Dell D600 Is Hot Laptop, But You Can't Touch This
Written: Jul 02 '08
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Pros: Lightweight, good battery life...
Cons: ...but case gets very hot. No marathon typing sessions.
The Bottom Line: Find it on sale now at online auctions or in refurb shops, and it's an okay deal as long as there isn't much typing. An ideal machine to control others.
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| Joubert's Full Review: Dell Latitude D600 (NB312) PC Notebook |
On its march to desktop domination, Dell also managed a long period of time where the company's laptops were a favorite of IT managers throughout North America. The company managed small and medium businesses well, and executives and road warriors were issued millions of Dells over a relatively short time.
Then something happened to Dell. The company made its mark shattering pricing models while still allowing customization. Company employees seemed to focus on selling upgrades, and users began complaining about poor quality. Founder Michael Dell is back at the company, which continues to branch into printers and other accessories while still trying to capture its leadership in market share.
The Dell Latitude D600 might represent all that is good and bad with Dell business laptops.
What Works Well
The slim, light computer is a joy to tote around airports or even the office. It is a true laptop, designed for working in cramped quarters, but also big and powerful enough to function as a desktop replacement, especially when placed in a docking station. The D600 is small enough to comfortably fit in a regular briefcase, relegating nylon shoulder bags to the stylistic purgatory that spawned them.
Despite the size, the battery is one of the best I've used on any laptop, regardless of brand. Even months into its life with me, a time when lesser laptops have cried for mercy, the Dell D600 consistently produced 4 hours of battery life. Long airplane rides without external power or meetings and seminars are no problem for this battery. Only the clacking of the infamous Dell laptop keyboard alerts nearby people that you are working on your computer.
Two USB slots in the back rather than the side are the only concession to age this laptop makes. Even the DVD playback is virtually indistinguishable from newer, more powerful machines. A headphone jack is easily accessible while you watch a movie as are serial slots and room for a TV Out card.
What Doesn't Work Well
The Dell D600 is a HOT machine -- literally. I consistently find that the area on either side of the responsive touch pad grew too hot for a marathon typing session. Word processing seems to be the main culprit since most people are moving away from the keyboard when using spreadsheets or other applications. More than one person told me that they thought the front of the case was too hot to touch when the machine was on for several hours.
Any laptop will be warm if a user simply rests their wrists against the case. The D600 grew even warmer than that, perhaps reflecting a case made with lighter metals that more easily conduct heat. I only know that an extended period of writing requires me to pull my hands away from the keyboard.
Pointing devices are also an area of contention for some users. I think the touch pad is good enough to use without a mouse, but friends have told me that they have to disable the touch pad to comfortably use the tiny stick jammed in the middle of the keyboard. Your mileage may vary, but if you plan to share the D600 with one stick user and one touch pad user, you will want to set up different profiles to take care of the wide touch pad area.
The Bottom Line, Clicks and All
These D600s are hitting the secondary market now and are not a bad buy for office or home use. Anything requiring significant resources such as gaming or graphics work will choke this laptop, but most users will find the D600 an attractive buy.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 1500
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: Greater than 15 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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