Dell Inspiron i13z-8864sLV 13-Inch Laptop Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $631.00
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Pros: price, seem very well built, keyboard, size/convience. When it was working, it was fast and ran very smooth.

The Issues: After about 4 weeks it would not boot. I sent it off to Dell service center and they needed to replace the motherboard, hard drive, audio board and reinstall Windows 8. Not sure what the exact issue was and Dell support has been somewhat vague. When the laptop was returned an administrator profile was setup and it would not allow me to create a profile. I was on the phone with tech support for over an hour for them to tell me the OS needs reset/put back on the computer properly (not sure why this was not fixed properly before sending back to me). Anyway they want me to buy an external disk drive and install Windows 8 again.

Overall I'm very pleased with the build of the laptop and wish that it would work.

UPDATE: I sent the laptop back and was given a refund. I do not recommend buying this laptop because of the 4 weeks issues (will not boot). I have found several other reviews stating the same issues as mine. It appears Dell's quality has lowered. I was also not pleased with the customer support.

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Seriously. Not a month of use, and the motherboard is dead. It can't identify a boot device. Been on chat with a (friendly, thank goodness) Dell rep who is sending a tech to replace the motherboard. I hope this is a one-time problem. My previous Dells have fared far better...

UPDATE: A couple of months have passed since the comment above and I'm less frustrated with this computer. Dell actually did the right thing and sent a tech to look at and fix the laptop. He replaced the motherboard and everything is working okay now. The tech met me at work and fixed the computer before the end of my day, so it was very convenient. Well done Dell, I'm pleasantly surprised. Now I just hope the computer keeps working (it's great when it does...)

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This laptop looked good out at first. It is definitely not a high end product, but then one would not expect this at this price. Things got bad after just a few weeks though as it would no longer boot. I tried to resolve the issue with Dell technical support, but this took so long to do that I returned the product for a replacement as suggested by Amazon. Great service from Amazon, and poor show from Dell. I am told the issue is due to an incompatibility issue between the Windows 8 updates (which the machine downloads automatically once switched on) and the hardware. I am ordering a second laptop like this one an hope to have more luck with it next time.

Update: despite having been sourced from a different supplier, the second laptop failed after just a few days and would not boot. Exactly the same problem as with the first laptop. I tried to resolve the issue with Dell technical support, but this proved to be really frustrating. The technical centre is based in India and the telephone line kept dropping. I had to call 5 times, which was really infuriating because I had to start from scratch each time (warranty code, laptop model, my name, description of the problem, etc). Very disappointingly, Dell could not fix the problem over the phone, and wanted the product returned to them for servicing this would have taken weeks. It was much easier and quicker to return the laptop to Amazon for a refund. Not impressed at all by Dell, I think there are better choices. Do not buy this product.

I have heard of others complaining about the technical support from Dell. It is obvious the staff in the technical support centre are not technical at all, they are just people working to a script. I think they are doing the best job they can, but the support they can offer is limited, and the script makes the whole process very time consuming and cumbersome, especially if like me you had to call back 5 times because the call dropped. I spent over 1 hour on the phone dealing with the first laptop, and well over 2 hours dealing with the second one. Might have been OK if they had offered a resolution, but they did not, so I had to return both laptops anyway.

Honest reviews on Dell Inspiron i13z-8864sLV 13-Inch Laptop

I went through many reviews to finally choose this one, it's the best you can get at this price. I've been using it now for more than a month and am so satisfied with it.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dell Inspiron i13z-8864sLV 13-Inch Laptop

I like the size and performance of the computer. I like typing on the keyboard. The touchpad is integrated into the palmrest so there aren't any cracks to collect dirt and crumbs.

I installed an SSD in mine. Be aware, that as this is in the "ultrabook" category, you need a 7mm thick hard drive, where as standard 2.5" drives are 9.5mm thick or so. I also installed Windows 7 and it works great. Dell offers drivers on their website. The label on the bottom identifies this as an Inspiron 5323.

The port covers are annoying. I'd rather have functionality over aesthetics. They open just far enough to connect my mouse, but it would just be better if they weren't there, but that is the worst thing I have to say about the computer.