Gizmodo

Gizmodo

Gizmodo is a popular technology weblog about consumer electronics. It is part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton.

The blog, launched in 2002, was originally edited by Peter Rojas, but he was recruited by Weblogs, Inc. to launch their similar technology blog Engadget. By mid-2004, Gizmodo and Gawker together were bringing in revenue of $6,000 per month.

In 2005, VNU and Gawker Media formed an alliance to republish Gizmodo across Europe, with VNU translating the content into French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, and adding local European-interest material.

In April 2007, Allure Media launched Gizmodo Australia, under license from Gawker Media and incorporating additional Australian content.

In November 2007, the Dutch magazine license was taken over by HUB Uitgevers.

A Gizmodo blogger captured the first photos from the floor of CES 2007, and according to Reuters, journalists at the (simultaneous) Macworld debated whether Gizmodo or Engadget had the better live coverage of Steve Jobs's 2007 keynote..

Apple, Inc.'s Steve Jobs noted that Gizmodo was his favorite gadget blog, further fueling a long-standing feud between Gizmodo and Engadget.

A videographer for Gawker Media, Gizmodo's publisher, disrupted several presentations held at CES 2008 by secretly turning off flatscreen TVs using TV-B-Gone remotes. This resulted in the videographer, Richard Blakeley, being barred from CES 2008, and any future CES events.

In September 2008, Gizmodo Brazil was launched with Portuguese content.

The current main editor of Gizmodo is Brian Lam.

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History of the iPhone

The History of the iPhone began with Steve Jobs' direction that Apple engineers investigate touch-screens. At the time he had been considering having Apple work on tablet PCs. Many have noted the device's similarities to Apple's previous touch-screen portable device, the Newton MessagePad. Like the Newton, the iPhone is nearly all screen. Its form factor is credited to Apple's head of design, Jonathan Ive.

Comments made by Jobs in April 2003 at the "D: All Things Digital" executive conference expressed his belief that tablet PCs and traditional PDAs were not good choices as high-demand markets for Apple to enter, despite many requests made to him that Apple create another PDA. He did believe that cell phones were going to become important devices for portable information access, and that what cell phones needed to have was excellent synchronization software. At the time, instead of focusing on a follow-up to their Newton PDA, Jobs had Apple put its energies into the iPod, and the iTunes software (which can be used to synchronize content with iPod devices), released January 2001. On September 7, 2005, Apple and Motorola released the ROKR E1, the first mobile phone to use iTunes. Jobs was unhappy with the ROKR, feeling that having to compromise with a non-Apple designer (Motorola) prevented Apple from designing the phone they wanted to make. In September 2006, Apple discontinued support for the ROKR and released a version of iTunes that included references to an as-yet unknown mobile phone that could display pictures and video. On January 9, 2007, Jobs announced the iPhone at the Macworld convention, receiving substantial media attention, and on June 11, 2007 announced at the Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference that the iPhone would support third-party applications using the Safari engine on the device. Third-parties would create the Web 2.0 applications and users would access them via the internet. Such applications appeared even before the release of the iPhone; the first being "OneTrip", a program meant to keep track of the user's shopping list. On June 29, 2007, Apple released version 7.3 of iTunes to coincide with the release of the iPhone. This release contains support for iPhone service activation and syncing.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the iPhone is manufactured on contract in the Shenzhen factory of the Taiwanese company Hon Hai.

The commercial was created by TBWA\Chiat\Day, Apple's ad agency since CEO Steve Jobs' return to the company in 1997. TBWA's Media Arts Lab will continue to handle all upcoming advertising for iPhone, much as it has for iPod.

On June 3, 2007, Apple released four advertisements that announce a June 29, 2007 release date, and which concluded, "Use requires minimum new 2 year activation plan."; the footnote has since been removed from all four of the ads. A fifth ad featuring YouTube was released on June 21, 2007. All five advertisements feature a voice over describing various iPhone features, demonstrated on-screen. The song "Perfect Timing (This Morning)" by Orba Squara plays in the background.

The first publicly released iPhone 3G ad was first shown at WWDC 2008. Since then, iPhone 3G ads have been similar to those of the original iPhone; however, the background is white and the music used is "You, Me, and the Bourgeoisie" by The Submarines and can be viewed on Apple's website.

One iPhone television advertisement was banned in the UK after the Advertising Standards Authority decided that the ad made false claims about the device's ability to access websites, and did not mention limitations in doing so.

On July 1, 2007, it was reported that Apple paid at least US$1 million to Michael Kovatch for the transfer of the iphone.com domain name. Kovatch registered the domain in 1995. That URL now redirects to Apple's iPhone page.

On June 28, 2007, during an address to Apple employees, Steve Jobs announced that all full-time Apple employees and those part-time employees that have been with the company at least one year would receive a free iPhone. Employees received their phones in July after the initial demand subsided.

Initially priced at US$599 and US$499 for the 8 GB and 4 GB models, the iPhone went on sale on June 29, 2007. Apple closed its stores at 2:00 PM local time to prepare for the 6:00 PM iPhone launch, while hundreds of customers lined up at stores nationwide.

The iPhone is only available for those who subscribe to a two-year AT&T service plan. In addition, in the U.S. and some other countries it can only be acquired with a credit card precluding a completely anonymous purchase. There is no way to opt out of the data plan. The iPhone at first could not be added to an AT&T Business account, and any existing business account discounts cannot be applied to an iPhone AT&T account, which AT&T changed in late January 2008.

Early estimates by technology analysts estimated sales of between 250,000 to 700,000 units in the first weekend alone, with strong sales continuing after the initial weekend. As part of their quarterly earnings announcement, AT&T reported that 146,000 iPhones were activated in the first weekend. Though this figure does not include units that were purchased for resale on eBay or otherwise not activated until after the opening weekend, it is still less than most initial estimates. It is also estimated that 95% of the units sold are the 8 GB model.

Stories of unexpected billing issues began to circulate in blogs and the technical press a little more than a month after the iPhone's heavily advertised and anticipated release. The 300-page iPhone bill in a box received by Justine Ezarik on Saturday August 11, 2007 became the subject of her viral video, posted by the following Monday, which quickly became an Internet meme. This video clip brought the voluminous bills to the attention of the mass media. Ten days later, after the video had been viewed more than 3 million times on the Internet, and had received international news coverage, AT&T sent iPhone users a text message outlining changes in its billing practices.

On September 5, 2007, the 4 GB model was discontinued, and the 8 GB model price was cut by a third. Those who had purchased an iPhone in the 14-day period before the September 5, 2007 announcement were eligible for a US$200 "price protection" rebate from Apple or AT&T. However, it was widely reported that some who bought between the June 29, 2007 launch and the August 22, 2007 price protection kick-in date complained that this was a larger-than-normal price drop for such a relatively short period and accused Apple of unfair pricing.

In response to customer complaints, on September 6, 2007, Apple CEO Steve Jobs wrote in an open letter to iPhone customers that everyone who purchased an iPhone at the higher price "and who is not receiving a rebate or other consideration", would receive a US$100 credit to be redeemed towards the purchase of any product sold in Apple's retail or online stores.

With the July 11, 2008 release of the iPhone 3G, Apple and AT&T changed the U.S. pricing model from the previous generation. Following the de facto model for mobile phone service in the United States, AT&T will subsidize a sizable portion of the upfront cost for the iPhone 3G followed by charging a moderately higher monthly fees over a minimum two year contract.

On November 9, 2007, iPhone was officially launched in Europe in the United Kingdom and Germany. In the UK, sales are going through the UK O2 unit of Telefónica, while in Germany, it is offered through Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile division. Similar to the previous launch in U.S. customers lined up as much as a day in advance to get hold of the much anticipated phone.

However, the initial operating model locking iPhone owners to one selected carrier have been controversial in Europe. In Germany, a competing operator, Vodafone, brought the case for court claiming that the arrangement was against German law. On November 20, 2007, an interim court order resulted in the locked iPhone sales in Germany to be temporarily stopped.

It is currently unclear how this situation will continue to develop in Europe. The iPhone launch in France a few weeks later through the operator Orange, facing the same legal issues. Other countries that will pose the same problems for the locked iPhone business model include Belgium, Italy, Finland, and Brazil.

On December 1, 2007, Tusmobil, Slovenian mobile operator, started selling "unlocked" iPhones without an official contract with Apple, offer caused a lot of confusion with Apple Europe, local media and local Apple representatives.

On May 6, 2008, Telecom Italia announced that it has signed a deal with Apple to sell the iPhone in Italy within the end of 2008. It will probably be the second generation iPhone with 3G-UMTS capability.

On May 27, 2008, TeliaSonera released a press release stating that it will start selling the iPhone in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia during 2008.

On August 22, 2008, EMT, Estonian mobile operator, started selling iPhones.

On August 22, 2008, Vodafone Greece, released iPhones in the Greek market.

On September 26, 2008, Omnitel released iPhones in the Lithuania.

On November 7, 2008, T-Mobile released iPhones in Croatia.

The very first iPhone 3G model released on July 11 2008 was sold in Auckland New Zealand to 22 year old student Jonny Gladwell at 12:01am NZST. The iPhone is available to customers on the Vodafone network. There was much criticism from New Zealand customers when Vodafone announced their pricing for the iPhone. The first generation of iPhones has been available for sale in New Zealand through parallel import stores since the phones originally went on sale in the US, the original 2G models available for sale in New Zealand have been unlocked for use on the Vodafone network and can be used with any plan including Pre-paid.

It is likely that in the near future rival phone network Telecom New Zealand will sell iPhones to be used on the Telecom Mobile Network.

On May 6, Vodafone announced that they have signed a deal with Apple to sell the iPhone in Australia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa, and Turkey.

Subsequent announcements confirmed that Apple is moving away from exclusive one-carrier deals. Soon after Vodafone's announcement, TIM announced it would also be selling the iPhone in Italy, on May 12, Optus confirmed it would sell it in Australia and SingTel confirmed that it would be selling the iPhone in India through its Indian partner, Airtel.

On June 4, 2008, SoftBank Mobile released a press release stating that it will start selling the iPhone in Japan during 2008.

Russia's second largest mobile operator Beeline announced on August 28, 2008 that they signed a contract with Apple to enter Russian market by the late 2008. This deal is rumoured to be non-exclusive according to the unofficial statements made by some officials in two remaining mobile operators that belong to so-called Russia's Big Three – MTS and MegaFon - to enter iPhone 3G on Russian market simultaneously with Beeline. As it was predicted, MegaFon issued the press release about the same deal on September 2, 2008 MTS, the hugest mobile network of Russia and CIS still haven't released any statement.

On November 14, 2008, Vodafone Egypt and Mobinil started selling the iPhone 3G in Egypt. This comes after Vodafone's deal with Apple Inc. earlier in May. The iPhone 3G is priced at 3,800 EGP and 4,600 EGP for the 8 GB and 16 GB models respectively. Customers must also sign up for one of 3 service plans to accompany the phone.

The iPhone normally prevents access to its media player and web features unless it has also been activated as a phone through AT&T. On July 3, 2007, Jon Lech Johansen reported on his blog that he had successfully bypassed this requirement and unlocked the iPhone's other features with jailbreaking. He published the software and offsets for others to use.

On August 14, 2007, Gizmodo reported verification of a method to bypass the iPhone's SIM lock, allowing the phone to work freely with carriers other than AT&T. This method requires a Turbo SIM card costing approximately US$80 and essentially tricks the iPhone into believing that it is operating on the AT&T network even when it is connected natively (not in roaming mode) to another carrier. Australian Personal Computer later published a 10 step guide to unlocking the iPhone using the Turbo SIM method.

In mid-August, UniquePhones announced an unlocking service for the iPhone, only to retract this service the following week after receiving a phone call from a lawyer representing AT&T.

On August 24, 2007, George Hotz, a 17 year old hacker from Glen Rock, New Jersey, broke the lock that ties Apple's iPhone to AT&T's Wireless Network. He confirmed that he unlocked the phone and was using it on T-Mobile's Network. The hack opened up a realm of possibilities for overseas customers because the iPhone was only sold in the U.S at the time. By unlocking it, Hotz opened up the phone to all kinds of phone networks across the world. Hotz posted the hack on his blog. The process is complicated and requires both disassembling the iPhone and executing software commands on a personal computer. Hotz, along with four others across the world, reportedly spent about 500 hours to unlock the phone.

Also, on August 24, 2007, Engadget reported, by way of photos and a video clip, that they were called by the "iPhoneSimFree" team to view a demonstration of unlocking the iPhone using a software only solution. Unlike Hotz's hardware hack, the code in this hack has not been made available to the general public. Sales of the unlock started on September 10, by way of several resellers who were able to order "keys" from iPhoneSimFree which are then passed onto the customer to use the software.

After only one full day of sales, early on September 11 the iPhoneDevTeam announced that they had also created a working "software unlock", and released it to the public for free. Utilizing the existing unlock requires some technical knowledge, although a GUI-based version was under construction. Two free, GUI-based unlocking programs which have been made available are AnySim and iUnlock Reloaded.

On September 24, 2007 Apple issued a warning that future updates could render unlocked iPhones unusable. On September 27, 2007, owners of unlocked iPhones who took advantage of the version 1.1.1 update through iTunes reported that the update rendered the device virtually inoperable. There have also been reports that the update even affected some iPhones that were not unlocked, and Engadget found that the firmware update had "bricked" unhacked iPhones as well. The firmware update relocks iPhones, but in October 11 the iPhoneSIMFree announced that they had hacked the 1.1.1 iPhone update, not only unlocking them but also unbricking those iPhones which where bricked by the update.

On October 16, 2007, the iPhone Dev Team released AnySIM 1.1, the free utility that unlocks iPhones. The updated version works on firmware version 1.1.1, but doesn't fix baseband problems caused by updating an unlocked 1.0.2 phone up to 1.1.1.

On October 23, 2007, the iPhone Elite Dev-Team released Revirginizing Tool to rebuild the lock table in the seczone area to repair the damage done by the original anySIM 1.0x unlockers so unlocked 1.0.2 iPhones can upgrade to 1.1.1 without bricking the iPhone. The tool is unbricking the previously bricked iPhones.

On November 21, 2007 T-Mobile announced that due to litigation commenced against them by their competitor Vodafone (which resulted in a preliminary injunction preventing T-Mobile from locking the SIM card to T-Mobile in Germany), it will sell the phone "unlocked" and will offer the iPhone without a T-Mobile contract for €999 (US$1,478) at its shops to customers in Germany until the court renders a decision.

During the end of November, Apple released another version of iPhone firmware, 1.1.2. This version does not have many new features, but breaks unlocks.

During Macworld '08, on January 15, Apple released a fifth version of iPhone firmware, 1.1.3; this version repairs loopholes used by "iPhone Hackers." The firmware however had been compromised prior to release and new security measures were quickly bypassed.

On February 8, 2008 Geohot released the first full software unlock for the 1.1.2 & 1.1.3 OTB iPhones.

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TeleMessage

TeleMessage (LSE: MES), offers multiformat messaging services primarily focused around the PC. The messaging service comes in several forms mainly as a plug-in for Outlook, but also as toolbars which can be added to Internet browsers.

The most distinctive feature of TeleMessage is its ability to send messages from one technology to another. For example a text message can be sent from a computer to a land line, which normal text messages from cell phones can not. The receiver of the message then has the option of replying to the message.

Gizmodo has reported that Verizon, one of the largest cellular phone companies in the U.S., will add TeleMessage to its services as of June, 2007.

The TeleMessage software have won several prestigious awards. The software often receives 5 star ratings from software distribution and review websites, like TopShareware.com.

TeleMessage was founded in 1999 in Petach Tikva, Israel. In August 2005, Messaging International acquired Telemessage. The company then went public and is traded on the London Stock Exchange AIM section under the Messaging International name. The website for the company remained TeleMessage.com.

Guy Levit is the current CEO and Horacio Furman is the company chairman.

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Defamer Australia

Defamer Australia is an Australian celebrity gossip website. Like its Hollywood-based namesake, it covers movies, television and personalities; it also adds a dash of politics and retro pop culture. The site also features Hollywood content written by defamer.com's Mark Lisanti and Seth Abramovitch.

Defamer Australia's first editor is Jess McGuire, a 26-year-old Melbourne journalist known for her radio show on 3RRR and blog on Australian popular culture, Ausculture. Her blog, which largely featured Big Brother observations, is no longer updated. Clem Bastow has also joined the Defamer Australia team as of mid 2007.

Defamer Australia launched on 22 April 2007 with live coverage of the Big Brother 2007 series launch. Its sister title, Gizmodo Australia, launched a week earlier. The sites have a combined 200,000 readers.

It is published by Allure Media, a startup internet publisher that operates under license from Nick Denton's Gawker Media. The Australian site is the first Defamer site outside North America.

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Dell Inspiron

Dell's Inspiron portable systems product line started as a range of computers targeted at the consumer market (as opposed to the Latitude range of laptops aimed at the business market). As of June 26, 2007 the Inspiron name also refers to a range of Dell's desktop systems.

As reported on May 28, 2008 by gizmodo, the Inspiron 910 (or "Mini Inspiron") will be Dell's first subnotebook. In August 2008 gizmodo claimed to have obtained leaked specifications and photographs, which indicate it uses the Intel Atom processor, a flash drive (pata), and an 8.9" screen. Reportedly Ubuntu will be offered as a choice of operating system alongside Windows XP. As of August 28th, the support pages of the Dell website contains details of the screen, keyboard, etc. Weighing at 2.28 lb, the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 was released on general release as of September 4th, 2008. It is built by Compal who also makes the MSI Wind and the HP mininote 2133(non Intel).

Announced at CES 2009, it comes with multi-touch touch pad, 720p HD screen, and width to width keyboard, for larger keys and less compacted space.

This laptop is simply a bigger version of the Mini 9, and most of the hardware is the same used in the Mini 9. The size, display, hard drive type, and video card are the only differences. The Mini 9 has a 8.9" LCD screen and a 1024x600 resolution. The Mini 12 has a 12.1" LCD screen and a 1280x800 resolution. The Inspiron Mini 12 uses a HDD while the Mini 9 uses a SSD. The Mini 12 also uses a Intel GMA 500 and the Mini 9 uses a Intel GMA 950. Dell offers either Ubuntu Linux version 8.04.1 or the Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic Edition SP1 for operating systems on the Dell Mini 12. Dell later put the option on their website to customize the Inspiron Mini 12 with the Genuine Windows XP Home Edition one month after releasing it with Vista Home Basic.

This laptop is only available in Pacific Blue. The laptop has some similar custumization options as the Inspiron 15 and Inspiron 14, but it has a slot-load DVD drive which cannot be upgraded to a Blu-ray Disc drive. The laptop has a Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200 processor (up to Intel Core 2 Duo T8300). There is a 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 RAM (up to 4GB, same type of RAM). The starting 4-cell Lithium Ion battery can be upgraded to 6-cell or 9-cell. Like the Inspiron 15 and Inspiron 14, the Inspiron 13 has a Intel GMA X3100, but it can be upgraded to a 128MB Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS. There is a optional Built-in Bluetooth EDR 2.0 capability for $20. The laptop includes a Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Mini-card, which can be upgraded to a Dell Wireless 1505 Wireless 802.11n Mini-card.

Small (5.39 lb), portable models based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform (Model: GM 965 or PM 965). Both models have an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (up to 2.4 GHz), 14.1" display (up to 1440x900), SATA hard drive (up to 320 GB (320·109 bytes)), 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up to 4 GB (4 GiB) and an integrated Intel X3100 or NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS (128 MB (128 MiB) dedicated). The cheaper 1420N comes with the Ubuntu operating system as opposed to Microsoft Windows. It is available in 8 colors.

Replacement for the 1525, released on June 26th 2008 and is better known as the Dell Studio Laptop (Studio 15).

Released in January, 2009, it is currently available at Dell's website, and at some select retailers, including Best Buy. It replaced the Inspiron 1525 on February 26, 2009. It is a budget version of the 1525 and has fewer features. Although the cheapest model of the Inspiron 15 costs more than Inspiron 1525, it uses more powerful hardware, so it has a more expensive starting price. The New Inspiron 15 costs $479 on sale (regular price is $699) plus tax and shipping at Dell's website if it is chosen with the cheapest configurations. The Inspiron 15 uses the newer Intel GMA X4500HD graphics card, compared to the Intel GMA X3100 in the older model. It also features a faster 1066 MHz FSB speed and Intel Centrino 2 processing technology when configured with the Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 or P8700 proccessors, compared to the older model's fastest 800 MHz FSB when configured with Intel Core 2 Duo T8100, T8300, T6600, or T6400 or the Pentium Dual Core T4200 proccessors. The display has also been changed from a 1280x800 WXGA 15.4' Glossy Widescreen to a 1366x768 XGA 15.6' Glossy Widescreen. The Inspiron 15 also features an optional 1.3 MP webcam or a 1.3 MP webcam/w facial recognition. The older Inspiron 15 uses a 2.0 MP webcam, but it doesn't have facial recognition. The Inspiron 15 has a tray-load Dual Layer 8x DVD+/-R but can be configured with a 2x BD Combo Drive. Some customers who bought this laptop have reported a glitchy eject key that when pressed, freezes the laptop and then opens up the optical drive.

Like the 1535, this laptop is better known as the Studio laptop (Studio 17).

On June 26, 2007, Dell released the new Inspiron desktop series as a replacement to the Dell Dimension chain. The Inspiron marks Dell's return to a mATX case and motherboard with one exception: the rear i/o panel is not removable. As a result, motherboard upgrades are nearly impossible without modifying the case. The case has a metallic silver front and top with gloss-white side panels. The overall size of the Inspiron case is smaller than the Dimension series case. Though not noted here, the Inspiron also comes in a higher end Inspiron 518 desktop model.

Memory: The Inspiron 530 can be equipped with up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM at either 667 MHz or 800 MHz.

Note: Reports claim that BIOS versions prior to 1.0.12 only support 32bit addressing. Users have verified that while the BIOS can detect 4 GB, the OS can only see 3.2 GB, even if the OS is 64-bit. BIOS version 1.0.12 released on March 18, 2008 solves this issue and even allows for up to 8GB to be installed. However, Dell does not support memory configurations greater than 4GB.

Compatibility Note: There are actually two versions of the Inspiron 530 in production, which are not differentiated in their specifications. When ordered with an Intel Q6600 Core 2 Quad processor, the 530 is equipped with a FoxConn G33m03 motherboard and a LiteOn 375W power supply. When ordered in any other configuration, the 530 is typically equipped with a FoxConn G33m02 motherboard and a 300W Bestec power supply. The G33m02 and G33m03 are essentially identical except for the power regulation section of the motherboard. Essentially, the G33m02 is a depopulated (cheaper) version of the board which only has 6 voltage regulator IC's as opposed to the 11 voltage regulators on the G33m03. In practice, this means that the G33m02 version of the motherboard is physically incapable of providing enough current to operate the Intel Q6600 CPU. In essence, if you do not order the Quad Core processor with the system initially, you will NOT be able to upgrade it to one later.

Storage: Up to 750GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA hard drive. 16X DVD+/-RW Serial ATA optical drive.

BIOS: The latest is 1.0.16 released on December 29, 2008. No release notes were included with this release.

The hard drive controller supports RAID 1, and up to 1 TB (1012 B) of storage. The hard drive controller also supports supports raid 0, raid 0+1 and raid 5 via a patched bios that can be found here.

Most Inspiron 530 models are known to throttle the CPU fan onto high speed for a few seconds upon pressing the power button. Many have been confused thinking that this is a problem, when this is actually perfectly normal as most models do this.

A slim-chassis desktop with appearance and features similar to the full-size Inspiron 530. However, because of its design, it is not physically compatible with all desktop hardware, especially graphics cards (Dell only gives you the option of the ATI 2400 XT, which isn't a high performance card). The case used in the 530s can accommodate 1 5.25" Optical Drive, one 3.5" drive (either a 1.44Mb floppy or 19-in-1 card reader), and up to two standard 3.5" hard drives. The motherboard used in the 530s is the exact same Foxconn G33m02 mATX motherboard used in the Inspiron 530. While almost any low profile PCI-E x16 video card will physically fit in the 530s, the custom sized Delta 250W power supply that the 530s is equipped with may seriously limit the potential for using higher end cards.

The Inspiron 531 is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 based desktop for low to medium budget brackets. The advanced version (of the same name) is the same in appearance (same case), however it has upgraded features (larger hard drive, better processor, etc).

The Inspiron 531 uses a ASUS M2N61-AX motherboard that is specifically designed for Dell machines. It uses an nVidia nForce 4 chipset with an on-board video card. It also has on-board sound (Realtek HD or AC-97) and an on-board gigabit NIC. It has one PCIe x16, One PCIe x1, and two PCI card slots. It has four DIMM memory slots, and four SATA connectors. The 531 motherboard does not support PATA or IDE drives without the use of a third-party controller.

The 531 also comes with a 300 watt ATX power supply, and one 92mm exhaust fan. There is also another fan placed above the CPU heatsink that is 80mm.

The Inspiron 531 was only available pre-loaded with Windows Vista. Dell also only provides Vista drivers on their support website, however it is possible to find XP drivers by visiting the parts manufacturer's websites.

The slim version of the 531. It comes with a 250 watt power supply. Most standard add-on cards (modem, nic, sound, graphic cards), will not work in this computer. You must use 1/2 height cards.

Dell inspiron 9300 had either a 1.6, 1.73, 1.86, 2.0, 2.13 or 2.26 GHz Intel Pentium M processor and a 17" wide-screen (available in WXGA+ with a 1440 by 900 resolution and WUXGA with a 1920 by 1200 resolution). At the time it also featured a fairly new memory technology in that it used DDR2 memory, which was a new feature for laptops. Compared with the other Inspiron laptops, it is considered to be the "Entertainment Powerhouse".

The Inspiron 9300 was based loosely on its more expensive and more powerful big brother, the gaming-oriented Inspiron XPS Generation 2. With the right upgrades, the Inspiron 9300 can deliver most of the gaming power as the XPS Generation 2 at a much-reduced cost. These upgrades start with the nVidia GeForce Go 6800 video card (or higher such as a GeForce 7800 GTX in later models), and continue with extra RAM, a 7200 RPM hard drive, and possibly a Pentium M that's faster than the baseline 1.6 GHz speed.

The Inspiron E1705 and Inspiron 9400 (non-US models) are essentially the same machine - with a few minor differences in configuration. The Inspiron 9400 was basically a more up to date redesigned version of the Inspiron 9300 with a few extra added features such as the Dell MediaDirect button which was next to the powerbutton.

Available with either an Intel Core Duo or Core 2 Duo processor, this machine features a 17-inch WXGA+ (1440 x 900) or WUXGA (1920 x 1200) wide-screen LCD. Video card options also include an nVidia GeForce Go7900 GS (single heat pipe), ATI Radeon x1400 with 256mb of RAM or an Intel GMA 950. This model uses 533 MHz or 667 MHz of DDR2 memory. The E1705 tends to run hot on its underside which seems to make the card overheat and burnout within a year because of inadequate cooling. On most accounts of users who have experienced this problem, it occurred after the warranty expired therefore "alienating" the end user.

Note: For gaming and high-end graphics use, the GeForce Go7900 GS video card is highly recommended over the Radeon x1400. This is primarily due to faster data processing and fewer heat problems. Additionally, 7900GS can be easily overclocked to reach 3DMARK06 scores as high as in the 5000 range.

A base Inspiron 6000 was shipped with a 1.5 GHz (upgradeable up to 2.13 GHz) Intel Pentium M processor or a 1.3 GHz (upgradeable up to 1.5 GHz) Intel Celeron M processor, 256 MB RAM (upgradeable to 2 GB), 400/533 MHz FSB, Intel 915GM/PM chipset, an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (with up to 128 MB shared memory), 40 GB Ultra ATA hard drive (upgradeable) and a 15.4-inch WXGA wide-screen monitor. Like the Inspiron 9300, it featured DDR2 random access memory. In comparison with other Inspiron models, the 6000 was considered the "versatile and affordable" member of the Dell notebook line.

The higher-priced Inspiron 6000D provided a dedicated graphics chip, the ATI Mobility Radeon X300 64 MB PCI Express x16 (upgradeable to 128 MB), which ran at a core speed of 300 MHz and DDR memory speed of 216 MHz.

The Inspiron 6000 from Dell was among the first notebooks to arrive on the market with Intel's new Sonoma technology. According to Dell, the Inspiron 6000 would deliver faster data processing, and users - particularly gamers and graphics pros -- should see less audio and video chop, quicker task execution, less power consumption and enhanced battery life as a result. The Inspiron 6000 notebook added features and help files making it easier and faster to operate.

In addition the Inspiron 6000 offered a number of improvements over the Inspiron 5160, which it replaced in Dell's home/small business line-up. Upgraded features included a 15.4 in wide-screen display (available in WXGA with a 1280x800 resolution, WSXGA+ with a 1680x1050 resolution and WUXGA with a 1920x1200 resolution), a slightly slimmer profile (though it's about 2.5cm wider) and a Manufacturers bundle- (starter) memory cards that accommodated only a handful of photos.

The Inspiron 8x00 models are very similar in appearance and features. The 8000 and 8100 featured Pentium III processors, but the SmartStep CPU speed control was not supported on the 8000 because of a chipset limitation. To switch processor speed, the PC needs to be suspended and resumed. The 8000 processor is clocked between 733 MHz and 1000 MHz. The 8000 (at least early versions) had a weak flexible cable in the hinge, and frequently suffer from the display cutting out. The cable design was improved later.

The 8100 processor is clocked between 866 MHz and 1.2 GHz, SmartStep processor speed switching is enabled. Both computers have 2 standard RAM slots. Standard memory was 128 MB for the 8000 and 256 MB for the 8100. Custom configurations were available, so actual numbers may differ. Both computers came with a CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drive, however CD-RW functions are only available on the 8100. Both models shipped with either an nVidia or an ATI graphics card, with a maximum Video RAM of 128 MB.

The chassis came in interchangeable color palmrests in silver-ion, black, blue, burlwood, purple/violet, and yellow.

The base Inspiron 8200 came with a Mobile Pentium 4-M processor clocked at 1.6 GHz (upgradeable to 2.6 GHz). It had a standard 15 inch SXGA (1400 x 1050 pixels) display which was upgradeable to either the UXGA (1600 x 1200) or the Ultra Sharp UXGA (1600 x 1200) which added a cleaner and crisper look to the display. The memory came standard at 256 MB of RAM (Upgradeable to 1 GB of RAM). However, some people have said that they were able to put 2 GB of RAM into the system with no problem. 2GB RAM 2 parts PC2700 SODIMM from Kingston works fine.

The Inspiron 8200 was equipped with two standard notebook RAM expansion slots and it was not difficult to simply remove the standard RAM the machine was shipped with and re-equip it with two aftermarket 1 GB cards. The Inspiron came standard with a DVD-ROM drive in its fixed bay (upgradable to a DVD/CD-RW Combo drive and eventually a DVD+-RW drive) and a 1.44 in floppy drive in the media (removable) bay (upgradeable to a DVD/CD-RW drive). The video card came with an nVidia GeForce2 Go graphics card with 32 MB of dedicated video RAM and upgradeable to an nVidia GeForce 4 Go 440 with 64 MB of dedicated video RAM, an ATI Radeon 9000 Mobility graphics card with 64 MB of dedicated video RAM, or the Quadro4 700 GL, a professional GL-enhanced notebook equivalent of the desktop-based Geforce4 4200 Go.

The Inspiron 1525 is a Mid-sized, low-end (5.9 lb, 14.05" x 10.08" x 1.00"-1.48") replacement for 1520. Features only integrated Intel X3100 graphics. Has a 15.4" screen. Features an HDMI connector. Was replaced on February 26, 2009 by the Inspiron 15.

Mid-size (6.40 lb), mainstream models based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform (Model: GM 965 or PM 965). The 1520 features an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (up to 2.5 GHz) with an integrated Intel X3100 or NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS/8600M GT (it is important to note the 8600 GT on this model is slower as it uses DDR2 memory, not the GDDR3 in the XPS model, and also that the 8000 Series graphics cards have been found faulty and prone to overheating). The 1521 features an AMD Turion 64 X2 (up to 2.2 GHz) with an ATI Radeon Xpress 1270. Both models have a 15.4" display (up to 1680x1050), 160 GB SATA hard drive (option for 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM), and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up to 4 GB). The notebooks also have the option to come installed with a Blu-Ray drive. Available in 8 colors with a webcam.

Dell Inspiron 1720.Large (7.62 lb), mid-range models based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform (Model: GM 965 or PM 965). The 1720 features an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (up to 2.5 GHz) with an integrated Intel X3100 or NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS/8600M GT. The 1721 features an AMD Turion 64 X2 (up to 2.2 GHz) with an ATI Radeon Xpress 1270. Both models have a 17" display (up to 1920x1200), support for dual SATA hard drives (up to 640GB - 2 x 320GB drives), and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up to 4 GB). The 1721 also features RAID 0 or 1 hard drive configurations, an option which is strangely missing from the 1720. They also lack DVI or HDMI connections, which should be expected for a mid-range desktop replacement, given their HDCP compliant graphics cards and Blu-ray Disc option. Both models are available in 8 laptop colors.

Unlike Dell's traditional black or grey color scheme, this laptop case featured a silver, white, and black design. Measuring under 2 inches thick and having a 12.1-inch TrueLife screen, the laptop was a departure from previous versions. However, without the extended battery, life was short, and the 12.1-inch screen was a dust magnet. The base model had a 1.5 GHz Pentium M processor, 256 MB (256 MiB) of RAM, a 30 GB (30 billion bytes) HD, and a DVD optical drive.

Many users report two major flaws with the 700m: the audio-input quality, where audio recording using the audio input jack is nearly impossible (reparable with a simple driver update), and severed speaker wires caused from the normal use of opening and closing the screen.

An important upgrade from the previous Inspiron 700m, which fixed the serious audio-input quality issues, a base Inspiron 710m is shipped with a 1.7 GHz (upgradable to 2.0 GHz) Intel Pentium M processor and a 12.1-inch XGA wide-screen monitor as well as DDR memory. Based on the first generation Centrino platform Carmel, the internal components are now outdated. In comparison with other Inspiron models, the 710m is the most portable laptop of the Dell Inspiron line combining a good mix of processing power and style.

A 14" notebook configurable with components similar to the E1505 (excluding the dedicated GPU options) but a bit smaller in total size. The E1405 at the time of release is known for its excellent battery life (which under optimum conditions exceeds five hours with a six-cell battery and well over eight hours with a slightly more expensive, optional nine-cell battery). The main attraction of this laptop is its price. For gamers, the E1405 comes standard with a Mobile Intel(R) 945GM Express Chipset Family, which in most cases will not be enough for most new high end games. Also, it is near impossible to add a new graphics card because this chipset is integrated, therefore you cannot add a new graphics card unless you get a new motherboard. Otherwise most other system specifications are rather basic, if you want serious media on the machine you will have to buy some things, the easiest (and most in-expensive) route is to buy system RAM for the computer. Dell claims that its maximum supported memory is 2GB, however E1405's have been known to accept up to 4GB.

Mid-size (6.18 lb, 14" x 10.45" x 1.42"), mainstream models with an Intel Core (Single, Duo, or 2 Duo) at up to 2.16 GHz, 15.4" WXGA+ or WSXGA+ display, SATA hard drive (up to 160 GB), and DDR2 SDRAM (up to 2 GB). The 6400 features an ATI Mobility Radeon X1400. The E1505 (N) features an integrated Intel Media Accelerator 950, ATI Radeon x1300, ATI Radeon x1400, or NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300. Included 7 multimedia buttons on the front. Offered with Windows XP Home, Windows Media center Edition 2005, Or Windows Xp Professional. May have included Dell Media Direct. It was offered with optional Wireless N Intel OR Dell Wireless Mini-Lan Cards. It Included a 65 whr 6 cell Lithium Ion "Smart" battery, the 85 Whr 9 cell Lithium Ion "smart battery was included as an option which gave it 6 hours of general use with WiFi.

Based on 1.4 GHz Intel Pentium M CPU, featured 1920x1200 display resolution on a 15.4" wide-format screen, as well as both touchpad and "nipple" pointer control, and up to 2 GB onboard RAM.

The Inspiron B120 was Dell's lowest priced offering. Standard options included a 1.40 GHz Intel Celeron M 360 processor, 14.1 inch WXGA screen, 256 MB shared RAM, a 40 GB 5400 rpm hard drive, and a 24X CD burner/DVD combo drive. By default the B120 did not come with any integrated wireless support, but it can be added as an option.

The Inspiron B130 or Inspiron 1300, successor to the aforementioned B120, was until recently the lowest-priced laptop offered by Dell. A basic entry-level laptop, the B130 came with a 14.1 inch WXGA screen, 1.60 GHz Intel Celeron M 380 processor, 512 MB of RAM, 40GB 5400rpm hard drive, and a 24X CD burner/DVD ROM drive. Wireless support was optional. Picking the mid-model B130 you could get it with the 1.73 GHz Pentium M 740 & a 15.4 inch WXGA widescreen for only a little more money. The Inspiron 1300/B130 came with a Intel GMA 900 128MB Graphics card. Because of its affordability and ease of use, the B130 was a popular choice among college students. It was retired in early November 2006.

In the past Dell has modified some offered Inspiron machines to produce computers of higher or lower quality. Note for example the first-generation Inspiron XPS and Inspiron 9100 (2004–2006). Both machines (non-base) shared the same options in processors (Intel Pentium 4 HT "Prescott"), RAM (DDR 400 MHz), hard-drives (Ultra-ATA 5400/7200 RPM), wireless cards, LCD screens (at 15.4-inches; WXGA, WSXGA+, WUXGA) and graphics cards (ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64MB/128MB), as well as the same chassis. Dell marked the XPS as an "ultimate gaming machine", while marking the 9100 as a "desktop replacement". The Inspiron 9100 is a rebadged XPS. The only difference between Inspiron XPS and Inspiron 9100 is the LCD Panel. Although both support a 15.4 Samsung LCD only later models of the 9100(3.2 GHz) use the identical LCD screen(Dell Part #s 7T774/W3866). The Samsung LCD Panel supports 1920x1200. Previous 2.8-3.0 GHz Inspiron 9100 use a lesser panel with resolutions of 1280x800 (Dell Part # Y0316).

In 2003, Dell released several lines of Inspiron notebooks which had problems with cooling properly, causing them to overheat and damage the video card and motherboard; or cause the laptop to shut down automatically. Although some people may believe that the systems overheated due to the processors used in those laptops - Intel's Pentium 4 chip which went up to 3.4 GHz (3,400 MHz) for some models, the problem was determined to be the design of the air-flow from the bottom of the system. Affected models include the Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, and 5150. For more information on the 5100/5150 models in particular, see the following two links: Dell Inspiron 5100 Overheating Problem and Inspiron 5100 shuts down automatically.

Dell has acknowledged this problem with this line of laptops, as they figured among the more popular lineup of that generation. Dell engineers designed a new fan with a better heatsink and heatpipes to provide better cooling and less noise. Any repairs made at this point will include the redesigned parts.

A Windows utility exists to control most Inspiron fans based on CPU temperature. Users should check the compatibility list before installing it.

In September 20 Inspiron 5150 owners in the US brought a class action against Dell. The settlement included 100% cash reimbursement for certain repairs, and an extended limited warranty to cover those types of repairs that become necessary for one year. Dell's published statement of the scope of the repairs covered appears here.

Following the lawsuit detailed above, in October 2006 customers who had purchased Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100 and 5160 notebooks filed a class action lawsuit against Dell, alleging misconduct in connection with the design, manufacture, warranting, advertising and selling of these computers. A similar action started in Canada.

On a number of Inspiron 5150, and 100L machines, a design flaw in the positioning of a tab on the C panel on the underside of the laptop has led to problems. Any pressure applied to the top left hand corner of the laptop causes this tab to press against the motherboard and in particular against the "LVC14A" chip. This causes the solder between this chip and the motherboard to break. This causes sudden shut-downs of the system as a result of any movement of the laptop; in certain cases the laptop will not re-boot at all. Dell has redesigned later models of the 5150 to avoid this problem. Some models reveal cases where someone has manually snapped off the tab from the C panel by hand during the manufacturing process. Dell currently covers this fault in the USA under the Lundell Settlement, although it remains unknown whether Dell will fix this fault for free outside of the USA. As of January 2007 a similar lawsuit started in Canada, and Dell in the Netherlands has agreed to repair Dutch computers following criticism in the consumer programme Kassa.

This has also been a problem with the Inspiron 1150, with the same chip giving problems with broken solder. Re-soldering is not recommended, but re-heating the pins can re-establish the connection and solve the power-off problem - at the expense of possibly losing the use of the touch-pad mouse.

The 5160 has also experienced mainboard failures resulting in an inability to charge the battery or run from the external power supply. Perhaps in response to the previous lawsuits, Dell has been replacing mainboards on these failed units well after warranty expiration, even if the 5160 has been a refurbished machine or resold. Owners must register their current ownership online at the Dell support site, then contact a support representative for service.

In 2006 Dell delivered numerous Inspiron 9400 machines with defective nVidia GeForce 7800 Go graphics boards. Dell generally replaced all A00 with A01, and next with A02, until the 7800 Go was finally replaced with the 7900 GS.

Dell has yet to admit any problems regarding the suitability of the GeForce 7800 Go for the design of the affected notebooks.

No pattern has emerged with defective graphics boards for this model. Most reviews indicate no problems with the nVidia GeForce 7800 Go. See one such review.

Some Dell Inspiron models with Intel graphics chipset 855/865/915 and 1400 x 1050 display resolution have display-driver problems...

Users of many of these computers purchased between April 2004 and July 18, 2006 received the recommendation that they should remove the batteries and run their the computers on AC power until replacements arrived. Problematic Sony batteries led to battery recall programs at other laptop companies as well, including Hitachi, Toshiba, Lenovo (IBM) and Apple.

Several owners of Dell laptops (including though not specifically Inspiron models) have reported the following problems developing when the laptop reaches 18 months - 2 years of age. New owners may be advised to opt for extended warranties.

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PopCatcher

PopCatcher is a Swedish Audio Research company founded in 2000. In 2002, they patented a software that enables to distinguish between Music, DJ talks and Commercials. The main application of this software is for ripping songs from FM broadcasts.

In December 2007, PopCatcher released a product in Europe, again causing several technology weblogs such as Engadget and Gizmodo to mention it. The product enables to rip songs from FM broadcasts into any portable mp3 player. The product name is The Ripper, in Scandinavia, and branded The Rebel by Intempo digital for the rest of Europe. It has a FM radio which saves up to 40 songs as MP3 files and Removes DJ chat and adverts. The product can download the songs directly to an iPod, MP3 player or music mobile phone.

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