Dell E6400 durability

6 month? nha.. more like a year with really excessive open/close for me.

 

The backlit keyboard has slightly more flex than a normal laptop keyboard towards the center where the trackpad/blue thing is. If you get a good install on it, the flex is hardly noticeable.

 

Don't forget that the thin base is anchored to what is a very solid chassis. It has given me zero cause for concern and I think it is a very good solution for providing access.

I checked yesterday and the screws seem to be tight. I will check again when I have access to a bigger screwdriver. The looseness is only when the display is open in the vertical position. There is no looseness when the display is slightly open.

John

 

Can someone also comment on the "wear and tear" issues. Specifically

1. Shine on keyboard? Does Dell have anything like HP's DuraFinish which would help reduce keyboard wear.

2. Color chiping off and scratches? Considering the surface is painted metal does the paint chip off? do scratches develop more easily?

 

Some of my keys are getting a shine after over one year of use. It's most noticeable on the space bar where the left part has a shine and the right part is matte. However, it is not very noticeable unless I look hard. I know the letters won't wear off the keys (which is the problem I've had elsewhere) because the letters are translucent plastic on the backlit keyboard.

I've lost a little paint on the front corners which is caused, I think, by the zipper on my bag. The rest of the paintwork shows very little wear. There have been a couple of reports of paint coming off the speaker grilles.

John

 

Like John, the keyboard is the same.

The speaker grid issue is not to worry. Dell will/should be nice to replace the parts without any problem.

 

What about scratches or micro-scratches on the painted lid?

Is the palmrest painted. If so what about scratches or micro-scratches on the palmrest.

 

I've got a few scratches on my lid. Depending on how you've got your light shining on the lid, they may or may not be obvious. If you look close, though, you can definitely see 'em. The palmrest is black plastic; I think it'll resist scratching better than the lid.

 

A year old and no scratch. W000T!
I don't put anything on my system, and carry it inside a small inside case and then slide it on my backpack laptop compartment.

But yes, because it's in metal, it's like any metal paint... it can scratch if not careful. Ten with black plastic... well the whole plastic is black, so it's harder to see them, and more durable on that department... but it's on plastic, and really not as nice.

 

I've also, so far, managed to keep my E6400 free of scratches.

I approve of the black plastic palm rest. There's no paint to scratch or discolour. I was getting some marks on the palm rest that were caused by the edge of the display bezel, but they have gone away since I put some rubber bumpers on the bezel.

John