With a complete top-to-bottom revamp of Dell's entire laptop line in mid-2007, why the need for a new mainstream model so soon? While the current 14-inch Inspiron 1420 hits the size/features/performance sweet spot, and the high-end XPS M1330 and the XPS M1530 are slick, thin 13- and 15-inch models, respectively, the middle-of-the-road Inspiron 1525 was always a little too big and clunky for its own good. When compared with the 14-inch version, Dell's basic 15-inch Inspiron--long the bread and butter of the company's consumer laptop line--got lost in the shuffle, offering a small increase in screen size but at the expense of a larger, more unwieldy chassis.

One thing to notice is that the dedicated graphics card option available on the Inspiron 1520 is missing from the Inspiron 1525. The reasoning behind this is that Dell is pushing the XPS M1530 as the 15.4" notebook for those demanding higher-end graphics performance. The Inspiron 1525 battery is meant for a more mainstream buyer looking for good multimedia and productivity features from a notebook, and not cutting edge 3D performance.

Regardless, I would have liked for Dell to offer at least an entry-level nVidia 8400 GS 128MB dedicated graphics card option on the 1525. Sure, it might compete with a base configuration XPS M1530, but consumers like to have choices.

That being said, the Inspiron 1525 performed quite well during testing and this machine will meet or exceed the performance needs of most average (non-gaming) users.

wPrime is a program that forces the processor to do recursive mathematical calculations, the advantage of this program is that it is multi-threaded and can use both processor cores at once, thereby giving more accurate benchmarking measurements than Super Pi.

The 1525 is wedge-shaped but svelte at 6 pounds, including a 15.4-inch 1280 by 800 resolution screen, a DVD writer, and a good keyboard. The port variety and layout is fine (the 1525 is one of the few notebooks in this price range with an HDMI connection). And like the excellent HP Pavilion dv2600se, the dell inspiron 1525 battery gives multimedia lovers lots of entertainment features: an instant-on button, a Webcam, and even dual headphone jacks. In fact, I like the Dell's MediaDirect button more than the HP's QuickPlay because it has Instant Office, an application viewer that lets you access your calendar, contacts and PowerPoint presentations. Also, Dell's volume gauge is easier to use. Alas, the raspy-sounding speakers take some of the shine off the 1525's entertainment appeal.

Pre-production Inspiron 1525 is equipped with the following specs:

15.4-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) CCFL TrueLife (glossy) screen
2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7250 processor
2GB DDR2-667 SDRAM (up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM available)
120GB 5400 RPM SATA HDD
8x Dual-layer DVD±RW drive
Video: Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Wireless: Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card
Mobile Broadband: Dell Wireless integrated mobile broadband mini-cards Sprint and Verizon serice
Colors: Multiple colors and finishes available
Media Card: 8-in-1 flash memory reader
Input and Output Ports: 4 USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, IEEE 1394a, RJ11, RJ45, 2 headphone, 1 microphone, 1 ExpressCard 54mm slot, 3 mini-card slots, consumer IR, S-Video
No webcam (optional Integrated 2.0 megapixel webcam available)
Windows Vista Home Premium
Dimensions: 1.00" - 1.48" (height) x 14.05" (width) x 10.08" (depth)
Weight: 5.9lbs with 6-cell battery
Base configuration price: $499
Price as tested: $1,024 ($874 after instant savings)

Under the lid you’ll find a beautiful 15.4-inch widescreen framed by a silver bezel. The 1440 x 900-pixel glossy panel delivered vibrant colors and a sharp picture with very little reflection, and viewing angles are good from all directions. Our review unit came with a 2-megapixel webcam and two microphones embedded in the screen’s upper bezel.

The keyboard is firm and comfortable with good key travel and cushion similar to the 1520. The touchpad is also good and responsive. The buttons felt good with a decent click sound. We love the dedicated scrolling areas which are very useful scrolling through large webpages. There are also some touch sensitive media buttons with blue LED backlights. They stay lit only for a fraction of second after being pressed, so they’ll not distract you all the time.

Beyond the hardware specifications that make up the Dell Inspiron 1525, the notebook is available in ten different colors: jet black, espresso brown, ruby red, midnight blue, spring green, flamingo pink, sunshine yellow, chill pattern, street pattern, and a blossom pattern. The unit we were testing was in ruby red. The Dell battery Inspiron 1525 was packaged quite well and arrived without any damage. Included with the Intel notebook was all of the Dell paperwork, product CDs, 6-cell battery, and AC adapter.

Includes HDMI output and touch-sensitive media control buttons....Intel Pentium Dual-Core, rather than a Core 2 Duo CPU; unimpressive battery life....The Dell Inspiron 1525-139B is a classic midsize, mainstream laptop, but this specific retail-only configuration has a wimpier battery than its predecessor...The Dell Inspiron 1525-121B is the textbook example.

The Inspiron 1525 ran for 2 hours and 41 minutes on our DVD battery drain test, using the included six-cell battery, a decent score for budget 15-inch laptop. A nine-cell battery is also available, but it's large enough to stick out conspicuously from the back of the system. Our dell Inspiron 1525 battery drain test is especially grueling, so you can expect longer life from casual Web surfing and office use.