Dell Latitude D420 Review (pics, specs)

by David Dobolyi and Andrew Baxter

Dell Latitude D420 Review

The Dell Latitude D420 is a 12.1" ultra-portable notebook designed to succeed both the Latitude X1 and the Latitude D410. In an effort to simplify its ultramobile product line, Dell has merged several traits from each of these two retired models to create the new D420. Specifically, the D420 adopts the X1's wide-aspect screen and ultra-low voltage processor while maintaining the D410's aesthetic appeal and full-sized keyboard. In addition, the D420 continues Dell's trend of not including an internal optical drive, although external options are once again available.

Dell Latitude D420 (view large image)

In practice, the D420 has far more in common with the X1 than its direct predecessor, the D410. For instance, while the D410's starting weight was approximately 3.8 lbs, the 3.0 lbs D420 is positioned more closely to the X1's 2.5 lbs feather-light physique. Moreover, while the D410 offered standard Intel Pentium M processors operating at up to 2.00GHz, the D420 upgrades from the X1's ultra-low voltage Pentium M 1.1 GHz to an ultra-low voltage Core Solo 1.06GHz or Core Duo 1.2GHz CPU. Finally, rather than using a standard 2.5" notebook hard drive like the D410, the D420 uses the same 1.8" drive as the Latitude X1.

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Specifications of the D420 as Reviewed

• Processor: Intel Core Solo U1300 ULV (1.06GHz, 533MHz)
• Screen: 12.1" WXGA TFT LCD 1280 x 800 (Matte)
• Graphics: Intel GMA 950 (Integrated, up to 224MB shared)
• Memory: 1.5GB, DDR2-533 SDRAM, (512MB Integrated) 2 DIMMs
• Hard Drive: 60GB 4200RPM 1.8" Hard Drive
• Wireless: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
• Optical: D-Bay 24X CD-RW/DVD Combo (External)
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
• Input: Full size keyboard with touchpad and pointing stick
• Battery: 6-Cell Primary (with ExpressCharge) and 65W AC Adapter
• 65W AC Adapter: 0.8 lbs
• D-Bay with DVD/CDRW Combo: 1.05 lbs
• D420 Dimensions: 11.63"x8.27"x1.00"

Important Note

In this review the main author is David Dobolyi, comments by Andrew Baxter who owns the precisely same configured D420 are in blue.

Reasons for Buying

After having carried around an HP DV1000 over the course of a semester at college, I realized that while a 14.1" notebook weighing 5.4 lbs may be described as a thin-and-light, it certainly doesn't feel so light over the course of a long day of classes. While the DV1000 itself was relatively compact and portable, the extra weight from its accompanying AC adapter as well as a messenger bag resulted in a burdensome carry-weight of at least 10 lbs a manageable sum, but nevertheless a tiresome burden at the end of the day.

When given the opportunity for an upgrade, my next purchase was heavily influenced by this oppressive experience with the DV1000. Having been less than satisfied with a thin-and-light, I decided my next notebook would have to be an ultra-portable, preferably weighing no more than 3 lbs. With a budget ceiling of about $1200, I narrowed my choices down to the following: the Dell Latitude X1 or the Latitude D420. Although IBM, Toshiba, Acer, and several others offered competing ultra-portables, Dell seemed to provide the most competitive pricing (thanks mostly to educational EPP discounts) along with the most comprehensive warranty services, making the ultimate choice of the newer D420 a bit simpler.

Where and How Purchased

This D420 was purchased online directly from Dell through their EPP program site. Overall the online purchase experience was straightforward and convenient, although making changes to the order after it had already been placed proved futile despite several hours spent consulting with Dell Customer Care over the phone. Nevertheless, Dell eventually took care of all of the issues that cropped with my order, although the experience varied greatly depending on which service representative handled the case. All in all, my experiences with Dell's support ran the gamut from excellent to time-wasting and unhelpful, but since all my problems were resolved in the end I would say I was satisfied overall.

I also purchased the Dell D420 via Dell.com in the exact same configuration as David. My ordering experience was good up until the delivery point. UPSonline trackingindicated the D420 was out for delivery on 7/9/2006 and 7 days later it had still not arrived. Dell fulfilled their part of the order, UPS somehow lost or enabled the theft of the D420 after it was placed on the delivery truck.A week later UPS was unhelpful in tracking it, and Dell actually had to issue the declaration it was officially lost and begin the processing of another order. On 7/16/2006 Dell support reissued the order and expedited it so that it arrived to me on 7/26/2006. UPS did not lose it the second time around. Dell was helpful and apologeticin the process of the lost D420, UPS was awful and seemingly didn't care based on people I talked to there.

Design and Build

Latitude D420 lid view (view large image)

Upon first removing the D420 from its packaging, I immediately felt the D420's sturdy build quality. Compared to previous notebooks I have handled including the HP DV1000, the D420 feels far more robust, rigid, and solid. The steel screen hinges provide firm movement, and the magnesium-alloy casing provides resilient protection while avoiding unnecessary creaking. Moreover, the lid seems well reinforced, with pressure on the back of the lid not causing the LCD screen to become distorted on the other side. Finally, Dell's implementation of its StrikeZone technology in the D420 is worth mentioning, since it provides added protection to the hard drive in case of an accidental drop or fall. The only possible improvement I could suggest for enhancing the D420's build would be to replace the steel lid-latch with the magnetic variety, although this is nitpicky at best.

While the D420's solid build quality may suggest that Dell opted to pursue form over function, the unit's design also manages to simultaneously achieve a striking aesthetic appeal. Similar to the D620 and D820, the D420 employs a dark-charcoal grey color scheme with silver accents and lid. The result is a low-key and industrial look that draws attention without unnecessary glitz or flash. While some may prefer the sleekness of Apple's new MacBook line or that of Sony's various models, Dell has succeeded in creating a design for the D420 that gives it a strong identity of its own.

I agree that build wise the D420 is a real winner. I'm totally impressed by the overall sturdiness of this laptop. The magnesium alloy casing is very rigid and protects the notebook well.Dell has certified this laptop as "Road Ready". Which means it has gone through various testing requirements as set by Dell. Over 300 D420 prototypeswere (unfortunately) destroyed during testing to ensure that the end product stood up to thousands of hinge and latch cyclings, button pushes and unintended twists and torques you'll give this machine over its lifetime of use.

The charcoal grey and silver accent look really is great.It's an industrial and muscular design, which works well for a business notebook.Such qualitiesequate to confidence and will reflect well upon you while landing that important sales deal as you presentPowerpoint slides to yourprospective clients!

Processor, Performance, and Storage

Performance will likely be the key point of controversy for those considering the purchase of a D420. Admittedly, the ultra-low voltage Intel Core Solo U1300 is clocked considerably slower at 1.06GHz than most modern machines available today, and even models from the past few years. While a Core Duo 1.2GHz option recently became available and is certainly impressive for an ultra-portable, the glaringly low clock speeds are still rather unimpressive.

Nevertheless, for those who value weight and battery life (more on this later) over performance, the compromise may still be acceptable. ULV processors drain less power and produce less heat, simultaneously reducing the need for bulkier cooling solutions and improving both weight and longevity. Furthermore, for general business and home applications, the D420 has more than enough power and even some left to spare. Whether writing documents, composing emails, watching DVDs, or surfing the web while listening to music, the D420 provides a first-rate experience comparable to most other machines on the market.

Still, expectations for functionality beyond these types of applications must be held within reasonable constraints. The integrated Intel GMA950 solution and slower CPU mean that 3D gaming is only a pipe dream. Moreover, the lack of hardware-accelerated H.264 decoding on the GMA950 means that certain HD video files will not play at acceptable framerates.

In terms of memory, the D420 comes standard with an integrated 512MB DDR2-533 DIMM and can be upgraded to 1.5GB via a user-accessible expansion slot. While some may find this maximum capacity restrictive, I have found the 1.5GB in my system to be more than capable of handling even the heaviest application loads.

Moving on to storage, the D420's use of a 1.8" PATA hard drive is actually more likely to be a performance limiting factor than its CPU. While Dell now offers 30GB, 60GB, and 80GB options, the 4200RPM spindle speed results in significantly reduced performance in comparison to 5400RPM and 7200RPM 2.5" notebook drives. Once again, this is a compromise for portability that must be accepted by those who have an ultra-portable in mind.

Additionally, the D420's lack of an internal optical drive is likely to turn off more than a few potential buyers who cannot live with an external solution. Although it may sound repetitive, the decision to not include a built-in optical drive is an unfortunate but necessary sacrifice for maintaining optimum portability and weight (although it must be noted that some notebook manufacturers have managed to overcome this problem in the past). Still, Dell's inclusion of an SD Card Slot should provide at least some way of making potential users happier about their removable storage options, and with the optional Media Base and various other docking solutions, the lack of an integrated optical drive should be easier to bear.

External D-Bay drive option with the D420 is powered and connectedvia USB (view large image)

On a final note, Dell must be commended for including a minimal amount of bundled software with the D420. Unlike Dell's Inspirons, the business-focused Latitude line is exempt from the infestation of trialware and junkware that has led to so many needless operating system reinstalls. This has actually been the first time I have not been forced to perform a clean OS reinstall with a new system, and I hope to see this repeated more often.

It is true that the D420 as tested with the Core Solo is no performance stand-out. However, to me this is not the most important aspect of an ultraportable. Build, internet connectivity options, reliability, security all combine to trump performance. As long as the notebook can perform all your required office tasks with ease then it's a passing grade in my book. There are definitely better performing ultraportables out there, if you'repurelylooking for the fastest ultraportable money can buy, look somewhere else.

Benchmarks

Rather than doingmore talking, I'll let the benchmarks talk for themselves.

SuperPi:

In the below results of Super Pi calculated to 2 million digits of accuracy you can see the D420 performs better than the old Latitude X1, but is not nearly as fast as the old D410. Nor is it as fast processor wise as the Core Duo processor in the ultraportable ThinkPad X60 series laptop that uses a 1.60GHz Core Duo.

Notebook	Time to Calculate Pi to 2 Million Digits
Dell Latitude D420 (Core Solo ULV 1.06GHz)	2m 11s
Dell Latitude X1 (1.1 GHz ULV Pentium M)	2m 40s
Dell Latitude D410 (2.00 GHz Pentium M)	1m 36s
Fujitsu LifeBook P7120 (1.2 GHz ULV Pentium M)	2m 32s
LenovoThinkPadX60s(1.66 GHz LV Core Duo)	1m23s
IBMThinkPadX41(1.50 GHzAlviso Pentium M)	2m 02s
Dell Inspiron 600m(1.6 GHz Dothan Pentium M)	2m 10s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 18s

Super Pi screenshot (notice CPU speed was set to the max of 1.06GHz in performing this, under normal use the CPU speed is variable) (view large image)

PCMark05

Below are results of the LatitudeD420 compared to aAcer TravelMate 2428 laptop that runs on a Pentium M 1.70GHz Banias generation CPU (2 MB of level 2 cache, 400MHz FSB). You can see the D420 performs on the whole slightly worse than this Pentium M processor that was introduced in 2004.

PCMark05	AcerTM 2428 (Pentium M 7351.70GHz)	Dell Latitude D420(Core Solo 1.06GHz)
HDD -- XP Startup	5.49 MB/s	4.42 MB/s
Physics and 3D	56.21 FPS	39.98 FPS
Transparent Windows	-	137.27 Windows / s
3D -- Pixel Shader	4.6 FPS	8.51 FPS
Web Page Rendering	2.35 Pages/s	1.05 Pages/s
File Decryption	41.44 MB/s	23.08 MB/s
Graphics Memory -- 64 Lines	277.46 FPS	270.88 FPS
HDD -- General Usage	2.59 MB/s	2.66 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 1 / Audio Compression	119.27 KB/s	-
Multithreaded Test 1 / Video Encoding	90.03 KB/s	-
Multithreaded Test 2 / Text Edit	45.07 Pages/s	27.19 Pages/s
Multithreaded Test 2 / Image Decompression	9.67 MPixels/s	5.54 MPixels/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / File Compression	1.93 MB/s	1.12 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / File Encryption	10.32 MB/s	6.09 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / HDD -- Virus Scan	9.01 MB/s	3.98 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / Memory Latency -- Random 16 MB	6.35 MAccesses/s	5.61 MAccesses/s

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HDTune:

The results for the hard drive included with the Latitude D420 are less than stunning. It's a 1.8" 4200RPM drive (non-upgradeable to a faster RPM) and the exact same hard drive as that used in the Apple iPod 40GB and 60GB edition. So, the poor results are not surprising.

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Compared to the ThinkPad X60s ultraportable that adopted a 2.5" 5400RPM hard drive, you can see the D420 doesn't keep up.

Measurement	Lenovo ThinkPad X60s (2.5" 5400 RPM drive)	Dell Latitude D420 (1.8" 4200RPMdrive)
Minimum Transfer Rate	5.7 MB/s	9.6 MB/s
Maximum Transfer Rate	31.8 MB/s	21.2 MB/s
Average Transfer Rate	25.8 MB/s	16.9 MB/s
Access Time	17.6 ms	19.4 ms
Burst Rate	62.6 MB/s	63.0 MB/s
CPU Usage	2.6%	5.3%

Keyboard and Touchpad

Keyboard and touchpad view (view large image)

Despite the fact that the D420 is a 12.1" ultra-portable, Dell has succeeded in squeezing in a full-sized keyboard that is a blessing to use. Showing no signs of flex and providing solid travel with minimal noise, the D420 has proven to have the best keyboard I have ever had the pleasure of using. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the Ctrl key is appropriately placed on the far left with the Fn key to its right, avoiding the relearning required by models that oddly choose to reverse the standard order.

Front view of latch (view large image)

In regards to pointer options, both a wide-aspect touchpad and a pointing stick are included to satisfy everyone's unique preferences. Two sets of mouse buttons are also included for added convenience when using each respective device. The mouse buttons themselves offer firm feedback and emit very little noise with no signs of clickiness. In addition, the pointer stick can be tapped to perform a click for improved productivity, and the touchpad can be set up with both vertical and horizontal scrolling options if so desired.

I like the D420 keyboard, pointing stick and touchpad a lot. There is zero flex to the keyboard and it is indeed very easy to type on. The key presstouch is lighter than what I'm used to with using a ThinkPad, and I do prefera more firm keystroke than the D420 provides, but that's a matter of individual preference. The only thing I might suggest doing to improve keyboard usability is put little nubs or raised bits on the mouse buttons so they're easier to feel out and find.

Ports

The D420 offers a reasonable selection of ports in the limited space available, although more USB ports and perhaps an S-Video and DVI port would have been certainly been nice (although these are available via various expansion and dock options). The bulk of the ports are situated in the rear of the unit, which is convenient when having many devices hooked up when using the system on a desk.

Left side view of ports on the D420: Kensington Lock, Microphone Out, Headphone Out, PCMCIA Slot, SD Card Slot (view large image) (view large image)

Back side view of ports on the D420: Ethernet LAN RJ-45, Modem RJ-11, 2 USB 2.0 Ports, VGA Out, D-Bay USB Port, IEEE1394 Port, Power Port (view large image)(view large image)

Right side view of ports on the D420: Wi-Fi Catcher, Fan Vent (view large image)(view large image)

Underside view of the D420: Expansion Slot, Battery (hard drive accessible underneath), Memory Upgrade Slot (under panel) (view large image)

Personally I found the location of most every port on the back of the D420 slightly annoying. I would have liked to have had at least 1 USB 2.0 port on the side for easy access like the older D410 did. The SD card slot is much appreciated, and no complaints on number of slots, just placement. But with an ultraportable designers have to make compromises on fitting things where they can.

Screen

The D420 comes standard with a 12.1" WXGA wide-aspect display with a resolution of 1280x800. While some may still prefer a standard-aspect display, widescreen offers better multimedia uses as well as reduced physical dimensions. In terms of the screen's resolution, certain individuals (myself included) may find that the on-screen text may be too small at times, but once again this is a necessary tradeoff for improved portability. My best suggestion is to look at other 12.1" models at a local store to determine if the screen is suitable for your particular needs.

Minimal light leakage found on the D420 AU Optronics screen (view large image)

The particular panel used in this D420 was manufactured by AU Optronics, although Samsung and possibly other manufacturers are also known to provide screens. In terms of viewing angles they are generally reasonable, although vertical angles are noticeably more finicky and sometimes subject to the dreaded color inversion problem. Fortunately, light leakage is minimal, uniformity is generally acceptable, and brightness is more than satisfactory, although brighter screens are certainly available on the market. Interestingly Dell offers a built-in ambient light sensor, although this feature has not proven useful or even accurate in limited testing. Finally, it should be noted that the D420 uses a matte screen instead of the increasingly popular glossy option. Whether this is a positive or negative is up to personal preference, but the screen certainly trades vividness of colors for reduced reflectivity. Just as is the case with glossy screens, using the D420 outside is less than optimal in direct sunlight, but still certainly a possibility, although from my personal experience glossy screens seemed to be easier to read outdoors. Overall, the D420's screen is of reasonable quality, although it is definitely not the highlight of the system.

My D420 came with a Samsung screen and not AU Optronics. There is light leakage at the bottom of the D420 screen, but nothing outrageous. The viewing angles are so so, the horizontal angles being better than vertical. The brightness on the Samsung screen is fantastic though, from reports in the NotebookReview.com forums from someone that has had both a D420 with the Samsung screen and one with the AUO screen, the Samsung seems to be brighter.

Dell Latitude D420 with Samsung screen (view large image)

Wireless Communications

While my D420 is only equipped with the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG card and built-in IrDA, Bluetooth and several EVDO/HSDPA Mobile Broadband solutions are also available. Wi-Fi quality and range have proven to be more than acceptable and a definite improvement over the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG in my HP DV1000.

Inconspicuously, Dell includes a special treat for Wi-Fi users with the inclusion of the Wi-Fi Catcher on the unit's right side. Functioning not only as a wireless hardware switch, the Wi-Fi Catcher can also be pushed in another direction to detect Wi-Fi networks in the area using a color-based indicator LED. What makes this solution so interesting is that it can be used even when the notebook is powered off, making searching for networks that much easier when roaming about. While the usefulness of this feature is up for debate, it is certainly a welcome addition.

Wi-Fi Catcher for detecting wi-fi hot spots (view large image)

Speakers and Headphones

As a machine designed for business use, the D420 provides only a single speaker in the upper left corner that provides expectedly underwhelming sound with poor overall clarity. Nevertheless, a headphone jack is provided, and when hooked up to either headphones or speakers, the sound reproduction was better than expected, with little-to-no hissing and rich sound that was far superior to that provided by my DV1000 when playing back music. In terms of volume levels, be warned that the output can be defeaningly loud on headphones when turned up to 100%, so be careful when hooking up your devices. Finally, I initially encountered an issue with the PC speaker that would result in an irritatingly loud beep being played when first connecting to Wi-Fi networks or receiving emails; this could only be corrected by disabling the hidden Beep device in the System Control Panel for anyone who encounters the same issue.

Security

As would be expected of a business notebook, Dell offers several key security features for those that would need them. Although not included on my model, one such feature that stands out is the optional UPEK finger print reader that can be incorporated between the two lower mouse buttons. Furthermore, an integrated Smart Card reader comes standard with the D420, as does Trusted Platform Module 1.2 compliance. In brief, Dell does not skimp on providing up-to-date security solutions for those users who require them.

Heat and Noise

Despite initial reports of the D420 being fanless like the Latitude X1, the D420 does actually have a fan-based cooling solution. Fortunately, however, the fan is generally whisper quiet and rarely noticeable. In air-conditioned rooms the fan almost never comes on at all unless performing CPU-intensive work over extended periods of time. Even then, the noise generated is generally drowned out by ambient sounds. In hotter environments, I have noticed that the fan come on more frequently, although the noise is still only moderate even when the fan ramps up to higher speeds. The only quibble I have with the cooling solution then is the placement of the vent: since it is located on the unit's right-hand side, hot air is blown directly onto the user's hand when in use, which is obviously not an optimal solution. Once again though, the fact that the fan rarely runs means that this issue is not as problematic as it could be. Finally, the upper right side of the notebook seems to become substantially warmer than the rest of the unit over extended use, although based on my experiences the D420 has still been generally cool enough to be used on my lap.

I found the D420 to run hotter than I would like. As with David, the back right side tended to get much warmer than the rest of the laptop. For me the back right side got hot to the point of being uncomfortable in the lap. The processor temperature seemed to sit between 54C and 60C during normal office taskusage which is a bit warm, my ThinkPad T43 14-inch screen laptop with a Pentium M 2.0GHz processor averages between 45 and 50C during normal office task usage.

Battery

The battery on the Dell D420 has a built-in chage indicator (view large image)

The D420 can be equipped with a 4-cell, 6-cell, or 9-cell battery. Unlike most other laptops, the battery is situated at the front of the unit rather than in the rear, so using the 9-cell battery results in what looks like an additional palm rest extending out from the front of the unit. Fortunately, both the 4-cell and 6-cell batteries sit flush with the unit, so I opted for the 6-cell. As an added bonus, the two smaller batteries allow one to take advantage of Dell's ExpressCharge feature, which allows for fully recharging the battery in a little over an hour's time. Additionally, all three batteries feature a Battery Meter that can display the remaining charge via LED indicators even when the notebook is turned off.

Power adapter for D420

In terms of battery life with the 6-cell, in my limited testing I have averaged a bit over three hours with Wi-Fi on and maximum screen brightness while composing documents, surfing the web, and listening to music. Compared to the DV1000 this is a definite improvement, and with the brightness reduced, very respectable away-from-the-desk usage times are certainly within reason. The 9-cell battery also exists as an option if even longer times are deemed necessary.

I also had the 6-cell battery and when timed I got almost exactly 3-hours of usage when having the screen brightness set to half and wi-fi on. This is definitely an acceptable amount for a battery that is flush with the notebook. I love the fact the battery is a quick recharge type, the battery is back up to over 80% charge from zilch in about 40 minutes!

Conclusion

Having used the Dell Latitude D420 for some time now, my impressions have mostly been overwhelmingly positive. Although certain aspects such as the slow 4200RPM hard drive, lack of internal optical drive, and merely satisfactory screen have proven less-than ideal, these are acceptable sacrifices in the pursuit of the best portability possible. Even despite the cons, there are more than enough pros to tip the scales in the opposite direction: the unit's light weight, excellent build quality and aesthetics, and commendable battery life. Therefore, with the scales tilted heavily in the D420's favor, I can wholeheartedly recommend Dell's Latitude D420 for those searching for a new ultra-portable.

The build quality and sheer usability and form factor of the D420 make it great. The low starting price of $1,200 puts the icing on the cake with making it easy to recommend.

Pros

• Light-weight design starting at 3.0 lbs and only 3.2 lbs with flush-mounted 6-cell battery
• Uncompromising build quality, magnesium-alloy casing, and pleasing aesthetics
• Wide-aspect screen and compact dimensions
• Respectable battery life with 6-cell ExpressCharge battery and availability of 9-cell battery option
• Quiet operation, limited fan noise, and relatively quiet cooling solution
• Excellent connectivity, with options including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IrDA, and mobile broadband via integrated EVDO or HSPDA, as well as included Wi-Fi Catcher feature
• Robust security, including standard Smart Card reader, TPM 1.2 compliance, and optional UPEK finger print reader
• Wealth of optional docking solutions such as the Media Base, D-Port, and D-Dock
• Inclusion of SD Card Slot storage option

Cons

• Limited CPU clock speeds
• Slow 4200RPM hard drive options and only lesser capacities available
• Lack of internal optical drive and reliance on D-Bay
• Average screen quality with restrictive viewing angles
• Placement of fan vent on right-hand side

Some Glamour Shots of the Latitude D420 in Central Park NYC (it's road ready and park ready)

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Good to see that your results are quite comparable to the ones we did.

And nothing to write home about even when upgraded to U2500 1.2 GHz (typo at the chart showing 1.66) Core Duo (See 3rd Column):

 

Excellent review and great photos. I especially love the appropriate water scenes. I am sure many have a need for this type of laptop and I don't mean to be rude, but besides reminding me of a much more homely version of the beautiful Sony X505 I would be tempted to see how many times it would skip if I tossed it across that lake in the photo. Guess I'm just into the more expensive, pretty things like the new Sony TX850 or Asus S6F when it comes to ultra portability but that's just me. But for more practical minded students and thrifty folks that are into web surfing and typing reports this will probably be perfect. Meanwhile I will wait for the other stuff to arrive that I mentioned, though I hear the TX is here in the U.S. already.

http://b2b.sony.com/Solutions/product/VGN-TX850P/B

http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050488,39354019-39256182p,00.htm

http://www.infosyncworld.com/eu/laptops/acer_ferrari_1000.html

 

btw, I also see you are using Notebook Hardware Control for power management as well. Dell for all these years have lacked any good power management tool. The D420 is no exception. That Quickset program that it comes with was total junk to say the least...

 

What the D420 looks like with a 9-cell battery and a docking base. The docking looks very nice but the 9-cell "tongue"....and quite heavy too:

 

I can't agree more , btw why would you use a DELL when you have Joybooks which are my favorites ( the 7000 and on ) ?

Is it just me or did anyone else also noticed Andrew is inclined to put brand new laptops in dangerous positions and above large bodies of water ?

 

That's typo, it should be Acer TravelMate 2428..IMO..

Anyway, nice review and I'm impressed with your glamour shots,especially the way you put your notebook on the rock

 

Thanks for all of your input iTwins -- the pictures and the benchmarks are really great. Nice to see the mediabay pic as well. Too bad the Core Duo performance doesn't appear to leap buildings either.

 

Excellent review, I love the look and build of the D420 and I've got a soft spot for ultraportables. No integrated optical drive is a bit of a letdown, but I'm willing to forgive such a slim, sleek and sexy machine.

 

The ULV processor seems to be on a par with the AMD Turion 64 x2 TL-50 in terms of performance Super-Pi wise. I got around 2 min 11 sec to 2 million digits. It's surprising how such an underclocked cpu can compete with the turion. But then, the Intel has a lot more cache than the amd.

 

They don't have Benq Joybooks in the US.

 

Really good review. Thanks!

I would like to know (i) what is the temperature at which the fan turns on/off,
(ii) are you able to undervolt the ULV core solo, (iii) would you please measure and post the power consumption rate as measure by mobilemeter program
in different regimes? This would help to compare pros and cons with Latitude X1.

 

The Joybooks are primarily for home use and my gaming companion when on business trips. There are places in the world where it is not save for a foreigner to go out even in the daytime, therefore this system is my lifesaver to killing boredom. . The Dell's and IBM's are my business test beds and development tools. That's what they are only good for anyways.

My pleasure. Yes too bad about the Core Duo but if you happen to be responsible for bargaining a contract with Dell, this little under-performer can be of some helpp to gaining the corporate pricing you really want. In our case, we get the U2500 Core Duo upgrade without extra charge and more. For Dell, there may still be a light at the end of the tunnel afterall...just when we were about to dump the D420 and go for the Thinkpad X60 instead. But nothing's on paper yet...

 

Thanks for all the positive comments and feedback on the review!

As for your questions ivar, I have the answer for the first two of these, but not the third, although I'll check into it.

1) The fans turn on at lowest RPMS (~5400RPM) at slightly over 50C, and ramp up from there in what seems like 8C increments and 1000RPM steps (although it should be recognized that this never happened in normal usage outside of extended benchmarking with consistent, heavy CPU load). For comparison, my unit idles at around 40C in an airconditioned room and the fan is never on, although it idles at more like 50C outside (85-95F ambient on the East Coast), and the fan generally runs constantly at the lowest speed, which is essentially still unnoticeable. Also, it should be noted that the computer runs cooler on batteries then when docked or charging.

2) The ULV Core Solo can indeed be undervolted, although obviously it runs at a very low starting voltage to begin with.

Hope that helps.

 

3) MobileMeter Discharge Rates:

Idle, Lowest Brightness, Wi-Fi On: 7.28w
Idle, Medium Brightness, Wi-Fi On: 8.39w
Idle, Max Brightness, Wi-Fi On: 10.42w

This is with no USB devices connected.

 

Both reviewers got about 3 hours of battery life with the 6-cell battery. This implies about 4.5 hours with the 9-cell battery. I am not impressed by these numbers, considering that the D420 has a ULV processor. The ThinkPad X60s gets well over 5 hours with an 8-cell battery in spite of significantly better performance in terms of processing power and hard drive speed. (Edit: The high capacity battery for the X60s has 8 cells, not 9 cells as I had written earlier).

 

Good point. I did have better battery life with the X60s. The screen was brighter on the D420 though, I think turning it all the way down would certainly help to stretch out the battery longer.

 

I think the D420 needs to be significantly cheaper to compete with the Thinkpad X60 series. The X60 stomps the D420 in processor, HD performance, RAM expandability, and battery life. The only reason to get the D420 that I can see is the slightly superior docking station, screen, and pricing. But the pricing isn't much lower than the sales I've seen for the X series.

 

I've had an opportunity to compare the D420 alongside the X60s. After using both for a few days the Dell is going back. I liked the D420's design and the widescreen display (mine has a Samsung). The performance from the hd is just disappointing. I realize that there are going to be some compromises with an ultraportable, but if you compare the D420 with the X60s you'll realize that ultraportables don't have to be performance dogs. The Thinkpad feels about twice as fast as the Dell and the battery life is comparable. I found my X60s at Pcmall as an open box special so it was a couple hundred $$ less than the Dell. If anyone is interested I can snap a couple pics of the X60s alongside the D420.

 

I normally do not mind paying big bucks for a notebook but first I need to ensure that this notebook is worth what it costs. I judge its worth not by its looks but for what it uses for components. If judging by looks only, then there are alot more selections out than the D420 and mostly likely far cheaper too. Personally, I feel the D420 achieves looks and portability but fell far short for performance and even battery longevity. Our users can live with under-performers, but the battery is key!

There are however some areas that Dell excels. Forward/Backward compatibility with its accessories is one of them.

For example, the D420's external USB drive is compatible with the D410 (also X1 and X300 as well), and vice versa. That's one very important element that businesses seek. Many of our users do not carry the USB drive or the replicator/docking when they go on business trips. Instead, they are provided when they arrive at their oversea office.

(Click to enlarge)



And did you know the D410 replicator is usuable on the D420 as well?! IBM and other competitors need to work harder....

 

You are right Ivar and that a shame you can't get Joybooks in the US .

The Joybook 7000 started the 14" widescreen trend , I remember when it came out some didn't like it but I think its a gem .

At the time I really wanted to buy one but could only find it in Germany with a german keyboard and a very high price tag .

If only Joybooks were sold in the US at competetive prices .

 

4.5 hours of battery life with a 9 cell battery? That's a little sad. I can get 3 or more with my M90 at full bright and surfing the web, sometimes listening to music at the same time. I got over 2 using Solid Edge. Hell, I get 2.5 in Vista not even in Power Saver mode. I understand that these are two different machines meant for two different purposes, and I appreciate the D420 for all of its ultra-portable goodness, but wow... they really need to work on battery life. I'd rather get like one of the Sony 13" and get way better battery life, but that's just me.

Anyways, good review. Not really a huge fan of thin and lights, but the D420 is a very nice looking machine. I really like the bay too. Performance is decidedly lower than most options right now, but my last laptop was a P-4m with 512 of RAM, so I'm sure it still spanks that. I think sometimes people forget how bad it used to be. That thing would wipe the floor with my first laptop. And it ran Word and Powerpoint (... well Office 97, so I'll give them that) just fine. That was on an AMD K-6 with 32MB of RAM and 2 gig hard drive running at what I'm sure was a very sad speed. With up to 1.5 gigs of RAM, you should be fine with pretty much any app right now. Great review and great pics.

 

The Core Duo version supports the much talked about Intel Virtualization Technology. Personally I don't see why anyone would want to run VMWare or Virtual PC from the D420; despite it being Dual Core, it is still slow as hell! Nevertheless, it is nice to see that it supports it - the first I've seen for notebooks.

(Note: VMware supports Dual Core while Virtual PC doesn't. According to Microsoft, even the upcoming Virtual PC Express, will most likely not support Dual Core. Now you know why VPC Express is freeware...well almost freeware! - 4 Virtual Machines count as 1 license!)



By default, the "Hard Disk Acoustic Mode" is set to Bypass. It will not be any faster even if you set it to "Performance". When its slow, it's slow no matter how you slice and dice it. I gave up tuning it...



Next week we will start on the Sysmark, WebMark and MobileMark testing. After that we will conclude our testing and pass our report to management. There they will decide their decision to go D420 or not.

 

On X1 with undervolted 1.1GHz ULV Pentium M processor I get, according to mobilemeter:


Idle, Lowest Brightness, Wi-Fi On: 8.99 -9.50w

Idle, Max Brightness, Wi-Fi On: 12.20 - 13.3w (it fluctuates)


Quite surprisingly, the numbers are higher than for D420.
Nevertheless, on the extended 6 cell batery of X1 I get more than 4.5h lifetime (which is much more that for D420 as reported here). This inconsistency looks unexplainable to me.

My ULV processor is undervolted from the default 0.812V to 0.700V at 600MHz and to 0.780V at 1000MHz. It would be interesting to know what is the undervolting potential of Core Solo (it has been reported earlier that Yonah processors can't be undervolted at the lowest step. Is it also true for ULV Core Solo and Core Duo processors?).

Concerning te fan turn on temperature, I think 50C is a little too low to ensure low noise (still better than Sony's 40C). I have had a 10.6" ultraportable Amoi T31 with ULV processor, where the turn on temperature was 55C. I would actually prefer it to be 60C.
Is your fan active during the booting process in the airconditioned room? I love the noiseless booting of X1!

 

I am interested in your pics please. How is your comparative perception of the screens of the both? I would be concerned about (i) the lower brightness of X60 and (ii) the lower screen resolution of X60. Those two points are deal breakers for me if I think about Lenovo ultraportables.

 

With the D420, Dell actually downgraded the 6 and 9-cell batteries.

X1: __3-cell: 27Wh, 6-cell: 53Wh
D410: ____________6-cell: 53Wh, 9-cell: 80Wh
D420: 3-cell: 28Wh, 6-cell: 42Wh, 9-cell: 68Wh

But still, with the mobilemeter discharge rates Adaptive posted the D420 should still be able to get 4 hours easily on the 6-cell and 7 hours with the 9-cell.

 

TRy making some pics of both pc's would love to see em.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=1516465&postcount=25

 

It will be this afternoon before I have access to my camera and pics.

I have a Boe Hydis display in the Thinkpad. The Thinkpad display is about as bright as the Dell's Samsung display. You can interpret that a few ways. I would say that both displays are fairly bright and are not dim by any means. Of course I've seen brighter displays, but I seem to have my X60s set to one level below full brightness (6 of 7) while at the office which has very bright overhead lights.

The screen res is a bit of a bummer. The vertical resolution is nearly the same where I do miss the pixels is in the width. It's always nice to have a little more horizontal space for work and play. Once you get used to it it isn't such a big deal. Onc benefit is that text on the X60s is a bit larger so it's easier on my eyes.

 

I wonder how it is different with the X60s and the X60. My X60 seems just as bright as the D420? In fact, it's just as bright as my 200 nitts Joybook S72 and S73G...

 

Thanks for the photos, iTwins. I have to say that the D420 is a very good looking notebook. Some users may also like that all keys are full size, in contrast to the X60 with the backspace and some other keys cut in half. On the other hand, it only takes some time to get used to the smaller keys on the X60.

 

Honestly 3 hours on the 6-cell is probably conservative though, since I got that time with maximum brightness, Wi-Fi on, and music playing (as the review states). If the brightness is reduced mildly and the system is just idle, the battery indicator tends to show something closer to 4 to 5 hours. I would expect the 9-cell battery to get battery life in the 5-7 hour range rather than 4:30.

 

My pleasure. To tell you the truth, I've been using the X60 for 2 weeks now and I still couldn't get used to the X60's tiny backspace. Every persons I talked to hate the tiny backspace. Despite this, I still prefer the X60 over the D420 for many reasons:

- much faster CPU
- much faster HDD
- much faster RAM
- more generous components
- battery last longer
- surprisingly, CHEAPER!!

I hate to see Dell following Sony's footsteps where they give you a mixture of new and old components but charge you a hefty premium, then exaggerate its capabilities!

The X60's not that bad looking too really. A pic of the X60 with its docking base:



Too bad it doesn't come with DVI and they make you carry the docking base with you because the disc drive can only be part of the docking and nowhere else. IBM does sell external USB DVD burners but even their sales respresentatives say "Do not buy it!" because they are ultra-expensive!

PS. Might I also add that the X60 is still a little behind the times...no card reader. Even Dell pull through with that in the D420...

 

Super pi is single threaded.

So this ULV core solo is not on a par with TL-50. It is on a par with half of TL-50.

 

Here are some pics of the D420 and X60s. The X60s has the slim 4-cell battery (good for 3 hours). Both machines are set to max brightness. The D420 is just a tad brighter in this instance. Notice how much smaller the X60s is compared to the D420. Keep in mind the X60s will run circles around the D420.

 

I always wonder how valid Super Pi tests are....

In almost all CPU tests of all benchmarking tools out there, results always show the 1.73 Sonoma are slightly faster than the 1.66 Core Duo EXCEPT Super Pi, which is the other way around...

Makes you really wonder...

 

Thanks for the information. Glad to hear that 3 hours was on some loads. I would like to know how long the 6-cell battery would last with wifi on, no music, surfing the internet on half way brightness. The dell e1405 lasted about 4 hours with a regular CoreDuo, and the latitude d620 with quadro vga lasts little more than 3 hours. I'm hoping it can last much longer because of the slow hard disk, and the slow CPU.

I ordered mine yesterday with a U2500, 80 GB Hard. Because of the 80 GB hard, it shows the shipping will be delayed, and will be shipped out next month. I checked toshibas website, it shows that 80 GB hard disks uses Perpendicular recording, and it is faster, also consumes less power compared to the 60 GB model.

 

How is the screen quality? I've seen so much dirty screens from dell these days. Every Inspiron e1405 with wxga+ truelife screen was dirty, and grainy. I can even see that on all the latitude D620 screens with wxga+. There are lots of posts complaining about grainy and washed out dirty looking dell screens these days. Wonder how the screen quality is for the D420. Is it dirty or grainy at all?

One more question, does the D420 has a built in internal mic in it?

 

The D420 does have a built-in interal mic.

As for the screen, it will always depend on the manufacturer, but the AU Optronics screen I have is pretty decent: very minimal light leakage, good brightness, and uniformity. The only aspect that isn't so great is viewing angles, but they are perfectly fine for normal use (just don't expect others to crowd around your 12.1" screen and see everything perfectly, although I doubt the likelihood of anyone crowding around such a small screen anyway). In regards to graininess, the screen seems to be no worse than my HP DV1000, which is also has an AUO panel.

As for the previous question about battery life with the 6-cell, I'd expect about 4+ hours on half brightness with Wi-Fi on while surfing the internet (i.e. light load, no constant music playing in the background).

 

I think the better comparison to the IBM X60 is the Gateway E-100. The only that that it doesn't have that the IBM has is the faster processor. The E-100 doesn't have the U2500 as an option right now and you're only limited to the Core Solo.

 

Great review, thanks.
I realize that the availability of the Core Duo is a recent "upgrade" to the line, but I'm wondering whether I should be waiting for Dell to put the Merom in the D420?

Has anyone seen any comparisons of typical battery life between the Core Duo and the new Core2Duo for notebooks?

 

If you can wait, by all means wait for Merom, and the next Intel processor, and the next Intel processor, and the next Intel processor....

One of these days you will have to draw the line...

 

That wasn't so bad...completely installed Windows Vista Build 5384 in less than 45 minutes on the U2500 D420. Despite the system only have 512MB RAM, the D420 boots up Vista very smoothly. The only problem is Vista couldn't recognize the 945GM GPU and neither do Windowsupdate or Intel have the drivers available. So, no idea if Aero Glass is supported or not...

 

Just a small update on battery life with the 6-Cell: I am consistently getting almost exactly 3 hours with max brightness and Wi-Fi on with constant music playing, browsing, and writing (i.e. the system never idles for a second).

While some may find this too low, I think it's more than acceptable for a flush-mounted battery as abaxter has said. The option of turning down the brightness is always there, as is the 9-Cell option should you so desire...

As for Dell's claimed battery life (and every other manufacturer on the market for that matter), they must be using lowest brightness and most conservative power savings methods to come up with their numbers. There is no way the 6-Cell can provide 6 hours unless it is with Wi-Fi off, and lowest brightness as Dell claims (the battery meter does indicate 6 hours is possible with these settings, but I just don't consider this realistic usage).

 

Windows Vista Build 5384 Performance Rating Comparison:

Vista favors the Pentium-M 1.6 GHz Dothan over the Core Duo ULV 1.2 GHz...

Dell Latitude D420 (U2500) - (945GM Express driver not available yet)


Lenovo Thinkpad X41 Tablet PC


Lenovo Thinkpad X60 - (945GM Express driver not available yet)


BenQ Joybook S73G - (I only allocated 8GB HDD to Vista for testing)

 

Thanks for the information and the update. I think 3 hours is actually good with all those things especially running music the whole time, and maximum brightness. I read somewhere that keeping the WiFi on does not effect the battery time that much, so I usually keep mine on all time.

I'm waiting for my D420 with U2500 and a 80 GB hard. Delivery estimate time is September 11. Placed order on August 10th.

 

No problem. Good things come to those who waited on the D420--dual core standard in this case.

 

I'm just wondering how does the D420 with the U1300 at 1.06ghz compare to the U1400 at 1.2ghz? I know the 200mhz difference isn't very significant, but what is the difference in terms of real world performance? Anyone here have some hard numbers for me and not some estimated numbers?

 

Also, your D420 has no issues like slowdown using MS Office 2003? Like Word, Power Point, Outlook, and Excel? Even when on battery mode in which the CPU clock speed decrease?

 

Guys, I need someone to answer the two of my posts above. I really need some answers!!!