On first impressions the Dell Vostro 1710 is huge. As with most things in life first ­impressions are difficult to shake-off.

This desktop replacement notebook sports a 17" WXGA+ display with a maximum resolution of 1440x900. It measures 40.5x393x268mm and weighs in at 3.26kg.

­Despite the very obvious drawbacks ­associated with owning an onerous notebook it is also important to consider all the ­advantages.

Size means space. Space means that the Vostro 1710 accommodates a full keyboard, 3GB of system memory, an Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 2.5 GHz processor, and a NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS graphics card. Basically the Vostro 1710 lives up to its desktop replacement ­assertions. 

The 1710 is also great for multimedia applications. In ­addition to a fairly decent graphics card it has a Realtek ALC268 HD sound card and comes standard with video ­playback shortcuts on the keyboard. It has a Teak DVD+/-RW so you can rip and burn as you please. ­Connectivity is not a ­problem either with Bluetooth, WiFi, Ethernet, Firewire, 6 USB ports and a VGA output. The only thing missing is a digital video out such as HDMI.

Battery life was commendable as well, with 3 hours use under maximum energy ­­saving settings. The machine will easily display a feature length film without requiring a recharge. In all the 1710 has a rather intimidating spec sheet.

The machine looks the part too. It is somewhat austere with an all black casing that sports a high-gloss finished lid complete with silver speckle detail. The build ­quality is excellent with no uncomfortable sounds ­emanating from its case as you transport, set up or work on the device. Security is not forgotten either with a built-in finger print ­scanner, security cable slot and the Trusted Platform Module 1.2. This is a well balanced, ­robust desktop replacement that will certainly meet both multimedia and business needs. 

The model we reviewed goes for ±R20 189 (incl VAT), but the series start from ±R10 062 (incl VAT) excl delivery. Order yours from Dell on 011-709-7777.