E6400 Impressions - Day 1.

jjfcpa, are you sure you didn't order the XP downgrade with a Vista disc included? Maybe you should actually check what you order next time.

Anyway, I read on some review here that both the E6400 and the T400 use the same LG screen, so performance should be identical.

blindpan and asqy, keyboard flex is just noticeable for people who can't type properly. most notebooks these days are built solid enough for proper typing.

I'm personally still trying to decide between the E6400 and the T400. I like the timeless style of the Thinkpad, but the Dell seems like a slick modernized version of it. If the E6400 didn't have a trackpoint, there'd be no contest. Decisions, decisions...

 

I honestly can't find any way to determine what the brightness level is set to other than counting each click from the bottom, but I did access the power settings and selected the "Power Saver" option. The LCD was still very bright. I didn't disable anything else. In fact, most of the time I was using a USB EVDO modem which I know seems to suck the old power out of the battery.

 

John,

Dell Control Point should provide a visual display of your LCD brightness. You likely didn't reinstall DCP when you did the fresh install of Vista.

 

The way I look at it, there are several advantages the T400 has over the E6400:

• Cheaper (both base price and upgrades - LED screen on the T400 is only $60 more instead of $130)
• Switchable graphics
• Longer battery life
• Spill-proof keyboard
• Blu-Ray option
• 64-bit Vista Business option (though I'd have loved to see 64-bit XP support, too)
• optional slim AC/DC adapter (90W!) with dual cable and phone charging capability - perfect for travelling executives.

The advantages the E6400 has over the T400:

• Firewire port
• Ambient Light Sensor
• (Optional) Backlit keyboard
• 6-cell "flush" (almost) with case
• 1 extra USB port
• eSATA

none of the E6400's advantages really sell it to me over the T400, so I'm going with the T400 for this round.

 

You have the 64 bit Vista Business option as well for the Dell.

 

yea, same here. Even has a Dell reseller I couldnt touch the price of the T400. My cost for the E6400 was still several hundred dollars more and for less upgrades.

 

In Europe, the price of the Latitudes is a bit lower than or equal to the price of a similar Thinkpad. But that's rather Lenovo's fault, I think

 

Honestly, how many of those "advantages" are you going to need in a business notebook?

• Cheaper (both base price and upgrades - LED screen on the T400 is only $60 more instead of $130)
• Switchable graphics - nice to have, but unnecessary. Point is that you want more battery life, upgrading gpus does the opposite
• Longer battery life - Debatable depending on your configuration
• Spill-proof keyboard
• Blu-Ray option - Personally don't watch many movies besides at a theater
• 64-bit Vista Business option (though I'd have loved to see 64-bit XP support, too) - What Theros123 said.
• optional slim AC/DC adapter (90W!) with dual cable and phone charging capability - perfect for travelling executives. - I don't travel enough besides to and from campus to need it.

 

Does the E6400 or E6500 only come with a matt screen? I would actually prefer a glossy version as I do a lot of photo editing

 

There is no glossy screen on the Latitudes. If you want a business-line Dell with glossy screen, look for the TrueLife screens on Vostro 1510/Lat. E5400/E5500, or wait for the TrueLife WUXGA RGBLED screen on the Precision M4400. Dell's consumer lines are almost entirely glossy.