By Stephen Tong
07/04/2005
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050488,39084022p,00.htm

The first Dell to use Intel's Sonoma platform is the Inspiron 6000, which replaces the Inspiron 5160. As a typical Dell, you have lots of configurations to choose from. Prices start from S$1,865 (as of April 2005) though our test unit came in a top-end configuration amounting to S$3,491. Dell's first Sonoma comes with connectivity options and performance to satisfy most. One great aspect of this midrange desktop replacement is the fabulous battery life, though we donÂ’t see ourselves lugging this 3kg monster around.

	Behold the Dell Inspiron 6000

Design
Dell's redesigned case comes in a 356 x 266 x 39mm silver frame bordered by a white plastic coating which is refreshingly not as businesslike and unappealing as the Inspiron 5160. The chassis weighs a hefty 3.01kg, and if you add the adapter, an even heavier 3.56kg. Upon opening the lid, locked by two latches, a 15.4-inch widescreen is revealed. Dell give you a choice of the default XGA, SXGA+ or UXGA for screen resolution though UXGA will set you back by S$382.

As with previous Dells, the keys are comfortable and give decent tactile feedback. For buttons other than those on the keyboard, two large mouse buttons lie under the touchpad though there are no quick launch keys to be seen. However, the shiny media buttons lining the front edge are handy when playing DVDs or MP3s. On either side of these keys are two speakers which provide sufficiently loud audio. One negative aspect is the lack of a dedicated Wi-Fi switch which can irritate first-time notebook users who will need to use the Fn+F2 key to activate their wireless connection.

	You can change RAM and the hard drive if you need to.

Features
Our test model includes the Pentium M processor 750 (1.86GHz), a huge 1GB DDR2 SDRAM and large 80GB hard drive. The lower-end systems use integrated graphics, but the machine we used features 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon X300 for graphics. A DVD±RW burner with DVD+R dual-layer support came fitted on the left edge.

For networking, we had 802.11a/b/g wireless LAN, Bluetooth, 10/100 Fast Ethernet and a 56K modem at our disposal though you can choose to deduct 802.11a and Bluetooth to save S$53. As per other notebooks, standard ports such as FireWire, S-video out and VGA-out were added. A fair dose of four USB 2.0 ports and a S/PDIF jack added some spice to the options.

Performance And Battery Life
As usual, we took out MobileMark 2002 to benchmark performance and battery life of the Dell. The Inspiron didn't do very well in tests, attaining a 195 performance score. To put things in perspective, the equally huge Acer Aspire 1682WLMi running on a 725 processor (1.6GHz) did almost as well, chalking up 191 marks.

We installed 3DMark03 to test out the graphics and came out a tad disappointed. Despite its theoretically sufficiently powerful 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon X300 discrete graphics, we obtained a squat 2,545 rating which lay in the region of the 64MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 running on the pre-Sonoma notebooks.

Battery life was another matter altogether, impressing us with a jaw-dropping 300 minutes of power. This is probably the best desktop replacement if you need sufficient juice on the move. Do note that we used a nine-cell Lihium-ion which adds an extra S$30 to the default six-cell battery.

Service And Support
The default option on Dell's Web site is a one-year onsite limited warranty which covers parts and labor including phone support and battery coverage. A great array of extended warranty options is offered, such as three years of service, accidental damage protection and onsite repair. You can also access Dell's online support site to find additional help such as FAQs and downloads for your notebook.

Loaded with Windows XP Professional Edition with Service Pack 2, the Dell comes with a software bundle which includes Power DVD, Sonic MyDVD, Sonic RecordNow! and Microsoft Works 7.0. The Dell Media Experience application opens up an interface where you can choose to play music, pictures, videos and an option to connect to the Net for software support.