Dell Inspiron 11 3000: A 2-in-1 For The Masses

When it comes to value-minded computers, there are two things in particular that you’ll want to watch out for. The first is performance: can it perform at the level you need, or does the device sacrifice too much to come in at that low price point? The second is build quality: will it last as long as a higher priced system and does it feel right to you? That’s a tougher question to answer, but you can get a general feel for it by using the device for a while, and that’s what we did.


People who derive a lot of satisfaction from saving money by skipping the frills will really like the Inspiron 11 3000 2-in-1 laptop. It doesn’t play serious video games very well, bit it has plenty of power for tablet-oriented games. It provides a hassle-free Windows 8.1 experience and it handles ordinary tasks just fine. It also makes a fine, if somewhat heavy on occasion, tablet.

And when it comes to whether the convertible will last through years of heavy use, we think it will. The hinges that make the Inspiron 11 so versatile are sturdy, and the display has less give than we’ve seen in more expensive systems. The laptop is tough enough.

With that in mind, we like the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 for what it is: a low-cost convertible that gets the job done. There are more powerful convertibles out there – Dell’s own XPS 12 and Lenovo’s Thinkpad Yoga come to mind – but they have the price tags to match. The Inspiron 11 is a worthy budget PC to be sure.

Nice display for the price	Performance beyond ordinary tasks
Versatility: use it as a laptop or tablet	Keys don't feel as responsive as we'd like and the keyboard has some give
Battery life	Somewhat heavy as a tablet