What are the main differences between the Dell Inspiron, XPS and Latitude Notebooks?

I need to buy a notebook for college, and I have a budget of about $900 to $1200. I was just wondering what the differences were between these three types of Dell notebooks, and which one I should purchase.What are the main differences between the Dell Inspiron, XPS and Latitude Notebooks?The Latitude line is geared towards business and is more durable. Latitudes have magnesium alloy metal cases and shock resistant drives. They look better too, however, they are generally more expensive, spec per spec and you have to pay the tax when buying them from the small business site.



Inspirons are geared towards consumers. They have plastic cases and are less expensive.



I happen to have owned both. If money isn't an object, get a Latitude, they're built better and the tech support you'll get is better too, as it's not outsourced to India.What are the main differences between the Dell Inspiron, XPS and Latitude Notebooks?It is all about market segmentation. Dell has the different lines to appeal to different types of customers.



Inspiron notebooks are geared towards basic home users. They are usually the most affordable, and within the Inspiron line there are numerous configurations.



XPS notebooks are geared towards gaming enthusiasts or other high-end power users that want the latest, greatest, and most powerful portable laptop. Usually the XPS series are very fancy and stylish with a LOT of power, but of course they are priced appropriately (much more expensive than Inspiron).



Latitude notebooks are geared towards business use. In most cases, the Latitude notebooks are a little more expensive than Inspiron notebooks, but slightly less than XPS systems. In some cases the Latitude notebooks are built a little bit "tougher" than the Inspiron series. Typically the Latitude notebooks are more professional in appearance (naturally for business use).



Choosing the right one for you is really a personal issue. In terms of quality, they are all pretty close to the same, just with varying levels of performance corresponding to price of course. Since your budget is $900-$1200, you may want to look mainly at the Inspiron or Latitude series as you'll probably get the most bang for your buck. Both the Inspiron and Latitude notebooks do all the basic word processing, music, Internet, e-mail, movies, etc.