Dell Latitude D830 Review

When I began looking for a laptop nearly a month ago my primary objective was to find a solid machine that would last me through four years of college

. My last notebook was an old Inspiron 500m which I deemed sufficiently thin-and-light for heavy travel and light tasks so I began looking into a larger, more powerful machine though I did not want a full-out desktop replacement. As this notebook would also be a graduation gift, price was not an object and I wanted something that was really something!

Being a long time Dell user, my initial inclination was towards a Dell, but I looked into machines of other brands as well. HP and Asus dropped out early on due to cosmetic preferences, but I put some consideration on the 14 and 15 inch Lenovo T60 series.

A few of my friends own older Thinkpad models and have nothing but praise for them. Indeed, Lenovo is known for superior build quality though typically at a price. By all means the T60 is a beautiful machine, but I was put off by a couple of small details. My biggest qualm is that I cannot stand having a battery stick out. Apparently that seems to be the current trend with a lot of smaller machines sporting bigger batteries and the 14-inch T60 was no exception. I wasn't terribly fond of the port configuration either, particularly the positioning of display and telecom ports on the side of the chassis and the lack of an S-video output. The small touchpad and some very minor aesthetic points also put me off. The 15 inch T60 was a bit better but it still lacked an s-video output and was a tad bit too heavy.

Subsequently I went to Dell. After deciding against Inspiron and XPS notebooks - I hated those big white Inspiron bumpers and there isn't a 14 or 15 inch XPS - my choices came down to the Latitude D630, D830 and Precision M65. The D630 was the thin-and-light of the group but suffered from the same issue as the 14 inch T60 in that the battery stuck out and it was missing an S-video port. Reviews I read about the D630 also mentioned poor sound and a loose battery. The D830 addressed most of my concerns with the D630 but I fretted over the weight of a 15 inch notebook. After changing my mind several times, the D830 finally won me over.

The Dell Latitude D830 is the successor to the Latitude D820, a mid sized business notebook with a 15.4" screen and the new Santa Rosa platform. Weighing in at nearly six pounds it tips the scales at the upper end of the thin-and-light category. Pricing as of this writing starts at $899, and like most Dell notebooks there are plenty of customization options available.

Latitude D830 is configured as such:

Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, 2.00GHz

15.4 inch Wide Screen WUXGA LCD

2.0GB, DDR2-667 SDRAM, 2 DIMM

256MB NVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M

80GB Hard Drive 9.5MM 7200RPM

90W AC Adapter

8X DVD+/-RW w/ Roxio Creator and Cyberlink

Intel 4965 WLAN (802.11a/g/n)

9-Cell/85 WHr Primary dell Latitude D830 battery

6-Cell/48-WHr Modular dell Latitude D830 battery

Vista Business, with media English

Dimensions are 1.39" x 14.2" x 10.34"

Weight is 6.5lbs with 9-cell battery and optical drive

by: theo

POST COMMENT

Virender Sehwag Crosses Floor On Umpire Reviews Give Us All Your Money....and The Vote! False Favourites horse laying system makes you money? The fapturbo Settings Guide - Buy a Separate Fapturbo Manual, If You Want to Make More Money with the Robot eToro Snags a World Finance Award for Most Innovative Trading Platform 2010 Strivectin SD Wrinkle Cream Review Financial Aid: Solving Of Students Financial Problems. Targeted traffic Anarchy - The Shocking Review Fourneau Bruleur De Graisse Review Master Cleanse Secrets Reviews Pool Maintenance and Your Pool Vacuum Hose Annuity Vs Cd- Losing Money Safely? preview on lotteries and Szerencsejatek