Dell Latitude E4300 User Review

The Latitude E4300 is one of the two ultraportable laptops in Dell’s new E-series release. Designed for business customers, the laptop carries a hefty starting price of $1,834 Canadian although that price can be negotiated down significantly with volume.

The E-series caught my eye as I’d previously owned a Latitude D820, which has served me very well for the past two years. I’ve even dropped it on concrete with only a scratch. Dell Customer Service for Small Business was superb, delivering new keyboards overnight, or sending a technician over, the next day with almost no questions asked.

For a university student with 6-7 hours of lecture every other day, battery life and portability are key. The D820 comes in at 6.5 lbs, so I was looking for something a little more portable. The E4300 fit the bill at an advertised 3.3 lb starting weight. I’d actually ordered another laptop from the Dell ultraportable line-up earlier this summer – the XPS M1330. However, its keyboard was cheap and unresponsive compared to the Latitude D820 I had, so it was promptly returned.

The E-Series competes with the Lenovo X301 and the Sony Z laptops in the same price range. Almost all internal laptop components are drawn from the same manufacturers. In theory, one could price a laptop with a similar configuration for almost $1,000 less (Lenovo’s X200). That $1,000 premium you pay as a business customer is for high quality build, user interface components and prompt and reliable customer service. As you’ll see in this review, Dell certainly delivers with its top-rate customer service. Unfortunately, customer service alone is only part of what makes a good notebook, and the Dell E4300’s user interface devices leaves something to be desired.

Configuration:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo SP9400 (2.40GHz, 1066MHz, 6MB Cache)
• Screen: 13.3 inch, WXGA LED Backlit (matte finish)
• Memory: 4GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM
• Storage: 80GB 7200 RPM HDD
• Optical Drive: TSSTcorp DVD+RW TS-U633A
• Wireless: Intel 5300 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Graphics: Intel X4500 HD
• ExpressCard slot
• Web Camera and Microphone
• Battery: 56 Whr 6-cell
• Standard E-Series 65 W Adaptor
• Windows Vista Business with XP Pro Downgrade
• Advertised Weight: 3.3 lbs
• Price: $2,338.00 (Canadian including tax)

Build Quality

The brushed metal look is gorgeous on the Dell E4300. It certainly looks sexy, and to Dell’s credit, this is also its best laptop yet in terms of build quality. The laptop feels amazingly solid with its magnesium alloy chassis. There is absolutely no hint of flex on the palm rest, or on the laptop screen. Attempts to twist or prod resulted in no ripples on the screen. It is worth noting how solidly built the metal hinges are. There was hardly any motion regardless of the positioning or angle of the screen. The 6-cell battery protrudes from the back of the laptop, and is hardly noticeable, although that is a matter of personal taste. Again, Dell has been outdone by its competitor Lenovo, which manages to fit in its own 6 cell battery without having it protrude.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The input devices are arguably the most important components to a premium business laptop. Business users spend hours on their laptop, and expect the highest, and most comfortable experience possible. Here is where Dell falls short of my expectations. The keyboard on the Dell E4300 is actually a step down from the keyboard on the Latitude D820 in my opinion. The keys are more textured, but feel lighter, cheaper and less responsive. They are also noticeably nosier – I’d subjectively put the increase in noise at about 200-300%. Also unlike the Latitude D-series, there is considerable flex especially in the lower right hand corner of the keyboard, where Dell has placed the Page Down and Page Up keys above the right and left arrow keys respectively. This may have disrupted the structural integrity of the keyboard. The lightness of the keys may also be due to Dell’s integration of the backlight feature on the keyboard, which I did not purchase. I’ve tried this keyboard out for a week, and still find it inferior in terms of responsiveness, and obviously noise, to the Latitude D820. The E4300 keyboard is only a few steps above the terrible keyboard on the XPS M1330.

To its credit, Dell has included a blue TrackPoint that is very effective. The precision and comfort in using the TrackPoint is a considerable improvement over the D-Series TrackPoint device. With it, there’s no need to ever take your hands off the keyboard to move it down to the touchpad.

Speaking of the touchpad, I found it inaccurate and sometimes detecting the motion of my hands and causing my cursor to annoyingly jump around while typing. It’s also very easy to inadvertently move into the areas of the touchpad with scrolling functions, which is also very annoying. These failures may be due to the change in drivers from Synaptics to Alps as reported previously. My touchpad on my D820 used a Synaptics driver, so that may explain the performance difference.

Screen

As soon as I turned on the computer for the first time, I was disappointed to find tinges of yellow-orange splotches on the default Latitude brushed metal background for my desktop. I tried watching several television shows that had worked flawlessly on my previous laptops, only to find yellow splotches laying over the skin texture of individuals' faces. The laptop LCD also came with two vertical yellow lines down the right hand side that are visible when viewing a black screen. Perhaps these incidents and manufacturing failures are isolated only to my laptop.

The horizontal viewing angles were quite good. The laptop screen was also significantly brighter due to the LED backlighting compared to my D820 with CCFL screen. There are 15 levels of brightness that you can adjust to using Fn+Up or Fn+Down. The forth and fifth level of brightness is equivalent to the maximal brightness on my Dell D820 screen, which says a lot about how much brighter the screen is. Vertical viewing angles were poor, but it’s unlikely you’d ever watch anything on the laptop from those positions.

I actually went to the Sony Style Store to directly compare the screens of both the Sony Z and the Dell E4300 with the Sony Z the clear winner in both resolution and contrast. The E4300 screen is simply not that sharp. Reports of the X301 screen operating at a brilliant 300 nits show that premium ultraportables can and should have beautiful screens.

Audio

Business laptops are not renowned for their audio. While in a plane, or in a boring lecture, you would most likely want earbuds or headphones to listen to music. I did try out the speakers. They are significantly tinny, with little bass, regardless of the volume one chooses.

Included Software

Latitude ON Reader

One of the most talked about features for the new E-series has been the Linux-based instant-on feature. When rolled out fully in November, Latitude ON will enable you to use Microsoft Office, access email and use an internet browser. So far, the only feature it allows is synchronizing with your Outlook and reading emails. The interface is satisfactory, and comparable to the Dell Media user interface found on the consumer series. It’s a gimmick more than anything else at this point.

Dell Control Point

The Dell E4300 comes with Dell Control Point software in the same vein as Lenovo’s ThinkVantage software. I found the power features particularly useful with a variety of advanced options that allow you to control power down specific components of your laptop such as the optical drive or media card.

Performance

With a 2.40GHz Cure 2 Duo Processor and having only an integrated card, the Dell E4300 packs similar performance to its bigger brother the Dell E6400. As a result I’ve included only a few performance benchmarks in this review. The processor is effectively the same as the P8600, except in small factor a minor 3MB cache boost.

This was clearly evident when comparing the start-up times to Windows XP SP3. My E4300 reached the windows login page in 35 seconds, and finished loading windows in 61 seconds flat. In comparison, by D820 took 1:09 to reach the Windows Login, and an additional 1:44 to fully load Windows XP. Bear in mind that my D820 has more programs, but the difference is appreciably significant.

Note that all tests here were conducted under “Maximum Performance” setting in Dell Control Point. I’ve omitted the 3DMark05 Results due to the fact that the performance of the integrated Intel GM45 should be similar to the Latitude E6400.

SuperPi:

Hard Disk Drive

The supplied 80 GB 7200 RPM HDD is a Samsung HM081HJ. The performance was significantly better than the Hitachi 80 GB 7200 RPM that came with my D820. I intend to get a SSD in a few months when the prices drop, which should improve performance.

Heat and Fan Noise

Heat is always a worry with ultraportable laptops. To combat this, Dell has gone along with the Intel SP9400 processor that features a lower voltage 25 watt processor, which means less heat. The E4300’s fan is whisper quite compared to my D820. The metal chassis does a very good job of absorbing the heat. The fan does a very good job in expelling heat to the side. The air is noticeably hotter than that from the D820 indicative of excellent heat removal. Compared to my D820, which gets uncomfortably warm, the E4300 is cool as a breeze. The palm rests always stay cool, while the temperature of the bottom chassis does get a little toasty when the processor is stressed.

Battery Life

While writing this review for about two hours on Microsoft Word using this laptop on the first level of brightness with wireless on, and some light internet browsing using Firefox, the Dell battery meter reads that there are 3 hours and 25 minutes remaining with 67% of the battery. You can expect between 5-6 hours using the Dell E4300 6-cell battery with some light office work. Battery life is therefore comparable to its competitors.

Wireless and Networking

I reached speeds of about 130MBps using the Intel 5300 Wireless Card to a D-Link Extreme 802.11 n router.
Input and Outputs Ports

The E4300 comes equipped with:

• 2 USB ports with the ability to share power
• 1 VGA
• 1394 port
• 1 docking connector
• 1 RJ-45
• 1 eSATA/USB Combo Port
• 1 Headphone/Speaker Out
• 1 Mic Port

It’s worth noting that the VGA output on my 22-inch monitor was quite good.

Conclusion

Aesthetically this is the sexiest Dell business laptop yet. Dell’s Customer Service for Small Business has proven its superb care once again. I tried very hard to love this laptop given my positive experiences with the Dell D820, and Dell Business Support previously, but ultimately couldn’t get over the engineering shortcomings for the $2,250 that I paid. The screen is flawed, the keyboard flexes and is a step down in terms of responsiveness and noise to my Latitude D-Series notebook. When the user interface experience and performance is comparable to the XPS M1330 or the Lenovo U330, it’s hard to justify a $1,000 premium over those laptops. I wrote this whole review on the Dell E4300. It’s not a bad notebook. If the Dell E4300 lived in its own universe, it would be a solid notebook. But unfortunately competition exists, and its premium pricing is awfully high.

Pros:

• Good Battery Life of 5-6 Hours
• Superior Customer Service
• Superior Build Quality and Durability
• Good, Snappy Performance
• Relatively Cool and Quiet

Cons:

• Poor Screen Quality Compared to Competitors (See Sony Z and X301)
• Unresponsive, Noisy Keyboard a Step Down from the Latitude D-Series
• Expensive
• Poor Audio Quality

 

Thanks for the review, but no 3dmark benchies? And tsk tsk, should never leave the battery in when taking the computer apart.

 

Yeap,very nice review

 

what was the brightness level for your review battery testing? because laptops can havevery different life when brightness all the way up

 

excellent review but i would have loved to see real life pics

 

The E4300 keyboard is only a few steps above the terrible keyboard on the XPS M1330.

pardon me? Am I missing something?

I thought that XPS M1330 has one of the best keyboars, well for me it feels a bit more gummy than its Vostro brother (because of how well my Vostro 1400 is built), but Vostro has the best keyboard in the world, built like a tank with excellent layout, silent keys, strong plastic and great responsiveness and I type on it 128 words per minute (last time I measured).

XPS is a bit lightweight and you can't crush it so badly like Vostro but I still like it more than 90% keyboards on the market. If your keyboard on XPS is faulty, curved, not finished correctly...get a replacement.

There is even a thread that talks about it...

wow, that was an experience reading this review...DELL was advertising its keyboard everywhere, with more than 40 inovations (its words) and 200 patents (my ) should be the best keyboard in the world...bla bla

and this reviewer puts it to dust together with my beloved XPS ;P

what is a good keyboard then? APPLE one? hahaha... or Thinkpad's one? with outdated layout and small corner keys? 'cmon

 

I'll ask you one question. Have you tried any Latitude/Thinkpad keyboards?

The XPS M1330 keyboard feels like the same one that they used back in the day... maybe they still do... on the really cheap Inspiron computers. Perhaps somebody else will agree with me that has used a business-level keyboard.

The Vostro keyboard is pretty good. Just a little below the Latitude keyboard in terms of responsiveness in feel.

I absolutely hated typing on the XPS M1330 keyboard (hence why I ought a Vostro to replace it) - I returned it for other reasons in addition to the keyboard.

For this review though, the appropriate point of comparison is the predecessor series of the Latitude - i.e. the D-series. And compared to the D series, in my opinion, it falls short.

I've only experience Thinkpad and Latitude keyboards for the past 5 years. I used a HP consumer notebook previously, which also wasn't too bad. Compared to all of those, the XPS M1330 was mushy, little responsive, felt cheap, etc.

That's all in my own opinion though. If you like the XPS M1330 keyboard that's great, because it really is a great notebook design-wise aside from the keyboard (in my opinion).

 

Very good review!

 

Thanks for the input on the keyboard. I am glad i didn't hold off for the dells for a new laptop. I opted for an x200 instead. The price is quite a lot too for the dells, so it worked out in the end for me. But, I appreciate your input on the E4300.

 

I have an M1330, and for a consumer notebook it has a pretty decent keyboard, but it's not on par with true business laptop like a Latitude or ThinkPad (at least the old ones).

 

I thought the M1330's keyboard is pretty decent too.. but of course I'm coming from a Vaio SZ and well.. I think nearly anything is decent compared to it

In anycase the brushed aluminum lid is certainly sleek.. its one of the features I loved about the Asus W3 series which is now gone.

However is it true that its really scratch prone?

 

The Dell E4300 was almost always encased, in some form or another, even when I flipped it on, in a Zeroshock III case nearly 24/7, so I wouldn't know. I hardly ever touched, and nothing else touched the brushed aluminum metal lid.

 

I found this review to be extremely accurate and spot-on with my exact experiences with the e4300.

Good work. This should be extremely helpful for potential buyers.

Andrei

 

1. yes I have tried, can't live with outdated layout nowadays though, no matter what quality it brings

2. you must realize that Vostro and XPS keyboards ARE THE SAME! It is even the same part when you are ordering it through the internet, just the color will change. And somehow you like Vostro's (I love it) and XPS one is terrible...

a big jump in words for me

yes XPS one isn't so good because it sits on much more fragile ground (if you know what I mean) than Vostro's one sitting on a tank, but by no means it is a bad keyboard.

I admit Thinkpads are different ligue (and allwas have been) and Latitude D are fine (although by no means comparable to Thinkpad) but that are just 2 models, both have old design so I wouldn't choose them now...(I think Vaio Z crushes both of them)

After these 2 models I put Vostro/XPS as next...

Then probably another 12454 hundreds models I tried...I haven't tried all of them so XPS keyboard might not be 3rd, but is certainly not terrible...

btw, it was the reason why I bought XPS, I wanted Vostro quality keyboard in a good portable notebook...and there wasn't any other choice (Sony Vaio Z came out later

last but not least, nice review...but I couldn't resist, you touched my beloved XPS...you!!!

 

Actually, the Vostro and XPS keyboards are different. People who have replaced the m1330 keyboard with a black Vostro one have noticed more metal backing on the keyboard.

I don't understand what you mean by outdated layout re:the D series keyboards.

Oh, and the worst keyboard I have ever used is a Vaio SZ. Loud, spongey, and loose keys(if you know what I mean).

Greg

 

do you even have the notebook, i seriously doubt it cos u dont even have ur own photos, just the official one, quick 75$ bux or however much notebookbookreview payed you for this.

 

Lob,

I communicated with the reviewer at length in several other threads when he first received his notebook. Due to the detailed knowledge he had with its features and issues, he absolutely has the notebook.

Don't want to ruffle any feathers...just wanted to provide my insight on this.

Have a good evening.

Andrei

 

Same here.

 

Any pictures of the actual notebook would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

Yes, real life pics are what's going to pursuade us to buy it online!..

And what about more benchmarks/temps/more in-depth battery life summary as is standard among all reviews..

 

I sent them a bunch - 10-12 photos. The administrators chose not to put it up. Tell me how to upload them, and I will.

I don't have a thermometer - only the ones done by NBR have temperature benchmarks.

I get 5 hours roughly doing normal office work - wireless on, firefox, microsoft office, adobe. What more is there to say...

You're not going to buying this laptop for any other purpose for that. For graphics/design work it sucks.

Andrew, if you want, maybe you could put the photos up. I sent them all to you.

 

I use www.imagebam.com

 

Thanks for the review. I'm impressed by the HDTune result for the HDD. Samsung must be using the fast half of two sides of one platter to maintain such high transfer rates across the disk.

Did you try to get Dell to replace the display?

Is the optical drive 9.5mm or 12.5mm thick?

Did you check the weight?

John

 

Prince_Phoenix,

Good to see a review up on the web - have a similar same problem with the cursor jumping all over the place while typing due to an over sensitive trackstick.

By the way how did you manage a weight of 3.3lbs (1.5kgs) with a 6 cell battery and an 80 gig HDD ?

 

Just about any keyboard is better than the HP Tx2500 I'm typing on atm.

 

Cool review, I am also interested in the speed of your Samsung Harddrive.
Would you care to run pc mark 05 or pcmark vantage on your system, to get real life benchies of the harddrive.
From what it looks, the 80Gb model uses the outer edge of the platter making it faster than the 160, 250 and 320Gb variants.

K-TRON

 

No 1.5kg is with 4 cell as far as I know.

 

I think the 3.3lbs are the weigth Dell uses in their advertisements, not a measured weight of the test system. I would be interested in the actual weight, but I think the test system is already back on its way to Dell, right?

Anyway, I have another question: looking at the pictures it seems there is 1 "powered" USB-port and 1 shared eSATA/USB-port. The test and the specs on Dell's HP mention 2 USB-ports and the eSATA/USB combo seperatly. So how many ports are there?

 

I think so too.

I remember reading somewhere that the real weight is 1.8kg with 6 cell.

 

Do you have anything constructive to add to this thread?

I thought the weight sounded a bit low, 1.8kg seems more realistic as that makes it about 1lb heavier than my D420.

I am convinced that the build quality on the Latitude series has been getting progressively worse over the years. My D610 is excellent, a little lacking in the style department but an extremely solid machine. My D420 is pretty good but there are a couple of flaws in the overall build: The plastic rim above the keyboard (where the speaker grill is located) is notably tacky and the Fn key has become loose.

I fear that by going "stylish" the fundamentals of the machine which have made the Latitudes so good in the past will be sacrificed. As nice as it is to have a sexy laptop, the target market is more interested in the quality of the keyboard and the height of drop it can survive. When I see things such as a 6-cell battery which sticks out of the back I do start to wonder whether Dell have forgotten why we buy Latitudes.

 

Maybe I'm being pedantic but does the battery stick out or is it flush with the hinges, which stick out?

John

 

As far as I know the 6 cell sticks out beyond the hinges on the E4300.

 

Hey, Great review, I just got my E4300... I agree with you on pretty much every point. My review (more informal than the one you posted here) can be read here > ryderstep.com/2008/10/dell-e4300-131-laptop.html

Enjoy.

P.S. John Ratsey... the 6 cell DOES stick out (and it is the target of a lot of my rage recently)... I have ordered a replacement 3 cell battery, which Dell has decided to charge me almost 150$ for.

 

According to the review, it does. I don't see why that was necessary when the 12" D420 can manage one without it sticking out.

 

Maybe for better typing contour (businessmen oriented) and also helps with more heat dissipation

 

Not sure how it actually helps with heat dissipation (and it manages fine without it using the 3-cell) and it does not only raise the laptop but also sticks outwards.

 

So is this photo for the 3 cell or 6 cell battery?



On my (bigger) E6400 the 6 cell sits flush with the hinges which have the same colour as the battery.

John

 

3 cell.

After 3:00 minutes in this video there's the E4300 with 6 cell: http://www.myvideo.de/watch/4885076/Neue_Dell_Latitude_E_Serie

 

Yes, bigger laptops (such as the E6400) will take bigger batteries without them sticking out. Of course, bigger laptops require more power so it's not really a a useful advantage..........

 

can't you write the actual weight and thinness of the laptop? thats a major selling point to this computer that we need verified. Thanks!

 

hello??????????????this thread died

 

There is another thread about the E4300 here.
Maybe you want to check out that thread as well~ Just search for "Latitude E4300" and you will find a thread called "Latitude E4300 first impressions"

 

Looks sweet! I must say, I saw an Inspiron and Studio in Walmart the other day, and they look thick and bland compared to this baby. :yes:

 

I have a company Thinkpad W500 with a very high configuration, but then I have to replace it with a Dell E4300 for its weight. After having a chance to use the two laptops, I have the following conclusions:

Lenovo W500:​

+ Quiet, less heat​

+ Much heavier (yes, 15.4 vs 13.3)​

+ Screen brightness is a biggest problem - too dim even with highest brightness​

+ Bad keyboard as compared to previous ThinkPad​

+ Not as fast as what we expect (with T9600) - I think Lenovo's power management software/hardware actually undervoltage the CPU to make it cooler​

+ Intergrated graphic card can't work with external 16:9 screens. I have to use ATI card (Lenovo has disable 16:9 resolutions, not from Intel problems)​

+ The spacebar key touchs the screen when I close the lit, and it make a scratch on the screen.​

Dell E4300​

+ The temperature of the ventilation air is much hotter​

+ Light, just about 1.5Kg​

+ Screen quality is much better, the LED version brings a very good brightness​

+ LED keyboard is much better for working at night. Typing on the keyboard is not comfortable as on the previous Thinkpad (T61p)​

+ The SP9400 processor works very fast in its rank as compare to the T9600 from W500​

+ Intel graphic card 4500 works correctly for external 16:9 screens ​

After having E4300, I feel much better for my eyes, although I heard that the screen quality is not as good as from other branches (like X200,...), but it is still good for me. Any way, after having such a poor screen quality in W500, I will never get Lenovo laptop for my future needs.