Refurbish My Dell or Buy New?
May 28, 2011 9:52 PM   Subscribe

I have a Dell Vostro 1500 that has good build quality and I have loved it for the past 4 years. However, the sound amp has gone out and I'm needing a new keyboard, plus it's still running XP so I thought I'd check out new laptops. ALL Dell laptops now come with "truelife" (glossy) displays and I can no longer get a matte display like I have on my Vostro. So.....is it worth it to try to get mine locally refurbed or should I bite the bullet and get a new laptop? I have no idea what a rehab would cost versus a new laptop. More than anything, I just love the way my current laptop "feels." (You know?) FYI, I have an iPad and it does most everything I need to do anymore, but still need a laptop with Windows for work-related things. Thoughts?

Oh, and by the way, the specs on my Vostro 1500 aren't bad. Dual Core T7300, 4GB ram, 500GB hard drive. I hate to let it go, but am afraid I could end up having to sink a lot into it.
posted by Gerard Sorme to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)
 
Pick up a replacement keyboard and install it yourself.

And what do you mean when you say the "sound amp" has gone out? No sound from the speakers, no sound from the line & headphone outs, or both?

At today's price points, I say refurbs for consumer units only make sense for DIYers.
posted by ferdinand.bardamu at 10:18 PM on May 28, 2011


I could be completely wrong on this, but I believe you can get screen films (like a screen protector) that makes the screen matte.
posted by DMan at 10:26 PM on May 28, 2011


Plenty of Dell models marketed for businesses still have matte displays. I didn't look at all the Vostro models but both the V130 and the 3350 both have "anti-glare" screens. Latitude E series (much more expensive) is also anti-glare.
posted by massysett at 5:12 AM on May 29, 2011


Maybe the solution is a USB sound module. (Here's an example.)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:18 AM on May 29, 2011


I own one of these, and I couldn't be more pleased with it. The sound quality is outstanding.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:27 AM on May 29, 2011


« Older Do Schizophrenics Commonly Accuse Think Others are...   |   Air Conditioning BTU confusion Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.