E6400 Impressions - Day 1.

I got it with Quadro NVS. I think no noticeable keyboard flex at all, it feels really nice. I expected it to be a bit lighter, but its still pretty good.
I installed Vista Business SP1 x64 form MSDN (Using the licence sticker under the battery). All 64 bit drivers are available from the dell website, and got no problems with them so far.

 

Overall your findings are similar to mine and you have the advantage of being able to make a comparison with the Thinkpad keyboard. However:

More correctly, the 6 cell battery is flush with the hinges, which stick out at the back.

I've discovered the technique for the display latch is to (i) push the button and release it, then (ii) lift the display up. My display pops up slightly and unlatches when the button is pressed.

Yes, the optical drive is the noisiest component when it is busy. Be thankful that Dell didn't include a slot loader with all the extra sound effects that it brings.

John

PS: Something I noticed today when I had the computer upside down was that I could see a white cable (for the wireless card) through a gap between the base cover and the chassis. The seam appears to be slightly open at that point.

John

 

What was your LCD brightness at? Did you disable any unused hardware?

 

Please do, Jorisa. I am still (like many on here, it seems) debating between the E6400 and the T400. While the E6400 seems overall the better choice in terms of the build and features, the price of the T400 is much better and, for some unknown reason, the E6400 up here (in Canada) doesn't seem to have the LED-screen option....

Anyway, whichever one I end up with I'll still be looking to get a dock of some type so would much appreciate seeing what the Dell one looks like. I'm not looking for anything fancy, simply a one-stop shop to having the laptop access the printer, the broadband internet, the monitor, keyboard, etc.

Many thanks in advance!

 

Just to let you know, the screen is LED, it is mislabelled on the website.

My quote definitely says LED LCD. The rep said that it wasn't LED either, but was definitely wrong.

 

Not sure if this was in response to my post, but on the Dell.ca site, while the "Tech Specs" page for the E6400 and E6500 both appear to provide for LED screens as optinos:

Displays
14.1" UltraSharpTM Widescreen WXGA+ (1440x900) LED Display
14.1" Widescreen WXGA (1280x800) Display​

15.4" UltraSharpTM Widescreen WUXGA (1920x1200) Display with Wide Viewing Angle
15.4" Widescreen WXGA+ (1440x900) LED Display with Wide Viewing Angle
15.4" Widescreen WXGA (1280x800) Display​

When one goes to configure the system, the only screen options are the following (which aren't LED-backlit displays, right)?

Help Me Choose
Black Wide Screen WXGA LCD Panel [Included in Price]
Black Wide Screen WXGA+ LCD Panel [add $133 or $5/month1] ​

Help Me Choose
Black Wide Screen WXGA LCD Panel [Included in Price]
Black Wide Screen WXGA+ LCD Panel [add $133 or $5/month1]
Black Wide Screen WUXGA LCD Panel [add $153 or $5/month1] ​

Maybe LED screens are not (yet?) available for Canadians for some reason?

 

Circus_boi, check page 2. Jorisa has already posted pictures of his dock as well as his system.

On the e6400 I ordered, I selected the "14.1" UltraSharpTM Widescreen WXGA+ (1440x900) LED Display," but on the Order Details page it's listed as "Brushed Metal Black Wide Screen WXGA+ LCD for Latitude E6500."

 

The config pages are incorrect, at least for the E6400. That is what it said when I configured mine, and the rep said that it wasn't LED, but when he sent me the quote via E-mail it listed the screen as LED. Get an email quote to verify if it's LED backlit or not.

Trust me, there is no way that I would ever pay that much for a screen that wasn't LED. Actually, the price was the first clue for me. Dell usually charges $40 or $50 for WXGA+ upgrades on 14 inch models, the only way that it could be $133 is if it was LED.

So it is just mislabelled.

Greg

 

Ahh....thank you Evelgest; my bad. I take it that is an eport plus (i.e. it has the legacy serial ports, PS/2 ports, etc.)? Other than keyboard/mouse, I think a typical monitor also uses the old legacy ports, right? I am pretty sure my printer uses USB, so am good there. Just wanted to see if I need to spend the extra $70 for the eport plus or would be ok with the eport...?

Thanks Speedy. Given that, as configured, both E6400 and E6500 run over C$2,000 (before taxes and shipping), I think I'm still a bit removed from the "quote" stage of the process. Still, it's good to know that LED screen is an option, as otherwise, the T400 would appear to win out on that basis alone.

Thanks for everyone's quick responses and help!

 

Just be careful, there are two upgrade options for the E6500 and only the WXGA+ is LED.