Dell unveils D line of notebooks

Dell Computers recently released its Latitude D line of business class notebooks. The D line covers every notebook niche from lightweight sub-portables to desktop replacement powerhouses as well as innovative desktop docking solutions.

The new notebooks range from the ultra portable Latitude D400, the midrange D500 and D600 to the desktop replacement D800 which comes with a wide aspect 15.4-inch screen.

While the prices of these notebooks vary depending on Dell’s famous built-to-order scheme, the base price for most of the Latitude line is around $1,600.

Built On Customer Feedback

According to Bernard How, Dell general manager for South Asia, the latest batch of notebooks incorporates inputs from the past on features and needed functionality. The new Latitudes, which are manufactured in Malaysia from the same plant that exports to the United States, depart from Dell’s sober, dark blue and boxy notebooks.

Using lighter and sturdier magnesium components, sleeker contours and more fashionable metallic colors, the notebooks are more contemporary in form.

"We listen to our customers and make it a point to consider the day-to-day usage of these notebooks," How said. Since Dell machines are favored by corporate customers and traveling executives, the Latitude D series was designed and tested to withstand the rigors of global travel and field use.

"Increased importance has been given to integrated feedback from customers as well as to durability and real-world situations," said Alfred Au, Dell brand manager for South Asia.

A video presentation showed the Latitude being baked in ovens, dropped from substantial heights and crammed into airline overhead luggage bins. There were also segments showing the latest notebooks being dropped on sandy beaches, left exposed inside vehicles in hot weather, and keyboards spilled with coffee (the Latitudes are supposedly leak-proof).

Proprietary Features

Designing notebooks with the business user in mind brings about necessary considerations and Dell believes it has addressed these in its latest offerings. These include added security via the use of a Smart card socket that ensures that only designated users can boot up the machines.

There are also additional screws connected to removable hard drives and optical drives that offer an added level of protection against theft.

Dell has also included Quickset, a proprietary software that simplifies the most used functions of business users. With Quickset, users need to toggle only one button to launch presentations sending signals to projectors and shutting down screensavers and other programs running in the background.

Accessories and add-ons for the Latitude line are also interchangeable and can be used with most of the models. One outstanding peripheral is the D-View notebook stand which transforms a standalone notebook into a desktop machine, raising the screen to eye-level (for better ergonomics). With an external keyboard and mouse, the notebook replicates a slim, space-saving desktop. This is an ideal solution for users who need a flexible notebook/desktop combination for office and for the field.

Intel Inside And Everything’s Optional

All of the Latitudes run on the latest Intel Mobile processors. The D400, ideal for users looking for a lightweight solution, comes with a 1.3GHz Pentium M processor and a 12.1-inch XGA monitor with 128 MB stock RAM memory.

The Latitude D500 and D600 are almost identical, except that the D500 is more of a lower-cost solution. For both models, the base processor is a 1.3GHz Pentium M although the D600 can accommodate up to a 1.6GHz processor. The Latitude D500 and D600 come with a 14.1-inch screen.

The flagship Latitude D800 can take up to a 1.7 GHz Intel Pentium M processor and has an NVIDIA GeForce 4 Go video card with up to a 64Mb configuration; this is what powers its spacious 15.4-inch Ultra Sharp Wide Aspect screen.

The rest of the components are essentially up to the customer since Dell follows the built-to-order scheme that it popularized in the past. This means that hard drives, memory modules, Wi-Fi cards and optical drives (CDROM, CDRW or DVDRW combo drives) can be specified by the users as needed.

The new line of Latitude notebooks are currently available in the country through Dell resellers.