Dell Latitude ATG D620

Muscling in on Toughbook territory, Dell has launched its first semi-rugged notebook, the Latitude ATG D620. With its sturdy case, data protection features, and ultrabright display, plus optional mobile broadband, this system should satisfy demanding field workers and anyone else who needs a fast Core 2 Duo notebook that can take a beating. But what separates this laptop from its competitors is the peace of mind that comes from having the same drive image and docking solutions as other Dell portables.

Weighing in at an even seven pounds, the ATG (All Terrain Grade) D620 weighs nearly two pounds heavier than the non-ruggedized D620.

However, this system feels as though it can stand up more punishment than a typical "business rugged" laptop. You get a magnesium-alloy chassis, shocked-mounted hard drive, and high-durability, scratch-resistant paint. The notebook even looks the rugged part with its black pebbled lid and hinges that resemble darkened concrete. The back of the machine also features strategically placed rubber housings that cover and protects the four USB ports, VGA, and Ethernet jacks. You won't find a memory card slot, which Dell says was excluded for security reasons at customers' requests.

Durability even permeates the 14.1-inch (1,280 x 800-pixel resolution) widescreen display, which is shock-mounted to withstand 30 percent more force than traditional LCDs. The ATG D620 also sports an ultrabright screen of 500 nits (about 2.5 times brighter than the regular D620), which makes the display easily viewable outdoors. When you're typing in the dark, two red lights glow on top of the display to light up the keyboard. The panel delivered good color saturation and generous viewing angles.

We found the spacious, spill-resistant keyboard conducive to an enjoyable typing experience, although the keys would've benefited form a sturdier feel. We liked that Dell included a pointing stick as an alternate navigation option over the standard touchpad. Above the keyboard are handy volume control buttons.

Powered by the 2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the ATG D620 turned in a very good score of 251on MobileMark 2005. The 9-cell battery included with this configuration provided 6 hours and three minutes of battery life with Wi-Fi off and 5 hours and 51 minutes with it on. (The standard 6-cell battery will save you only $19, so we recommend the 9-cell for extra runtime.) The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 produced a solid 3DMark03 score of 1,704, which when paired with the 1GB of RAM in this configuration ensures a good Windows Vista experience.

It's easy to stay connected when you're out of hotspot range using the embedded Dell Wireless 5700 Built-in EVDO Mini-Card for Verizon Wireless service, which delivered an average thoughput of 511 Kbps--good enough to load most Web pages quickly and download e-mail and other critical data in the field. (You can also opt for a Sprint or Cingular wireless WAN modem.) We also saw impressive Wi-Fi data rates in our testing, with scores of 16.8 Mbps from 15 feet and 14.3 Mbps from 50 feet. Early adopters will be happy to learn that the ATG D620 is 802.11n ready.

The security-conscious will appreciate the Wave Embassy Trust suite, Computrace anti-theft solution, TPM, and an optional fingerprint reader. The system comes with a three-year limited warranty with next-business-day on-site service. Bundled software includes CyberLink PowerDVD, Roxio Digital Media, and a free 90-day trial of Norton Internet Security.

Dell's first semi-rugged notebook is a commendable effort; the ATG D620 looks more like a reinforced Latitude than a system that's been designed from the ground up for field use, but it delivers a better balance of speed, features, and durability than other systems in its class. On the other hand, Panasonic's Toughbook CF-74, which features a 13.3-inch touchscreen and weighs a pound less, is a better bet for frequent travelers.

Nevertheless, this machine should please buyers looking for a rough-and-tumble notebook who would rather deal with only one vendor for all their mobile IT purchases.

Specifications:

CPU:  2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200

RAM Included:  1GB

RAM Upgradable To:  4GB

Hard Drive Size:  80GB

Hard Drive Speed:  4,200rpm

Hard Drive Type:  SATA Hard Drive

Optical Drive Type:  DVD±RW

Optical Drive Speed:  8X

Display Size (inches):  14.1

Native Resolution:  1280x800

Graphics Card:  Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950

Video Memory:  128MB

Wi-Fi:  802.11a/g

Bluetooth:  Bluetooth 1.0

Operating System:  MS Windows XP Pro

Ports (excluding USB):  Docking Connector; Ethernet; Headphone; Microphone

USB Ports:  4

Card Slot(s):  PC Card; Type I/II

Warranty/Support:  Three-year limited warranty with next business day on-site service

Size:  13.2 x 9.3 x 1.7 inches

Weight:  7 pounds

Dell Inspiron 1501

When we last reviewed the Dell Inspiron E1505, the notebook's rich multimedia features, wireless performance, and strong battery life garnered it an Editors' Choice award. Now, Dell follows up the E1505 with the 1501 ($844, as tested here), a low-priced alternative and the first Dell machine to house an AMD processor. It's also Vista capable and Premium ready--something you're not going to find with run-of-the-mill value notebooks. The 1501 gives you solid performance at a decent price, but what you gain in savings you lose in functionality.

In terms of design, the 1501 is identical to the E1505. Both measure 14 x 10.4 x 1.4 inches and have speakers integrated into the front bezel, air vents flanking the left and right sides of the chassis, large touchpads with built-in scroll areas (that make for easy Web page navigation), 80GB hard drives, and non-offensive, silver-and-white color schemes. Although the 1501 weighs slightly less (6.4 pounds vs. 6.2 pounds), the lack of dedicated CD/DVD controls is a glaring omission, even in a budget mainstream machine. When we wanted to raise or lower the volume of a DVD or skip chapters, we had to use the software's far less intuitive controls.

The 15.4-inch widescreen produced strong colors when playing a DVD, but the viewing angles were tight on our TrueLife anti-glare display. Staying centered in front of the screen is the only way to truly enjoy the visuals, so watching a movie with a friend may be out of the question.

With the 1.79-GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-56 processor powering the machine, the 1501 churned out a MobileMark 2005 score of 196-only four points lower than the E1505's ho-hum results. We tested the machine's multitasking mettle by simultaneously running a virus scan and playing a DVD, and the E501 experienced occasional stuttering, which we attribute to the low-end AMD processor. The ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 chipset with 256MB of shared memory produced a meager 3DMark03 score of 1465, which makes the 1501 less than ideal if you wish to engage in graphics-intensive activities.

The 1501 came configured with a six-cell battery, which enabled us to go unplugged for a solid 3 hours and 16 minutes of life with Wi-Fi on, and an additional two minutes with the wireless connection off. Wireless throughput measured a robust 12.6 Mbps at 15 feet from our access point, and 13.2 Mbps from 50. This is a slight improvement over the E1505's measurements of 12 Mbps and 9.9 Mbps from the same distances.

Despite the missing multimedia controls, the 1501 offers plenty of other ports and jacks: four USB, VGA, headphone and microphone jacks, and a 3-in-1 memory card reader. This is a step down from the E1505, which featured all of those connections plus S-Video, FireWire, a 5-in-1 card reader, and optional Bluetooth. You'll also find an ExpressCard slot, but nothing for a PC Card.

The 1501 comes preinstalled with XP Media Center 2005 for convenient organization and access to photos, music, and video. It comes with Dell's Entertainment Pack for digital music, photos, and games, as well as Adobe Acrobat, Sonic, Cyberlink, Microsoft Works 8, and a six-month trial version of America Online. Unlike the Dell E1505, the 1501 cannot connect to a TV tuner, and it lacks Dell Media Direct, which means that you have to boot into Windows to access media.

Although the Dell Inspiron 1501 demonstrated stronger wireless performance than the Dell Inspiron E1505 and has a lower price point, we can't recommend the notebook over its far more functional predecessor. If you're looking for a decent machine that won't break the bank, it's worth a look. Just remember, you get exactly what you pay for.

Specifications:

CPU:  1.79-GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-56

RAM Included:  1GB

RAM Upgradable To:  2GB

Hard Drive Size:  80GB

Hard Drive Speed:  5,400rpm

Optical Drive Type:  CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive

Optical Drive Speed:  24X

Display Size (inches):  15.4

Native Resolution:  1280x800

Graphics Card:  ATI Radeon Xpress 1150

Video Memory:  256MB

Wi-Fi:  802.11b/g

Operating System:  MS Windows XP Media Center

Ports (excluding USB):  Headphone; Microphone; VGA

USB Ports:  4

Card Slot(s):  3-1 card reader; ExpressCard

Warranty/Support:  One-year/mail-in service, hardware warranty support, lifetime 24/7 toll-free

Size:  14 x 10.4 x 1.4 inches

Weight:  6.4 pounds

Dell Inspiron E1505

If you're on the hunt for a notebook that offers multimedia functionality without the usual multimedia premium, the Dell E1505 (or the 14-inch E1405) may be just what you're looking for. This notebook's dual-layer DVD burner, playback controls, and Windows XP Media Center OS make it a highly attractive, feature-rich package for students or cash-strapped professionals.

Weighing in at a relatively hefty 6.8 pounds and measuring 1.4 inches thick, the E1505 sports a roomy full-sized keyboard that makes prolonged typing comfortable. Air vents flank the left and right sides of the chassis for keeping the machine cool during extended use. The large touchpad with built-in horizontal and vertical scroll areas make navigating Web pages a breeze. Beneath the touchpad, embedded in the bezel, are DVD/CD controls that illuminate when pressed.

The 15.4-inch UltraSharp widescreen display delivered strong colors when watching DVDs, even from a variety of angles. The speakers, which are located on either side of the playback controls, produced surprisingly good sound, even though the bass was a bit weak. This configuration has an 80GB hard drive for storing your digital music collection, along with gobs of photos and videos.

Powered by a 1.66-GHz Intel Core Duo processor, the E1505 turned in a MobileMark 2005 score of 204, which is decent but a bit below average for a mainstream notebook. However, the CPU managed well under multitasking pressure; we performed two system-taxing activities-watching a DVD while running a virus scan-and the Dell breezed through our test.

The ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 graphics included in this configuration flexes more muscle than Intel's integrated graphics, but not much more. This system notched a respectable 3DMark03 score of 2,350 and managed to run F.E.A.R. at 80 fps using the autodetect settings (640 x 480-pixel resolution). However, when we bumped the resolution up to 1024 x 768, the frame rate dropped to an unplayable 7 fps.

Also included in this configuration is a nine-cell battery, which lasted a very good 5 hours and 4 minutes with Wi-Fi on and an additional three minutes with the wireless connection off. We got a healthy average throughput of 12 Mbps from 15 feet and 9.9 Mbps from 50. If you want to add mobile broadband capability, you're limited to Dell's expensive EV-DO Express Card, since this notebook doesn't have a PC Card slot.

Preinstalled software includes Corel Photo Center and Windows Digital Media Enhancements, which includes Windows Party Mode, a full-screen skin that transforms your computer into a jukebox. Dell MediaDirect allows users to access movies, music, photos, and video without needing to boot into Windows. If you want a TV tuner to complete the multimedia experience, you'll need to fork over an additional $130, which also gets you a remote control.

Connectivity options abound: four USB ports, S-Video, FireWire, a 5-in-1 media card reader, and a VGA connection are available for attaching peripherals. The E1505 also features optional Bluetooth ($49) for syncing with certain phones and for pairing a wireless headset with the notebook for making Skype calls.

Although the design is starting to show its age, the Dell E1505 is a solid investment for those looking for a dual-core system that knows how to have some fun.

Technical Specifications

CPU 1.66-GHz:  Intel Core Duo T2300 processor
RAM Included:  1GB
RAM Upgradable To:  2GB
Hard Drive Size:  80GB
Hard Drive Speed:  5,400rpm
Hard Drive Type: 
Optical Drive Type:  DVD + RDL
Optical Drive Speed:  8X
Display Size (inches):  15.4
Native Resolution:  1680*1050
Graphics Card:  ATI Mobility Radeon X1300
Video Memory:  128MB
Wi-Fi:  802.11
Bluetooth:
Mobile Broadband:
Operating System:  MS Windows XP Media Centre
Ports (excluding USB):  Ethernet;Firewire;Headphone;Microphone;Modem;S-Video;VGA
USB Ports:  4
Card Slot(s):  5-1 card reader;ExpressCard
Warranty/Support:  One year limited warranty/mail-in service, hardware warranty support
Size:  14 x 10.4 x 1.4
Weeight:  6.8 pounds

Dell Inspiron 8600 Review

We've finished running FutureMark's 3DMark03 test -- including all four game simulations, including the DirectX 9 features -- and now we're watching the Codecreatures DirectX 8.1 benchmark running at a spectacular 1,920 by 1,200 resolution with 4X antialiasing enabled. It's not the fastest gaming-PC performance we've ever seen, but we're looking at a 7.3-pound notebook.

The Dell Inspiron 8600 introduced today is the direct vendor's new desktop-replacement flagship, and gives a couple of Dell's suppliers a chance to show off their latest and greatest as well. Specifically, it replaces the Pentium 4-M processor found in the outwardly identical Inspiron 8500 with Intel's energy-efficient 1.7GHz Pentium M, and offers Nvidia's GeForce FX Go5650 AGP 4X graphics controller with 128MB of DDR memory.

Add 512MB of DDR333 system memory; a 60GB Hitachi Travelstar 7K60 hard disk with 8MB buffer and 7,200-rpm speed; and a Philips DVD+RW drive that can be swapped for a second battery or a floppy drive; and you've got one serious laptop.

(Update 9/2/03: Though our early test loaner was a production rather than prototype unit, several readers have e-mailed us that Dell's order pages list only 4,200-rpm hard disks for the Inspiron 8600, with the 7,200-rpm Hitachi drive not available. We contacted Dell and were told the 7K60 is new and scarce, but can be ordered over the phone, and that the Web site will be updated as supplies become more plentiful -- Ed.)

And oh yes, there's the 1,920 by 1,200 resolution we mentioned. That's the top of three choices for the Inspiron's wide-aspect-ratio (16:10), 15.4-inch-diagonal display; Dell calls the super-deluxe screen UltraSharp WUXGA, with WSXGA+ (1,680 by 1,050) and WXGA (1,280 by 800) models also available.

The wide format makes the Inspiron 8600 a bit of a chore to stuff into a briefcase, but also a sensational letterboxed-DVD-watching showpiece. It's an investment at $2,820 (at this writing, $2,570 after one of Dell's ever-changing rebate offers), but the 8600 is a stellar example of a desktop replacement that's a pound or two lighter and has better battery life than most of its competitors.

Lighter Than It Looks

The Inspiron measures 10.8 by 14.1 by 1.5 inches, which is undeniably bulky, but its 7.3 pounds are more comfortable in your lap than many of the 9-pound-plus leviathans now calling themselves portables. (Its AC adapter is a bit chunky at 1.1 pounds.)

Handsome blue accents surround the silver-gray system's keyboard, which is distinguished by having both a touchpad and an IBM ThinkPad-style keyboard stick by way of mouse alternatives. Both work smoothly, though the two mouse buttons for the pointing stick feel a little soft while those for the touchpad feel a trifle hard.

Along the right edge of the keyboard, where some notebooks stack their Home, End, PgUp, and PgDn keys, the Dell offers handy play/pause, stop, and previous/next track buttons for CD and DVD enjoyment; volume and mute buttons are above the function keys. Happily, the keyboard does offer Home, End, PgUp, and PgDn keys in addition to the cursor arrows, although their placement at the top right takes a bit of getting used to (we found ourselves stabbing at the top right corner for the Delete key, which is actually a couple of places inward).

Along the system's left edge, you'll find microphone and headphone jacks, one IEEE 1394 port, and one PC Card slot. Parallel, serial, VGA, S-Video out, 56Kbps modem, 10/100Mbps Ethernet, and two USB 2.0 ports are at the rear.

The Philips SDVD6004 2X DVD+RW drive, which also serves as an 8X DVD-ROM player and 16/8/24X CD-RW drive, is at the right -- and, we were happy to notice, did a smoother and quicker job reading several of our well-worn benchmark CDs than the DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drives in the last few laptops we've tested. Pushing a button lets you remove the DVD burner and insert an optional floppy drive ($59) or extend battery life by another two-thirds with a second lithium-ion pack ($129). The Inspiron 8500 configuration page offers a second, 40GB hard disk for the modular bay ($249), but we don't see it listed for the 8600.

Even with just the standard battery, cordless life isn't half bad for such a high-powered PC: Whether writing letters or watching DVDs, we regularly got two hours and 20 minutes of unplugged operation, keeping the optical and hard drives fairly busy and sticking to the top two of the eight screen brightness levels (the others are pretty dark). For more Click Here