Dell Latitude D620

Dell has even managed to improve on the humble WLAN card. It's a standard Intel 802.11a/b/g card, but push the switch on the left-hand side of the chassis and a window pops up telling you which networks are in range. It even works when the laptop is switched off - an LED blinks either orange or green depending on how strong the signal is, although it doesn't give you an indication of whether the networks are secure. Dell will also be releasing an HSDPA (or 3.5G) mini-PCI card in the near future for around £150. We're assured the internal upgrade will be relatively easy to fit, and this will allow you to connect to the internet in places where a wireless hotspot can't be found. And as you'd hope for in a laptop that can expect to be stuffed into bags over the course of its life, Dell is backing the D620 itself with a three-year international on-site warranty.

The D620 costs £239 more than the Lenovo R52 it replaces on the A List, but just look at the extra components: the dual-core processor is a major plus, the screen is higher resolution and you get an 80GB hard disk instead of a 60GB unit, as well as twice the RAM.

Importantly, the warranty is three times as long and is on-site rather than return-to-base. All in all, this D620 is a superbly designed and well-specified notebook, backed by a solid after-sales offering. For both businesses and individuals, that's worth the extra investment.

Author: Dave Stevenson