The Bottom Line
- Solid Processor Performance
- Pointer Stick In Addition To Touch Pad
- Full Gigabyte Ram
- External Optical Drive
- No Included Software
- Slower Hard Drive Performance
Description
- Intel Core Duo U2500 Ultra Low Voltage Mobile Processor
- 1GB PC2-4200 DDR2 Memory
- 60GB 4200rpm SATA Hard Drive
- External D-Bay 24x CD-Rom
- 12.1" WXGA (1280x800) Wide Screen LCD Monitor
- Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics with 128MB Shared Memory
- v.92 56Kbps Modem, Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11a/b/g Wireless
- Three USB 2.0, FireWire, Type II PC Card and SD Slot
- 11.7" x 8.3" x 1.1" @ 3.2 lbs.
- Windows XP Home
Guide Review - Dell Latitude D420
9/5/06 – Rather than using a single core processor, Dell has opted to use the Intel Core Duo U2500 dual processor for the Latitude D420. Thankfully this is the ultra low voltage version of the processor to provide it with good battery life with very strong computing performance. This is matched up with a full gigabyte of PC2-4200 DDR memory to allow it to run applications without any slowdowns.
If there is one weak spot with the Latitude D420 it is the optical storage. In order to save space on the system, Dell has opted to use an external drive unit they call the D-Bay to house the optical drive. To make matters worse, many of the versions do not include a CD or DVD burner capability. At least the system does have a fairly sizable 60GB hard drive for its small 8mm sized drive. Performance is reduced for this though do to its 4,200rpm spin rate.
One of the nice things about the Latitude D420 however is the keyboard layout and specifically the mouse pointer. Most notebooks now use a trackpad pointer, but they can be very difficult to use, especially on smaller ultraportables. Dell has decided to include a pointer stick in the middle of the keyboard that is a welcome addition to make mousing on the system much better.
Since the Latitude is geared towards businesses, consumers should not expect much in terms of included software. Expect to pay extra if you need any productivity software.
