Customer Reviews

Dell Inspiron 1525 Laptop Jet Black (15.4" Wide Screen with true life, built-in Webcam, Intel Pentium Dual Core T2330 processor at 1.60GHz, 4GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, 8X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability, Windows Vista Premium)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I actually didnt buy this computer from the US, but now im living here so brought it along with me..like one of the other reviewers, my charger stopped working and it turns out to be a motherboard issue. heres mistake number1..they sgould have recalled the product or at least replaced the motherboard when customers complain with minimal hassle, but listen to this horror story:
1- I got a call from dell telling me that they need to replace the mother board. but because im not under US warranty, im not eligible for a free replacement, i have to pay 500$!!
2- I got a second call asking me all kinds of weird questions about where did you buy this, whats the strores name, when etc,...almost like an interrogation, so when i bluntly asked "is there some kind of problem", i got a response telling me that my computer is "Stolen" and that they need to report this and KEEP the computer! can you imagine the kind of frustration, i suddenly moved from being upset that they wont do it under warranty to now justifying im not a criminal...
3 - Luckily im very organized so i actually had my original receipt but it was oversees. I called my dad to go into my flat and scan it and send it..i then forwarded it to dell saying, now you owe me an apology, you guys have been total ****** from start to finish...
4 - The apology i got was " sorry sir, we still cant help you, our system still says this is stolen, we will return the computer and you can buy the motherboard somewhere else" AMAZING!!!, bear in mind this is After i prodcued an original invoice, clearly showing my name, store (has a website and all), date, serial number, and all!
5 - I ultimatley had the motherboard installed at an individual store...i didnt waste any more time with the geniuses at Dell, but they certainly made my next purchase decision much easier...I will never buy Dell Again, until they start understanding the basics of customer service..the whole outsourcing and lack of understanding/training to cut costs will catch up with them ultimately....

AFTER you read this - check the price at Best Buy. You might be surprised.

I can't begin to describe how cool this laptop is. It is all you need for personal or business work. I have an Acer Desktop with 1 GB of RAM and 100 GB Memory. This little guy has 4 GB of RAM and an Intel Duo Core Processor (that's basically at least twice as fast as my desktop) and 250 GB on the hard drive! Those items are critical for good, fast performance. The keyboard is perfectly typical in its layout and the mouse pad is actually sleek and slightly indented, allowing you to seamlessly run your finger over the metal. The two button pads allow for more functions. It is completely intuitive and although I prefer Windows XP Home over Vista Home (XP is faster), you can't get around that nowadays. It comes preloaded with everything you need and I actually uninstalled some unnecessary programs. I took out the Norton Virus software and put in Windows Live One Care (my preference on quality and ease of use).

There are lots of standards that used to be extras, like the Web Cam, which transmits, records, takes pictures, etc. When you move around, it is a bit blurry, but for ordinary transmission it is right up there with most in quality. It also contains a DVD/CD burner and player, which are very fast, even though it seems terribly fragile when you open it. I like being able to have the choice of Cable DSL, dial-up and Wireless Internet. When at home I just plug in the Ethernet wire and when traveling it is very easy to get a signal just about anywhere I go, (call your service provider to get the pass code for wireless service). There is the media card insert, two USB ports and lots of standard software. You can read all of that here on the web page, but the look and feel (the keyboard is very easy on the hands and wrists) is sleek. It also comes with a one-year warranty with the option to buy more.

Here's a little secret. Don't buy past the standard one-year warranty, as Dell will contact you within six to nine months to offer you an extended warrantee at a lesser cost. They want your business. Why pay more? I suggest getting that warrantee when it is offered. Also, a good, secure, padded carry-bag is a must. "Targus" makes great bags that are relatively inexpensive. One last note: Dell has one of the best reputations for quality computers and they have home service, meaning they come to YOU! Have fun!

I had an older Inspiron years ago that I had no problem with so felt comfortable going in to purchase a new 1525. Less than one year in (purchased in December 2008), I was unable to boot the computer and ran a diagnostic check (hold down 'fn' button and power on) and got Error Code 0142 indicating hard drive failure. Luckily I purchased through the Dell website and a 1-year limited warranty was included to cover the repair, but I would definitely be wary of purchasing this computer. It appears there are several people if you use Google that have had the same problem, and weren't as lucky to have it covered by warranty. I would suggest a different model laptop or at least definitely buy it with some warranty.

In general, the machine has worked pretty well. I haven't had the problems with reliability some others have reported. Having to use Vista is a pain, of course -- I truly wish this had come with XP. I may get a new hard drive and try running with Ubuntu instead.

But the real deal killer (and why I wouldn't recommend this computer to anyone) is that the touchpad appears to be designed with the express purpose of driving the user insane. Imagine browsing around, say, at the Amazon site, or at some news page. You go to drag down the bar at the right to adjust the page on the screen. The screen starts shifting... then stops. Suddenly the touchpad cursor is frozen and won't move. But it isn't broken, it just pauses for an infuriating several seconds, then starts moving again. This is aggravating in the extreme. At first I thought it was a hardware problem or maybe dirt on the pad? But no, the pad is clean, and I checked on another Inspiron 1525 at a retail store and the mousepad on that does the same inane trick. I really can't imagine how Dell could believe that kind of behavior in a mouse or touchpad could be considered acceptable. Like I'd be ok with paying extra for a computer with a fast processor but wouldn't mind the touchpad taking coffee breaks on me??

It still works very well. I used to have an iBook and although I love Apples the motherboard broke after about 10 months of owning it. My Dell is very durable and still in great shape, but I need to do some upgrading of software and hardware to get it up to speed. I don't want to repeat what that dork says on the commercials but get a Dell.

The hardware on this laptop is cheap. The keyboard was replaced once because the buttons wouldn't work, and then 2 weeks after that repair they sent me another keyboard because the problem returned. The AC adapter broke, yes, the friggin AC adapter broke! I have AC adapters from the 80s that still work, but Dell can't even make a laptop AC adapter that can last a year and a half? Shoddy, shoddy, shoddy.

Support is the usual awful Dell support. Dell support is so terrible that you might as well not even bother. For example, my broken keyboard was replaced under warrenty, but in order for me to avoid shipping to laptop to Dell, having it repaired, and then returned I had to pay $40 for in-house service. They did not have a option for me to physically take it anywhere which would have been cheaper for all involved. The tech repaired my keyboard, and then it promptly began showing the same error a few weeks later. I called, told them that this was their fault, but they said I was now out of warranty even though their replacement part failed to work! I complained to the point that they sent the part to me for me to install myself. I haven't even bothered and have learned to live with a space key that only works half the time.

Phone support? Here's how that works. You spend 5 minutes talking with a computer only to be told that you called after hours and I should go pound sand.

Horrible support.
I think Microsoft even has better support if you can believe that.


As for the laptop's software, what can I say other than you'll encounter the usual Windows experience of sluggish performance, bugs that are never fixed, and the other things Microsoft users are accustomed with. Good luck getting sleep mode and hibernate to work on this with Vista.

A couple notes before I begin: My 1525 came with Win Vista Home Premium, 250GB HD, a Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz processor, 3 GB ram, webcam, and an Intel GMA965 video card. I've since bumped the ram up to 4 GB and installed Win 7, XP, and Ubuntu. Most of the problems people notice probably happen on Inspirons like mine too.

Hello world! I'm writing this from my one and only Dell Inspiron 1525 notebook computer. Sure it's got some problems, but it's got power to prove itself. I've been able to use this laptop for just about everything to be done on a computer: playing games, watching movies, server hosting, casual internet browsing, heavy internet browsing, cd/dvd burning (a LOT of that), image editing, everything Office, recording/watching TV (with a usb tuner I bought separately), webcam use, and more! There's really more than most people give it credit for. Or maybe they just don't know how to use a computer right... Anyway, here's a couple things that irk me about this lappy:

Overheating: It happens whenever the laptop can't breathe, a problem I encountered several times due to my ignorance of where I put the computer. The computer will shutdown if it gets too hot, but placing it in such a way that the vents can do their job, it works nicely. Of course, if you don't make it do all the stuff I make mine do, your's should be fine.

Touchpad: Yes, it doesn't react when I want it to. This seems to happen only when my computer gets hot (thus the touchpad gets hot as well) or when I don't set the sensitivity right. However, this isn't a big deal to me since I use a USB mouse (makes it MUCH easier to work). Also, make sure you install the drivers for it when installing new operating systems or else the scroll won't work right.

Graphics: Begin a built-in video card automatically makes you the weaker kid in gym class. The GMA 965 integrated video card uses shared memory to do it's work. That means that instead of using it's own RAM, it has to borrow from the installed memory. This may or may not be a problem (not particularly if you have 4 GB of RAM to support it), but if you're really into gaming or need the video for other programs, you might want to look into a different laptop. This one's fine for most purposes though.

Other than that, I can't think of many other problems that I've encountered. If I note any new ones, I'll tack em on to the list. If anyone has any questions, raise your hand (leave a comment) and I'll answer them if I ever bother to check to see if their's any. Thanks for taking the time to read this!

Oh, one last note. I'm not sure why this particular seller is selling the laptop for over 900 dollars, but I got mine for 600 at Best Buy! :D

I bought a Dell Inspiron 1525 about 11 months ago. I have a one year warranty. My power cord spontaneously stopped working, so I called Dell. To my surprise, the issue is my motherboard, not my power cord. I was informed by Dell that they had had "lots of calls" and that there is a "problem with [my] model." Lucky me, I suppose, I'm under warranty for one more month. I am very upset that Dell HAS NOT RECALLED due to this issue OR otherwise WARNED CONSUMERS whose warranties are fast expiring. A quick Google search will show you that the problem is nearly ubiquitous, and in most cases appears just before the standard 1 year warranty expiration. I'm unusually reliant on my computer as a law student. Due to this issue and the delays in getting it fixed, I will be unable to access my much needed data in time for a final exam. Insult to injury: I was informed by my hard-to-understand call center help that I SHOULD PURCHASE an extended hardware warranty to avoid being further screwed and inconvenienced in the future.

I think the laptop is pretty good for price. I have been using this laptop for about a year and I am really happy with it. I got a bunch of discounts when I bought it (i.e. corporate and thanksgiving discount), and I got it for around $570 brand new.

Pros:
- Beautiful picture quality
- The keyboard feels great
- Tons of usb port
- HDMI
- Flash memory card slot
- Touch sensitive media control

Cons:
- Very heavy and bulky
- Not good deal if you have to pay more than $650 USD to get a new one

I am a San Diego-based executive and long time DELL customer. I have had at least four DELL laptops at work, and three at home. I purchased an Inspiron 1525 laptop for my wife in December 2008. About 6 months later, it crashed. My service experience can be described as an "endless loop" of frustration where you have to navigate through a foreign call center talking to multiple unqualified people, and repeating yourself over and over again.

As part of the "service" I received, the tech required me to buy anti-virus software that I did not need saying: "I can't help you unless you install it." As I told DELL repeatedly, the issue was obviously a hardware defect. Ultimately, I was proven correct as the problem was indeed failed memory.

To add insult to injury, the software (that I didn't need) was quoted at $55 for a 2 year subscription. When I received the product and credit card statement, I discovered 1) DELL charged me $115.25 (the quote was $55) and 2) the service was 1 year (not 2 years). I have repeatedly contacted customer support to correct the error but they refuse to acknowledge the misrepresentations.

Shame on DELL for providing such terrible service to a long time executive level customer. Shame on them for refusing to provide any escalation path to a rational U.S. customer service employee.