Dell Latitude D630

Dell's Latitude D630 has occupied the top business notebook spot on our A List ever since it was reviewed eight months ago (web ID: 120434). That's no surprise, though, as it's a business thoroughbred.

Since we last saw the D630, Dell has made a few changes, the first is twin batteries. To supplement the standard 5,600mAh cell, Dell also provides a high-capacity 8,500mAh battery. Even the standard battery is enough to keep the Dell going for over five hours under light use, and over an hour-and-a-half of heavy usage. Put the high-capacity battery in its place, though, and, in addition to doubling as a wristrest, battery life shoots up to just shy of eight hours and just over two hours respectively.

Combine such superb battery life with one of the other new additions, the integrated HSDPA adapter, and you've got a perfect mobile companion. For a laptop so obviously suited to a life on the road, it's reassuring that build quality is well up to scratch. A single catch holds the lid in place when it's in a bag, and despite weighing just 2.4kg every aspect of the build feels like it will last a lifetime.

That's not to say the Dell is out of its depth back in the confines of an office. The keyboard is a superb example, boasting full-sized keys with a lovely, positive feel, and is only bettered by that of HP's 6910p. The touchpad and trackpoint are equally praiseworthy. Performance has also taken a leap forward, thanks to the considerably faster Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 processor. Allied with 2GB of memory, this powered the Dell to a fine 1.15 in our benchmarks.

Another improvement comes courtesy of the 14.1in display. The native resolution has risen to 1,440 x 900 pixels, and this provides a great balance between a spacious Windows desktop and legibility. It's bright, too, but never blindingly so, thanks to the ambient light sensor mounted on the bezel.

If there's anything worth bemoaning, then it's the absence of a fingerprint reader and the relatively frugal 120GB hard disk. But, with a smart card reader instead for security, the D630 is an impressive overall package.

Author: Sasha Muller