Pros: Processor, RAM, Hard drive space, Lightweight, Battery life
Cons: Speakers, Plastic case, Ethernet port, Bottom case design, Loud trackpad
Score: 3/5
Hardware: The computer runs nice and fast with the i5-4210u processor. The integrated graphics work well and will run older or low resource games. (League of Legends, Minecraft, and Fallout 3 work well on this machine). With 8gb of RAM, there is plenty of memory to go around for all you applications and the integrated graphics. You won't need to upgrade the memory for a while. The 1 TB hard drive is spacious, and would never fill up for an average consumer. The "pop-out" style DVD tray seems a little janky, but is a standard on Windows computers I guess. The keyboard is full sized and has a keypad, which isn't useful to me, but might be to some. There is no backlight on the keyboard, which isn't needed, but is really appreciated and is a nice touch on a laptop. The trackpad is a little small for the size of the computer. It is a single piece of plastic with a left click function on the bottom left and a right click function on the bottom right. The click noise is quite loud, leading to me to use the tap-to-click feature when I have to be quiet. Note: The dell trackpad drivers on this and many other dell laptops have issues with Google Chrome right now, causing the computer to lose focus on Chrome whenever scrolling. This means after scrolling you can't type until clicking on the Chrome browser. There also seems to be issues with horizontal scrolling in Chrome. The camera is 720p, and the microphone seems standard, so this computer would work well when video or voice chatting. The screen is glossy and has a resolution of 1366 x 768, which is fine, but can seem low quality in comparison to other laptops. The speakers are pretty terrible. The sound is tinny and not very loud. When the speakers are at 100%, the sound can't fill a room. It's embarrassing to listen to music on these speakers. Invest in headphones or external speakers if you buy this laptop. The battery life is good, lasting 4-5 hours of light use before needing to be plugged in.
Look and Style: The case looks pretty nice. The top of the screen case is textured, which is nice, but the oils from your hand will stick to the case and leave marks that have to be rubbed out. I would much prefer a smooth, hard plastic case. The computer itself is pretty thick, especially when compared to other modern laptops. However, the case is still thin enough to look slim when closed on a desk. There is a "hump" at the top of the keyboard case section (you can see it in a side look at the computer) that I don't particularly like the look of. I don't really understand why it's there because it doesn't seem to serve a purpose and looks pretty bad. There are two stickers on the keyboard case section, one advertising the computer's features, and one advertising the Intel processor. You get used to them being there, but I think they detract from the design of the laptop.
Build Quality: The computer is made entirely from plastic, and can feel flimsy and cheaply made at times, but it holds up fine. The plastic screen border is already kind of loose. After some intense use, the spacebar started to squeak a little, but it stopped and hasn't started again. The computer never seems to get too hot, so the hardware shouldn't fry itself. The computer as a whole is pretty light, and is mobile. The trackpad does not seem to be sealed, and you can see the hardware underneath it. I would suspect a hardware failure if water got onto the trackpad.
Ports: The power plug is on the top left, followed by a fan exhaust grill, an HDMI port, an ethernet port, a USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port, and a headphone jack. On the right starting from the top there is a DVD drive, a USB 2.0 port, and an SD card reader. There is no VGA port, which would be useful to some, but I don't think it should be required in today's times. There is a port for a Kensington Lock on the lop left side panel. Note: The design of the ethernet port causes it to be very difficult to remove an ethernet cable. You must bend the cable head away from the laptop before being able to press down the lever that unhooks the cable, which is pretty annoying.
Features: There is a quick access panel for upgrading your RAM, which is a nice touch. The bottom case also seems to be able to be fully disassembled.
Windows 8.1: This computer comes with a Windows 8.1 OEM (meaning no disc). You will need a DVD or flash drive to back up your copy of Windows 8.1. No one really likes Windows 8.1, but it's alright once you get used to it. It doesn't look as good as Windows 7 since the transparent title bars and task bar are gone. I haven't found a use for the start menu and the Metro apps. I don't like having to sync with my Microsoft account to use certain Metro apps, which also changes your computer's login to your Microsoft Account login. The most useful aspect of the start screen is the search function. All you do is press the windows key from the desktop and start typing to search both your computer and the web. It's similar to OS X's Spotlight, but without the integration into the desktop. Pressing the windows button to bring up the start screen is very responsive. The other most useful thing about the start screen is the Weather tile, which you can set to your location and simply press the windows key to view the current weather. Windows 8.1 and the start menu aren't as bad as people say it is, and once you know how to use it, it's a pretty easy transition to the new OS.
