Dell's Latitude range is a regular feature of any commute.
Get on any morning commuter train and your bound to see Latitudes of all
shapes, sizes and ages dealing with spreadsheets, email, documents and the like
and probably the most common would be the 14.1in Latitude D630, or its
predecessor the D620, both of which received a Recommended Award when we
reviewed them. Whereas in the consumer space this form factor is largely being
edged out, in the business sector it remains a particularly appealing
compromise between performance, portability and usability. No surprise, then,
to see Dell using its new 14.1in Latitude E6400 as the poster child of the new
Latitude range.
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| Dell E6400/6500 |
In the past we've always praised ThinkPad's, like the
wonderful X300, for their timeless design and Dell has clearly tried to achieve
a similar effect with the new Latitudes. It doesn't quite manage this but
unlike the D630, which was more of a refresh than anything else, the E6400 ispart of a complete redesign of the Latitude range and though naturally it
retains the professional appearance of previous Latitude's, it brings with it a
level of sleekness and style that's previously been missing.
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| Dell E6400/6500 |
This is achieved through a combination of some strong
angular lines and a classy magnesium alloy construction that's most evident in
the brushed metal lid. It's not complicated but it does work and it helps that
the E6400 is fairly light and slim for its size. At its thickest it measures
31mm and with the standard six-cell battery it weighs 2.3kg, making for a
fairly portable weight that's 100g or so lighter than the D630 it's replacing.
Plus, for the adventurous, Dell is even selling coloured lids for Latitude's
too, though we can't see many companies being interested in this!
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| Dell E6400/6500 |
So far, so good, but the magnesium alloy construction isn't
just about making the E6400 look good, it's primarily about strength and here
Dell scores another win. Almost every element of the E6400 looks and feels very
sturdy and particular praise must be directed toward the hinge. It's very
strong and stiff, so bumpy journeys shouldn't be a problem, while the machine
is evenly balanced so the front doesn't lift up when opening the lid and/or
adjusting the screen angle - something that's a regular annoyance on consumer
laptops. There's also a reassuringly secure lid clasp on the front, so you
needn't worry about your laptop popping open when inside a bag.
This sense of quality is continued in the keyboard. As ever
with Dell, the basic layout of the keyboard is excellent. There's a large and
very usable Shift key on the right, below which sits offset cursor keys, while
the Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up and Page Down keys are all grouped in a
grid in the top right. Everything is more or less exactly where you'd expect
and want it to be, the only exception being the omission of the 'Menu' key
normally found on the bottom row. It's hardly a deal breaker, though,
especially if it allows everything else to be just right.
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| Dell E6400/6500 |
This layout prowess is coupled with, without doubt, the best
feeling Dell keyboard we've ever come across. Keys are tactile, well
proportioned, firm and responsive and you have to press extremely hard to
garner even a tiny amount of flex. It still lacks the supreme quality found in ThinkPad
keyboards, but other than that it's hard to find any fault whatsoever.
