Dell Inspiron 1720
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Continued From Inspiron 1720 Review Page 1

As for the ports and expansion, one thing that Inspiron 1720 really misses out is HDMI. Without HDMI, it's entertainment features are somewhat limited as HDMI makes it possible to export high definition content to a larger external display such as HDTV. It's interesting to note that similarly priced Toshiba P205 features an HDMI port.

Apart from HDMI, Inspiron 1720 covers the bases with 5 USB ports, a FireWire port, an ExpressCard slot, VGA-out etc.

Intel Core 2 Duo processor and the integrated graphics are good enough for everyday tasks or home office uses and if you want more of graphics performance, you can opt for one of NVIDIA's graphics cards with up to 256MB dedicated memory. That will also allow for light gaming on this machine.

Inspiron 1720 does it much better than an average laptop when it comes to playing audio. Do not expect great bass, but the volume levels are adequate and pleasingly distortion free. The notebook also comes equipped with an integrated webcam.

Adding to the appeal of this low cost 17" laptop, Dell offers an option for the mobile broadband. Though you have to pay an extra $150 - $170 depending upon the network carrier of your choice. Otherwise a wireless card is there by standard.

Though not as heavy as dedicated gaming machines, Inspiron 1720 is still not a very portable machine at almost 8 pounds. At this weight, we won't worry much about the battery life, as the machine will mostly be indoors. Still the 6-cell battery can give you two hours of productivity for normal use.

Inspiron 1720 is a good choice if all what you are looking for is a sub $1000 laptop with large screen and that is good for everyday tasks and occasional entertainment. Checkout Toshiba Satellite P205 with similar pricing for comparison. If you are planning to spend more and order high definition upgrades in optical drive and screen resolution, we would recommend you better have a look at what Sony has to offer with its entry level model of VAIO AR series.