When Dell released the Vostro line of their desktops and notebooks, the reaction to the new line of budget-oriented systems was somewhat mixed. Some saw the series as somewhat conservative in terms of exterior shape and colors, and some really liked the plain look. Some looked at the line as just another “Dell Inspiron” for Small Businesses, but some looked at all the new features, and realized that it’s truly a line of its own. Some compared the laptop section to the then-current unofficial king of business laptop - IBM/Lenovo T series, T60- and T61 in particular, and wrote it off as an inferior, bulky product.

There was, however, one thing that was very hard to beat - the price. From the very first slick deal on it, it became obvious that Dell is looking to capture the market of mid- to small-size businesses, looking for computational power on the go. They seem to have hit the nail on its head with the Vostro. Starting with the absence of trialware, 30-day money back guarantee, free return shipping, along with already existing services Dell provided, they were able to capture the niche market of businesses and individuals who wanted a solid business laptop at a very modest price.

Of course, the original release is never perfect - both Vostro 1400 and 1500 had their share of lovers and haters, for a variety of reasons. Today we are looking at the upgrade to the now-classic Vostro 1500 laptop, the Vostro 1510.

Configuration as reviewed

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 1.8 GHz, 2MB Cache
• Memory: 2GB DDR2-667 (2×1GB)
• Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic, Service Pack 1
• Screen: 15.4 inch Widescreen WXGA+ LCD Anti-Glare Display (1440×900)
• Hard Drive: 160G 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive (Seagate 5400.3)
• CD/DVD: 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R
• Video Card: 256MB nVidia GeForce 8400M GS
• Network: Gigabit Ethernet
• Wireless: Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g
• Bluetooth: Dell Wireless 360 Bluetooth
• Webcam: Integrated 1.3MP with Digital Microphone
• Security: Fingerprint Reader
• Battery: 87 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery

Traditional package: Laptop, software, power cables, manuals and a… microfiber cloth?