14 DAY TRIAL // Dell has just launched its newest and biggest member of the Vostro family: the 17-inch Vostro 1710. Although only a few notebook users would rush to buy it now that we know Dell is cooking an Inspiron refresh, the Vostro 1710 comes with a pretty solid hardware configuration.
The new notebook has been announced earlier in mid-April, when Dell also added the 13.3-inch Vostro 1310 and the 15.4-inch Vostro 1510. The largest offering in the family features an Intel Core 2 Duo T9500 CPU (up to the 2.6GHz, 6MB L2 Cache and 800MHz FSB) or Celeron processor, up to 4GB of system memory, up to 640GB of storage using two 320GB hard drives and a slot-load DVD burner or Combo optical drive.
The 17-inch notebook can also be equipped with two LCD panels, depending on users' computing space requirements: 1440×900 WXGA+ anti-glare and 1920×1200 WUXGA glossy screens. The Vostro 1710 can effectively substitute a fully-fledged desktop PC, but its hardware configuration will put a little extra weight on users' shoulders, as it weighs 2.94 kilograms (the 6-cell battery pack included).
Dell's newest addition to the Vostro series also features built-in stereo speakers, a full-size keyboard with a numeric pad and optional 1.3MP webcam with microphone. As far as wireless connectivity is concerned, the notebook comes with an 802.11 b/g/n expansion module and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR.
Other hardware specifications include a Gigabit Ethernet port, an optional external 56k modem, six USB ports, an ExpressCard slot, Firewire port, 8-in-1 media card reader and VGA output if you would like to go really widescreen.
Users who aren't ready to switch to Vista yet will be able to order the notebook with either Windows XP Professional or Home Edition. Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system is available in any flavor, from Home Premium to Enterprise Edition.
Dell is currently taking orders for the Vostro 1710, but it won't start shipping until June the 3rd. The notebook sells for an estimative retail price of $799 in its default configuration.