Hybrid laptop
Hybrid devices that function as both laptop and tablet have been in the spotlight lately, especially since Microsoft released its versatile Surface range.
The dell inspiron 11 3000 is one such device. it’s an entry-level model which is targeted at users who are looking for an affordable Windows laptop that will also double up as a tablet.
it can be transformed from laptop into tablet mode by flipping the keyboard to the back of the screen, which is a simple and easy process.
Compact companion
The inspiron 11 is mostly made of plastic but feels and looks solid. in fact, if you don’t scrutinise it too closely, you’ll think it’s made of aluminium thanks to the nice finish.
it weighs 1.39kg which is a bit heavy for an 11in device but this isn’t really an issue when used as a laptop. However, when used as a tablet and held with one hand, you will start to feel the weight pretty fast, as the keyboard is not detachable.
The heart of the inspiron is an intel Pentium N3530 processor which is powerful enough to handle office productivity suites and light image editing. We had no problem using Autodesk Pixlr and GIMP for touching up images, for instance.
it was also good enough for playing casual games such as FTL: Faster Than Light, Democracy 3 and Kingdom Rush.
However, the real limiting factor is the screen — the 11in display only has a resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels, which means you will not be getting the best experience when playing games or watching Hd movies. Also, it’s not great for editing, say, an Excel spreadsheet, as you will have to scroll a lot.
However, as the screen is an iPS (in-plane switching) panel, you get great viewing angles.
instead of an SSd (solid-state drive), you get a traditional hard disk drive with this inspiron. The advantage of this is that you get 500Gb of space which isn’t too bad for a budget machine.
That’s ample real estate for storing both work and entertainment related stuff and if you need more, you can always get an external drive.
in the audio department, the inspiron uses Waves MaxxAudio technology and the speakers are on the left and right sides of the keyboard. This could be due to limited space but it does affect the audio delivery, as it wasn’t as immersive listening to music or movies. We’d rather have it on the front and under the screen.
Two worlds
The inspiron runs on Windows 8.1 which is designed for both laptops and tablets. However, we found the classic desktop interface easier to use than Modern Ui. This is because the touchscreen is a little unresponsive and Modern Ui is best navigated using touch than a touchpad.
The number of apps available for Modern Ui is still limited, especially when compared with Google Play or App Store, although it has most of the essential ones such as Facebook and Twitter.
but even the Facebook and Twitter apps are pretty basic, again, when compared to Google Play or App Store versions. Luckily you have the best of both worlds with this notebook — all you have to do is switch to the classic desktop mode and access Facebook and Twitter from a web browser for the full features.
The inspiron lasts about five to six hours on battery power when used for watching videos, surfing the Web, working on documents and listening to music.
That’s not too bad for a budget device but it tends to heats up pretty fast especially when used for watching videos.
Conclusion
The inspiron doesn’t have fancy bells and whistles to impress you but for rM1,599 you are getting a functional laptop that also doubles up as a tablet.
it also has good battery life, plenty of ports — including HdMi out and three USb ports — and a screen with a wide viewing angle.
The two main things we didn’t like about the inspiron is the touchscreen which wasn’t responsive enough and the heat build-up. if you are on a tight budget then give this inspiron a try.
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