Despite its outmoded parts, the Inspiron 710m finished CNET Labs' tests just 7 percent behind the more richly configured Sony VAIO S series. It also completely annihilated the Averatec 3715, which incorporated a 1.86GHz AMD Mobile Sempron 3000 processor. You'll have no problem working with multiple windows, watching DVDs, or running standard productivity apps on the Inspiron 710m, though we don't recommend it for graphics-intensive work or gaming.
The Inspiron 710m did a superb job in our Labs' battery-drain tests, thanks to its high-capacity nine-cell battery (a $99 option). The system lasted for a long 5 hours, 7 minutes compared to the Sony VAIO S series' 3 hours, 2 minutes and the Averatec 3715's poor 2 hours, 30 minutes.
Dell ships the Inspiron 710m with a standard one-year warranty that includes return-to-depot service and 24/7, toll-free tech support. The company sells the usual warranty upgrades, which feature extended terms and extra protection, at various prices. The company's support Web site is top-notch, offering user forums, real-time chat with tech support reps, and system scans to automatically detect problems. For more detailed information about warranties and service plans, check out Computer Shopper's overview of 37 major computer vendors.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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BAPCo MobileMark 2002 performance rating |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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BAPCo MobileMark 2002 battery life in minutes |
Find out more about how we test Windows notebooks.
System configurations:
Averatec 3715
Windows XP Home; 1.8GHz Mobile Sempron 3000+; 512MB DDR SDRAM PC2700 333MHz; VIA/S3G Unichrome Pro IGP 32MB; Hitachi Travelstar 80GN 80GB 4,200rpm
Dell Inspiron 710m
Windows XP Home; 2GHz Intel Pentium M 755; 512MB DDR SDRAM PC2700 333MHz; Intel 82852/82855 GM/GME 64MB; Hitachi Travelstar 5K100 80GB 5,400rpm
Sony Vaio VGN-S470P
Windows XP Pro; 1.73GHz Intel Pentium M 740; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM PC3200 400MHz; Nvidia GeForce Go 6200 128MB; Fujitsu MHT2080BH 80GB 4,200rpm
What You'll Pay
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