Business users looking for a svelte, stylish laptop with strong performance should check out the Dell Vostro V131. The laptop is designed primarily for business users, but its price and features are compelling enough that some casual users will want to check it out.

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Dell Vostro V131($799) Specs:

Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

2.3 GHz Intel Core i5 2410M

4GB, 1,333 MHz DDR3

500GB HDD, 7,200rpm

Intel HD 3000 (integrated)

13.3 inches

4.1 / 4.7 pounds

Dell Vostro V131 Review

The 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M CPU is a monstrous leap in speed, and along with 4GB of memory, the V131 easily trumped its predecessor in all of our speed tests. The V131's 500GB, 7,200-rpm hard drive booted the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Professional in 52 seconds. The laptop has no discrete graphics options; Intel HD 3000 graphics is all that's available. They're adequate for most people, and can even handle some basic gaming. The Vostro V131's least expensive entry-level config is $499, but only comes with a Celeron processor, along with 2GB of RAM and a 7,200rpm, 320GB hard drive.

The Dell Vostro V131 features a 13.3-inch LED backlit HD matte display with 1366 x 768p resolution.  Its backlighting is somewhat off; it's about 20 nits brighter in the center than in the bottom-right corner of the screen. The contrast rating ended up being a very low 126:1. The overall color of the display will appear very washed out.  The unit's 1080p video playback was smooth, and audio was better than average through the speakers.

The chiclet-style backlit keyboard on the V131 is large and spacious, spanning nearly the whole of the keyboard dock, save for a quarter inch on each side. The keys are flat and rounded off at the corners and feel smooth and soft to the touch while providing a comfortable typing experience. The chiclet keys are even easier to differentiate, and fewer accidental keys are pressed. The laptop’s touchpad has a smooth surface that works very well even with moisture on the fingers, and is big enough that even people with large hands should have enough room to use it comfortably.

The Dell Vostro V131 features two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0, HDMI, an 8-in-1 card reader, VGA, Stereo speakers, headphone/mic, combo jack Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and optional mobile broadband/WiMax. 

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