Dell Inspiron vs Vostro - Which Is The Better Buy?

You may recall last year that an ex-employee of Dell posted an article which gave us some insight as to how a consumer should make a purchase from Dell. Included in the advice was one tidbit of information about buying a business system vs a home user system, with the conclusion being made that business systems offered better support. [Dell article is here.] So this morning I received an advertisement for the new Dell Inspiron 1525 that now trouts a 15.4 screen, a pretty selection of colors but only came with Windows Vista preloaded on the system. It seems that only the business systems such as Vostro still offer the option of ordering either Windows XP or Windows Vista.

I also recalled a statement from the article which said:

Play with the web site - There are many different pricing packages for the same product throughout the various sections, typically three or more per segment. If you’re buying a Dell soon, configure a unit from a link off the main page, from the product listing on the drop down and from the “As Advertised-Newspaper” drop down. Configure the same system each way at the home, small business and the Direct (kiosk) site (http://www.dell.com/directstore). It is very likely you will end up with nine different prices.

I’m not sure if you will end up with nine different prices, but it does appear you will end with at least several different prices.

So what is a better deal. A Inspiron for home use or a Vostro for business use? I think it depends on several factors. If what the ex-employee writes still holds true about support being better for a business system vs a home system with support from India, than a business systems makes sense. Of note there is the fact that the home systems come in a variety of color options so if you are looking for style and wish to make a fashion statement, than an Inspiron laptop may be your best option.

So you will have choices. Many, many choices. Plus now that Dell’s are being offered at retail outlets such as Best Buy, Staples and others, the options and selections would appear to be unlimited.

But what do you think? What has your experience been?

Comments welcome.

Tags: dell, laptop, inspiron, vostro, home, business, user, pricing, warranty, selection, options, unlimited, windows, xp, vista