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Dell’s Vostro line of laptops are designed for small and medium businesses that want to save some money and still get a durable and secure PC.
For
- Generally more affordable than Latitude PCs
- The right features for small businesses
- Many modern models and configurations available
Against
- Unnecessary for regular consumers
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Dell’s Inspiron laptops are a more affordable alternative to the XPS, intended for average PC users who don’t need additional security and business features.
For
- Generally more affordable than XPS
- Great laptop and convertible designs
- Many different models, price ranges, and configurations to choose from
- Intended for average PC users
Against
- Often won’t have as many security or durability features compared to Vostro
Dell makes some of the best laptops around, and their product line is quite extensive. For many people, browsing the massive catalog can be confusing, compounded by the fact that both consumer and business PCs are on offer. Dell’s Inspiron line is made up of affordable consumer laptops that complement the high-end XPS line. Similarly, Dell’s Vostro PCs are affordable business laptops that complement its premium Latitude series. Let’s take a look at how these laptops compare and which one might be better for your needs.
Dell Vostro for business, Inspiron for home
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The Dell Inspiron and Vostro lineups are actually very similar, but one is aimed at the small business market and the other at the home user. It’s not quite that simple, but you don’t have to look very closely at the respective products to see that there are common themes in hardware and pricing.
Ultimately, the Inspiron can boast a lower cost of entry, thanks in part to targeting the consumer who often buys on tighter budgets than business buyers. Inspiron PCs include 3000, 5000 and 7000 laptops, all with different levels of performance and features. Inspiron 3000 laptops, for example, often cost less than $500; the Inspiron 15 3511 is one of our picks for the best laptops under $500.
Vostro laptops usually start at the $500 mark and go up from there. They use the same 3000, 5000 and 7000 level scheme, with additional features and performance at the higher numbers. Assuming you’re happy with the price and specs, you’re really not making a bad choice if you buy from the family of PCs that aren’t specifically targeted at your needs. If you need a laptop with a Core i5 CPU, an FHD display, and a comfortable keyboard for productivity work, an Inspiron will do just fine. But you might find a similar Vostro with a couple of extra security features to help keep your data safe. They’re all going to work just as well, especially since Dell makes some of the best laptops around, like the Dell Vostro 5510.
Business-specific benefits for Vostro
The hardware is very similar when comparing these laptops, but the reason machines meant for companies like the Vostro family exist is because of the extra goodies that come from Dell that a normal consumer wouldn’t need.
For example, on some of the laptops you can get additional coverage from Dell ProSupport Plus, which covers even accidental damage and ensures the buyer keeps their hard drive as long as claims are made. This sort of thing might be appealing to a regular consumer, but it’s the kind of extra attention business customers demand. And that’s one of the great benefits of having a dedicated enterprise portfolio, tailoring a support package to go with the hardware.
There are other benefits too, like Windows Autopilot (opens in a new tab). This is a set of tools that can be used to deploy multiple machines in the enterprise environment with ease, something you won’t get or need on an Inspiron laptop if you buy it for personal use.
It even extends to features like Ethernet. It sounds like a pretty common hardware addition, but in consumer laptops across the market, it’s becoming increasingly rare. Whereas a Vostro laptop will make that a priority, as the business user will traditionally connect to an internal network more often via a cable than wirelessly.
So it’s not an exact science, but the easiest thing to do is to consider why you’re buying a laptop. If it’s for personal use, go with the Inspiron. If it’s for business, then Vostro is your best bet. Take a look at our roundup of the best Dell laptops to see how these PCs stack up.
If there was a sweet spot in the line, it would be the 16-inch Inspiron 16 5620. It has a range of excellent specifications, attractive prices, good design and excellent build quality.
Dell’s Vostro 5620 is a stylish and sophisticated business laptop with a wide variety of configurations to cover all possibilities. It’s a perfect companion for any workday and comes at a reasonable starting price.
