Portability

• The 700m was the smallest laptop in the Inspiron line while it was being built. It has about the same footprint as an 8.5 by 11-inch piece of paper and is 1.5 inches at its thickest. The 12.1-inch screen is small, and the 1280 by 800 screen is too dense for some, but the glossy finish makes it vibrant and enjoyable for working or watching video. The standard slim battery lasts about 2.5 hours, and the extended 6-cell battery will run for over five. The power cord, unfortunately, uses a 3-prong plug, so you'll need a grounded AC outlet to recharge it.
  
  

Power

• The 700m features Intel Celeron processors designed for efficiency rather than speed. Depending upon the configuration, the processor is rated between 1.6 and 2.2 gigahertz (GHz), with most models falling on the lower end. The laptop uses DDR2 RAM, with capacities anywhere from 512 megabytes (MB) to 2 gigabytes (GB). At lower configurations, the 700m is suitable for Web browsing and word processing, but even with maxed-out processor and RAM configurations, it'll choke on high-definition video and computer games. The 5400rpm hard drive comes in variations from 60 to 250 GB on different models. It makes for a lean, efficient work laptop that can handle Web surfing and music just fine, but leave the more strenuous tasks for newer, more powerful machines.
  
  

Expansion

• For such a small laptop, the 700m has a full complement of features and ports. Two USB 2.0 ports allow decent transfer, and a DVD drive with an optional burner makes this a perfect airplane companion. The SD card slot on the right side is well-placed, and allows the card to sit flush. The same is true for the PCMCIA slot. Wireless featured include 802.11B Wi-Fi standard with Bluetooth optional. The laptop has both VGA and S-video ports for connecting to a TV or monitor. The 700m comes with Windows XP SP2 standard, but installing Linux or newer versions of Windows is a simple matter.
  
  

Fit and Finish

• The Dell Inspiron line is meant to be inexpensive, so the 700m isn't as pretty as some other laptops, though the 710m variant generally looks cleaner, due to a consistent faux-metallic silver finish. It won't stand out next to laptops from Apple or Sony. That said, what it lacks in looks it makes up for in build -- the small frame gives it a surprisingly solid heft of around five pounds. Most of the initial stock of 700m and 710m batteries were recalled and replaced by Dell in 2007, so if you're buying one secondhand, you may have to contend with an unexpectedly short battery life.