This 8200 is almost identical to the model we reviewed in (September 2002, page 39), but it now packs ATI's new RADEON Mobility 9000, the first full-featured DirectX 8.1 compliant mobile video chip to market.

The 8200 also has a large and comfortable keyboard along with both a touchpad and a trackpoint; enough variety to suit your needs.

Overall system performance on this model is simply outstanding, and it even managed to outperform the Hi-Grade M6600 in several places. While the 8200's accomplishments in office applications and multimedia creation are excellent, its most notable feature is its amazing overall 3D score. While not quite up to the levels of a high-end desktop, it simply trounces all the other notebooks we've examined.

Unfortunately, this Inspiron shares many of the same problems as its predecessors. The UXGA screen, while sharp, clear and bright, has a native resolution of 1,600 by 1,200, which renders text too small on its screen unless you bump up the default font size. The quality of the TFT means that reducing the resolution isn't quite as grating as on some other notebooks, but it still results in a loss of clarity.

Like many other P4 notebooks, the 8200's most substantial shortcoming is its sheer mass and bulkiness. It's difficult to carry and severely limited in its portability.

Still, the 8200 simply can't be faulted on performance. If what you're really after is a desktop replacement that offers kick-arse performance, then this one is a worthy choice.