Dell Inspiron info on Wikipedia.
laptop
cpu: Intel(R) Pentium(R) III Mobile CPU      1200MHz
memory: max 512MB (chipset limit), 2 slots SDRAM SO-DIMM
disk: ad0: 114473MB <SAMSUNG HM120JC YL100-19> at ata0-master UDMA100
optical drive: acd0: CDRW <TOSHIBA CD-RW/DVD-ROM SD-R2102/1D10> at ata0-slave UDMA33
LCD: 1600 x 1200 (UXGA), 15 inch
video: Intel 82815 (i815 GMCH)
sound: snd_maestro3 - ESS Technology - ES1980 Maestro-3 PCI Audio Accelerator
network - wired: xl0 - 3Com 3c556 Fast Etherlink XL - TDK 78Q2120 media interface - 10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, auto
bios: version A15.
boot: no usb boot, but network boot is supported: mini-PCI NIC or Cardbus NIC. Boot methods:  PXE (version 2.01), TCP/IP, NetWare, RPL
boot keys: F2 will get you into BIOS setup, F12 will show you a boot menu.

Hints: if fans won't stop running, hit Fn+Z to make BIOS re-read thermometer readings.
Links: dellfand: Dell laptop fan regulator for Linux/Solaris,

OS testing: DragonFlyBSD, FreeBSD, OpenSolaris, on Inspiron 8100.

History:
2011-11-02: The firewall (machine 1) has been noisy for a while; one of it's fans don't run anymore, and the other compensates. Today I swapped over the hard drive and the network card (mini PCI) to machine 2 and put that into service as a firewall. We will see how long that works.

2007-03-31: Machine 1: the original hard drive (Hitachi 20 GB) started to give up the ghost, so it was replaced.

2007-02-13: I bought two of these used for NOK 2000.- from an ad at hw.no.
Machine 1: PIII @ 1200 Mhz. the screen blacks out / looses connection. Fixed by opening up the machine and re-seating the connector on the back of the LCD panel.
Machine 2: PIII @ 1000 Mhz. the front left corner of the case is missing (a piece is broken away), and the machine is missing memory, a hard drive and a power supply. Also: the wired network card (mini PCI) is missing from this machine.