Dell Vostro 200
Intro and Desgin Maybe I've been out of touch, but until now, I never heard of the Vostro line. Don't get me wrong... I'm very familiar with Dell computers. I've worked on their Inspirons, Latitudes, Precisions, Dimensions, and their Optiplexes. The Vostros doesn't even look that far off from any of the other Dell computer lines. However, it does sport a relatively smooth paint job on their side panels and is slightly more attractive. It's not exactly glossy, though.
The strange thing is that Dell reverted back to using the ATX form factor. They've dabbled in BTX on on their Dimension and Optiplex lines for a while. In fact, upon opening up the Vostros, it looks very much like the
HP dx2300.
I did find a flaw with the DVD recorder, however. With a fake door in front to hide the “ugly” drive, I found that it is hard to push the button once the drive tray is already sticking out. This mean that the only way to close it is pushing on the tray. It takes a bit of force to do so, and it would make many users uneasy as one can feel they might break something.
To get inside of the case, it only takes 2 screws on the back. The side panel slides off, but it does require a bit of force. It feels much like how a cheap case would because I can't help but think the reason why the side panel is hard to remove and re-install is the cheap construction (not everything lines up perfectly).
Inside, I found a mini-ATX motherboard, 2 free PCI slots, and a single PCI-E slot. There aren't any stray cables, making the inside look clean. There with the 80GB SATA hard drive installed, there is only one slot left for another hard drive. There is also a place for you to install an external 3.5” drive such as a floppy or card reader. Since we already have a DVD recorder, there is an extra spot for another externally accessible 5.25” drive. Whatever you install there better have a tray, since it also sits behind a fake door and eject button.
Specifications The ones we've ordered are spec'd as follows:
Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2180 2.0 Ghz 2 GB of DDR2 RAM
80 GB HDD
Windows XP Pro SP2 (Vista Business 32-bit restore CD also included)
DVD recorder
Intel G33 integrated video
As you can see, it's a very basic PC for business use. However, I was impressed by the fact that Dell still offer XP. When I first turn on the Vostro, I was greeted by the usual Windows XP pre-setup process. There really isn't any bloatware except for maybe Google Desktop.
Software Bundle Applications that were already there isn't exactly crap. Adobe Reader 8, PowerDVD DX 8, and Roxio Creator 9.0 DE was already installed and ready to use. All of these are necessary considering the hardware. I personally do not like Roxio (despite Nero's bloat, I rather use Nero than Roxio). Even behind-the scene software such as Adobe Flash 9 and Sun Java were already installed. Dell still did not upgrade to SP3 for their factory Windows XP installs, and neither is IE7. Google Desktop is the only software that really isn't required. The only other applications are the Dell-specific applets, such as Driver Reset Tool, Express Service Code, and Dell Support Center.
Now, here's the strange part- the COA sticker on the case is for Microsoft Windows Vista Business 32-bit. No, you didn't read my review incorrectly. I said it was pre-installed with Windows XP Pro SP2. Dell also included the recovery discs for both Vista and XP as well. Both are more like Dell-specific Windows installation discs (since they install a clean copy of Windows and not just re-image your drive back to factory settings). I found it interesting that Dell included two operating systems in the box. Can't say you didn't have a choice! Thanks, Dell!
Cons There really isn't anything horribly wrong, but the thing that got me stuck was the integrated Intel NIC. It's an Intel 82562V-2 10/100 network controller. I found it hard to find a DOS NDIS2 driver to create a
Symantec Ghost network boot disc. You see, I was suppose to blow away the pre-installed Windows and re-install our own corporate licensed Windows and software. After that's done, I was suppose to sysprep it and create a Ghost image on the server. Without a NDIS2 DOS driver, I could not do this!
Instead, I hooked up a USB hard drive and Ghosted my work onto it.
Performance We're not playing video games on the Vostros, nor are we using it for audio/video production. No sir. Just like the HP dx2300, it is a basic office PC, and for what we need it for the configuration was more than enough. Windows XP and Office 2003 was very snappy. DVD playback was quick and smooth. Internet Explorer 7 (yes, we standardized on IE7) also was a pleasant experience, even with multiple tabs and a few sites that are Flash and Java heavy.
Thanks to the updated G33 integrated graphics, Vista's Aero Glass interface would shine on the Vostros without the overkill of a dedicated 3D accelerator. The lack of a gigabit network chipset didn't even bother us. It was fast enough!
Conclusion While it doesn't feel much faster than my Pentium Dual-Core E2160 1.6 GHz HP dx2300 PC I use for my own work, I wouldn't mind getting the Dell Vostro 200 if only for the aesthetics.
I found no reason to trash the Dell Vostro 200.
