Carla ThorntonArtwork by: Rick Rizner, John GoddardDell Inspiron 8100This Dell desktop
replacement features Intel's fast 1-GHz/733-MHz Pentium
III-M processor (or you can specify a 1.13-GHz/733-MHz
PIII-M processor for $250 more). The 8100 earned a PC
WorldBench 4 score of 100, making it a fairly speedy
notebook running Windows 2000. You also get a 15-inch
screen with a resolution of 1400 by 1050 pixels (1600 by
1200 resolution is also available), dual pointing devices,
and dual-purpose buttons for playing music or launching
applications.
Like its predecessor, the Inspiron 8000, the 8100 offers an
unusual flip-flopped drive bay configuration that increases the notebook's
flexibility. Ordinarily, the floppy drive is fixed and the optical drive is
removable, but on the Inspiron 8100 the DVD-ROM drive is fixed, and the floppy
drive is removable. This arrangement makes it possible to carry two optical
drives at once, for instance, or two batteries so you can watch back-to-back
DVD movies on your next cross-country flight.
The 8100 suffers from the
same slightly clacky-sounding keyboard and clunky
dual-purpose button design as the Inspiron 8000. Instead of
flipping a hardware switch to toggle between CD-playing and
file-launching modes, you have to use a software utility.
The 8100 is heavy, too: Even without the AC adapter and
with a travel module inserted into the floppy drive bay, it
weighs 7.5 pounds.Aside from its new
processor, the Inspiron 8100 mostly rehashes the 8000
model. Two notable improvements are much-better-sounding
built-in audio and an additional bay device option, an
Iomega Zip 250 drive.
The thick, dark-gray 8100 is a multimedia machine deluxe, thanks
to its fast IEEE 1394 port and its S-Video port for using a TV as a monitor. An
included cable adapts the latter for use either as a composite video port or as
an S/PDIF audio connection. The hard drive is a snap to remove, which is
helpful if you need to keep important data under lock and key.
Bored with the same old look? You can pop out the 8100's dark-gray
palm rests and swap in any of four other colors, including bright yellow; the
set costs only $10 extra. The plentiful but mostly electronic documentation
tends to be a bit confusing, with multiple shortcuts on the desktop to the same
manuals. Our test unit included Microsoft Office XP Small Business
Edition.
For small to medium-size
businesses or multimedia pros seeking a decked-out desktop
replacement, the 8100 does it all.1658PC WorldBench 4 score
of 100, 1-GHz/733-MHz Pentium III-M, 256MB of RAM, 512KB L2
cache, Windows 2000, 15-inch active-matrix screen, NVidia
GeForce2 Go graphics with 16MB of DDR SDRAM, 20GB hard
drive, 8X DVD-ROM drive, built-in V.90 modem and network
adapter, touchpad and eraserhead pointing devices, 9 pounds
(including AC adapter and phone cord); Microsoft Office XP
Small Business Edition. Three-year parts and labor
warranty, free unlimited 24-hour toll-free tech
support.www.dell.com800/388-8542
