A Sexy Little Powerhouse
Written: Dec 08 '04 (Updated Dec 14 '04)
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Pros: A wonderful balance of power, durability, size, and price
Cons: Flimsy keyboard, Slow RAM
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a solid, great looking little powerhouse for mobile usage, then there are few better choices than Dell's Latitude D600.
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| sdeinhorn's Full Review: Dell Latitude D600 (221-2640) PC Notebook |
Recently, the time came to buy a new notebook computer. As a good consumer, I began carefully research my options. I read hundreds of reviews on various models from Dell, Toshiba, HP, Sony, and Gateway. What was the result? Confusion and annoyance over the multitude of choices. For me, there were several factors that I knew I wanted to balance: power, durability, size, and price. I quickly realized that there was no perfect computer: I was going to need to make some sacrifices. As I bounced between my various choices, I ended up landing on the Dell Latitude D600. While not quite the perfect notebook (as I will explain), I believe that, for my usage, it comes extremely close. For those who want a mobile, yet powerful computer for basic business usage, this computer comes remarkably close to perfection.
Size and Physical Appearance
This computer is great looking, period. True, there is nothing overly fancy about it, but the small casing with the sleek, metallic-grey finish definitely looks outstanding to my eye (and beauty is in the eye of the beholder). Performance was the primary issue for me, but I will admit that I ended up buying the computer that I thought was the best looking of the bunch (not my most important factor, but a great plus).
This powerhouse, weighing in at a mere 4.7 pounds (weight could go up with various configurations), is an absolutely incredibly lightweight and portable machine (I am moving from a 7 pound computer to this one: the compactness of this model is wonderful).
The computer is just 12.4 inches wide, 10.1 inches deep, and 1.2 inches thick-I consider that to be pretty small. No, this is not what is considered an ultra portable, but it is a great combination between an ultra portable and a desktop replacement. If the computer were any smaller, then the screen would need to and the keyboard would also become cramped. Other than thickness, I would not ever want my primary computer any smaller than this.
This computer definitely feels solid and durable. In my hands, there are no hints of cheapness or flimsiness (until you get to the keyboard, but I will cover that later). When I try to flex the screen, it is surprisingly solid (much more so than the Gateways or HPs I looked at). The only models that I feel can compete with the D600 in terms of durability are the business class Toshiba Tecra and the heavier Toshiba Satellite (at least the better Satellites -- the cheaper models are a bit more flimsy). For appearance and durability, I would give the D600 a score of 5 out of 5.
The great thing about a Dell notebook is that is completely customizable. I will quickly review the options that are available and what I chose for my machine.
Layout of the Buttons and Ports
This Latitude does not do anything fancy, but the layout is quite useful. Just above the keyboard is found the power button, as well as volume controls (no the volume controls cannot be accessed while the notebook is closed). Next to this is also a dashboard that depicts the power status, caps lock, number lock, and scroll lock -- a very handy addition. Just below the screen on the right hand side are LCD lights, which indicate the status of the power, hard drive, battery, and Bluetooth connectivity (an option I do not have). These status lights are actually located on the right hinge; the advantage of this placement is that they are viewable when the notebook is either open or closed.
There is one button lacking which I would like to have seen: a physical on and off switch for the 802.11b/g card (WiFi). This, actually, is not much of an issue, given that it is quite easy to turn on and off the WiFi: simply press the the "FN" and "F2" keys simultaneously.
The left side of the computer contains an infrared port (1.1 backwards compatible to 1.0), headphone jack, microphone jack, and one PCMCIA slot (PC Card).
On the right side is the optical drive (which I will discuss in more detail later).
On the back of the computer (from left to right), there are two USB 2.0 ports, an S-video out port, the modem port (RJ-11), a gigabit port (10/100/1000 RJ-45 Ethernet), a parallel port, video port, and serial port. Finally, the plug for the AC adapter is also on the back.
The bottom of the computer is basically standard, but it does have the connector for a docking port (which is covered by a plastic hinge). The RAM, hard drive, and battery are all easily accessible. A nice feature is that when the notebook is turned off and flipped over, a button can be pushed on the battery showing exactly how much of the charge is remaining. Many new models are adding that feature to their batteries, but usually, the batteries need to be removed from the computer to use it (which makes it pretty much useless).
For wireless connectivity, there are several mini-PC cards to choose from (I chose Intel's 2200 B/G card). There is also the option for Bluetooth (which I did not get -- I figure that if I ever find a good use for it, I could just add a card or a small USB device).
Yes, the Latitude D600 has just about every possible connectivity port a user could want, with all of the legacy ports; oh, except for Firewire (why Dell skipped that, I will never understand). Overall, I would give Dell a 4.8 (because the only thing that is lacking is a Firewire port, which really is not that necessary given that it does have two USB 2.0 ports).
Processor
All of the notebooks in this line use the excellent Pentium M processor (one of three necessary components which make up the Centrino technology [the other two being the chipset and Intel wireless card). Various speeds are available, but I chose the Pentium M 2.0 GHz. This processor is more than ample for any business task a user might throw at it; the processor is even powerful enough for some gaming and multimedia functions (I use the computer for quite a bit of photography editing, which works great on this machine). By today's standards, I would give my processor a score of 5 out of 5 (and it should stay powerful enough for most software for several years).
Memory
The Latitude D600 is available with anything from 128 megabytes of RAM all the way up to 2 gigabytes. I wanted plenty of memory, so I bulked up to 1 gigabyte (512 in each of two memory slots). Many people find that they can save a significant amount of money by ordering the computer from Dell with as little RAM as possible and then buying RAM from a cheaper source (which can easily save several hundred dollars).
I do have a gripe with Dell about the RAM that they use. Dell uses PC 2100, which is only 266 MHz (slow by today's standards). Most of their competitors are using memory that is at least PC 2700 (333 MHz). Even if I were to add faster RAM, the BIOS is set to slow the memory down to 266 MHz. This was one feature that bothered me enough to contemplate going with a Toshiba instead of Dell, but, in the end, I decided that the speed of the RAM was not enough of an issue to pass over this machine (and I am very pleased with my purchase). Because of the speed, I would give the memory a 3.5 out of 5 when compared to competing products.
Hard Drive
Hard drives are available in anything from 30 to 80 gigabytes for the D600. Undoubtedly, Dell will probably be adding a 100 megabyte option soon.
I was rather concerned with the speed of the hard drive. The speed of the hard drive drastically impacts the overall speed of the computer (I always chuckle to myself when some poor, gullible soul brags about the great, blazing computer they bought at a local retail outlet -- while in all actuality, their speed will be greatly crippled by a slow hard drive and a poor video card).
With that said, Dell only offers two speeds for their hard drives: 4200 RPMs and 5400 RPMs (unfortunately, there is no option for a 7200 RPM hard drive, although those are expensive anyway). If the buyer cares anything at all about the speed of the computer, then spend the few extra dollars and buy a faster hard drive.
I would grade my hard drive at a 4 out of 5, but a buyer could pay to receive as good or bad of a hard drive as he or she would like.
Display
The Latitude D600 comes with a 14.1 inch active matrix (TFT) screen. I am used to a 15 inch screen, but I wanted something a little smaller and more portable-and that is exactly what I got with this machine.
There are two choices in resolutions: XGA (1024 by 768 pixels) or the SXGA (1400 by 1050 pixels). Because of my photographic work, I wanted the SXGA screen, which is absolutely gorgeous and crisp.
There are two issues with this upgraded SXGA screen which consumers should be aware of before spending the extra money on it: first, the added resolution does make for smaller fonts; second, the added resolution actually LOWERS the viewing quality of the images when browsing many websites (this could be remedied by moving the DPI to 120 instead of 96, but that makes for VERY, VERY small fonts and images [way too small for me, and I have good eyesight]). I would score the display at 4.5 out of 5.
Video Card
The D600 uses the ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 graphics chipset with 32MB Double Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM. While this is not the latest and greatest video card, it is more than suitable for almost all usage. The only possible exceptions would be extremely graphics intensive gaming and video editing applications. For the usage of most business people and students this graphics set will be more than suitable (although I would like to see it upgraded to at least 64MB of memory). I would give this video card a 4 out of 5 (but it will probably only be worth a 3 in six to nine months, although I would expect the rest of the notebook to remain current for much longer).
Pointing Devices
The D600 comes with two pointing devices built in: a touchpad and a pointing stick (looks like an eraser head sticking up between the G and H keys). I am not usually a huge fan of pointing sticks, but this one is rather nice (it can be tapped as if it were the left mouse button; this feature can save significant time). Having both pointing options is great, but I would have been satisfied with just an excellent touchpad; unfortunately, Dell chose to include an Alps touchpad (instead of the better Synaptics which is on most of their other notebooks). The touchpad is not horrible, but it is definitely a step down from the Synaptics that was on my last notebook. I would probably give the touchpad a 4 out of 5 if I had to give it a score.
Keyboard
Now, this is the area on the D600 that it appears that Dell cut the most corners. I read all of the reviews telling me how poor the keyboard was, but I had trouble believing that Dell would really put such a lousy keyboard on one of their better products: yes, the Latitude D600 proves that Dell will indeed put a sub-par keyboard on their machine (how much could they really have saved by using this cheap keyboard? Maybe $10 on a $2,000 machine?).
To illustrate how terrible this keyboard has been: within days of using it, keys began to fall off! I have used countless notebooks in the last ten years, and I have never had problems with keys repeatedly coming out of their sockets (actually, it is just the A key that has fallen off three times). Fortunately, Dell's website provides detailed instructions on how to put the keys back on (which proves that my problem is not an isolated incident). After following all of the steps on their website, my A key seems to be working much better now.
Besides the fact that it falls apart, the keyboard is also rather noisy (believe it or not, my favorite keyboards have been on HP notebooks). I realize that my analysis of this keyboard is less than stellar, but even its flaws, I would still buy this notebook again in a heartbeat.
Although the feel and sound of the notebook is below my standards, the layout is exceptional. The keys are full size (except for the row which contains the function keys).
I would score the keyboard at a 3 out of 5, definitely the worst feature on this otherwise exceptional machine.
UPDATE: After my "A" key fell off for the eighth time in a week, I decided to call Dell. Dell was extremely helpful and offered to replace the internal keyboard. Within three days after my initial phone call, my notebook was returned to me working perfectly. I would now give the keyboard a 4 (maybe even 4.5).
Battery Life
The battery life is great: I have found that I get over four hours on the six-cell battery that came standard (to save some weight, buyers can also opt for the less powerful four-cell main battery). Also, Dell's "Express Charge" feature allows the battery to fully charge in about an hour. The basic battery is worthy of a grade of at least 4.5 out of 5.
Optical Bay Drive
This could be my favorite feature on the Latitide D600. The optical bay is incredibly useful because whatever the buyer chooses to originally put in there can be swapped out (users typically have a CD-ROM or DVD burner). Different elements can be interchangeably swapped in and out of this bay: a second hard drive, a floppy disk drive, a second battery, or the CD/DVD.
Without a doubt my favorite aspect of this nifty little computer is that I can take out my CD burner/DVD combo drive and insert a second battery. With this second battery, I can then have a total battery life of 7-8 hours without needing to change the battery! Basically, that is enough for me to be able to be away from an outlet all day without running out of power. Currently, I have been working on the battery for well over four hours; I still have 45% of the total battery life remaining. I am so impressed with this feature that I give it a 5.
Sound Quality
In my opinion, it is surprisingly good sound quality from such a little machine (especially, since there are no visible speaker grids--the speakers are under the keyboard). I should note that I think placing the speakers under the keyboard under the keyboard is much better than placing the speakers on the front corners where most people rest their wrists (which is were many Toshiba models have their speakers).
There are multimedia notebooks with much better sound, but they typically weigh much more than five pounds. I have watched DVDs and listened to CDs -- I think the sound quality is excellent (at least good enough for a 4.5). I would definitely feel comfortable using these speakers for a small presentation. They are definitely loud enough to be heard very well in a normal sized room. I have a set of nice speakers which I could plug into my notebook -- but the sound is so good that I rarely bother.
Will I Get Third Degree Burns?
Those who are doing research on the D600 will undoubtedly come across countless reviews lamenting the burns they received from the scorching left side of the wrist pad. Well, that may have been a problem with earlier models, but that problem appears to be solved: I do not find it to be any kind of a problem. Yes, the area to the left side of the touchpad gets a little warm, but it is nothing serious. I was concerned about this issue before I made my purchase, but complaining about the small amount of heat on my notebook would be laughable.
I would say the exact same thing for those who complain about heat dissipating from the bottom of this machine: it is not bad at all. I have used this computer for hours with it sitting on my bare legs without any discomfort.
What's in the Box?
For those who care (as I do), the following was shipped in the box:
- The notebook computer
- The power cord (a brick, which is smaller than most, with a three-pronged plug; there is also a great rubber strap attached to hold the cord in place)
- An instruction manual (thank you, Dell, for including a hard copy).
- A CD of Windows XP Professional along with the short manual (Windows XP Home edition available as your operating system for a cheaper price)
- Recovery disks containing all of the drivers and programs
There is nothing earth shatteringly wonderful, but the inclusion of the CDs is better than almost every other company is doing now.
What's on the Computer?
A major pet-peeve of mine is new computers that come with so much junky software pre-installed that the computer is bogged down to disgustingly slow speeds. I hate the fact that the first thing I need to do with a NEW computer is reformat it. That was not an issue with the Latitude D600! I should note that this is because I purchased it from the Small Business division; if I purchased an Inspiron from the Home and Home Office division, I would be complaining about all the junk that was pre-installed by Dell.
There are several programs that could be purchased and pre-installed (i.e., photography, digital editing, Microsoft Office, etc.), but all that came on my computer was Windows XP Professional (Home edition is also an option) and the basic utility programs. I give the D600 exceptional marks for the included software package (it is bare, just like I wanted it). There is no AOL cluttering up my computer; Norton Antivirus is not popping up every two days suggesting I upgrade my protection; there are no trial versions of programs that I really do not want -- this is how all new computers should arrive.
Customer Service and Product Support
It seems that every computer enthusiast has an opinion about Dell's customer service: there are many who swear it is the best in the business, while there are others who insist that Dell is nothing more than a bunch of cheap scoundrels. I will admit that I have argued on both ends of that spectrum over the last ten years (as the review of Dell which I posted last year indicates). Honestly, I do believe, after all of my experiences with Dell, that they are better than most of their competition. Usually, Dell does make a decent effort to please their customers. They do have a generous return policy, which should make consumers feel safe when making a purchase.
When it comes to customer support, honestly, working with Dell is hit and miss. I have found a tactic which seems to work well: call, and if the representative you speak with is not helpful, politely end the call and call back so that you can speak to somebody else. Another representative will likely offer a completely different remedy (which always makes me scratch my head, given that they all claim to be following Dell's stated policy). My Latitude came with a three year warranty (which was upgraded to four since I used my American Express); this will give me ample time to reevaluate my feelings of Dell's tech support. All-in-all, I think Dell probably deserves about a 3.5 for their customer support (although sometimes they perform so well, they earn a 5; other times, a 1 would be generous).
UPDATE: As I mentioned earlier, I sent my notebook in for repair (to have the keyboard replaced). Customer service was a joy to work with: they were quick, polite, and helpful. I was extremely impressed. I would give this experience a definite 5 out of 5.
Value
Dell offers better than average quality products at a price that is lower than it is possible to get from most other companies. Yes, a consumer can walk into a local retail outlet (such as Best Buy or Circuit City) and get a better price, but the quality of such merchandise will be considerably lower.
I know that a similarly configured computer (which would be about the same physical size) would have easily cost me 30% more than I paid. I am quite satisfied that I got a great deal, given the components that I added.
There are two tricks to buying from Dell: watch their sales (they are always having what they claim is an unbelievable sale) and also find online coupon codes (a quick internet search will produce a good number of money saving offers). I would score Dell at about a 4 for value. With a good sale and coupon code, the value could easily be raised to a 5.
Conclusion
The Latitude D600 is not a perfect computer: it has a lousy keyboard and slow RAM. On the other hand, I believe that it is one of the best values for a light-weight, powerful business notebook available today (oh, yeah, and it looks great too). After spending considerable time using, inspecting, and analyzing my new notebook, I am extremely pleased with my purchase and would definitely buy the D600 again. I give my Latitude 4 stars (a better keyboard would make it a five).
UPDATE: Now that the keyboard has been replaced, I would now consider my notebook to be at least a 4.5.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1650
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 14 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
sdeinhorn
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Location: New York, New York, USA
Reviews written: 45
Trusted by: 7 members
About Me:
Tax attorney who loves photography, electronic gadgets, computers, theology, and books.
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