Dell Latitude D830
Notebook Reviews > Dell Latitude > D830

Continued From Latitude D830 Review Page 1

Another plus that the Latitude D830 enjoys is the modular architecture for optical drive. You can either choose one of the optical drives ranging from a CD-ROM drive to a Dual layer DVD writer or you can forego this option altogether for an extra media bay battery that will give you more computing time away from the mains. By the way, media bay devices are hot swappable and won't need the machine to be switched off first.

As for ports and expansion, it's good to see that Latitude D830 still supports the legacy PC Card format in addition to the newer ExpressCard. Just like the Latitude D630, it also has a Wifi-catcher that once activated looks for the availability of a wireless network without needing to boot up the system first. Firewire, S-video, VGA are all present with 3 USB ports. For a 15.4" form factor, we would have appreciated at least four if not five of USB ports. Another missing thing is an integrated multimedia card reader.

With an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a 7200RPM hard disk, Latitude D830 delivers decent performance for everyday business tasks. If you are looking for more, you can opt for the dedicated graphics or even enhance your notebook with a newer Penryn based processor.

Unlike what has become the norm for laptops, Latitude D830 features good sound quality that is great for giving a presentation to a small audience. It also has an integrated microphone but lacks a webcam.

Latitude D830 is a solid business offer and doesn't shy off in terms of security features. It has an integrated Fingerprint reader, Trusted Platform Module as well as a Smart Card reader. In addition, you can also make your data much more secure by going for an encrypted hard drive while ordering.

Intel WiFi-N card and mobile broadband will have you accessing Internet without any problem while on the move.

At almost 6 pounds, Dell Latitude D630 is not the lightest in its category but what is good news is that if you go for the larger battery, it won't be sticking out of the notebook. With power saving options, you can expect the 9-cell battery to last around 3 hours while the 6-cell default battery will be good enough for a couple of hours. Please note that this is a 15.4" machine and depending on the configuration may have dedicated graphics card that is more power hungry.

Overall, Latitude D830 is a good choice for a 15.4" business laptop with plenty of customization options and especially when you are looking for a WUXGA resolution.