Dell’s Latitude business notebook, although the world’s largest-selling business notebooks, but has been in the country such as the ThinkPad is not known, but rarely referred to its weight and the magnesium alloy casing of these characteristics. However, the Dell Latitude in the domestic sales and can not be overlooked people, this time, we finally have access to the most representative of Dell laptop, Latitude D620, who from this product, we will have the opportunity to learn how to pilot commercial notebook DellThe real reason the market.

Dell D620 main configuration is as follows: 

Processor: Intel Dual Core T2400, clocked at 1.83GHz;
Memory: 1G 533MHz DDR2;
Graphics: Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics chip;
Hard Disk: 5400 80G;
Screen: 14.1 inch WXGA;
CD-ROM: 24X CDRW / DVD Combo;
Wireless: Wireless 1490 802.11 a / g;
System: Windows XP Pro;
Other: Built-in Bluetooth

Dell D620 laptop as a business does not play tricks on in appearance, still the past, classic design, Logo and no change.

Functional performance – moving in 

Functional performance 

Dell Latitude D620 has excellent mobility, performance and move on to achieve the perfect balance. This balance is then set up the ThinkPad T series, and its main features include the role of the weight of 2.3Kg, 14-inch screen, the mainstream processor and graphics card, Dell Latitude D620 full continuation of this character, and play to new heights. Remove the drive in when Dell D620 re-release alone was 2.21Kg, and in the installed optical drive, its weight is 2.45Kg.

We got a classic business ThinkPad T43, contrast, D620 thickness is worse than the T43, but can see the D620′s performance more broadly.

The D620 is still using a full-size keyboard design, and inherited the D610 style buttons on the T43 to feel more flexible, while the middle of the keyboard, we can see the pointing stick, touchpad also set up a fingerprint region.

Interface, the D620 is also available, left, anti-theft lock, audio interfaces, infrared, WiFIPCMCIA, Smart Card:

Rear interface more, the distribution of the RJ45, RJ11, 2 x USB, serial, VGA, power adapter, vents:

Lower right side of the interface, in addition to CD-ROM (replaceable), but also equipped with two USB ports for cascading style design, a little failure:

Front of the D620 is very simple, the middle speaker, Right place, we can see the  Dell Latitude d620 battery:

D620 at the bottom of the modular design, docking well inherit down.

Dell D620 as a new generation of business notebooks, with many places of natural success.

Connectivity, D620 offers a variety of options: Wi-Fi, rDA, Bluetooth, WWLAN, compared to D610, D620 increased WWLAN communication connection.

Dell D620 battery is very user-friendly, with a battery status display:

The choice of the Dell LATITUDE D620 Battery, D620 provides 4-pin, 6-cell and 9 cell in three sizes: 

Life on the D620 6-cell lithium battery life can be 4 hours and 20 minutes maximum, which is a very rare discrete graphics notebook. Of course, D620 also can be used with 9-cell Dell Latitude d620 battery, this notebook will highlight one of the front end, and life will be more satisfactory.

With experience – pointing in 

The keyboard each key fixation, without disturbing each other, can do this keyboard should be said to be more ideal. However, the noise is slightly larger keyboard, it should be said, compared with the ThinkPad T Series, or an ordinary point. However, the pointing stick and touchpad pointing devices, have no less double, and the little blue dot using the movement of skilled future use can greatly improve the efficiency of the control mouse.

Laptop dual pointing devices 

TrackPoint with perfect results

Heat, since the bottom with a full magnesium alloy material, so the cooling efficiency, and in addition to the fan, but Dell is still left of the keyboard to open a skylight, to effectively improve the thermal efficiency. However, sometimes the fan noise or can be perceived, after all, are running at full speed processor and graphics card, then a lot of heat need to be distributed.

Window across the bottom of the notebook cooling 

Warranty terms, comprehensive protection for three years satisfactory service. Dell can provide such a commitment, but also the physical protection with superior notebook inseparable. And accessories, the Dell XP Professional pre-installed models with the system CD, which is the user’s investment is a form of protection. After all, users pay for the expensive operating system will not only want to see a system recovery disk.

Overall, the Dell Latitude D620 is very focused on protecting the user’s investment, which is a little bit of action from both can be seen. Moreover, its shape and compared to the previous generation, has been greatly improved, the cool bottom of the notebook is useful when holding the handle. Therefore, I give it 8 minutes to play, deficiencies are more old-fashioned appearance of color, and internal too simple, there is no individuality and style it a serious business.

Summary statement of advantages and disadvantages 

Dell Latitude D620 notebook is an excellent business notebook, and equally suitable for home use. Some people think that with the ThinkPad T series there is a certain gap, specifically, in the personal vanity or the satisfaction of taste, there is a gap in the country, but the efficiency in the ability to complete work on the Dell Latitude D620 favorably. Objectively speaking, the new ThinkPad Z series widescreen notebook Dell Latitude D620 is not the opponent, but compared to the T60, D620 has the advantage of price and widescreen. I appreciate that Dell is that it would be the integration of advanced technology in a notebook, but the price was more makes it easier to accept.In addition to configuration, Dell’s advanced design concepts and detailed on the D620 was the perfect interpretation.

The overall design of the light so that users feel impressed 

Advantage 

Graphics card with the perfect balance of performance after
The new design, 14 widescreen ideal size and weight
Magnesium aluminum alloy, firm and rich texture
Reassuring service and reflects the overall sense of security
Reasonable prices, and free custom purchase

Disadvantage

Overall color is more serious, the lack of individual character

(In the evaluation, it is difficult enough to find the D620, but I still have some hope: I hope that six months after the Dell Latitude D600 series, to adopt the 64-bit dual-core processors, with NAND flash memory pre-fetch, and 802.11 n wireless LAN, and optional dual hard drive support for RAID O, and pre-installed Windows Vista operating system, once the pinnacle of mobile computing push, because every time the first time the new technology to the notebook, and maintain a reasonable price The compatibility and stability, have Dell Latitude series notebook figure.)

Dell Latitude D630 Battery Dell latitude d620 battery

A vegetable? Yes, indeed. Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has just introduced what they’re calling “solid organic electric battery based upon treated potatoes.” In short, it’s a potato powered Acer Aspire One ZG8 battery, and it’s as real as you’re hoping it is. The simple, sustainable, robust device can potentially provide an immediate inexpensive solution to electricity needs in parts of the world lacking electrical infrastructure, but we’re hoping that it can work a similar amount of magic for developed nations as well.

The technical details are below, but here’s all you really need to know: potatoes may be a Acer Aspire One ZA3 battery of the future and it’s a significant advancement that we all can be proud of.

Dell Studio 1557 is the specific appellation of the, until now, current version of the fancy multimedia specialist from Dell. On offer is/was a notebook with a Pentium Dual-Core, Core 2 Duo or respectively the high-performance Core i7 chips from Intel. A certain systematic application of performance was chosen to your whim or respectively as far as your pennies went. The entry-level configuration was around 479 Euro (plus delivery), equipped with an Intel T4300 CPU (2.1 GHz) and integrated Intel GMA 4500M HD graphics chip.

A pre-sample of the new Studio 1558 underlies the following review, equipped with a combination of the brand-new Intel Core i5 520M CPU and the just-as-new CPU-integrated Intel GMA HD graphics solution. Therefore the laptop appears in the entry-level range of the series and shouldn’t cost much more than its predecessor of a comparable configuration. As seen in the Core i7 architecture, you can count on an enormous performance leap in the Core i5 dual-core CPUs, and a whole range of new features are carried over, which only recently catapulted the i7 chips onto the tops of the CPU charts.

Case

A quick peek at the case confirms our first observation: nothing much has changed on the case of the Studio 1558. Apart from a blue display lid(“Midnight Blue micro-satin surface) the laptop at hand can’t be told apart from the already reviewed Dell Studio 1557. Oh well, the Intel Core i5 sticker is new, but on first glance it’s a spitting image of the i7 sticker.

Regarding the case there’s nothing more to say, apart from pointing to the relevant passage of the Studio 1557, to which the current device corresponds. The key points to mention here are consequently the customisable case (display lid), but also weaknesses concerning the stability of the display lid.

Connectivity

Along with the case, the notebook’s ports on offer are the same. The connections are limited to the sides of the case like before; the front and rear of the notebook remain free from interfaces.  As for the number of offered interfaces, no hairs will be on end; the Studio 1558 sports 3 USB ports, HDMI, eSATA and Firewire ports. However, the positioning of these ports needs some getting used to. The location of the Expresscard Slot is just over the card reader, which isn’t optimal by any means, and left-handed users have to make do with a wide phalanx of connections when using an external mouse.

Input Devices

Once again it suffices to refer to the existing review of the predecessor, Dell Studio 1557. When it comes to the keyboard unit basically nothing has changed, with the exception that in the sample at hand a keyboard with English layout was used. The single-row enter key is nevertheless omitted in the German layout, as usual, and you can delight in the double-height enter key.

The touchpad is embedded in the wrist rest area making it almost flush and  it offers pleasant gliding qualities with good reaction behaviour. A soft gap towards the outer edges characterises the input device and facilitates navigation.

Display

The last time that we refer to the existing review of the Studio 1557 regards the display. In the pre-sample of the Studio 1558 we also found a LED displaywith a 15.6-inch TrueLife panel, that is, a reflective glare surface. The maximum resolution adds up to 1366×768 pixels in the 16:9 format and thus supports the playback of HD media.

The measured results we obtained regarding display brightness correspond to those of the Studio 1557 with a possible deviance of up to around 15%. Reasons for the difference could be manufacturing margins, haziness with the measurements, or different panel types could be used. In the notebook at hand there was an InnoLux 156GW01 panel. In the already reviewed Studio 1557 the specific panel type could not be read.

You’ll have to come to terms with reflective display surfaces, because the alternative Full HD display with WLED illumination also has the same finish. Outdoor use thus becomes rather problematic, as you have to deal with strong reflections in unfavourably bright surrounding light, which can even appear in average, bright indoor rooms.

Intel Core i5 CPU

The deployed i5-520M CPU is manufactured in the 32 nanometer process and offers two physical computing cores and can respectively simulate a total of four threads via Hyper-Threading. The chip has 3MB cache and supports 1066MHz DDR3 RAM. With a Thermal Design Power – TDP of 35W the CPU is on the level of the hitherto existing Core 2 Duo Txxx chips. Through a range of features the energy consumption should nevertheless turn out to be very low on the whole.

An important feature concerning this would be the possibility to completely deactivate a core, as long as the core isn’t used. In a conventional dual-core, both cores idle along. An excellent solution is presented by Turbo-Boost technology in order to unite performance and energy efficiency. The CPU can be flexible in terms of clock speed according to the required performance. In the case of our test sample’s i5-520M the basic clock speed varies from 2.4 Ghz up to 2.93 Ghz, always bearing in mind the cooling performance of the system that’s available.

An important point is of course the price of the new chips. The i5 520M CPU is produced by Intel with a market price (1000k units) of 225 US Dollars. For this reason the chip ranges between the hitherto existing P8400/P8600 and P8800 processors ($209) and the T9400/T9550 ($316) in terms of price.

In terms of performance, Intel speaks of an increase of up to 34% in multi-tasking (PCMark Vantage) and a productivity increase of 20% (Sysmark 2007) when comparing a P7550 Core 2 Duo CPU at 2.26 Ghz with the Core i5 430M at 2.26-2.53 GHz. As both cores deal with dual-core architectures with the same basic clock speed, this is a thoroughly respectable increase.

Intel GMA HD graphics chip

Apart from the improvements mentioned above, the new Nehalem architecture has another fundamental difference to the existing Penryn chips. Intel now integrates the graphics chip directly onto the CPU unit, which is also visually similar to the first multi-core CPUs.

The integrated graphics chip is now called Graphic Media Accelerator (GMA) HD and is manufactured in the 45 nanometer process. It’s also here that Intel makes an enormous leap in the downsizing of the assembly, which is only allowed by the integration onto the CPU unit. As communication with the graphics chip (and the memory controller) via Frontsidebus no longer takes place, together with the new architecture of the GPU, a clear performance leap is seen.

Intel names several new features, like “switchable graphics”; the possibility to change between a more powerful dedicated graphics card and the energy-saving GMA HD, which is already existent on each i5 chip.
As a highlight the possibility of Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Audio is also cited.

Generic benchmarks

We begin with the CPU benchmarks for rating the processor performance of the Intel Core i5 chip. In the well known SuperPi Benchmark for the computation of the number Pi to a preset precision (millions of decimal places) the Core i5-520M reached an excellent 854 seconds in the 32M test. Therefore the chip is on the same level as the Core i7-720QM CPU that reaches a value of 857-839 seconds (fewer=faster=better). For this reason the middle-class CPU can even outperform former dual-core heavyweights like the Intel Core 2 Extreme X9100 CPU (906 seconds).

The Cinebench Rendering Test is also exciting. It simulates rendering an image with support of not only a single core but also with the help of all cores available. In the Single Core Rendering Test the Dell Studio 1558 with Intel Core i5-520M reaches a respectable 3067 points (32bit). Thus the chip is in the ranks of high-performance Dual-Core chips (X9000, P8700, T9600).
This level also remains in the Multi-Core Rendering Test. At 6585 points, the processor is to be found in the region of the aforementioned processors or respectively above these. Also strong T9900 chips are to be found just above the i5-520M CPU. The quad-core Core i7-720QM is actually ranked considerably higher (performing up to +50% better).
Thanks to the 64-bit operating system the Studio 1558 is also open to the 64-bit variant of the benchmark test. At 3724 and 8116 points respectively in the Single/Multi CPU Rendering Test a clear improvement of the results can be found.

The PC Mark Vantage benchmark test offers the possibility to classify theoverall performance of the system, and also evaluates the respective test system in terms of the whole spectrum of individual tests.
To get straight to the point: the result of the Dell Studio 1558 with Intel Core i5-520M is impressive. We chose to compare the system with the Inspiron 1545and the Thinkpad SL510 which are above all two office entry-level machines. We did this in particular to judge the performance of the GMA HD in comparison with the hitherto existing 4500M HD. The “gaming suite”, of the GMA HD, onto which of course quite a lot of weight on graphics performance is put,  exhibits more than double the performance compared to the 4500M HD.

Our test configuration was no less imposing in the other subdomains. Evenstrong multimedia notebooks like the mySN MG6 with a T9800 CPU and HD 4650 graphics cannot keep up, apart from in the gaming test and the HDD test, which is limited by the hard disk. Only the Dell Studio 1557, that is the predecessor of our test sample, equipped with a Core i7-CPU and potent ATI HD4570 graphics, can top the results of the i5 GMA HD combination in many places. The unusually good result in the communications suite was on the whole striking, where the system performed almost twice as well compared to miscellaneous comparable devices.

Here the new Crypto-unit of the i5 CPU could get its chance, as AES Encryption is a basic component of the communication test of PC Mark Vantage. This feature is new and even hasn’t been used on the i7 processors. The Studio 1558 outperforms its more high-performancepredecessor, the 1557 in the overall rating, and a good part of this can be accounted for by the unusually high communications rating.

Configuration
Here’s the actual configuration I purchased. I just copied the relevant things directly from the invoice.

Design and Build

The D620 is most interesting in that it adopts a widescreen format, a feature that hereto date really has been pushed more in the consumer channel of notebooks.  Dell reckons that business-types will prefer this format too though.  After all, a widescreen (available in WXGA and WXGA+ resolution) does allow you to more easily have two windows open next to each other at the same time.  Side-by-side comparison of documents, web pages or spreadsheets is an example of common business tasks more easily done on a widescreen.

The only major hardwares feature I opted out of was the fingerprint reader on the touch pad and the integrated 3G data card. The fingerprint reader looks like a neat feature to toy around with, but for $100 I really don’t have a need for it. Same goes for the 3G card. It’s a cool feature for them to offer, but I have no desire to drop down the cash for the card or the serice fees for this.

DisplayAs I mentioned in my “Laptop Hunt” article, the display resolution is what won me over on this machine. Admittedly, this is not the most impressive screen I have seen. Some of the “glossy” HP displays look a bit nicer. This seems to have more of a “matte” finish, to further the analogy. However, the screen looks completly clear and crisp running at it’s native 1440×900 resolution. The picture really doesn’t do it justice, but here it is anyway.
It has a built-in ambient light sensor that can “auto-adjust” the brightness of the display. So far, it seems to set it dimmer than I like. I usually just manually set the brightness, which does get pretty bright.
As far as the graphics card, it also supports extending the desktop across multiple displays, which is nice when I need it. From what I’ve read if you’re looking for gaming, this is not the machine to get. You would probably want something with a dedicated graphics card like the nVidia Dell offers on the D610 (but no widescreen.) This D620 has the integrated Intel 950 chipset.Intel 3945 WLAN (802.11a/g) mini CardAbsolutely no trouble setting up the wireless connection. The supplied driver supports WEP, WPA and WPA2. The icon in the task tray lets you enable or disable the radio. I suppose a hardware button would have been nice, but I wouldn’t want to give up with WiFi Finder for it.

KeyboardI read somewhere in another review that the keyboard seemed a little weak. I know what they were talking about now. The keys don’t feel super “solid.” I guess it’s all just preference. Maybe I will get used to it. I wanted to provide this picture of the keyboard so you could see the actual layout. I know some people are really picky about where certian keys are placed.
WiFi Finder

Another nice feature is the integrated WiFi finder. With the PC turned off you can find out if there are any access points in the vacinity. Basically, you just slide the switch, the little light blinks, and then stays lit for a few seconds if it finds a hot spot. The whole process is pretty quick and is very handy.
When the PC is turned on, sliding the switch brings up the device driver’s site survey list.
Smart Card ReaderThe D620 comes with an integrated Smart Card Reader. This is part of their “Trusted Platform Module” (TPM). By default, it’s turned off in the BIOS and needs to be enabled. The instructions are provied in an link in the TPM Program group. I started to go through the setup for this, but decided I really didn’t want to turn all of this security on. It looks like a good feature for those looking for a good security option. The basic premise is that a smart card would replace the login procedure.This also goes along with the optional fingerprint reader I mentioned above.
BluetoothThe Bluetooth interface worked without a problem. I did just a simple test of connecting up with my Dell Axim X30 and transferred a file to the laptop. That whole process was pretty easy if you’re already comfortable using Bluetooth devices. In general, I’ve always thought connecting Bluetooth devices has been more difficult than advertised, but that’s another issue I won’t get into.

DVD+/-RW DriveNo problems with the drive. It works just as anyone would expect. However, I wasn’t completely happy with the design/workmanship of the drive bay. There is a gap between the bottom of the drive and the casing (shown in the picture.) It seems Dell could have designed this with a tighter fit, giving better overall quality. Again, not a deal breaker, but I would have expected a better design for the money.
Port Replicator

I was a little disappointed with the port replicator. Everything on it technically works just fine. However, there’s no way to line it up when putting it on. In the instructions they even say:
“Lower the computer and move it slightly from side to side until you feel it seated on the alignment posts.”
It would be nice if it also had a side stop, but this really isn’t a deal-breaker. After docking for a few weeks, I can get it right on, but over the long term I don’t know how this problem wears on the bottom of the machine.
Taking it out is really easy. Just push the “Undock Request” button and wait for the eject button to turn green. Having Windows aware of the docking station is really nice. I’ve used a Compaq laptop with a port replicator before and Windows doesn’t know it exists. This causes all kinds of headaches with adjusting the screen resolution.

Which brings up a good point, in that the notebook automatically switches screen resolutions as needed when docked or undocked. My desktop monitor is set at a higher resloution than the native laptop display supports. The display driver takes care of remembering what resolution to use in each mode.

De-Crapifying

In a twisted way, I was hoping that the system would be loaded full of trialware so that I would have the opportunity to enhance my Dell De-Crapifier script. However, I was both pleased and disappointed to find no such trialware on my machine. My theory is that since the Latitude notebook is their business line, they don’t want a bunch of ticked off corporate customers. Also, while waiting to pull the trigger on this purchase I could not find a single coupon code that would apply to this laptop. So, they probably make a little more profit on these machines. However it was on “special” for $400 off.

There was one option during the customization of the machine to add the McAffee trial version. So, it was nice to see the option to turn it off.

Security

Being a business notebook Dell has pulled out all the stops to make the D620 secure and provide as many options as possible to the end user for ways to keep their data secure.  Laptops are highly popular targets for theft; they’re indeed the weakest link in any enterprises IT security solution, because in the end it’s up to the end user to be smart about keeping an eye on their laptop and keeping it locked properly.  Here’s a list of some of the security features the D620 comes with:

User Authentication

• BIOS passwords & Port Disablement
• Integrated Smart Card reader -Smart Cards provide strong user authentication using the “2 factor authentication”, something I have (Smart Card) with something I know (password).
• Smart Cards can be used in conjunction with a PKI environment via Windows XP & Vista.
• UPEK Finger Print reader: An optional Biometric reader can be added to the D620 palm rest, providing an additional third factor authentication (something I am) to passwords & Smart Cards.
• Pre boot Authentication: Enables user authentication prior to OS log in with Smart Card or fingerprint reader

System Authentication

• System Primary Password: User password needed to boot system
• Administrator Password:Administrators or service technicians access to computers for service or repair.
• Hard Disk Drive Password: Data cannot be accessed without the original hard disk drive password.
• TPM 1.2: Integrated on the D620 motherboard Trusted Platform Module can be used to store and generate “on board”encryption keys.

Confidential Data Encryption

• Microsoft Windows OS File & Folder Encryption
• Wave EMBASSY Trust Suite by Wave Systems
• Optional Credant Technologies Mobile Guardian

Battery

The 9-cell extended life battery sticks out a bit at the front of the D620

One thing I really like about this Dell battery is the Express Charge feature.  The Express Charge means that you can quickly charge to 80% capacity in about 40-minutes or 100% capacity in about an hour of charging (those numbers are stated assuming the notebook is off).  If you have a layover at an airport or limited time to plug-in a notebook before you have to be pulled away from a wall outlet again, this can be a life-saver.  At other times it’s just really convenient.

The D620 also has a nice 5 light LED display to show you how much battery charge is left without having to boot the notebook.  Push the battery icon on the battery and it will light up with each light representing 20% charge.

Conclusions

The Latitude D620 is a very welcome upgrade to the D610 offering many improvements, especially in terms of performance and security, and the look and build quality are also much improved.  The widescreen approach is interesting for a business notebook, I think it makes sense and probably will be well received.  It’s very apparent that Dell is excited about this new line of Latitudes (D620, D420 and D820) and have gone out of their way in regards to testing the notebook and getting feedback from customers on what they want.  So thumbs up on the D620, if you’re a business worker or just someone that wants a notebook for productivity purposes and don’t need a bunch of bells and whistles media features, the D620 is a very well built and good option for you.

Pros

• Very good overall performance, snappy with the Core Duo and availability for large amount of RAM (up to 4GB) and a very clean Windows install without a ton of unwanted software means better performance
• Nice new industrial look
• Excellent build and construction via the all over mag-alloy case
• Widescreen format offers greater viewing area, easier to view side-by-side documents especially with WXGA+ format
• Great security via Smart Card, biometrics and security software suite
• Super connectivity, especially with option for EVDO or HSPDA cellular broadband built-in

Cons

• Would have been nice to have a seperate Express Card 54 slot for future proofing
• Multimedia card reader or SD card reader would have been nice to have
• No S-Video or DVI-D ports, but not exactly expected for a business notebook
• Screen is slightly washed out and slight amount of backlight leakage at the bottom
• Battery life with 6-cell battery is under 3 hours with wi-fi on and medium screen brightness, would have been nice to see it over 3 hours

Related Batteries:

Dell Latitude D505 Battery

Dell Latitude D830 Battery

Dell Latitude D820 Battery

Dell Latitude C800 Battery

Dell Latitude D610 Battery

Dell Latitude C600 Battery

Dell Latitude C510 Battery

Dell Latitude D620 Battery

Dell Latitude C540 Battery

Dell Latitude C810 Battery

Dell Latitude 131L Battery

Dell Latitude C840 Battery

Dell Latitude C640 Battery

Dell Latitude D630 Battery

Dell Latitude C500 Battery

Dell Latitude D510 Battery

Dell Latitude D500 Battery

Dell Latitude D400 Battery

• Screen: glossy 15.4″ WXGA 1280 x 800 display
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 (2.00GHz, 667MHz FSB, 2MB Cache)
• Memory: 3.00 GB RAM
• Storage: 250GB HD (5400rpm)
• Optical Drive: Slot loading DVD+/-RW
• Wireless: 802.11b/g
• Graphics: Integrated Intel X3100
• Built-in 2.0MP web camera
• Ruby Red color lid
• Ports: 4 USB 2.0, HDMI connector, 15-pin VGA video connector, Ethernet 10/100/1000 LAN (RJ45), AC adapter connector, Audio jacks (1 line-in, 1-line out, 1 Mic-in), 4-pin IEEE 1394 port, 54 mm ExpressCard slot, Consumer IR
• Battery: 6-cell 56WHr Li-Ion Battery
• Dimensions: Width: 14.0″ (355.6mm), Height: 1.0″ (25.3mm) front / 1.3″ (33mm) back, Depth: 10.3″ (261.5mm)
• Weight: Starting weight of 6.11 lbs

Build and Design
While we were reasonably impressed with the dimensions of the Dell Studio 17 as a 17-inch notebook, the Studio 15 is a little heaver than other notebooks in its class. While the design of the notebook gives it the appearance that it’s rather thick, it’s actually close to the same thickness (or even thinner) than other 15-inch consumer notebooks.  

The first time you look at the Studio 15 it’s as if Dell removed the metal palmrests from the XPS M1530, added a little bulk, and offered a few more ways to customize the look. The end result is an impressive looking desktop replacement. I use the term “desktop replacement” because most people in the market for a 15-inch notebook aren’t planning to haul their notebook everywhere and use it during regular airline travel. Well … no one who cares about the person seated next to them is going to use this on a plane anyway.  

While the Studio 15 isn’t exactly a thin-and-light notebook designed for mobility, it does offer solid design and construction. As mentioned above, the Studio 15 takes several design elements from the latest XPS notebooks: the wedge-shaped profile, drop hinge, slot-loading optical drive, and touch-sensitive media buttons are all hallmarks of the XPS M1330 and M1530. That said, there are a few extras in the design of the Studio 15 that you won’t see in the XPS line.  

The Studio 15 is available in your choice of seven colors: Plum Purple, Tangerine Orange, Flamingo Pink, Midnight Blue, Ruby Red, Spring Green or standard Jet Black. Our pre-configured unit came with the “Ruby Red” paint job and it looks absolutely flawless. The matte paint has an almost rubber-like texture similar to the paint used on last year’s Inspiron notebooks and, of course, the XPS notebooks. Dell also took the customization options one step further by offering an optional high gloss “Graphite Grey” color that comes in your choice of black, blue, pink, or red edge trim around the display back and sides.  

Another nice touch is the use of an imprinted design on the palmrest area (also on the display lid if you select the high gloss graphite grey color options). The design looks like a close-up view of a topographical map and is yet another way that the Studio notebooks stand out from the rest of the Dell lineup. On the other hand, if you see this design on the palmrests from a few feet away it looks like someone spilt a milk-based fluid on your notebook and let it dry under the sun.  

In terms of overall chassis construction the Studio 15 is quite solid and suffers from virtually no flex or creaks when squeezed and twisted between your hands. The Studio 15 might not tolerate being thrown across the room, but it should survive a drop from your desk without significant damage.  

The one design element I have mixed feelings about is the bottom access panel. Rather than having the typical RAM cover, hard drive cover, and main panel on the bottom of the notebook, the Studio 15 (like the Studio 17) uses a single, massive panel that provides access to all of the notebook at once. This is extremely helpful for those people who want to make multiple modifications or service their notebook. However, removing seven screws and exposing the entire bottom of the notebook is a little intimidating for people who just want to upgrade their RAM.  

Screen  

The Studio 15 widescreen display is not the LED variety available as an option on the XPS line, it’s just your regular CCFL style of display that uses a couple of traditional backlights to illuminate the screen. The screen is nice though, it’s very bright at around 200-nits. The glossy finish helps to make colors really pop and is especially nice for watching movies. The Studio 15 we have is just a regular 1280 x 800 XGA resolution, you can get higher resolution displays (1440 x 900 or 1920 x 1200) that will allow you to fit more content on the screen and enjoy movies in a higher-defintion format such as the optional Blu-ray drive.     

The screen on our review unit looks beautiful from straight on. The horizontal viewing angles are likewise great. You won’t have any trouble watching movies on this screen with a couple of your friends. Upper vertical viewing angles are good, but colors did begin to invert at lower viewing angles when the screen is tilted back.  

Keyboard, Touchpad and Media Controls  

The keyboard on the Studio 15 is quite good with nice key travel and proper key size and spacing. The keyboard is reasonably firm with only a minor bit of flex near the center of the keyboard and directly above the optical drive. I personally felt that the key presses were a little louder than I like (I prefer quiet keys rather than keys that “clack” when typing).  

That said, the Studio 15 is still quite nice to type on and won’t cause many issues for students who need to type long papers for high school or college. There is also an option for a backlit keyboard in case you find yourself working in a dark classroom or lecture hall, but our budget configuration from Staples doesn’t include the backlit keyboard option.  

The touchpad works well and the mouse buttons have excellent travel and cushion with extremely quiet clicks. The good news with the touchpad is that it’s responsive, has dedicated scroll areas and the glossy textured feel is extremely good.  

A series of touch-sensitive media buttons with white LED backlights are located above the keyboard similar to the buttons on the M1330 and M1530. One nice feature about the media buttons is that the LEDs only stay lit for a fraction of a second after being pressed, so they won’t distract you by staying lit all the time.  

Dell also includes a Media Center remote control that fits neatly into the ExpressCard slot on the side of the notebook. This is a great accessory for presentations or if you want to control a DVD from across the room.  

Performance and Benchmarks  

At the end of the day the most important parts of a laptop are the internal components that do all the work. Our review unit came equipped with the Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 processor (2.0GHz) which offers reasonable performance in terms of number crunching and video encoding. The 3GB of system RAM is enough for satisfy Vista and still provide enough RAM for most needs. The 250GB Western Digital Scorpio Blue hard disk drive (HDD) in our review unit is a 5400rpm drive with good performance.  

As mentioned above, the integrated Intel X3100 graphics left much to be desired. While integrated graphics generally help with battery life by drawing less power than dedicated graphics cards, the optional ATI Radeon HD 3450 dedicated graphics card would have been a much better choice. On that note, it would have been nice if Dell offered additional dedicated graphics options even beyond the ATI Radeon HD 3450, but I recognize that would position the Studio 15 to compete directly with the XPS M1530. The synthetic benchmarks listed below will give you some idea of how this system performs compared to other systems on the market.Heat and Noise  

 The Studio 15 does a reasonable job keeping heat under control. The system fan and heatsinks in the Studio 15 do a great job managing heat when the system is under load … as we discovered when we ran multiple benchmarks back to back. The fan moves a significant amount of hot air but the noise is reasonably low and isn’t noticeable over background noise most of the time. While the Studio 15 will heat up when stressed, it never gets too hot to use as a “laptop.”  

As mentioned previously, noise wasn’t much of an issue with the Studio 15. The slot-loading optical drive made some noise when inserting or ejecting a disk but it was among the quietest slot-loading drives we’ve had in our office.  

The hard drive was likewise quiet and it seems as if Dell has done a good job finding ways to minimize the noise coming from the hard drive.  

Battery Life  

The 6-cell lithium-ion battery provides reasonable battery life for the Studio 15. With Vista’s power management running in “balanced” mode, screen brightness set to 50 percent and wireless on, the 6-cell dell studio 15 battery delivered roughly 3 hours and 41 minutes of battery life.  

If these numbers aren’t impressive enough for your needs then Dell also offers a 9-cell 85WHr Li-Ion dell studio 15 battery for extended battery life. The only potential negative to the 9-cell battery is that the additional cells stick out from the bottom of the notebook which adds to the overall thickness of the Studio 15 and raises the notebook off the surface of your desk.  

DELL Studio 15 Battery Error

Question:  

 I purchased my Studio 15, eight months back. Now, i get the following error, saying that the battery has reached the end of its usable life. I have a 3 yr limited hardware warranty, but from research, i have found that the battery carries a one year warranty. Now, I would like to know if Dell replaces the battery under standard usage. Pls see the pic :  

Answer:  

The battery will be replaced, yes – it is covered for 12 months.  

Question:  

I have heard that overcharging definitely kills a battery. I was wondering if that is the reason because i always have my ac adapter plugged into my system. The Dell Battery Meter has an option called DISABLE BATTERY CHARGING. now, when the battery reaches full, i manually check/click DISABLE BATTERY CHARGING, so that i avoid overcharging. when the battery goes down, i uncheck this so that the battery charges again. Is this necessary for a healthy long lasting battery? can i get any tool which automatically stops the battery from getting charged when it is FULL.  

I have also read in some dell FAQs that dell lappies have inbuilt battery cut-off when full charge is achieved. is this true?  

Answer: There is no way to overcharge a lithium ion battery by leaving it in the notebook – overcharging a lithium ion battery could lead to catastrophe, so the charge circuitry on the battery and in the notebook cuts off when the battery is full.  

 What CAN kill a battery in short order is heat – leaving the battery in the notebook while it’s powered by AC constantly will significantly reduce its lifespan – not due to overcharging but rather, overheating.  

Question:hi, just recieved my new Dell battery and charger very happy with the service offered 10/10.   

now, to preserve the battery life, should i disable charing when the battery is full and run it on power from the adapter? for this I usually go to dell battery meter and disable charging.  

what are the other ways to ensure a long running battery?Answer:If you’re using the system on AC power exclusively, remove the battery from the system – that will prolong its life.  You  should run the system on battery  every couple of months and charge accordingly.

Related Batteries:

Dell 312-0711 Battery  

Dell Studio 15 Battery  

Dell Studio 1535 Battery  

Dell Studio 1536 Battery  

Dell Studio 1537 Battery  

Dell Studio 1555 Battery  

Dell Studio 1557 Battery  

Dell Studio 1558 Battery  

Dell Studio 17 Battery  

Dell Studio 1735 Battery  

Dell Studio 1737 Battery

Pros: Acer Aspire One 532h Battery almost 10 hours of battery life with new platform. Keyboard is now 93% of full size. Wider touchpad than its predecessor. Very inexpensive. New, lighter AC adapter.

Cons: Lacks design appeal. Mouse buttons need tuning.

Bottom Line: The Acer Aspire One (532h-2326) boasts nearly 10 hours of battery life and new and improved keyboard, but looks weigh this netbook down.

Acer is looking to stay ahead in the netbook market with its Aspire One 532h. Though it’s not a tremendous upgrade over the previous Aspire One models, the 532h is a solid, decently priced netbook. Acer may have skimped a little on the keyboard and touchpad–but hey, at least it looks cool.

Our review unit, priced at $299, features a 1.67GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and an Intel NM10 chipset. It’s available in silver, blue/black, and red. It also features 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, an integrated Webcam and microphone, and a multigesture touchpad. It runs Windows 7 Starter.

The Aspire One 532h has a shiny cover (navy blue fades into black) that is very fingerprint- and scratch-prone. The six-cell Aspire One 532h Battery is tucked under the chassis, but still creates a bump underneath. The netbook features three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA out port, an ethernet port, a multiformat card slot, and headphone and microphone jacks.

Weighing 2.8 pounds and measuring 10.2 inches wide by 7.3 inches high by 0.8 inches deep (1.4 inches deep at the battery), the Aspire One 532h is pretty standard for a netbook of its class. The whole machine feels sturdy, except for the cheap plastic rocker mouse button.

The 532h-2326′s feature set remains the same. It comes with three USBs, Ethernet, VGA, Webcam, and a 5-in-1 card reader. Larger netbooks like the HP Mini 311, Lenovo IdeaPad S12, and ASUS EeePC 1201N add features like an HDMI port or an ExpressCard slot. And like the 5102 and MSI U210 (008US), the 532h-2326 has built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi. In storage, the 250GB hard drive is consistent with that of every other netbook.

With the new “Pine Trail” platform, the 532h-2326 uses the 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor (a 1.8GHz, N470 processor is available as well, but is not an option with the 532h until prices come down). And disappointingly, it ships with 1GB of RAM and Windows 7 Starter Edition. I would urge readers to perform the 2GB upgrade themselves (it’s as simple as removing one screw from a back panel), as it will speed up load and boot up times.

http://www.brand-new-battery.com/acer-aspire-one-532h.htm

Suffice it to say, we weren’t disappointed. The Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 7,200 rpm The storage device that holds your OS, programs, and data.
Learn Morehard drive were powerful enough to keep up with all of our usual website-hopping and multitasking. More importantly, the keyboard is one of the most comfortable we’ve tested in some time; in fact, we broke our own typing typing record, pounding out 94 words per minute. And if we needed to, we could have unplugged the machine for a long time, taken it across the office, and wouldn’t have had to worry about plugging it back in.

But there’s one group of people to whom we might not recommend the Dell Studio 1558. Is it good enough to be your primary computer, too? Read our full review to find out.

keywords:  Dell Studio 15 battery, Dell Studio 1535 battery, Dell Studio 1536 battery, Dell Studio 1537 battery, Dell Studio 1555 Battery, Dell Studio 1557 Battery, Dell Studio 1558 Battery

The piano-lacquer exterior and glossy gray interior treatment make the Pavilion line stand out, as do HP’s extra features. The improved-for-Vista QuickPlay 3.0 utility lets you access music, video, DVD content, and more without going through the OS, and the tactile multimedia control buttons above the keyboard should be copied by other makers. A 1.3-megapixel webcam is built into the bezel for video chats and Web conferencing. Another feature other notebook-makers should rip off: the dual headphone jacks on the front edge, which let you share a movie in the back of the car without having to buy a splitter.

Build and Design:

The design of the dv9000 is excellent. It is much thinner and lighter than I had anticipated. The chassis is a very strong plastic, there is no flex anywhere on the body of the notebook. The screen will twist if ample force is applied, but is very sturdy for a 17″ screen. When I push on the lid, no ripples are produced on the LCD.

Screen:

The screen is one of the biggest things that attracted me to this notebook. As someone who relies on their screen for contrast and color accuracy, this screen has been nothing short of amazing. There are three options for customization regarding the screen: WXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1440×900); WSXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1680×1050) (which is the option I chose); and WXGA+ Ultra BrightView Widescreen (1440×900). The resolution differences are straightforward enough, but the Ultra BrightView does confuse some people. The difference between Brightview and UltraBrightview is the number of lamps lighting your LCD. Typical screens only have one lamp, while UltraBrightview contains two that light your screen. The outcome is a much brighter, and sometimes crisper screen. I would have chosen this option, but I value a higher resolution, and most screens are bright enough for me as it is.

Processor and Performance:

The processor I have is the Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 (1.66ghz). The Core 2 processors are currently the best mobile processors on the market. The T5500 is the middle to low-end of the Core 2 models, but doesn’t even break a sweat with everything I have thrown at it.

Benchmarks

The Intel Core 2 Duo offered with this notebook is the “low end” 1.66GHz version, but still offers very good performance, I got a Super Pi calculation time to 2 million digits of 1m 18s. That’s slower than the under 1 minute results that 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo processors get, but still demonstrates the processor can chug through calculations fast.

HP Pavilion DV9000 Battery:

The HP dv9000 battery that comes with the dv9000 is an HP dv9000 8-cell Lithium-Ion battery. The laptop averages about 3 hours of battery life with low performance usage and a dim screen, an amazing number for a notebook this big. With more demanding usage however, it gets around 2 hours. But you can buy a hp dv9000 12 cell battery from http://www.brand-new-battery.com/hp-pavilion-dv9000-series.htm, it gets around 4 or more hours.

The HP Pavilion dv9000z delivers a great mix of style, multimedia prowess, and performance. The excellent screen and welcome HD-DVD drive make it an ideal multimedia center.