Desktop replacements need to have more power than a military junta right? Well, not according to Dell. It’s Inspiron 1750 rocks the requisite 17-inch screen, indicating it wants you to sling your monitor and tower combo. But it’s low powered too, in order to keep costs as cheap as a mad dash round your local cash and carry. Does the compromise work? Read our Dell Inspiron 1750 review to find out.
There’s no denying the Dell Inspiron 1750 is cheap at the price. It rocks some decent enough specs too, with a beefy 320GB HDD, 4GB of RAM and an Intel Pentium Dual Core under that somewhat shonky plastic hood.
Crank the Dell Inspiron 1750 up and you’ll find a machine more than decent at handling basic apps, web browsing and the occasional spreadsheet. However, at 1600×900, and clocking in at a whacking 17 inches, the screen should be able to handle video with aplomb. Sadly, it’s not as great as we’d like. Pics are decent enough, but when you’ve got that much real estate, you want something to give your eyeballs a treat.
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The graphics are also a huge disappointment. The integrated chipset means if you try anything strenuous, i.e. play games on it, it’ll struggle to keep up. This is poor form when a machine this size should be all about the visual experience.
The build quality is also suspect. The plastic frame feels thin and cheap, living up to its bargain bucket price tag. The keyboard isn’t great either. Sure, even the most fat fingered fiends will be able to tap out text without making many mistakes, but they’re too soft and feel a bit naff. The same can be said for the touchpad on the mouse.
In all, the Dell Inspiron 1750 isn’t the ultimate desktop replacement. Yes it’s cheap, but if you want an all-rounder for a similar price but with better skills, you’d be better off downsizing and trying a different machine altogether. The Samsung R530 might be a good place to start.