Dell Inspiron 13 7000
Dell’s Inspiron line has always been a reliable budget choice, but it’s not always been the most stylish. With the Inspiron 13 7000 range that could change. It has a new, smarter design that gives the laptop the looks that I’d more associate with a high-end ultrabook. we got some hands-on time with the models to see what’s in store.
The all-metal chassis looks and feels fantastic. There’s a choice of silver or Champagne Pink; the latter looks great and is quite a subtle colour. What’s more, you’ll be able to get up two types of biometric logins with both a Windows Hello infrared cameras and a new cleverly implemented fingerprint reader.
All the goodies you’ll get on the Inspiron 13 7000 are tucked inside a nice looking silver case. It’s made from plastic, but it actually feels very strong, as the laptop hardly bulges even when pressing on the lid-cover or in the middle of the keyboard. The entire body has a soft rubbery coating which offers excellent grip and at the same time I believe it should resist scratches quite well.
What’s more, Dell has drastically reduced the size of the bezels to thin bars, though, the Dell XPS 13 is still on top with its InfinityEdge display. Still we prefer having the webcam in its traditional position at the cost of a slightly thicker frame above the display, plus you get an infrared camera setup for Windows Hello login.
Along the right edge of the keyboard is a power button with an integrated fingerprint scanner for another biometric option.
The 13-inch full-HD screen on the Inspiron 13 7000 provides a sharp picture but flat colors and more reflections than I'd like. When watching the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. trailer on this panel, I appreciated the details of Baby Groot's bark, but an exploding spaceship looked muted.
The Inspiron 13 isn't that bright, either, emitting a paltry 228 nits. That makes it dimmer than the Spectre x360 (318 nits), the ZenBook Flip (298 nits) and the Yoga 710 (322 nits). This resulted in a poor range of viewing angles, as colors darkened when viewed at 45 degrees to the left or right.
It is quite decent typing experience on this keyboard. The stiff keys offer good feedback and travel deep enough inside the frame for this class, so I can say this Dell is suited for a heavy typist, placing the overall experience next to what you’re getting with Lenovo ThinkPads or the Macbook Airs these days.
The keyboard is also backlit and you can adjust the brightness level manually by hitting the F10 key, or you can turn off the illumination if you want to.
we do have mixed feelings about the trackpad though. Its surface is rough and feels like some sort of sand-paper, which is a lot different than the glass clickpads offered by most modern ultrabooks these days.But that’s OK, one could get used to the feeling. However, while the this trackpad was mostly accurate and responsive, the cursor would occasionally get jumpy and even perform clicks all by itself out of the blue. And that can be really annoying and should be addressed, as it’s probably a drivers glitch.
You can rock out in this convertible, as it filled our large conference room with sweet sound. Its rendition of Rick Ross' "Apple of My Eye" featured clear vocals, sturdy bass and accurate piano keys.
If you need your tunes to sound just right, the Waves MaxxAudioPro sound utility offers tons of tweaks. This means you can bump up the bass, widen the sound space and heighten audio details. we didn't find that tweaking its default settings helped improve the sound.
If you want a thinner, faster and longer-lasting convertible, the 13-inch Spectre x360 is a great option, though it starts at $1,199 and the model we reviewed costs $1,300. If you're OK with a bigger screen, the Yoga 710 can give you similar speed and more battery life, though it, too, is pricier ($1,136).
Overall, those on a budget who want a 2-in-1 with good general performance should consider the Inspiron 13 7000.
The Best Affordable 2-in-1 Laptop Available Laptop Right NowConvertible hybrid notebooks are often called 2-in-1s, not 2-for-the-price-of-1s, even though machines that can flip and fold between laptop, tablet, and other modes tend to carry a premium price. But Dell has kept the premium to a minimum with its Inspiron 13 7000 (7378). The $799.99 base model we tested features a seventh-generation Intel Core i5-7200U processor, 8GB of memory, a 256GB solid-state drive, and niceties like a USB-C port, and an infrared camera for Windows Hello face recognition. It doesn't have the swank two-tone styling or the available 4K display, but it's otherwise an affordable rival to our Editors' Choice for high-end convertibles, the HP Spectre x360 13. As such, we're rating the Dell above the older, heavier Acer Aspire R 14 as our new top pick for midrange convertible hybrids.
Dell’s Inspiron line has always been a reliable budget choice, but it’s not always been the most stylish. With the Inspiron 13 7000 range that could change. It has a new, smarter design that gives the laptop the looks that I’d more associate with a high-end ultrabook. we got some hands-on time with the models to see what’s in store.
Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Design
What’s more, Dell has drastically reduced the size of the bezels to thin bars, though, the Dell XPS 13 is still on top with its InfinityEdge display. Still we prefer having the webcam in its traditional position at the cost of a slightly thicker frame above the display, plus you get an infrared camera setup for Windows Hello login.
Along the right edge of the keyboard is a power button with an integrated fingerprint scanner for another biometric option.
Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Display
Our colorimeter detected poor color reproduction, as the Inspiron's screen registered 69 percent of the sRGB spectrum. That's far below the readings from the $1,300 Spectre x360 (102 percent)and the $749 ZenBook Flip (102 percent). It's also well below the $1,136 Yoga 710 (101 percent) and the 99 percent ultraportable average.
This convertible's touch screen accurately tracked my fingers as we navigated the desktop. It also speedily recognized Windows 10 swipe-in gestures for viewing all windows and opening the Action Center.
Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Keyboard and Trackpad
Speaking of that keyboard, we can conclude in few words that welike it. Dell went for a simple chiclet layout with black keys, so everything is just how and where you’d expect it to be. The top row defaults in quick toggles for adjusting the sound volume, screen’s brightness and so on, and that took me a bit of time to get used to, but it’s not a deal-breaker by any means.
The keyboard is also backlit and you can adjust the brightness level manually by hitting the F10 key, or you can turn off the illumination if you want to.
Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Speakers
You can rock out in this convertible, as it filled our large conference room with sweet sound. Its rendition of Rick Ross' "Apple of My Eye" featured clear vocals, sturdy bass and accurate piano keys.
If you need your tunes to sound just right, the Waves MaxxAudioPro sound utility offers tons of tweaks. This means you can bump up the bass, widen the sound space and heighten audio details. we didn't find that tweaking its default settings helped improve the sound.
Conclusion
The slick Inspiron 13 offers plenty of pep and a comfortable keyboard in a premium design, and its speakers are surprisingly good, too. However, below-average battery life and a relatively dull display hold this 2-in-1 back from a higher rating.
If you want a thinner, faster and longer-lasting convertible, the 13-inch Spectre x360 is a great option, though it starts at $1,199 and the model we reviewed costs $1,300. If you're OK with a bigger screen, the Yoga 710 can give you similar speed and more battery life, though it, too, is pricier ($1,136).
Overall, those on a budget who want a 2-in-1 with good general performance should consider the Inspiron 13 7000.
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