Convertibles are clearly taking over the market as more and more users start to see the benefits of adopting this kind of laptop over the more "conventional models". One of the companies in charge of pioneering this "revolution" is undoubtedly Dell, who has taken on this new format with open arms and a heavy load of R&D.
Today we'd like to take on the review of the Dell Inspiron i7359-6793SLV, a stylish convertible that's quickly becoming a bestseller thanks to its top notch specs coupled with a relatively affordable price. Remember, when you buy a convertible you're not just investing in a laptop, you're also getting an amazing tablet. That said, let's get started!
The Good: Core i7 (Skylake), 8GB of RAM, FHD display, 13.3 inch diagonal, 1TB of storage, competitive price.
The Bad: Up to 6 hours of battery life, mechanical drive instead of SSD.
Dell Inspiron i7359-6793SLV Honest review
It's not metal but it sure feels good
Let's get one thing out of the way; the chassis on the Dell Inspiron i7359-6793SLV isn't aluminium, however IT IS A HIGH QUALITY PLASTIC. This might seem like a drawback at first but we should point out that having a plastic body has its advantages, mainly the fact that it doesn't dent as easily as the aluminium models. Also, it doesn't feel cheap but rather well built which is at the end of the day what we're really looking for in terms of ergonomics.
If you're reading this review then it's likely because you fell in love with the display on this convertible, we wouldn't blame you. With a 13.3 inch Full HD IPS WLED-Backlit touchscreen display, it's just perfect when you want to curl up to watch a good movie in bed or get some work done when you're crammed up on a plain or a train.
Responsiveness on the display is pretty good and the built in stylus can come in handy, especially when you're using drawing apps and the sort. As for the keyboard, it's backlit and pretty spacious, allowing for a comfortable writing experience.
Finally, while weight isn't a big issue, it's not the lightest convertible to hit the market. To be more specific, this model weighs a little over 3.5 pounds and that's largely due to the fact that it boosts a mechanical hard drive instead of an SSD drive like other more compact and lightweight convertibles.
What about performance? How's multitasking?
Performance is smooth on the Dell Inspiron i7359-6793SLV and this is due mainly to the Intel Core i7-6500U dual core processor that it has in place. Overall this is a great CPU that has a base frequency of 2.5GHz and can go up to 3.1GHz when you're determined to get the maximum power with the most demanding software.
This is a top notch processor, one of the very best in the current market, allowing you to tackle any sort of task from editing video to streaming Full HD movies seamlessly. Also, if you're a developer you're also covered with this CPU since you'll be able to run the most demanding IDE's without a hitch as well as manage several virtual machines like they're browser tabs.
When it comes down to multitasking, the Dell Inspiron i7359-6793SLV has us covered with 8GB of DDR3 SDRAM. That's enough RAM for both average as well as intensive users. If you're one to launch several apps at a time and have a million things going at a time then 8GB is what you want and you shouldn't settle for anything less than that because you'd be pretty disappointed.
Can I play games?
Convertibles clearly haven't been designed for gaming. Case and point, the Dell Inspiron i7359-6793SLV in review lacks a dedicated graphics chip and has an integrated Intel HD 520 graphics chip instead. This is a pretty good GPU for stuff like editing media and streaming video but when it comes down to hardcore gaming that's a big fat NO.
What about battery life and storage?
Battery life on the Inspiron i7359-6793SLV is good though not great. With a 3 cell battery in place, Dell says this laptop can manage up to 6 hours of usage. Based on personal experience we would say that stuff like streaming video would give you roughly 3 hours while more modest tasks to the tune of web browsing or editing office docs should deliver between 5 to 6 hours. That said, a bit more juice would've been a welcomed addition.
As far as storage goes, there are two kinds of people; the ones who prefer lots of storage and the ones who don't mind having little storage with lots of speed. This convertible was designed for those who want lots of storage and therefore implements a 1TB Serial ATA mechanical hard drive operating at your standard 5400rpm. In Dell's defense this laptop already has a high end CPU and plenty of RAM so speed shouldn't be that much of an issue either way.
Anything else I should know?
Here comes the connectivity section. To that point we should state that the i7359-6793SLV comes equipped with 3 USB ports, an HDMI output to plug it onto a TV or external monitor, SD card reader and you're run on the mill audio combo. WiFi, as expected, is of the super-fast variety adopting the a/b/g/n/ac standard which can deliver much speedier downloads than the b/g/n standard present on most mid-range laptops.
There's also Bluetooth, and HD webcam, Maxxaudio technology and Windows 10 is in charge of running the show. Obviously there's no DVD drive nor an ethernet port, features that are mostly absent when we talk about convertibles.
Should I buy this laptop?
That seems to be the main question we seek to answer in this review of the Dell Inspiron i7359-6793SLV and the answer is: it depends. If you're a gamer then this is not your laptop. If you need extensive battery life then you might want to look elsewhere.
Otherwise, if you're looking for a convertible that has a top of the line processor, ample RAM and a nice Full HD touchscreen display with plenty of storage space to store all your media then this is an excellent choice at a relatively affordable price.
At the end of the day, it's an excellent laptop that doubles as a convertible and though additional battery life would've been a nice bonus we're willing to let that go for the sake of having a lot of other features that more than make up for that in the long run.