| |
News |
| |
Portable Devices |
| |
All reviews |
| |
Handhelds |
| |
Storage |
| |
Internet services |
| |
Software |
| |
Audio & video |
| |
Digital cameras |
| |
Camcorders |
| |
Notebooks |
| |
Peripherals |
|
|
Add to favorite
|
|
Edit this article
|
|
Delete this article
|
|
Mail this article
|
|
Printable version
|
|
Discuss this article
|
|
Home  Audio & video TVs |
|
Dell Latitude D800
|
|
Last update: 11-29-2003 |
Submitted by
Kenny Ngo |
|
 | |
|
|
|
|
|
Dell's business-focused Latitude notebooks have long been one of Dell's best-selling categories and a mainstay of the corporate market. The latest of the newly designed Latitudes, the desktop-replacement D800 series, features a 15.4-inch wide-aspect screen and is the company's biggest corporate notebook. It's based on the new Pentium M processor, which gives it ample performance muscle, and depending on which wireless solution you pick when buying from Dell.com, you can get a full Centrino configuration. A few quibbles aside, this eye-catching notebook series is still one of the best corporate desktop replacements on the market.
The Latitude D800 series is a smaller version of the old Latitude C800, measuring 1.5 by 14.2 by 10.9 inches and weighing 7.3 pounds--an acceptable weight for a top-of-the-line desktop replacement. It includes a swappable media bay that houses a second battery or one of many drives: CD, DVD, CD-RW, DVD/CD-RW, or a second hard drive. These drives work in all of the new Latitude D-series notebooks, which is helpful to large businesses. What's not as helpful is that these new media modules won't fit in older Latitude C-series notebooks.
At 7.3 pounds, the Latitude D800 isn't overly heavy for a desktop replacement. | 
Comfortable typing and handy volume buttons are within easy reach. |
Like the previous C800, the Latitude D600 series includes both a pointing stick in the middle of the spacious, comfortable keyboard and a touchpad in the wrist rest. There are four mouse buttons: two below the spacebar (you use these with the pointing stick) and two below the touchpad. Three buttons for volume up, volume down, and mute are located above the keyboard.
Dell's new, optional D/View monitor stand and port replicator make it easy to connect an external keyboard and mouse to the D800 series, if you're willing to shell out about $250 extra. And in a unique twist, the monitor stand also lets you use the notebook's screen as your main monitor. Getting it all set up is a little tricky at first: First, you'll have to attach the notebook to the monitor stand, then place the stand on the port replicator, then lift up the back of the replicator via a hinge on the front. Open your notebook and slide the system up to eye level. Connect an external keyboard and mouse, and you have a desktop-PC-like setup. The two downsides are that you might get tired of looking at the laptop's keyboard propped up in front of you, and you might find the whole setup difficult to use. Overall, we like the added flexibility, but it's not essential, especially considering the extra cost.
The port replicator makes it easy to attach an external keyboard and mouse... | 
...while this tricky setup lets you make a virtual desktop out of your desktop replacement. |
The Latitude D800 series' ports and slots cover all the bases. On the left edge are headphone and microphone jacks, an IrDA port, a FireWire port, and one Type II PC Card slot. The slot includes an embedded smart-card reader that lets employees store and read their passwords and other info on optional smart cards, which are available in a number of sizes and prices from various third-party manufacturers. Two speakers with middling sound occupy the front-edge corners. Two USB 2.0 ports, plus S-Video out, 56Kbps modem, 10/100/1000 Ethernet, parallel, VGA, and serial ports stretch out across the rear edge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
