Opinions, please first.

I've got a 2003 vintage Pentium 4, single core, 1.8 gHZ Dell Inspiron 8200 loaded with software running XP professional with all the updates, a port replicator and use it as a backup 'puter and when I travel, which is rare these days.

This was a $2500 purchase at that time, so I can't really compare it to the deceptively low priced $600 models they advertise on many places that you use for awhile & toss.

1 GB ram, a livable video card, a 60 GB Hitachi Travelstar HD that's 2 years old but with several broken components.
The fans are goooooing, and the alps keypad doesn't work.
I'm threat free, but this thing is extremely slow.

Particularly since my comparison is a new build with an i7 CPU, a nvidia GTX295 video card and 12GB's of DDR3 ram......a real smoker.

Is this worth salvaging @ about the $600 range?

I talked to Dell last summer and they claimed at that time:

"The Inspiron & Latitutes built in that period were among the most refurbish-able laptops we ever made."
Second:
I've been emailing Dell and posting on the Inspiron Hardware forums with absolutely no responses what so ever .
When you call the primary toll free number, you get put on hold forever.

I must be doing something wrong, or am not DeLL worthy.


How do you contact DeLL these days about this kind of thing ??

I thought I'd toss that around here, since Dell is 100% non-responsive, to find out if there is a solution other than tossing this, all the port replicator stuff out to feeBay and kicking the price for a new smaller laptop......along the lines of a 13" screen Sony Vaio

DeLL has the checkbook open at this point.
If I make a new purchase, they're last on the list.

I can't understand their thinking.

Thoughts from this community are much appreciated, and valued as always.

Steve_83

(yes...I would consider upgrading to Windows 7 when/if they even had it)