Dell Laptop

Let's examine the Dell laptop Inspiron 9300 in greater detail. This Dell laptop is ideal if you want to dispense with desktop computing altogether and get a really sturdy, reliable laptop machine. The Inspiron 9300 is by no means light. It weighs 8.2 pounds, which is actually a lot of weight if you plan on traveling long distances. That being said, it's lighter than similarly appointed gaming models, such as the Alienwear Area 51m.

The Inspiron 9300 is a stylish machine, composed of magnesium alloy. It features a host of ports and slots, including an S-video output, six separate USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, microphone jacks, VGA, and, of course, FireWire. You also get a standard double layer DVD drive, which you can swap out for a different Dell drive.

The 9300, like most Dell laptop Inspiron computers, allows for adaptable configuration. The 17-inch screen provides excellent detail, but some users have complained that the whitespace shines and sparkles in a rather annoying way, thanks in large part (ironically) to the antiglare coating. The speakers on the Inspiron 9300 are smartly located on the corners of the keyboard, so that you won't accidentally block them while typing or gaming.

There should be enough system memory to handle multiple applications, but you may want to dedicate at least 256 MB of RAM just for video applications. The 9300's fans tend to keep the system moderately cool, but these fans can make noise, particularly if you're running the heaviest applications. Do yourself a favor and splurge for the two-year warranty on the Inspiron 9300.