Dell XPS 17

Dell XPS 17 – Got this as a birthday gift. Had done an online quote and got a sweet deal for the laptop. We use Dell machines in the office and I find them to be cheap and good. Lenovo was my next option but they come out to be very expensive after customization. IBM thinkpads otherwise were solid machines not sure if the Lenovo tag changes things. The graphics card becomes quite hot when playing graphic intensive games. Also, it does not have the mouse navigation 'nipple' in the keyboard. Some people might want that as an alternative. Overall this is a good laptop and it's not very expensive IMO. Good configuration, hardware can match desktop machines The graphics card gets quite hot when you play games. I played crysis 2 on it and you could feel the heat from the side.

Great laptop for anyone from web designers to music makers – I bought this system in May 2011, customised it through the Dell.com.au site. I opted for the blu-ray burner instead of the standard dvd burner/blu-ray player. I also opted for the soundblaster software, which offers a few more features for sound tweaking. I also got the customised back cover for the lid ($99), on reflection this was very expensive, but I feel it adds a bit more personalisation to my laptop.

The machine came as standard with 2 x 500gb hard drives. The problem with Dell is that their systems and specs can change very quickly as I was to find out when 1 week after ordering my laptop, they upgraded the 2 x 500gb hard drives to 2 x 750gb hard drives for the same price! not very happy about that but such is life.

The system is fantastic! I had opted for the 16:10 HD display which is very clear and very bright (sometimes too bright!). it is great for movies due to the large screen. The sound is something else, this laptop has the best sound of any laptop i have ever come across, and I've been in I.T. for 20 years.

There is one issue I have had and that is the power cable. it is badly designed and keeps falling out of the socket. This is regardless if you have it on a table, your lap or anywhere for that matter. it does not stay in the socket! very annoying!

The face detection software is surprisingly good! It does take maybe up to 3 times before it will start learning who you are but once it does, its a very quick and secure way of logging on to your computer and websites.

overall, the laptop has plenty of power (i7 quad processor) And 8gb ram as standard.

it does run hot when playing games, but that is to be expected due to the nature of the hardware it has (high end graphics card).

I did get a free laptop bag with my laptop which is absolutely fantastic considering you'll want to protect your investment and the laptop bag (belkin messenger series) is a great accessory. Look out on the Dell website for such offers when you purchase yours. Sometimes it might be worth emailing them to see if they'll offer you an add-on or accessory, to seal the deal so-to-speak. I did get an extra year warranty with mine because I told them I was unhappy they upgraded the laptop hard disks a week after I ordered mine, I found dell to be flexible, especially when they are working towards a sale!

Overall, a very nice machine indeed for just about any purpose, other than the plug falling out of its own accord, I would recommend to anyone. Very powerful spec, covers all bases of user. Backlit keyboard is good for using at night. Power plug tends to fall out of its own accord, its badly designed and can be annoying putting it in every 5 minutes. No dedicated volume control, which is surprising considering the emphasis of the sound (which is great!) on this laptop.

Nice system – Got all the power and push, great for skype and watching movies. Runs extra screen good. big cuncky Windows 7 not so good. Good for watching movies NO PAUSE BREAK KEY, useless for programming