Review of Dell Studio 1737 (Ruby Red)

Customer Ratings:

Bought this refurbished on Woot! and have to say couldn't be happier for the $450 i spent. It zips along when i am running lightroom as well as sometimes four office apps at the same time. Onne drawback though is, that because i upgraded to 7, and it didn't ship with 7, that dell won't help any issue i have in regards to drivers etc.

The comptuer shipped with some pretty weak speakers, so i talk to dell and in a week i had new speakers installed and they do the job admirably. HDMI out is nice so is the card reader. Haven't had a single issue with performance, as it should be more than enough for almost everyone.

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This is a base model Dell Studio 1737. This appeares to be a refurbished downgrade. The keyboard feels as though it has had some use....a little quirky....the "e" needs extra pressure to register....the keys are very noisy and give the sense of being a used item. The graphics card, an intel 4 series is just adequate. The studio original box with the original disks is present, a nice touch. The quirkiness continues; this is a Vista32; the included disk is a Vista64. The bluetooth is either disconnected or not present. I like the looks of this computer. I don't like the quirky, noisy, heavy touch keyboard. Oh yeah, the screen looks good,too, with enough brightness for me! My only real disappointment is the keyboard; otherwise, I would recommend this. Don

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I have a dell studio 1737. same one i have had for years. few faulty things to note about this laptop if in your in the market to buy, buy it new unless your computer savvy. its a great computer but one of the main things it is sent back to dell for, the hinges, so if your constantly opening and closing your laptop, i would not reccomend this for you, i just now started having this problem and replaced my hinges, it took a good 4 years for me to get that problem because well my laptop is pretty stationary, i dont move it alot.

if you dont move this laptop like i do or have it for just work, it would be a great asset.

ive had mine for years, i bought it early 08, here it is still kicking in the end of 2012. the beauty of it is consitering the fact that usually computers go antique the minute you open the box, not this one. all you need to do is up the ram after a few years and your good to go. this is a great computer and if you can get it your in for a great multimedia computer. but as i sad before, baby those hinges, if your not tech savvy, it could get costly to fix those little buggers if you have to take it to get it "professionally" repaired.

Honest reviews on Dell Studio 1737 (Ruby Red)

Purchased this one in early 2009 as an "emergency" replacement for an HP that failed without warning. Purchase price at Walmart in Laredo, TX was $899 (before tax).

My 1737 was equipped somewhat differently from what was described for this item ...

4 USB 2.0 ports

1 USB/eSATA port

1 IEEE 1394 Firewire port

1 Cat 5e LAN (wired) port

3 audio ports (headphone, mic, line in, all can have their functions changed)

1 VGA out port

1 HDMI out port

1 SDHC reader

1 Smartcard port

1 Fingerprint reader (very configurable)

Built in Bluetooth

Built in WiFi (a/b/g)

Cheap speakers and and microphone in the screen

VGA level camera in screen

Touchpad mouse

Back lit 101 key keyboard (very nice for night work)

Standard Dual Layer DVD-RW

Intel Core Duo Processor (2.0 GHz max)

Intel video w/128 MB, can share some RAM (max 1 GB, Windows decides what you need, you can't)

90 watt power supply

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit, with lots of Dell "bloat ware"

Set of DVD discs for restoring OS and drivers (don't ever lose or damage them, getting replacement from Dell is difficult and expensive)

Compact manuals

Right out of the box, the 1737 power supply was not sufficient to power the 1737, and the power jack was so loose that the power supply kept disconnecting. The 1737 frequently could not identify the power supply, causing the BIOS and Windows to reduce functionality by 50%. I had to shut off power supply detection in the BIOS and Windows. The power supply also gets hot enough to be a fire hazard. I ended up replacing both the power supply and the battery (damaged by the original power supply) in 2012 (see my other reviews for proper replacements that actually work very well, without overheating). I recommend immediate replacement of both. Also, the power supply module needs periodic replacement. If you are not able to follow repair and replacement directions (on Dell's web site), you should not purchase the 1737.

There is also an issue with the design of the screen/lid hinges, you should plan on periodic replacement. That won't be a simple task, it took me a few hours, and I've been repairing computers since 1978. This is a design issue, so again, if you are not comfortable with such replacement using Dell's directions, don't purchase the 1737. The lid also holds the radio on/off (wifi/bluetooth) and power on/off switches IN THE HINGES, so replacement of hinges must be done periodically.

Dell does not honor warranty issues with the 1737, period, no exceptions. They also will not allow direct purchase of the appropriate power supply if they know it will be used for the 1737. See my other reviews for appropriate replacement parts I found from 3rd parties for battery and power supply.

From April 2009 until March 2011, this computer was my workhorse inside a tractor-trailer. It powered and recorded to an external 2GB HDD 3 USB cameras, the built in camera, and a firewire camcorder everything my rig did 24/7. Using a USB GPS, it also would provide routing, as well as location based Doppler Radar. Also ran were required electronic log books, maintenance records, transmitting of billing information (so I could get paid faster), and a couple of basic games whenever I was bored waiting for customers. This is no gaming rig by any stretch, but it will play back DVD's without issue. Sound is rather crappy (common with laptops), so I used external speakers.

The computer handled the extreme conditions of being in a tractor-trailer extremely well for the 250,000 miles it was in use for that purpose, despite the problems noted above. It's a bit heavy, so the vehicle mount had to be modified to minimize sway. The fingerprint reader was especially useful, as my employer's mechanics would try to access the computer to shut down the cameras (to avoid revealing they weren't doing required repairs), but could not do anything without an acceptable fingerprint (mine).

After coming off the road, I added a second 120 GB HDD with Ubuntu Studio (Debian Linux) 12.04, which works quite well on the 1737 (though Dell says it won't work). My particular dual-boot configuration requires going into the BIOS to switch drives, which was intentional on my part. I also replaced the hinges, screen lid (black to red), and screen bezel. While I was at it, I finally replaced the power supply and battery as well. Typical battery life is 1 year before replacement may be needed, but I also rarely use the battery. What to watch for is when the battery discharges and won't recharge. My 1737 is powered 24/7/365, and power settings are set for maximum performance, which is not particularly good for batteries to begin with.

Other than the problems noted earlier, this computer is a serious workhorse for students and office. It can be upgraded to Microsoft Windows 7 Pro 64-bit if you want to run Microsoft Office 365 or 2013. I recommend, however, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, as Pro is primarily for those who need Windows XP backwards compatibility (most do not, and no, it won't run your XP only devices off USB). If needed, and you can find it, you can replace or install WinXP 32-bit in a multi-boot environment, or as a backwards replacement OS, for those who have that need (storm chasers, emergency personnel, etc).

The HDMI out is okay for video playback, or to plug into a larger screen, but audio playback under Windows is problematic using HDMI. Better to use the VGA out with the audio out, if your devices can deal with that. Both the HDMI and VGA can do 1920x1080, and the built in display goes to 1400x900. Windows is better with using multi-display capabilities that Ubuntu, however. I have not been able to use both the HDMI and VGA out together, especially while leaving the main display on, still working on how to do that.

All in all, the 1737 is my personal favorite, despite known issues that Dell refuses to address. If you are comfortable with using Dell's repair manuals, have the right tools, and have the aptitude, the above issues aren't that big of a deal, just an annoying and time consuming problem every year or two. I have newer laptops that are more capable for gaming and such, but I still use the 1737 (using now to write this review) far more than my other computers, and this one is now over 5 years old. However, if you are not comfortable repairing the known problems, I suggest looking into other laptops. I typically charge $75/hour for repairs, and I'm considered inexpensive in my area. Having others do the repairs can easily cost more than the laptop is worth, especially the screen issues.

This device loses 1 star for design flaws, 1 star for really poor Dell warranty and customer service/tech support.

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This computer has always had a really hard time connecting to the internet wirelessly. It usually takes at least 4-5 tries, and it is definitely a problem with the computer; it happens everywhere. On top of this I practically have to be sitting next to the wireless source, which kind of defeats the purpose of having wireless in the first place.