Dell Inspiron 11 3000: solid folder
Dell announced a number of new Android tablets during the Computex and the company also introduced new Inspiron convertibles. However, the American manufacturer does not have its own stand at the fair, so we initially thought that we would not be able to see the devices in person. Fortunately, Microsoft had a stand where all kinds of products from partners were shown, including the new Inspiron 11 3000 from Dell.
The Inspiron 11 3000 series will have several variants and the model on the Microsoft booth was one of the cheaper ones, featuring an Intel Celeron N3530 . It should cost about $450 in the United States. For that money, you get 4GB of memory and a 500GB HDD in addition to the aforementioned quad-core Bay Trail soc. The lack of an SSD does not make the Inspiron 11 3000 a speed monster in advance.
The case of the notebook is simple, but well executed. The bottom half is gray, with black keys, while the border around the screen is on the large side and also in black. The edge at the bottom of the notebook is rounded, which is nice when the forearms rest on it. With a weight of 1.39 kg, the notebook is not a lightweight in its class, but it is certainly still very portable. In terms of connections, Dell provides the standard basic functionality, with a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI output and a card reader. On the wireless level, there is support for bluetooth 4.0 and wifi ac.
Beneath the screen are two thick, double hinges that allow the screen to be folded back completely, similar to Lenovo’s Yoga notebooks. The hinge feels sturdy and when you use the touchscreen, the screen barely bends. If the notebook is not fully folded, it is also possible to use the lower part of the notebook as a stand, for example while watching video material, or if only the touchscreen is used.
The keyboard is slightly recessed, and there are small spacer rubbers on the left and right. Together, this should ensure that the keys are not accidentally pressed when the screen is flipped over and the notebook is laid flat on the table. Dell has made the keys from a type of soft-touch material that is not common in keyboards, but feels nice. As other input options, there are of course the touchscreen and a spacious touchpad at the bottom of the laptop. The latter has a nice surface and proved to respond quickly to our multi-touch movements.
The 11.6″ screen has a resolution of 1366×768 pixels, which is not very much. Given the relatively low price, however, it comes as no surprise. higher resolutions can be equipped. Fortunately, it is an IPS screen, so the viewing angles are good.Since the notebook can be set up in all kinds of different positions, that is not unimportant.
The Inspiron 11 3000 seems like a nice basic laptop for people who value the ability to rotate the screen. The housing looks and feels fine, and there is little to criticize about the hardware, although we are gradually becoming allergic to notebooks with HDDs and we would screw in an SDD. Hopefully Dell will come up with that option themselves.