The jet-black angular case may not appeal to everyone, but the lid's sparkle finish and its latch-less lid design are refreshing touches that are lacking in the other plain-Jane notebooks.

Built around Intel's 2-GHz Core 2 Duo processor and a 160GB hard drive, the system is unique among the four systems reviewed in that it has a slot-loading DVD +-RW drive, a component that's usually reserved for much more expensive notebooks. Like the others, the Vostro 1510 has a 15.4-in. display, and it uses an Intel graphics accelerator that can use up to 358MB of the system's 2GB of RAM.

Above the display is a 1.3-megapixel webcam that can show five times more detail than the Satellite Pro 300D's camera. Below is a keyboard with 18.9mm keys that have a generous 2.2mm of travel for relaxed typing. I particularly liked the nice set of controls for music and movies that includes buttons for adjusting the volume and muting the sound.

Other than its lack of Bluetooth and a fingerprint scanner, the Vostro 1510 is surprisingly well equipped, with four USB ports and connections for headphones, a microphone, an external monitor and FireWire; add to that an Express card slot and the ability to read SD and Memory Stick flash cards.

The Vostro is a worthy online machine as well. It may not have the modem that the Compaq 6735b and Satellite Pro L300D provide for online emergencies, but there's a Gigabit Ethernet plug and a Dell 802.11b/g Wi-Fi card.