Latitude E6400 - Help me config one!

I've been biding my time now for several weeks...A home user, at first I was caught between the Inspiron 1420 and the Latitude D630...Then, I heard about the new E-series. Now that the E6400 has dropped in price, I think I'm ready to buy. Here's the link to my config page:

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...cs=04&kc=productdetails~laptop_latitude_e6400

I chose the option that saved me $402.

I need help making the following decisions:
1. Operating system - Vista Business, Vista Ultimate, or XP downgrade? To be honest, I'd actually prefer an OS optimized for home use (currently using XP Professional). I really don't need all the networking/backup features of Vista Business. If I'm going the Vista route, do you think I will be missing out if I don't get Vista Home Premium, and do you think there is any way Dell could be convinced to install and support this?

2. LCD Panel - I am attracted to the high resolution LED display but am worried the text might be too small since I'm used to lower resolutions. Will reducing the resolution of the screen (from 1440 to 1280) achieve the same effect as getting a lower resolution screen? Would I be better off getting the lower resolution in the first place rather than adjusting resolutions or DPI?

3. Memory. This config page comes with 2-gig RAM. Does that mean that it comes with one 2-gig chip or two 1-gig chips? I want 4 gigs of RAM total, so do you recommend I buy another 2-gig chip from a third-party? (Also, do recommend I get more than 4 gigs in case I upgrade to 64-bit Vista)?

4. Keyboard. If I get the backlit keyboard, can I turn it off to save power (or if I don't like it)? Will the letters still show up without the backlighting?

5. Wireless card / router. I'm currently using a cable modem (no router). I'd like the fastest wireless connection available. Which wireless-N card should I pick (e.g., Intel® WiFi Link 5300 802.11a/g/n Draft Mini Card) and is dual-band wireless-N the fastest (e.g., Netgear WNDR3300 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router)? Will draft-N wireless cards be compatible with future wireless standards?

6. Power adapter. Is a 90-watt adapter a must for the E6400? Is it significantly heavier than a regular 65-watt adapter? If I get the slim 65-watt adapter, will this be enough to power the system?

7. Docking solution. I want to dock my laptop and use it with an external monitor, keyboard, speakers, etc. What kind of solution do you guys recommend? (My current setup is my laptop on top of my filing cabinet hooked up to my peripherals on my desk via LONG cabels). Will the E-port replicator suffice?

Thanks in advance for your help in configging my new E6400!

David

 

1. based on your usage, get Vista Business with XP downgrade rights. You will get XP loaded by Dell and can upgrade to Vista Biz later on by popping in the disk.

2. You can make the text view larger in IE and desktop and in most apps. So the resolution wont make you squint unless you adjust things to a small font size.

3. I would buy the ram from 3rd party and not pay extra to dell. Neweg sells some good deals on 4GB kits

4. You can shut it off and the keys looks the same as normal notebook keyboards today. Still white letters.

5. not sure on which will truly be the fastest, but they should be upgradable when N gets ratified. If your concern is speed and its only to get to the internet, then either one will be fine as your internet connection is going to be much slower than your wireless connection speed.

6. The slim adapter is enough to power the system, but I am told that the slim adapter does not do the quick charge on the systems. So the dell batteris have a tech that can do a 0% to 80% charge in under and hour. I am told that there isnt enough juice coming out of the slims to do that on the midsized systems.

7. eport dock should be fine. Look to make sure it has the right ports you need. If you need ps2, serial, parallel, you will need the eport plus.

 

My review has now left me so it should be up within a day or two. It addresses some of the issues you ask about.

John

 

About the wireless card, I've chosen the most basic one (Dell Wireless™ 1397 802.11b/g Mini Card) because honestly, as of now, I have no need for N. Additionally, if you check eBay, there are a few Intel 5300's going at $40 a piece while Dell offers them at $59. Furthermore, the prices for these will eventually drop.

 

Can anyone give me some ballpark numbers as far as speed for a/g vs. n wireless? Also, how does dual-band n differ from regular n?

Still looking for some more feedback on my other questions...thanks!

 

Regarding the wireless, I think it is less a question of speed (g is still far faster than my 2Mb/s internet connection so I have no plan to upgrade the router until the present one dies) and more whether n provides a better quality signal and range. I went for the Intel 5100 partly because there tends to be fewest compatibility issues communicating with different routers. I also assume that Intel has enough clout to make sure that the final n standard is compatible with Intel's hardware. You can see a comparison between the two Intel products here.

Regarding the display, can you find and look at a 12.1" 1280 x 800 screen. 1440 x 900 @ 14.1 is slightly bigger. Don't make everything bigger by changing the resolution setting since there's a lot of interpolation and everything goes slightly blurry. As already noted, you could increase the font size. I've found that because the new WXGA+ panel has such good brightness and contrast it is easier on my eyes than my previous one (same size and resolution).

You can set the keyboard backlight so that it is only turned on by the ambient light sensor when there is poor lighting conditions. Or you can manually turn it on/off unsing Fn + cursor right.

The 65W slim PSU provides plenty enough power for the E6400 with integrated graphics. It is impressively slim. According to the User Guide there's also a slim 90W PSU but my E6400 came with a standard D series power brick. However, the BIOS assumes the worst case of powerful CPU and dedicated GPU and then throttles the PSU. It also restricts battery recharge while the computer is on to a trickle. More in my review. I hope Dell will read my comments and put some intelligence into the BIOS.

John

 

I'm still trying to config my new E6400...although the negative comments about the DVD burner issues have given me pause. Hope these issues get resolved soon.

1. Operating system.

a) I'm still in a quandary as far as operating system goes. Again, I'm a home/student user, not a business user. (I just happen to like the features of the Latitude as opposed to the Inspiron line). I'm used to Windows XP, but I'm willing to give Vista a try. However, I want Home Premium. I don't need the networking features of Business and I may want the Media Center options of Premium. I think Ultimate is overkill but maybe I am wrong. If I can't persuade Dell to install Home Premium as default, do you think I should get Basic and upgrade to Premium on my own?

b) Do I want 32-bit or 64-bit OS? Which does Dell offer for this system?

2. Graphics option. I was just about settled on the NVIDIA Quadro NVS dedicated graphics option for the E6400, but now I'm hearing some negative comments about it. Do I need it? I might do occasional gaming. Mostly just multimedia stuff (video/music).

If I go with NVIDIA graphics, do I want PC-card or Express card (same price)?

3. E-port replicator. Can someone explain what video and audio outputs are available on the basic E-port dock? (Right now, I'd like DVI for my external monitor, but I'm curious what else is available such as HDMI, etc.).

4. RAM option. I want 4 gig of RAM total (for now).

a) If I get "2.0GB, DDR2-800 SDRAM, 2 DIMMS"--the default option on my current config, then will I get two 1 GB sticks which I will have to discard to upgrade to 2 GB sticks to get the total of 4 GB I want?

b) This is probably a dumb question, but if I am using RAM from Dell in one slot and RAM by a different manufacturer in another, will there any compatibility issues?

Finally, do you think the Latitude E6400 is really a great leap over the D630 to warrant the extra cost? (The main attractive features for me are the LED screen and webcam option). I was previously set on the D630 before I heard about the new E-series. I've been putting off buying a laptop for months now...hopefully I can buy one soon before something newer catches my eye!

 

Forgot to ask if Microsoft Office Basic is the same as Office Home and Student 2007. Will the former suffice for my home/student needs?

 

No, probably not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Office_2007#Editions

I'm thinking that you'd want PowerPoint.