The laptop market is always in demand. That is why every month there are new laptop models from different manufacturers. All of them differ in forms, characteristics and cost. So, at one time, the Dell 500 laptop fought for popularity. Its characteristics in 2018 are unlikely to attract anyone. But 10 years ago the laptop turned out to be an excellent find for those who value quality and reliability.
About laptop
In 2008, buyers still sought to find a middle ground. We needed a mobile device that would cope with the tasks. As a result, the market was divided in half: on the one hand, netbooks based on Intel Atom and with a diagonal of up to 10 inches, on the other - powerful systems with large dimensions and good performance indicators.
The latter could include a laptop Dell Vostro 500. The characteristics of the model predetermined its purpose. The laptop was great for work and study. Its cost was low, and at the same time it remained a multifunctional device with a screen diagonal of 15 inches.
Notebook Features
Dell's Vostro Series are simple, low-cost laptops designed to work and complete every day tasks. At first glance, the design of the model seems too simple. But in this simplicity lies the essence of the series and laptops in general from this manufacturer. Dell almost never works with fanciful laptops, and tries to focus on the executive class. So, despite such simplicity in appearance, the materials for the case and other parts are of good quality.
Dell 500 specifications may vary according to one of three hardware modifications. In addition to the difference in processors, you can also purchase a version with the desired operating system.
Appearance
As mentioned earlier, the laptop model is strict, but stylish. The lid of the laptop is made of matte plastic in black. Moreover, it is covered with some special spraying, which now resembles a soft touch. In the middle is a silver company logo. At the front end of the cover there is a silver insert, which serves to securely open the laptop.
Inside the laptop, black changes to dark gray. It is noticeable that inside the plastic is even more durable. At first glance, it seems that the laptop is coated with a metal coating. But if you look closely, you will notice small silver dots on the surface.
A 15.4-inch screen has a plastic frame. The developers took care of the reliable fastening of the display, which once again confirms the build quality of the Dell 500. The characteristics of the work surface should be highlighted separately.
Working surface
The laptop is equipped with a budget keyboard without an island type. Nevertheless, the fixation of the buttons is clear, and their course is elastic. Therefore, working with text on it should be comfortable. The keyboard has a standard layout and function keys that work in tandem with the Fn button. Thanks to the appropriate combinations, you can adjust the screen brightness, speaker volume, turn on / off the wireless module, sound, etc.
Among the shortcomings, it is worth highlighting the homogeneous designation of Latin letters and Cyrillic. They are the same in size and have a white color. This solution is not always convenient and often requires a color difference. Although you can get used to this design. There will be no problems with those users who have blind dialing.
Above the keyboard is a large power button. To her left are three indicators that indicate the status of Num Lock, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock. To the right of the power button there are touch-sensitive media control buttons. They are familiar to every user, so there are no problems with them.
The touchpad turned out to be compact. It’s hard to say whether this is a disadvantage or a virtue. It has a sensory area, under which there are analogues of the right and left mouse buttons. Its surface is rough, which means there should not be any problems with accidental sliding.
Laptop parts
At the front end of the case there is a small panel on which there are audio outputs and a slot for a card reader. On the left are small indicators for turning on the device, its power, charge level, and connecting wireless technologies.
On the left side is the Kensington lock, connectors for connecting the Internet and a monitor. Nearby there are USB ports and power cables. The rear end is occupied by a grill for removing warm air from the body. On the right side, the main tray is the optical drive tray. To the right of it is a single USB port, and to the left is a card reader and a Wi-Fi switch.
One of the unpleasant details was the lack of a microphone and webcam. Despite the fact that this is an outdated model, the absence of such a detail affected the popularity of the Dell 500. Characteristics in this situation should have corrected the situation.
Technical specifications
Inside installed a mobile single-core Intel Celeron M560 processor. The chip runs at a speed of 2130 MHz. RAM inside 1 GB, although, according to the developers, you can install as many more. An Intel GMA X3100 adapter with a memory capacity of 384 MB is responsible for the video card. A 120 GB hard drive is installed in the case. Sigma Tel High Definition Audio is responsible for the sound. There is also support for a wireless network, network controller and the use of a card reader.
Specifications Dell 500 were excellent for a laptop for 15 thousand rubles. The processor on one core coped with the playback of pinched HD-video. The gaming subsystem is not designed to work with powerful gaming products. This model still remains working, so it installed the integrated Intel GMA X3100 core, which is enough for simple tasks.
After loading the operating system from 1 GB of RAM, less than half the free space remains. But this is quite enough to run office programs and work on the Internet. If this amount of RAM was not enough, you could buy as much more.
Autonomy
The characteristics of the laptop Dell 500 PP29L affects its autonomy. Undoubtedly, the main task of a budget laptop, which is designed to work, is long-term work without recharging. The monitored model is charged for 140 minutes, but to discharge it you need to sit on the Internet for more than 3 hours. If you run a simple toy on your laptop, then this time is reduced by half. This is a good indicator for a model 10 years ago. Although all this is realized thanks to the presence of an integrated video card. A laptop can play a movie in about 90 minutes.
Heat and noise
The temperature characteristics of the Dell 500 PP29L can only be checked with a 100% load on the device. At rest, the processor indicates a heating of 43-53 degrees. This indicator depends on the condition of the blowing cooler.
With a stable load of the chip, its temperature was kept within normal limits. After stress tests and loads with the Everest utility, it rose to 63 degrees. It is almost impossible to increase heating to critical levels.
Reviews
The performance of the Dell 500 turned out to be really good. The laptop received a low cost, a large screen size, a well-thought-out work area and high-quality assembly. Experts noted a good display with a resolution of 1280 x 800. It is equipped with a matte finish, so glare is not so noticeable during operation.
Among the advantages also highlighted the presence of wireless technology Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The laptop showed good autonomy and got all the necessary connectors.
Since this is a budget model, the disadvantages are mostly related to technical equipment. Experts note a single-core processor, which is not always enough for demanding tasks. In addition, there is very little RAM in 1 GB, even for 2008. An unpleasant moment was the lack of a webcam. Otherwise, some shortcomings were identified only after some time using the laptop.