Dell's Inspiron 1000 Notebook is a basic system with a value price. Despite its low price, the notebook includes many of the common connectivity features you will find in newer notebook systems. A 24X CD-RW/DVD drive is standard, in addition to three USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 ports, an integrated Ethernet connection, and a 56Kbps (kilobits per second) modem for dial-up connectivity.

A Mobile Intel Celeron 2.2GHz processor running Windows XP Home Edition powers all of the Inspiron 1000 models. They feature 64MB of shared graphics memory, a microphone jack, a speaker/headphone connector, and a Type I or Type II PC slot. To reduce costs Dell cut a number of legacy features, such as a parallel port and a serial port, and the notebook does not offer an S-Video (Super-Video) connection.

The base Inspiron 1000 system has a 14.1-inch XGA (Extended Graphics Array) display, measures 1.46 x 13.0 x 10.6 inches (HxWxD), and weighs about 6.37 pounds. A 15-inch XGA display is optional. The standard 8-cell NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) battery has an approximate operating time of 1.5 hours. Other standard features include 256MB of memory (upgradeable to 512MB) and a 30GB hard drive (upgradeable to 40GB).

Dell offers a number of add-ons for the Inspiron 1000. An enhanced 8-cell lithium-ion battery, with an approximate operating time of 2.5 hours, is available for the enhanced performance version of the notebook. You can also purchase an external floppy drive, a port replicator, or an 802.11b/g PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) wireless network card.

Dell bundles a variety of programs with the Inspiron 1000, including the Microsoft Productivity Pack with Word-Perfect and Money, and a 90-day trial of McAfee Security Center.

by Carmen Carmack

---