The Bottom Line
Pros
- Powerful Mobile Processor
- Includes Extrenal Optical Drive
Cons
- Limited Standard Battery Life
- Software Bundle Extra
Description
- Intel Pentium M 738 (1.4 GHz) Processor
- 256MB PC2100 DDR Memory (1152MB Maximum)
- 30GB 4,200rpm Hard Drive
- 24x CD-RW Combo Optical Drive in D-Bay External Drive Unit
- 12.1" XGA LCD Display and Intel Extreme 2 Graphics with 64MB of Shared Memory
- AC'97 Audio
- v.92 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet and Dell 802.11b/g Wireless
- Two USB 2.0 Ports, One Firewire Port, One Type II PC Card Slot and SD media Card Slot
- 10.8" x 9.2" x .9" @ 2.9 lbs.
- Windows XP Professional Operating System
Guide Review - Dell Latitude X300
9/13/04 - Since Dell has removed their ultraportable Inspiron notebook, the Latitude X300 is now their only ultraportable currently available. Since the Latitude series is designed for business use, many of the features are different than what an average consumer may want.
Powering the X300 is the Pentium M 738 (1.4 GHz) processor. This is a very fast mobile processor that still has a good overall battery life. Matched up with this is 256MB of PC2100 DDR memory. This is really the minimum amount of memory that is required to run the Windows XP Professional operating system.
Storage on the system is pretty good. While the system does not have an internal optical drive, it does have a D-Bay external drive that comes with a 24x CD-RW Combo drive. An optional media base is also available that supports more features. The hard drive is an average size 30GB unit.
The X300 has a 12.1" LCD display that is average size for the ultraportable market. It also features the very standardized Intel Extreme 2 integrated graphics. This does use up a section of the system memory for graphics and can impact the system with its limited memory size.
One area of concern is the battery life. The X300 comes with a standard 28WHr lithium-ion battery pack that has a limited amount of life with the fairly powerful processor. An extended battery is available for longer life, but it also adds extra weight. Since the X300 is also geared towards businesses, it also lacks a standard software package.
