DELL LATITUDE D630 Review

The Latitude D630 is Dell’s latest update to the D620, a light-weight business class machine. The Dell D630 comes with the very anticipated Santa Rosa platform but is visually the same as its predecessor. The machine starts at $899 (as of this writing) and most upgrades are reasonably priced.

The D630 sports the same ergonomics that we loved about the D620: a pointing stick, dedicated volume and mute buttons, and a roomy, spill-resistant keyboard with minimal flex. The attractive black and gray body feels as solid as a tank with its magnesium-alloy build and sturdy, reinforced hinges. The only oddity is the dell latitude d630 battery; it sticks out of the front of the notebook, rather than the back. A biometric fingerprint reader is nestled between the smallish mouse buttons that, combined with TPM circuitry and a SmartCard slot, grants corporate-level security. We would have liked to see a dedicated ExpressCard slot as an additional expandability option (the D630 offers up ExpressCard connectivity via USB) and a webcam for videoconferencing. Mobile professionals should note that at 5.8 pounds, the D630 is a bit heavier than the 5.2-pound Lenovo T61.

Specification:
Processor: Intel T7300 Core 2 Duo (2.0GHz, 800MHz FSB, 4MB Cache)
Graphics: Intel GMA X3100
Operating System: Windows Vista Business 32-bit
Display: WXGA+ 1440 x 900 (matte)
Hard Drive: 80GB 540RPM
Memory: 512MB (512MB x 1), up to 4GB max

Ports:
4 - USB 2.0 (two in the back and two on the right)
FireWire (left)Security lock (left)
Headphone out & microphone in (left)
VGA out (back)56k modem (back)
Gigabit Ethernet (back)
Power (back)
Serial (back)

Slots:
1 PC Card Slot
Smart Card Slot
Docking station
Optical Drive: DVD +/- RW
Battery: 9-cell 85WHr
Security: UPEK fingerprint reader
Pointing device: Touchpad or Track Stick
Intel 3945 WLAN (802.11a/g) mini Card
Dell Wireless 360 Bluetooth Vista Module
USA keyboard
Dimensions: 13.3" x 9.37" x 1.09 - 1.27" (337mm x 238mm x 27.6 - 32.3mm)
Weight: 5.1lbs with DVD drive and 6-cell, 5.8lbs with 9-cell, 6.6lbs with AC adaptor and 9-cell

This laptop also comes with a three-year warranty from Dell. This is one of the longer warranties available in the market for notebook PC's.

Internet connectivity options, very vital for the mobile businessmen, are also great on this notebook. It boasts of 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity, as well a Wi-Fi catcher functioning even in shut down status. Mobile broadband, WWAN, all are available as an option to integrate into the laptop.

Latitude D630 battery caters to the corporate type person who's not putt off by a little extra weight and needs a long lasting battery. The 9-cell extended battery really turns this model into a power horse, even watching DVD's at full brightness will only drain the battery after 4 hrs 45 minutes. A smaller mouse button size due to the presence of a fingerprint reader is probably of little concern if you are in a place where you can use a normal sized mouse or will be primarily using the comfortable keyboard more than anything else.

Last but not the least, Dell has recently updated the security features of this model. However, we'll have a look at those weighty features in our review of D830, another from the Latitude series that enjoys those features.

To conclude, we have to agree it is an excellent choice for any businessman.