Dell Latitude D420: For the Weight-Conscious Road Warrior
This 2006 Dell notebook was bought in a surplus computer shop in Bajada, Davao City. When I took a look at it for the first time, I thought, "this is the mobile PC I was looking for."
At only 3 pounds (or 1.36 kg), it's super light like a netbook. It's compact like a netbook. It's thin like a netbook. But it isn't a netbook in its looks and in what's inside of it. It was intended to be a business-focused notebook computer. It has a discrete design, not in-your-face, strong and masculine. It can take more abuse than a conventional netbook.
Take a look at what I've been getting:
- Processor: Intel Core Duo U2500 ULV (1.20GHz, 533MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache)
- Screen: 12.1" WXGA TFT LCD 1280 x 800 (Matte)
- Graphics: Intel GMA 950 (Integrated, up to 224MB shared)
- Memory: 1.5GB, DDR2-533 SDRAM, (512MB Integrated) 2 DIMMs
- Hard Drive: 80GB 4200RPM 1.8" Hard Drive
- Wireless: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
- Optical: D-Bay 24X CD-RW/DVD Combo (External)
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
- Input: Full size keyboard with touchpad and pointing stick
- Battery: 6-Cell Primary (with ExpressCharge) and 65W AC Adapter
- 65W AC Adapter: 0.8 lbs
- Dimensions: 11.63"x8.27"x1.00"
Memory: 1 GB of memory is just decently sized for my demanding apps such as IDEs & multimedia apps
Battery: Six-cell battery, under intense use, ran in a max of 2.5 hours on Windows, 3.5 hours on Linux. Charges quick too (charges to about 80% in 1 hour).
Hard disk: An 80 GB hard drive? Not a problem. This still is roomy for my system.
Optical Drive: The external DVD-RW combo drive was a blessing when I saw that it came with the package. It had let me burn CDs & DVDs, including the Ubuntu 10.10 installation CD.
Connectivity: WiFi connectivity is excellent, though on Windows can't handle WPA-encrypted connections via Intel's bundled software (needs to know the MAC address of the router - pretty hard). No problem on Ubuntu Linux.
Ports: Decent number of USB ports, D-sub VGA worked great (it can handle 1366 x 768 resolutions! ) Wired LAN is working perfectly both in Windows and Linux.
Screen: 12.1" screen is more comfortable to the eyes than that teeny 10.1" netbook screen. Its native 1280x800 resolution means no more scrolling too much as with a netbook. It has a non-glossy finish, too; it's perfect for outdoor computing.
Graphics: Intel GMA 950, also used on netbooks under the Atom N2XX series processors, is decent enough to run Compiz Fusion effects very smoothly. 3D functionality is decent but not very surprising (Yo Frankie! registered only about 15 FPS on low graphics, which can be slow at times).
Construction: The magnesium alloy casing is very sturdy. No flex, no fuss. This unit may have bought with defects (cracked screen hinge, scratches on the casing), but I believe it has stood years of abuses. While I go on the road, this notebook has withstood a lot of dust and droplets of rain.
Overall, the Dell D420 is indeed a decent-performing ultra-portable notebook, perfect for the road warrior, who likes to be computing on the go, whatever the condition is. It may look like your conventional netbook of today, but this legacy device has indeed stood the test of time and outperforms netbooks of this time. I wonder if netbooks would be constructed this way in the future.
Rating (as in UP's grading scheme): 1.25
KENNETH
