545 would be either browsing the Internet, listening to music or watching DVDs. The Inspiron ran for about three whole hours with an active WLAN connection. That is decent in spite of being equipped with a 35w processor. The 1545 lasted 233 minutes, roughly about 4 hours on idle mode. So, if you turn down the brightness to a minimum, deactivate the WLAN connection, this figure of near 4 hour battery life is not unrealistic. But practically, the laptop would last anywhere between two to three hours. While there are CULV notebooks such as the Asus Ul50VT that have a battery life of 9 hours, three hours are alright for an office notebook in this price category. The values are meant for a six cell battery and if you want better values, you can upgrade to a nine cell model. While it offers a longer battery life, the notebook does become less portable.
Accessories in the Box:
The Inspiron 1545 package has a rechargeable lithium ion battery, an AC adapter and operating instructions, apart from the notebook.
Warranty and Support:
Dell has a standard one year warranty on parts and labour. Apart from the classic protection, Dell offers online service support as well. Their website features a solid collection of support tools such as an Flash based question widget, Online chat and a 24 x 7 toll free telephone support. Users have the choice to upgrading to a three year warranty service, but that comes with a small dent in your wallet.
Verdict:
The Dell Inspiron 1545 is something that we expected from an entry level laptop. While the look and feel of the keyboard is that of an inexpensive laptop, Dell managed to surprise us in a couple of areas. The screen of the 1545 is something that stands out from most of the crowd. Even the basic model had a reasonably decent screen. The model also scores points for being energy conscious. It is really quiet and has a low energy demand. Apart from that, it generates lesser heat than most of its contemporaries. While the internals were okay, the chassis of the body felt cheap. The hinges seemed to creak. The model also attracted our wrath for being so smudge prone. If you hate glossy surfaces, you can try out the Acer Extensa 5220. The lack of extras is unjustified and at 2.84kgs, it is not really light weight. While being able to choose everything from CPU to Wi-Fi card, too many options just confuses most users, preconfigured systems such as Dell’s very own i1545-012B or the Gateway NV5807u are not a bad idea. The Lenovo G550, which is roughly around the same cost as the Inspiron is also a good alternative.
It is really easy to criticise the device, but it is a highly competitive product in its category and that explains its popularity. If you want a cheap and simple family laptop, then this is a good choice.
Check other Dell Studio XPS 16 Reviews, Dell XPS M1530 Reviews, Ratings in this website.
Configurations Available:
| Feature | Configuration Options |
| Operating System | Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64-Bit Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic 32-BitG |
| Graphics | Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD |
| Display | Glossy 15.6″ Widescreen XGA (1366×768) Bright 15.6″ Widescreen XGA (1366×768) |
| Hard drive | 250GB4 SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM) Specifications – Hard Drive 320GB4 SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM) Specifications – Hard Drive |
| Optical drives | DVD+/-RW with Dual Layer DVD+R write capability |
| Memory | 2GB3 Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz 3GB3 Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz |
| Wi-Fi Options | Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g Mini-Card Dell Wireless 1515 Wireless-N Mini-Card Intel® Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card |
| Chipset | Intel® Cantiga GM45 Chipset |
| Webcam ( Optional) | 1.3 megapixel |
| Antivirus software | McAfee SecurityCenter, 30-Day Trial McAfee SecurityCenter, 15-Months |
| Power | 4-cell 2.0AHr Battery 6-cell 2.2AHr Battery 9-cell 2.2AHr Battery |
DELL Inspiron 1545 – Technical Specification Table
| Manufacturer | Dell |
| Model Name | Dell Inspiron 1545 |
| PC type | Laptop |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 14.7 x ( 1.02-1.48) x 9.6 |
| Weight | 2.64 kgs |
| Available colours | 8 colours and 200 + designs available |
| PROCESSOR, MEMORY, STORAGE | |
| Processor type | Intel Core 2 Duo processor T4200 |
| Clock speed | 2.0 Ghz |
| Processor manufacturer | Intel |
| Cache | 2MB Cache |
| FSB | 800 Mhz |
| RAM installed | 3072 MB (3GB) |
| RAM type | 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM |
| Hard drive capacity | 250 GB SATA Hard Drive |
| Spindle speed | 5400rpm |
| Graphics and Sound | |
| Graphics Processor | Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD |
| Display | 15.6” 16:9 High Definiton TruBrite Widescreen 133 x 768 |
| Display Finish | High Contrast Glossy |
| Audio Processing | Realtek |
| Communication | |
| Ethernet | Ethernet 10/100BT integrated network interface |
| Modem | None |
| Wireless | 802.11 b/g |
| Mobile Internet | None |
| Bluetooth | None (Optional) |
| Webcam | 1.3 Megapixel |
| Connectivity | |
| Video Connections | 1 VGA port |
| Audio Connections | 1 headphones out, 1 microphone in |
| Card Reader | SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro, xD |
| Other | 3 x USB 2.0 34m Express Card Ethernet Kensington Lock |
| SOFTWARE | |
| Operating System | Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium Edition |
| BATTERY | |
| Battery technology | Li-ion |
| Estimated battery life (mfr) | 2-3 hours |
| MISCELLANEOUS | |
| Accessories | Setup guide, Warranty guide, an Adapter,some software booklet and recovery disc |
| WARRANTY AND SERVICE | One year and can be upgraded to three at an extra cost |
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