Build and Design
The design of the Inspiron 14 looks like an enlarged version of the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and Mini 10 netbooks. At first glance you can easily see that Dell designers are trying to establish clearly identifiable designs for all Dell notebooks: all Inspiron laptops look similar, Studio laptops have the same general design as other Studio laptops, and one Studio XPS notebook likewise looks like other Studio XPS notebooks. At this point shoppers should be able to identify Dell's entry-level products (Inspiron), mid-range products (Studio) and high-end products (Studio XPS) with little more than a glance.
The chassis of the Inspiron is constructed from a combination of exterior plastics and an alloy interior framework for a balance of affordability, durability, and light weight. While the Inspiron 14 doesn't feel quite as durable as the new Studio 14z, the Inspiron 14 should survive the average use and abuse by college students ... although the plastics may start to show some wear and tear after some time inside a book bag.
The keyboard in the pre-production unit felt quite firm with good key spacing and a good depth to the key throw. There was some keyboard flex above the optical drive in the pre-production unit, but nothing that isn't normal for a budget notebook. Each key has a textured black finish and a relatively flat surface similar to the keyboards on the Dell Mini series of netbooks ... only larger. Unlike the Studio 14z, there is no optional backlit keyboard, so students will need to keep the lights on during late-night study sessions.
Performance and Features
We didn't have an opportunity to benchmark the pre-production unit of the Inspiron 14, but Dell made it very clear that this notebook is aimed at students who want a good laptop for general use at an affordable price and don't need all of the features found on the more expensive Studio 14z. For example, the Inspiron 14 lacks FireWire and eSATA and the starting price only includes Intel integrated graphics. On the other hand, the optional 1600 x 900 screen, optional Blu-ray drive, and optional ATI discrete graphics give the Inspiron 14 some impressive bang for the buck.
This is where the $449 starting price of the Inspiron 14 looks extremely impressive compared to the $649 starting price of the Studio 14z. Sure, the starting price of the Studio 14z includes a better processor, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics and a better selection of ports, but the Inspiron 14 still offers a built-in optical drive and dedicated 7-in-1 media card reader. Bottom line, back-to-school shoppers are going to have two very impressive options from Dell this year.
