Small screen - The screen is only 12.1". If you're coming off of a 17" monitor from your desktop, or even a 15", you'll need some adjusting time. However, your working area may even be increased -- the display is high resolution so you can fit a lot of data on it at once. If you have vision problems, this may not be what you want -- some people say that this display kills their eyes. I find it fine, but if you suspect you might find it small, check it out at a Dell kiosque. Remember, you can't lower the resolution without some ugly effects happening.
Small keyboard - The keyboard is not full size. As I said earlier, some of the essential keys are shrunk, and if you have larger hands like I do (but no experience using smaller keyboards), you will definitely have problems with it and some adjusting time (maybe 2-3 weeks!) You wouldn't want to write a novel on it. If you're worried, just make sure you check it out first. I find it very usable, but everyone's different.
Weak battery - The standard battery is very, very weak. If there were no extended battery option, I would not have bought this laptop nor would I recommend it to anyone. The extended battery adds bulk and weight, though, so be sure to check that out to and analyze the pictures I've posted! I've also included some comparative pictures so you can see how big the machine with the extended cell is.
No Legacy ports - If you have some peripherals (such as old printers, mousse, keyboards...etc.) that require Legacy connections, you're out of luck. Most devices now are USB compliant anyways.
No integrated microphone - A lot of laptops these days have mic's in them for recording lectures and such. You'll need to get an external one. However, most onboard microphones are probably very weak, so you can't be missing out on much.
Mediocre build quality - It doesn't feel cheap, it's just that I'd prefer having the build quality of the Thinkpads.
Clunky mouse buttons - I don't use them, but they do suck. Make sure you configure your touchpad to do all the stuff the buttons would normally do.
No dedicated media buttons - I am surprised there are none since this is a media-oriented machine. You'll just have to press an extra key to have access to certain commands.
Heavier and thicker than other ultraportables - This machine is tiny and very very light, but some ultraportables are even tinier. However, they sacrifice the optical drive, and I needed one of those. I know that the Fujitsu S6231 has an integrated drive and is around the same weight, but it's significantly more expensive.
Poor technical support - We've all heard this one before. Luckily you have this amazing forum.
Cite from http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2496
8-cell Battery Dell INSPIRON 700M rated at 14.8V 4400mAh:
