Since my initial review of a Dell Vostro 1000 notebook almost 3 years ago it’s been my belief that budget-minded business notebooks can offer a tantalizingly attractive and cost effective option for consumers too. Introducing the Vostro V131 a more spit and polished edition of the V130 of old with a magnesium alloy chassis and a Core i3 processor. This 13.3-inch eye catcher includes a new chiclet keyboard with a backlight option. These changes alone provide for a more quasi-Latitude-Inspiron-style look and feel to the V131. Theres also 2 USB 3.0 ports and a 320GB hard drive. A Core i5 option is also available and the user replaceable battery will provide you with up to 9.5 hours of runtime.
Despite the inclusion of this removable battery the notebook’s footprint is kept to a bare minimum with a total weight of just 1.5kg and a maximum thickness of 1.6cm. However what makes the V131 so noteworthy is the optional 4G LTE functionality. In keeping with the Vostro family, Intel’s built-in hyperbaric cooling technology ensures that air sucked in from outside keeps the internals from overheating. There are few small to medium business targeted laptops currently on the market today that offer such a luxurious design, solid specs and a value-driven price point. Starting from $499 it’s available now in the US, Canada and internationally.
