With the Inspiron series, you expect loads of style and vibrancy, and this desktop replacement is no different. The 17” widescreen is perfect for power users who need that extra bit of muscle. It can really enhance productivity if you need to do serious multitasking and the optional ultra-high res screen that the test unit comes with (full high def 1920 x 1200 pixel) means that you can really cram a lot of readable windows in there (not to mention the obvious entertainment advantage thanks to MediaDirect, the supplied media remote control, and Windows Media Center). MediaDirect provides instant access to DVD movies, music, photos and videos without booting into Windows.

The 1720, like the smaller Inspirons, is based on Intel's latest Santa Rosa platform and its range starts from as low as Rs 50K. Our test machine came with 4GB RAM, NVIDIA 8600M GT graphics, a Blu-ray disk drive and dual 250 GB hard drives; a configuration we are seeing for the first time. Being a 17” notebook, it has loads of space to include a full-size keyboard and a separate number pad. I did feel that an HDMI output port or a DVI port at the very least would have gone well with the specs and added to the overall multimedia experience.

Seeing the specs, we had no doubt that it would come out trumps in our performance tests. In 3D Mark06, it outperformed pretty much everything else in the consumer notebook PC range. Only the Lenovo T61p ThinkPad performed slightly better in PCMark05. Most users wouldn't be carrying something like this around too frequently, but with the 9-cell battery, we got a backup of 4 hours and 15 mins. Add to that the excellent performance and features, extensive customization options and the eight cool lid colors, and you have a winner. Overall, a true entertainment powerhouse.