- Intel Core i5-520M 2.4GHz processor
- 4GB DDR3 memory
- 500GB 7,200RPM hard drive
- Nvidia Geforce 310M graphics
- Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n
- Bluetooth
- Windows 7 Professional
As a laptop aimed at business users, the Dell Vostro 3500 certainly looks the part: It has a bright 15.6-inch screen that can display spreadsheets in their full glory. It also has a back-lit keyboard that lets business travellers type in a darkened plane cabin, without the need to switch on the reading lamp and disturbing others seated close by.
The laptop has an understated and elegant look that should sit well with executives on the move. Other appealing features include its spill-resistant and comfortable keyboard and a fingerprint scanner which you can use for logging in to the laptop.
The widescreen display makes watching movies a joy. However, text quality could be better – especially when compared to laptops I have seen recently from Sony and Samsung.
The large screen, coupled with its rather hefty 2.4kg weight, means it is best to use a backpack or messenger bag for lugging this laptop around.
Backed by the GeForce 310M graphics processor, the Vostro 3500 scored 3,442 points in the 3DMark06 graphics stress test. This is lower than the approximately 4,000 points typically registered by an average mainstream consumer laptop.
Running the PCMark Vantage test – which is an indicator of overall computing performance – yielded an impressive 5,323 points. A business laptop I had on hand with similar specs, HP ProBook 6540b, fared marginally worse on the same test.
The review unit did not come with all the drivers needed for optimum performance so I had to manually install them. Ensure your retail unit has the necessary hardware drivers.
The laptop’s six-cell battery lasted only 21/2 hours when I used the laptop to browse the Web, write this review and install a handful of applications.
This pales in comparison to the HP ProBook 6540b, which ran for 41/2 hours on a single charge for similar tasks.