Dell Latitude E4200 in Laptops

For example, it's not possible to switch the Wi-Fi radio on or off from ControlPoint, just the broadband modem and Bluetooth. And clicking for Help on Mobile Broadband dumps you straight into the highly technical User's Guide for the modem, which tells you all about the various frequencies of mobile data connections but nothing about how to actually get connected.

You can at least tell at-a-glance which radios are switched on, as Dell's new-found sense of style extends to fashionable neon blue indicator lights above the keyboard.

It sacrifices function for form by opting for touch-sensitive, and again neon-blue, volume controls, but they're awkward in use - we found it tricky to hit them in precisely the right place to make them work.

Ergonomics

Our biggest criticism, though, is reserved for the screen. It's a 12.1in affair with a decent 1,280 x 800 resolution, and Dell even includes an ambient light sensor - in darker conditions it drops brightness (saving power), and though it works effectively we actually found it irritating in practice.

But our real complaint is with the panel itself. As it uses LED technology it offers a bright image while having relatively low power demands, but its colour accuracy and viewing angles were very disappointing. For instance, reds looked orange, and we could only get a consistent level of apparent contrast when we were looking square on - we expect much better on a laptop costing this much.

Typists should derive more pleasure from the keyboard, with Dell using almost every millimetre of the chassis' width. The end result is large, touch-typist friendly keys, with the only obvious sacrifice being half-height Function keys.

We'd have liked the option of a trackpoint as well as the bijou trackpad, but most people should find this aspect of using the Latitude a pleasure.

Customisable

A big strength Dell still holds over its rivals is the sheer configurability of its laptops. If you need to save a few pounds you can opt for a slower processor, drop down to 1GB of RAM (we wouldn't recommend the latter) and decide not to include Bluetooth. You can even specify which Wi-Fi chip to choose, Intel's 5100 or 5300 (the difference boils down to the aerial configuration and maximum theoretical data throughput).

More importantly, you can choose which battery you'd like - the four-cell version or the six-cell. You get an impressive three-year, on-site, next-business day warranty by default, but again more options are available.

Sadly, there's no way to opt-out of Dell's bundling of Google Desktop. While we're generally fans of this software, it's too invasive for a business machine, and the first thing most people will do is surely close the annoying sidebar.

Conclusion

So we have mixed feelings about the Latitude E4200. It looks fantastic and it's incredibly light, and the flexibility offered by the tiny power supply and five-hour-plus battery life will give it real appeal to mobile professionals. The screen, however, is a disappointment, and coupled with a high price means we hold off from a wholehearted recommendation.

Author: Tim Danton