Latitude E7240 and E7440

kinda lame they still arent avalible with the 1080p screens yet

 

Well my first E7440 has arrived and I'm using it now. I got the i7 with the 1080p screen and a 256GB SSD. Oddly the 8GB config came with a single 8GB DIMM, which won't do performance any favours. Quickly upgraded that to 16GB, and it works fine.

First impressions are good, it's a good looking machine. Not the same "stop you in your tracks" impact as the first time you saw a Macbook Air, but for a business laptop it's pretty nice. Weight and thickness are good, and I think I'll be using this as the "go to" model for users rather than the big fat E64x0 machines with their stupid giant bezel.

Performance is as you'd expect with an SSD, the new 3G cards work just like the old ones but they take micro SIM cards. I got the 43WHr battery and I don't think it's lasting quite as well as my E6230 with the 64WHr one. Worth noting that the docking connector is right at the back of the machine under the screen, so it sits much further forward in the e-dock than the older models.

I have the Intel 802.11ac + bluetooth card. Very disappointing that it's a 2x2 model as it limits you to 300MBit on older networks, but that's down to Intel not making a 3x3 AC card yet.

SSD is an mSATA card in an interposer to go into a full sized bay. While this means you can fit a 3rd party drive upgrade down the line it's worth knowing that it requires a 5mm high drive, and if you have the mSATA SSD you would probably need to source whatever bracket they use to hold a 2.5" drive in place. The 5mm height thing is very important to bear in mind if you're buying it with a mechanical drive and intending to upgrade.

The 1080p screen is easily the nicest I've seen in a Latitude (not saying much) and is really very good. I didn't go for the touchscreen as the last thing in the world I want in a laptop is smeary fingerprints all over the screen.

In the UK at least they are shipping these ONLY with Windows 7 pre installed, and an oh-so-useful DVD to install Windows 8. Mine doesn't have a "designed for windows" sticker of any sort visible in fact! I do get two Intel stickers though, but they are black now and so not as garish as the old school ones.

I have noticed the fan running much of the time - it's quiet but you're aware it's spinning. I am just setting it up though, so the CPU is fairly busy.

If anyone has any questions about the model feel free to ask or PM me. I should have an E7240 as soon as the 1080p screens are available.

 

I've got a Samsung PM841 mSATA drive in an interposer. I think it's an OEM version of the 840 Pro rather than the 840 using TLC NAND. I usually get Samsung SSD drives in Dell laptops and desktops, with the odd Lite-ON and Adata drive turning up.

 

So it appears to be a step back with both battery life and performance from E6430s. That's not good news at all. I was hoping to finally upgrade old & bulky E6410, but now it appears that even after 3+ years it will still give me longer battery life than a new E7440.

 

dme123,

How long would you say the battery lasts while doing work in MS Office and web surfing?

Also do you know if the laptop will support a future upgrade to a 3x3 wireless card? I'm assuming additional antennas will need to be built into the screen.

Thanks!

 

Don't get me wrong - battery life still appears to be 4 - 5 hours under a light websurfy type load. The E6230 was a noticeable improvement over the E6220 in that regard, and so was the E6430 over the E6420. The screen is a higher resolution and capable of far better brightness than the E6230, not to mention 2" larger, so I think if you did a fair side my side test with both screens set to 120nits or something there might be next to no difference. I suspect under a heavy load it might not last as well as one of the larger models with the bulkier battery since the slightly reduced power draw of the CPU under max load will be more than offset by the 50% battery capacity increase. Compared to an E6430 I'd say the battery life is probably much the same but I've done no scientific testing. In any case it lasts a fair amount longer than an E6410, even with the extended battery pack fitted.

If you're concerned about CPU power and ultimate loaded battery life there will be an E6440 available soon, with quad core CPUs and 96WHr batteries. It'll probably weigh twice as much as an E7440 but that's why they offer a range of products - not everyone is after the same thing. This thing is so much slimmer and lighter than an E6430, and the screen is so much better that I wouldn't think twice about the larger machine if I didn't need the quad core CPU option.

As for the 3x3 card yes it does indeed have a 3rd antenna cable tucked away next to the card. I think 3x3 802.11n cards are an option too.

 

A step back? That a smaller lighter battery has "about the same" (according to the reviewer) power than your bulky bigger battery? I have the 6410, and like you think it's bulky. But unless you have invented a new magic battery material that contains more power the smaller it gets then (I'm thinking this through)... a smaller/lighter laptop & battery... means... I may have to get a laptop with less battery life. Sorry if the science is too much.

As for performance, well there you're just making stuff up, the reviewer didn't mention performance. Do you need to sit down for a bit?

 

So you got a 3G card in yours? Were any LTE options available? (I hadn't heard that any cellular connectivity options were available yet)

 

I may be running a (high) risk of repeating this a millionth time here, but why oh why can't all the new latitudes look like this



Source: Review Dell Latitude E6510 Notebook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

 

I *LOVE* the E4200, I used a red one until it just became too slow. I am hoping that the 12" E7240 is going to be the first real successor to that Dell have made!

No LTE options in the UK, the 5570 3G card is 42Mbps 3G only, sadly.

ETA - I think the Ex000 and Ex010 range were hideous things I'm afraid, They've dated really badly, they were creaky as hell and all the little seams and the speaker holes collect filth like you wouldn't believe. Also I am finding very few of them are lasting much longer than the 3 year warranty period and are being outlived by the old Latitude D range. The Ex020 and Ex030 were a big step forward, massive bezels on the 14" models aside.