Dell Latitude D630

Those new components (and its optional nine cell battery) helped our Latitude D630 review unit post impressive performance scores as well as the longest battery life we've seen in a thin and light. And the laptop incorporates a thorough set of features for business including corporate level security measures and optional WWAN for a lower price than its competitors such as the Lenovo ThinkPad T61. It's enough to tempt even longtime ThinkPad users to make the switch businesses can't go wrong choosing the Dell Latitude D630.

Specification

• Price as reviewed/starting price $1,913 / $899
• Processor 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300
• Chipset Mobile Intel GM965 Express
• Memory 2GB of 667MHz
• Hard drive 120GB at 5,400rpm
• Graphics Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (integrated)
• Operating system Windows XP Professional
• Dimensions (LWH) 13.3 x 9.3 (10.3 with extended battery) x 1.3 inches
• Screen size (diagonal) 14.1 inches
• System weight/weight with AC adapter 5.8 / 6.7 pounds
• Category thin and light
  

We like the subdued design of the Dell Latitude D630 its gray exterior and black interior will fit into even the most buttoned up corporate environments. More important, the laptop's magnesium alloy case brings an extra sturdiness that you don't see on consumer laptops, and its display hinges are reinforced for the long haul.

With its standard battery, the Latitude D630 weighs 5.1 pounds, but our review unit included an extended battery that brought its weight up to 5.8 pounds. That's near the outer limit for a thin and light, though just 0.4 pound heavier than the Lenovo ThinkPad T61. With its AC adapter, the Dell hits the road at 6.7 pounds, which is manageable for travel but not something we'd want to carry with us every day.

The Latitude D630's 14.1 inch wide screen display is remarkably bright (223 cd/m^2 in our Labs measurement). Its 1,440x900 native resolution is as sharp as some desktop replacements', which unfortunately can make text and icons appear small. The screen's matte finish makes it a winner for typical office productivity work, though, and its wide aspect ratio lets you comfortably work with two to three windows open side by side.

Missing above the display are a Webcam and microphone, both of which can be found on competitors' systems, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad R61. It's not a great loss unless you find yourself frequently engaging in Web conferences. In a world where manufacturers regularly adjust key width and placement to fit the width of their laptops, we appreciate the Dell Latitude D630's standard keyboard, which is quite comfortable for pounding out emails and Word documents.

If you don't like the nubby, flat headed pointing stick (not unlike that found on a ThinkPad) with two dedicated mouse buttons below the spacebar, you can use the wide, rectangular touch pad, which has its own activation buttons on the wrist rest. If you opt for biometric security (as we did on our system), Dell squeezes a fingerprint reader between the touch pad's buttons we appreciate the added security but wish the buttons were a bit larger.

Above the keyboard sit all the media controls you'll need on a business laptop volume up, volume down, and mute. For a business system, the Latitude D630 has some pretty nice speakers; though the sound became muddled at high volumes, sound in the lower three-quarters of the volume range was full and balanced.