Dell Latitude E6500 User Review

by Maciej Pilichowski

The Dell Latitude E6500 is a 15-inch business laptop designed to survive a full day of use and abuse ... and look good while doing it. The magnesium alloy construction, rugged paint finish and tough metal hinges make the Latitude E6500 more durable than older Dell notebooks. As impressive as that all sounds, what do actual users think? Keep reading to find out what one owner thinks of his new purchase.

Technical Specifications:

• Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 (2.80GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
• 4GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz Dual Ranked (2 DIMMs)
• 15.4-inch Ultra Sharp Widescreen WUXGA Screen (1920x1200) 2CCFL
• Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
• Western Digital 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
• HL DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Drive
• 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet Card
• Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module
• Dell 1397 802.11B/G Wireless Mini Card
• Regular Keyboard (not backlit)
• Integrated .30 Mega Pixel Web Camera and Microphone
• 5-in-1 card reader, PCMCIA & ExpressCard 54
• 2 Regular USB Ports, 1 PowerShare USB, 1 eSATA, IEEE 1394,
• VGA and DisplayPort
• Audio Out, Microphone In
• Black Chassis
• 6-Cell Primary Battery
• 90W AC Adapter
• 32-bit Windows Vista Business (installed) with some “free” software
• 3 Years Basic Limited Warranty and Mail-In Service
• 2 Dell bluetooth mice
• Price as configured: $1,192.71 (price includes shipping and taxes).

For comparison, in Poland with on-site NBD service I would pay over $3,129.

Build and Design

The black color makes the E6500 finally look elegant—like an efficient tool for a serious job. The only resemblance of the old, gray and silver days are the hinges and battery. However, in pursuit of the business look somebody went too far and made all the edges very sharp. You won't cut your hand on the edges but placing your hands on the palmrest is not as comfortable as it should be. Additionally, the screen protective paddings are not placed around the lid (as in D610) but next to keyboard.

The laptop is very sturdy—for the first time I am able to lean on palmrest. The hinges work so firmly that it is even a bit difficult to open or close the laptop (when you tilt the lid back the keyboard goes up). The only weak point is the bezel below the screen—there is a lot of space between it and the screen and you can bend it easily. The flex is not that important, but the gap is so big that dust will certainly collect there.

You don’t have to push credit card into the gap, it just falls there.

The lid latch is not centered as in D610—it is placed a bit to the right. When the laptop is closed the left part of the lid is not pressed firmly against the palmrest and it rattles a bit. Nothing serious but after design lessons Apple gave such issues should be history in business class laptops.

You can see how tiny the lid latch is—no chance to keep the lid firmly in place.

One of the advantages of desktops over laptops is the ability to disassemble the computer and replace any part of it. The E6500 is more like a desktop in that Dell did not hide anything and provided a detailed service manual.

I was happy the new power supply is slim and lighter than before (~0.3kg comparing to ~0.42kg old brick) until I put the laptop itself on a scale. The nearly 2.7kg weight of the E6500 cannot be justified by its size. I'd call the E6500 is a "desktop replacement" rather than a portable machine.

At last—the power supply on a diet.

There are several status LEDs (HDD, battery, Wi-Fi, bluetooth, num lock, caps lock, scroll lock and power status) placed at the top of the keyboard, another two (power and battery) next to the left hinge and one more at the plug for the power cord—all in blue and all unnecessarily bright.

One small thing that caused me a lot of trouble already is that the media bay security screw is missing (again) so I have to buy it on my own.

Screen

You can read a lot of warnings online against buying high resolution screens. I took a risk previously and I took the risk this time. I can only say, buy the highest resolution possible no matter what. I wear glasses and I want to read sharp, clear text instead of admiring big pixels so high resolution serves me well. One note—you can benefit from having high resolution when using modern desktop environments like KDE. The well known Windows system does not guarantee the same comfortable experience (I tried XP on D610 and Vista on E6500).

The colors are great—white is snowy white and with maximum brightness it even hurts my eyes so I dim the screen to about 60%. You can set the brightness manually or you can turn the ambient light sensor on to automatically adjust the brightness for you. In the first 10 minutes after booting it appeared that this feature was useless, in a pretty funny way. When I looked at the screen it seemed too dark, so I leaned forward to read the text. It was so easy to read that I leaned back and again I couldn’t see too much. The problem is I have a lamp behind me, so any movement changes brightness.

The viewable angles are not spectacular—wide horizontally, narrow vertically. It means that you have to tilt the lid back a bit for normal usage and tilt it towards you if you watch a movie. There is some minor light leakage at the bottom of the screen—not noticeable while working though. Just out of curiosity I pressed the screen directly (not the lid) and I noticed some slight distortions (ripples). However, the screens seems to be more solid than in older D610.

The lid won’t go any further.

The main drawback for me is the widescreen. In my opinion it is wrong to put them in a business class notebook—widescreen is only good for movies. While writing this review I was constantly switching from the D610 to the E6500 and back—4:3 just knocks the widescreen down when it comes to any writing/reading, the big margins are a distraction. On the other hand, zoom-to-width text decreases the number of lines. I will utilize the widescreen by placing some toolbars vertically (“Styles” pane in OOWriter for example), but it is a rather artificial solution to the problem.

I tried watching movies and I admit, they look great. Still, this is a Latitude series. Dell, know your target audience (or maybe you do, and this would be scary).

Speakers and Audio

This time speakers are placed next to keyboard—it is a pity, because a more ergonomic keyboard layout would be more welcome than some fancy speakers. They don’t provide better sound compared to the D610 and also sound more metallic. Also, the grills are very hard to clean. Not that I clean my laptop very often (I hardly do) but at least I wish I would be able to. Of course the next day after purchase one drop from nowhere left a beautiful stain on the left speaker. Perfect.

When you want to listen to music or watch movie using headphones—good news, the sound is clear, no electronic static, no hiss, when there is no sound, there is no sound—pure silence.

Processor and Performance

In normal usage I see a slight performance boost over the D610, but I didn’t expect any—I tested OpenOffice, GIMP, Opera and Firefox. If you intend to run Vista start up is rather slow and the devices are enabled and disabled two or three times (after each booting up), shutting down the system could be faster too. VirtualBox seems to run slower than on my 2GHz D610 with openSUSE 10.3 installed.

Keyboard

You already know why I wanted to buy the Thinkpad W500—the keyboard layout. The D610 has an OK layout but Dell decided to remove four keys in the E6500—the menu key, print screen, num lock and pause. For a laptop this is like a death sentence. I don't understand it. There is enough room for making some improvements like moving arrow keys slightly to the right, adding menu and win keys between alt and ctrl, adding gaps between pairs of F4-F5 and F8-F9. None of those were done—the layout is crippled even further. Bad!

Luckily navigation keys (home, end, page up/down) are not integrated with arrow keys but no menu key...

Having an Fn key does not help too much because all Fn+key shortcuts are hardwired, for example Fn+F6 is a dead combo.

The keys are lowered a bit (relatively to the palmrest) which causes problems when typing. You cannot put down a hand in a rest position and press the arrow keys ... you have to hit the key with a finger from above. It feels unnatural and does not help curing RSI at all. And there is another obstacle when typing—the trackpoint cap is above the keys and I hit it more often in one day than using D610 in three years.

The key mechanism is precise and reliable—it is easy to press a key and if you are a fast typist you will like the E6500 key travel and nice touch. The delete key also has a bump so it is easier to find it without looking.

The keyboard is flat so no need to bend the wrists.

While typing you can feel slight vibrations—they are coming from HDD, not pleasant but more disturbing is a constant humming.

The so called "multimedia" buttons are a joke—odd way to press with no distinct feedback. Why couldn't they be just like regular keys? Mystery.

Touchpad and Trackpoint

When I first used trackpoint I was delighted—a pretty nice device to save my hands (I have RSI). But after a month I figured out that using it is maybe more precise than the touchpad but it is tiresome and from time to time it is stuck and the mouse cursor keeps moving. I attached an external mouse and from then on I never used the trackpoint at all. I use the touchpad from time to time, usually when I go out or when I forget about the mouse.

I wish the E6500 didn't have a trackpoint, it is waste of space and in this reincarnation and it is slippery which makes using it difficult. The touchpad could benefit from removing the trackpoint (and its buttons), but even with it the touchpad could be bigger—there is enough space for it.

The touchpad works fine, but I don’t like the white scroll markings—it does not match the elegant look of the rest of the laptop.

The touchpad buttons work in a pleasant way, unlike the trackpoint ones—you have to use some force to press them. In default installation the middle trackpoint button (scroll button) does not work with the touchpad, only with trackpoint.

Input and Output Ports

The part I somehow missed when I read the reviews of E6400 is that it lacks TV-out (S-Video). It has DisplayPort (finally we have digital signal for video), but no TV-out? Of course there is no adapter included—user has to find one on his/her own. The notion of selling $1,000 hardware and saving $5 on a cable or $0.10 on one screw is killing me.

I am angry at Dell for this and I am angry at myself for not noticing it has no TV-out.

The placement of the audio ports is unfortunate—they are placed on the right, so using headphones and a mouse at the same time is troublesome. Moreover, there is a media bay on the right too, so even more troubles when using the DVD drive. Those audio ports could be placed safely in the front.

Some say the E6500 has four USB ports, I say it has three—one port is eSATA/USB combo. I tried a bit and it didn't fit—maybe if I tried another angle, maybe if I tried a bigger hammer, maybe if I had an extra warranty for such experiments ... But I don’t want to push my luck any further, so... three USB ports for me.

One USB port is PowerShare one, which means it can charge external device even if the computer is off. All of the sudden I took a liking to my non-AA Cowon D2.

From left to right: place for modem, ethernet, battery, DisplayPort and power socket.

Cable lock slot, PowerShare USB (above), USB/eSATA, VGA, air exhaust, ExpressCard and 5-in-1 readers, HDD bay (below).

PCMCIA, media bay (below), smart card reader (above), wireless switch, Wi-Fi catcher, IEEE-1394, audio out, microphone in, two USB ports.

From top to bottom: battery, docking port, air intake.

It is nice to have a camera and microphone built-in but I don't chat online at all (maybe in the future I will use the camera for eye-tracking tasks) so I cannot tell if they are great or not, they simply work. The camera and microphone are literally part of the screen bezel so the camera points in a fixed direction. On the bright side, when the camera is activated, a small blue LED is turned on next to the camera (you should know when they are watching you).

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

No complaints here, connections work as expected and I am very pleased with the Dell bluetooth mouse (no reason to use touchpad or trackpoint).

I am glad to see a hardware switch for wireless devices—you can configure it to switch Wi-Fi, bluetooth or both of them. There is also signal catcher button but for now it just informs it does not control any wireless networks and such feature will be enabled in early 2009 (according to Dell website). A bit hilarious, however I don’t care because it is pretty cumbersome to press this button, even with software upgrade I doubt it will do any good.

Optical Drive

The DVD drive does not make any vibrations other than what I consider "normal" for DVD. One interesting change is tray eject—now it is barely ejected at all. At home I prefer the old way, when the tray comes out in a half, but those who travel may like this minimalistic behavior better—almost no chance to break the tray. After tray is ejected you to pull it all the way out, as always.

Battery

I performed two tests: 100% screen brightness, Wi-Fi on, bluetooth on, no sound, CPU 100%, sleep mode disabled and hibernate set to 5% of batteries. With such settings I played a DVD in fullscreen and the battery lasted for 97 minutes.

With the screen set to 50% brightness, Wi-Fi on, bluetooth on, no sound, CPU 5-30%, sleep mode disabled and hibernate set at 5% of batteries. I used Opera to download a big file in the background. After 112 minutes the battery meter showed 49% and my patience was over so I stopped downloading, started OpenOffice and continued writing this review. After another 77 minutes computer turned off (189 minutes in total).

This level of battery life is quite OK with me. I didn't expect a notebook with WUXGA screen to be a longevity champion—I will survive through a lecture and this counts for me.

The BIOS has nice options to prolong the battery life—ExpressCharge lets you choose the charging speed (I left "slow" intact, according to Dell not all batteries allow fast charging) and the ability to disable charging at all (this can be switched on the fly).

Heat and Noise

Dell did a nearly excellent job dealing with heat and noise. First of all the E6500 does not heat up—I used both CPU burn-in and Prime95 to torture the CPU for more than two hours, I managed to get the CPU at 78 degrees Celsius (according to I8kfanGUI) and the palmrest kept the temperature of the human body, the bottom of the laptop was lukewarm and the only warm part (but not hot) was the left speaker. This is a major improvement because the bottom of my D610 is burning hot. So you can say the E6500 is lap friendly.

The E6500 can keep the fan off for a long time—you can additionally tweak power management profiles to keep the laptop very quiet. The only sound is the disk drive humming/clicking and some electronic hiss (I cannot locate the source of it). I have to admit the humming is not noisy but when you have to focus it can be annoying.

When some heat builds up the fan is turned on to about 2800rpm up to about 3100rpm—this is a low speed range. Using just OpenOffice does not trigger the fan at least for several hours, watching on-line videos does—after about 20 minutes, watching DVD—after 5 minutes (in this case fan is inaudible actually because of the the whoosh of the spinning disc). If the low speed is not enough fan kicks into higher gear—~3900rpm. It is the level of some serious number crunching—I get immediate headache from the noise, but on the other hand I can take a break (better than any on-screen reminder).

It would be better to have fins slightly twisted.

The heat and noise department looks like a big success. But that's not true entirely. The minor issue is using flat grills on the intakes of the air vents—in the D610 the fins of the grill are slightly rotated. It doesn’t guarantee perfect air flow but adds some safety. But the huge mistake is air exhaust—it is placed on the left, not at the back. So not only it is more noisy when running (the lid does not muffle the noise anymore), but you have to smell characteristic hot-hardware odor. The hot exhaust also makes it unpleasant to put your left hand next to the laptop. And since I use the mouse with my left hand (to save my right one for typing, I am right-handed) I am furious when I feel hot air on my hand.

Big and effective but its place is in the back.

I mentioned sounds made by the hard drive—by default the drive "clicks" (like a watch). After a while it gets on the nerves. The NBR forum has some lengthy threads about this issue. You can do things to prevent the clicking noise but still the hum of the disk can be heard.

Customer Support

Dell: Dell just reassured me that my order was correct; the package was delivered as promised. That was the end of any contact with them. Other than the fact that their outlet website is not the best I have seen it serves its purpose. At least I managed to buy two computers using their web page without too much time spent.

Western Digital: I am genuinely disappointed in them. I tried to solve the clicking HDD problem and I posted a question about WD software at the same time to WD and also at NBR forum. WD answered incorrectly ("replace your disk&rdquo after a week. By comparison I got a 100% accurate answer at the NBR forum the very same day I asked the question (thank you, Tinderbox).

Conclusion

The Dell Latitude E6500 is a powerful beast without any doubt. However, if I had another chance (and more time) to buy a notebook, would I buy it again? Although I love the cooling improvements and the build quality, no, I wouldn't. I would try to buy a Thinkpad W500 instead, my choice from the beginning. The W500 does not solve all the issues I mentioned but the keyboard—absolutely the most important input device for me—is better (layout + number of keys). So I cannot honestly recommend the E6500. Still, it might suit you better than me.

I would like to thank my friends, Pawel and Krzysiek, for helping me buy a new computer—what would I do without you guys? Thank you very much!

Pros:

• Superb 1920x1200 screen with great colors
• Cool and very quiet
• Very sturdy black chassis
• Offers DisplayPort, PowerShare USB and eSATA
• Good quality of audio output (e.g. headphones)
• Easy to disassemble
• Visible camera activation
• Slim and light power supply
• Nice touchpad buttons

Cons:

• Poor keyboard (not enough keys and too small for size of notebook)
• Horrible trackpoint (interferes with typing and offers poor control)
• Heavy, angular shape
• Unfortunate lid latch
• Bad placement of screen protective padding
• Noisy HDD (in a silent room)
• Poor speakers placement
• Too few USB ports
• Poor audio ports placement
• Small touchpad

 

Thank you for your detailed review. I was surprised that Dell removed the menu key too.

I disagree with your comment about business computers not using wide screen though: I have a widescreen at work and I find it very useful, because I can fit more side by side.

I like how honest you are between pros and cons. You call out important features for a lot of people.

Will you add any benchmarking?

 

Good review, I might have to stay away from this one.

 

Out of curiosity, why did you end up passing on the Thinkpad?

 

Hi Maciek!

I'm also a big proponent of the highest possible DPI - good to see another review supporting the idea.
I would blame trackpoint software/settings for all your inconveniences. I have an HP and a ThinkPad - both with trackpoint devices - and both work smoothly, precisely and reliably.

PS
The price in PL is really awkward! :wink:

Good question!

 

I agree that highest resolution is best. Wide screen does NOT allow more pages to be put side-by-side - it's higher resolution that does that. Widescreen is essentially a gimmick, IMHO.

As for the ThinkPad question...well, ThinkPads aren't made like they used to be.

 

Do you suggest Dells are? :wink:
Actually, this Dell looks like my four year old HP nx8220. Especially for its (great) old scholl keyboard layout (that HP had stopped offering for a mysterious reason...)

 

I can't say for the new lenovo T series, but the T61 does feel more rugged than the new latitudes (at least for the E6400).

Nice review, by the way

 

The widescreen may still not suit some people but whether we like it or not, there is no escaping it. I considered the E6400 and E6500 but they indeed seem lacking in some aspects - might as well give the Lenovo T400 or T500 a go.

 

very intresting read, thx for the work you put in it!

 

Dell lists the weight as 2.3kg, not 2.7kg. Is the added weight from the non-LCD screen?

 

I wonder why you chose to get the E6500 instead of the E6400? I realize there's a price difference between the two (and a size difference as well)...but I think your review would have probably seemed more positive with the E6400.

 

lol at the credit card between the screen haha

bro you should be photographer that picture you took with christmas tree and the dell together was simply stunning that is easily the best picture i EVER SEEN on this site.

Great review as well.

 

It's the combination of widescreen & higher resolution that makes viewing multiple windows side-by-side possible. For instance, the D610's highest resolution display was SXGA+ (1400x1050) with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The comparable "widescreen" display would be WSXGA+ (1680x1050) with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Obviously, the WSXGA+ (with the additonal width accomodating 280 more pixels across) will be easier to view two windows or documents side-by-side. The 4:3 aspect ratio had its limitations and switching to 16:10 was a logical choice, at least that's how I see it. The lack of demand for 4:3 obviously led to it's demise. The Latitude D530 discontinued in mid-2008 was Dell's final 4:3 model...and possibly the final 4:3 on the market.

I have the Latitude E6400, the 14.1" version of the 15.4" E6500. Personally, I find the keyboard size and layout to be almost ideal, even on my slightly smaller model. You do make a valid point that mounting the speakers on the sides of the keyboard consume space that could have been used to expand/enhance the keyboard. However, I really like the speaker placement. There is an acoustical advantage to the new location because sound isn't blaring directly up the display screen. I like the fact that there is room above the keyboard for useful things like volume controls, LED indicator lights and the power button.

Your mention of sharp edges has been mentioned by other reviewers and owners. The front edge in particular becomes uncomfortable on the part of my hand/wrist resting on it when I type for extended periods. The tiny ridge that serves no purpose other than to add visual detail only exacerbates this issue! They should have carried over the Brushed Metal Black texture/look from the exterior onto the wrist rest and softened the front edge slightly. Note to Dell- make that happen and, voila!, you've got the E6450 and E6550!

The E6500 and E6400 latch design may differ, but the latch and release button on my E6400 are excellent. I'm just thankful that it has a real latch and doesn't rely on hinge tension like most other notebooks! The little cushion pads would make more sense attached to the display bezel instead of just under the speakers on the wrist rest edges...but does it really matter?

As for ports, the eSATA/USB combo port is a little stiff until you use it a few times, then it works just like the others. So there are, in fact, four USB ports plus the very useful eSATA capability and PowerShare is a nice extra, too. To each his own, but I prefer the audio ports on the side and toward the back rather than on the front. Ideally, they would be on the left side rather than the right....I'm an external mouse user also. Just be thankful that Dell didn't repeat their inexplicably stupid choice of USB port placement from the Studio 15 notebook. On the Studio, the two right side USB ports are located at the FRONT edge of the right side- they are, in effect, useless if you use an external mouse!

I'm not sure what to make of your noisy HD issue. I have an 80GB 7200rpm hard drive in my E6400 and it is quiet as a mouse. The Touchpad is small, but it is a pleasure to use (in terms of tactile feel and movement). The Trackstick works fine for me, too. It isn't quite as good as the ones I've used on older ThinkPads, but it's nice to have an addition option to the touchpad...especially in situations where an external mouse isn't practical.

 

Great review

That price can't be right though. It seems like it should be around 2k as configured and 1.2 as base. Misprint?

Thanks to dell for removing the menu key. I absolutely despise that key, never use, and continuously press it during light gaming, which minimizes the game.

The keyboard does look below average for a 15 inch; however, if price is correct and performance isn't randomly far below the CPU and Ram thats on it, I would defiantly consider getting it.

 

This is my first review, and while I understand the need for polishing my text for NBR purposes I am really surprised
of heavily editings, which changed my point too much. This is not something you do without consulting author first, because there
is my name, and it looks like I wrote things I've never written (and vice versa, I wrote things that were silently deleted).

I put as Cons -- in bold, at the first place -- "air exhaust placed on the left". Month ago, when I was writing this review I already
suspected this would be a problem, after a month I already know -- avoid E6500 and avoid any other machine with such design. I already
have problem with my left thumb -- the hot air blow caused irritatation of the nerves (in medical sense) and I have cramps.

Keyboard is still valid issue, but the air exhaust is deal breaker.

Here is my original cons&pros list:

Cons

• air vent (exhaust) on the left,
  
• no TV-out,
  
• not enough keys for productive keyboard usage (e.g. menu key),
  
• mindless keyboard layout—unused size of the laptop,
  
• trackpoint interferes with typing,
  
• widescreen,
  
• forced payment for the operating system,
  
• no installation disc with operating system (maybe it is just me),
  
• no demo software (like Photo Booth, OpenOffice),
  
• heavy,
  
• angular shape,
  
• unfortunate lid latch,
  
• screen protective paddings placement,
  
• space between lower bezel and the screen,
  
• fixed camera,
  
• “clicking” disk (by default),
  
• a bit annoying HDD humming (in a silent room),
  
• slight vibrations coming from HDD,
  
• too small clearance below the notebook,
  
• flat fins of the air intake grill,
  
• bright status LEDs,
  
• speaker grills,
  
• speakers placement,
  
• too few USB ports,
  
• audio ports placement,
  
• missing media bay security screw,
  
• junk multimedia buttons,
  
• ugly scroll markers on the touchpad,
  
• small touchpad,
  
• difficult to press trackpoint buttons,
  
• slippery trackpoint,
  
• Fn+key shortcuts are hardwired.

Pros

• superb 1920x1200 screen,
  
• vivid and bright colors,
  
• cool and very quiet,
  
• very sturdy,
  
• black chassis,
  
• a lot of ports, most notably: DisplayPort, PowerShare USB and eSATA,
  
• hardware Wi-Fi/bluetooth switch,
  
• good quality of audio output (e.g. headphones),
  
• easy to disassemble,
  
• visible camera activation,
  
• slim and light power supply,
  
• good key mechanism,
  
• nice touchpad buttons.

I added them originally, it appears NBR decided to remove them. So in short -- this laptop is not suitable for gaming. In number
crunching test, for example: Super PI: 000h 00m 39s [2M]. In normal usage you won't see the difference, but dvd ripping,
image processing it fast (and quiet!).

Because I had to make choice within ~2 weeks, there was no W500 at the moment (I spotted only four, 3 overpriced, one ok, but
with incorrect specs, before I sorted things out, it was sold).

It is not that, I have D6100 with trackpoint. But with E6500 it is longer, and it is cap is over keys. You cannot type fast without
touching it. D610 has better keyboard.

All I could get with E64000 is 1440x900, so it was lowering the resolution (vertical 1050 in D610 -> 900 in E64000). That is why I ruled out any 14" WS laptop.

Thank you!

Not noisy, HDD is humming. You can hear it in silent room.

Nope, the price is correct.

a) this is business laptop, not gaming machine
b) if you don't use menu key, disable it in settings, then pressing it does not change a thing

As a reply-for-all -- thank you all for kind words, I really appreciate what you wrote! Thank you .


So, final word (again) -- after a month I can say, I love the CPU and I made a right choice to buy the most powerful that exists, the screen is a joy, but
I wouldn't buy it again. $1,200 for computer which after a month causes health problems? No, thank you.

 

Sweet. I've made exactly the same upgrade from a D610 to E6500. I'm really happy with it.

I got the SSD tho, so no noise issues for me

 

Wow, you do have a long list of cons...though, it seems that you nitpicked a lot more than other reviewers have in the past. Like about the fixed camera (Okay, who cares?) and like the clicking disk (which is probably the HD manufacturer's fault anyway) and the too few USB ports (?!, it has 4! That's amazing for a 14.1" laptop...).

 

D610 vs. E6500 -- lucky you, I think D610 is better overall. At least I hadn't have to do any modifications to it, while with E6500 I am trying to redirect the air output somehow (and on D610 I write a lot faster).

I didn't even considered SSD drive -- it could be auxiliary drive for me, but not a single one -- capacity. I bought 500GB 5400rpm now and it is a pleasure to see "294GB free" .

E6500 is 15.4" not 14.1". About cons&pros list -- you know, I try to be thorough (no matter what I do), so the others would know all possible details. It is better to know in advance, even if some issues seem not important, than be surprised after purchase. Knowing rarely hurts.

 

I think that the reason that some of the cons were removed was likely that some were more opinion than actual faults.

For example, for my use, vents on the side of the laptop are much more desireable. If you often use the laptop on your lap, you will find that rear exhaust vents often get blocked depending on the way I am sitting.

Also, unfortunately, widescreen cannot be treated as an issue, because 4:3 panels are not manufactuered any longer for any brand. I'm fine with widescreen myself, as it reduced the size of the entire laptop, however I really hope that 16:9 does not take over, as it seems that the laptops are becoming wider, not simply losing the unused palmrest space.

I dislike having audio ports on the front and I find that because of the design (there is an indentation where the optical drive is) I can easily plugin headphones without looking.

While I do say that the eSATA/USB port works fine, I do agree with you that it is much too difficult to use when new. For a couple of hours the week I got my E6400, I was constantly plugging and unplugging my thumbdrive to loosen up the ports.

I don't use 15 inch machines often, but I didn't think that 2.7kg is heavy for a 15 inch machine.

Well written review.

Greg

 

Nice review!can't wait for my m4400 to arrive!BTW,can you check what screen do you have on it?

 

I also live in Poland and have to confirm that even if Dell has assembly plant here prices are absurdly high (having in mind near zero-cost of delivery). Most configurations (excatly same compared on dell.com and dell.com.pl , currency difference counted using national bank rates) 40% more expensive than in UK, US, Canada, Australia.
Sad story is that someone 'censored'/edited your review. I thought that those practices were popular in comunism era, but it seems that they are same in capitalism era. ;-) ..irony (?!)

 

Well, the reviews are written by humans not robots, so everything is matter of taste/preference.

Somebody says the laptop is too heavy, other person say she/he is used to it and it is not an issue, and so on.

But my point is -- that my review was altered without noticing me. Cons&pros list is the most important part, but not only one. And since I am mentioned as the author I am responsible for what I wrote. My name counts.

Hmm, D610 has the rear exhaust, I used it on the laps and it never has been blocked (my legs bend down, not up ;-) ). The intake is a problem, not the exhaust.

In E6500 intake is improved, but the left exhaust is blocked _always_ by my left hand. And it is not computer which suffers -- I am.

I don't understand the question. I already wrote about the specs.

I know what you mean... sad, indeed. I wrote what I thought (WD: "pathetic", Dell keyboard layout: "mindless") so maybe it was for the sake of not disturbing companies, but on the other hand I wrote about small clearance below the notebook. I did the test of raising computer and the temperature dropped by 11 C -- info which might be helpful for someone.

I've never thought I would wrote controversial piece about computers ;-).

 

Good review. Although I do like reading reviews that aren't exactly positive, this one seemed a little too 'nit-picky' for my tastes, especially in regards to the keyboard (though I will agree with your complaint about the lack of a windows menu key). I was actually surprised that you mentioned that the keyboard was "too small for this size notebook". That keyboard looks like a typical 15.4" notebook keyboard to me (the entire keyboard deck area bears a striking resemblance to my Compaq nw8440, sans menu key), so I can't see why you're complaining Other examples include "bad placement of screen protective padding" and "Noisy HDD". To me, those are little details (then again, I prefer noisy HDs. Go figure!)

In addition, some the cons you listed don't make any sense or are just plain wrong. Prime example - "Poor speaker placement". How can having the speakers be on either side of the keyboard be "poor"??? IMO, this is the best place to have the speakers. If you put them on the front edge, the sound goes out and down, but if you have them on the keyboard deck, the sound goes out and up, allowing louder volumes and better sound quality (especially if the notebook is in your lap). Of course, this doesn't guarantee sound quality, and the fact that the E6500 uses poor speakers means that it doesn't matter where the speakers are placed; they're going to sound bad.

I do have to agree with you on several other points, though. The lid latch, the small touchpad, and the poor display bezel are several examples. And I do have to agree with you on all the "pros" that you listed (even though I've never used an E6500.

Overall, a good review, despite the fact that it nitpicks a little too much.

 

Good Review. Glad I bought my T500 though

 

I'm gonna defend the nitpicking here. Some people have high standards and pay close attention to small details. Many other reviews on this website neglect to discuss small little tidbits about a laptop that I notice immediately. I own an X200, and nowhere in the review does it mention its problems with video playback (bad dithering of black colors). Also the gap between screen and bezel (although this could be for a privacy filter, not sure).

If I understand correctly, the speaker placement is poor because it interferes with an optimal keyboard layout.

 

Because I use keyboard 16 hours per day, and speakers ~1 hour a day (max.). So it would be great to have keyboard just like desktop keyboard but without numpad. There is place for it, and I would be glad to get rid of those speakers to have much better keyboard.

Speakers can be placed at top of the keyboard or below the screen or in front of the computer (as in D610).

The most important thing is -- speakers in D610 are just fine. I don't mean "ooook, not bad". And "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" -- Dell should keep good solutions and fix the bad ones.

And about nit-picking, yes, I am aware of this but then again, you can easily ignore some of those details while reading, someone else may use them to make better choice (i.e. intentional).

Thank you. This was for such kind of people (because I am also such kind of person -- I like to pay and get thing which I am 100% satisfied with, "purchase worth every penny").

Exactly!

 

Problem is that Dell (due to cost cuts) puts smaller (E6400) keyborad into E6500... because it's easier/cheaper. People are different, so their's hands and mine just aren't so little like statistical Korean/Japan/China citizen , so why no widen by 0,01 mm every key ? and use all space. Dell is happy to gather extra $ for backlight keyborad , but ... customization (i mean keyborad for EU/Russia , US-Ame , Asia - that only three types) ... noooo no way :-L

 

I meant the brand of the screen-i.e. Samsung,LG,etc.

 

You should definitely have purchased a ThinkPad :wink:

I am sure for many people "all that jazz" about TP's keyboards is a hype, but I am even more positive that anyone, after a week or so of 10+ hour per day typing, will recognize and appreciate their quality.

 

The absence of the menu key is let down in my eyes as well. Aside from that, keyboard is absolutely amazing - and I've used the D600 (Same as D610), D800, D820 and D830 prior.

It came from the outlet, hence the price difference.

Just place your hand somewhere else - like the palmrest maybe?

I have no problem with typing on the keyboard pretty fast - trackpoint is not an obstacle. D600 feels like crap compared to the new one.

Cost of delivery is always near zero.
Keep in mind that Poland has 22% VAT tax and the prices quoted in the US have 0% tax.

How can you type on the keyboard with your left hand on the side? Can't picture that.

Didn't Teraforce just write about the cons of all these locations?

I'm currently sitting on a sofa and the laptop is resting on my belly, covering the front edge - making front mounted speakers useless. How is this a good solution?

It's been the same from the DX00 generation.
Still even on the E6400 there is space on the sides.

I'm having a hard time when I have to sit down with my mothers T61 and do some typing...

 

Well, he did not buy a ThinkPad so get over yourself!

 

Sheesh, relax.

Anyway, Thinkpads have their own problems too. It seems the larger chassis of the T series isn't as dense as the X series, so many people experience all kinds of flex. Check it out on youtube.

 

Excellent review, one of the best I've seen on NBR. So many reviews seem like the person writing it is trying to convince themselves they made the best choice. While that may be human nature, it is not helpful to someone contemplating a purchase. It is nice to see a critical review (critical in the sense of "characterized by careful, exact evaluation and judgment") for a change. I think you brought up many significant issues that most reviews neglect. Some things I may not care about or even disagree with, well I can read the review and make up my own mind. Also you are right - NBR should not have edited your review without your permission.

Excellent review, thanks.

 

I don't know how to check it.

So we simply differ in opinion, I prefer D610.

While typing? Sure, but what about the mouse? Besides -- it was the Dell task to make comfortable computer, not mine to avoid
the air exhaust.

In review I included the US tax as well -- so those prices quoted by me are final prices, you don't a penny more.

When viewing the images (it takes only pressing "space" to get to the next picture).

Yes and no -- yes, Teraforce wrote about theoretical disadvantages which are not true in practice.

You mean, you are sitting on a sofa and laptop is touching your belly? I don't have such problems -- for me it is more comfortable
to place laptop closer to my knees so I could move my head up a little at least. Placing laptop afar from the knees, close to the
belly is extremely uncomfortable, because in such case I would have to look down -- it is rather "survival" case, not something
you can enjoy the time.

That was/is the point.

Thank you

Funny thing, while replying to the comments I just realized all it takes is the simple question -- "Forget about the money,
just ask yourself -- «do I like this computer?»". For E6500 (unlike D610) the answer is -- I don't like it. It is not "my buddy".

Well, I hope I'll manage to save some money and buy (W500?) something else soon

 

So you should write that you prefer the keyboard from the past, not that it's better.

You're a leftie?
You were complaining about USB/Audio ports on the right making it difficult to work with a mouse.
As for Dell task - I'm pretty sure they spent millions on the design as well as getting million of feedback from their previous series. They don't fool around doing a laptop like it's mister potato.

The quote was not directed to you. Still, you didn't include the tax rate - it varies by state and did not say it was an outlet model.

You must have huge hands if you can press "space" with your hand blocking the exhaust.

As in my example below - it's pretty true.

I'm lying on the couch with my feet at the same level as my butt, knees at 90 deg angle. Can't put the laptop higher since it's sliding. And screen is at my eye level. Pretty enjoyable for me.

You know the exhaust on the W500 is also on the left side, right? Along with half a dozen other ports really.

 

Thank you for your review.

What is your opinion about 2 CCFL WUXGA screen? Do you think that 15,4" WUXGA is an appropriate option for surfing the net, e-mail, office, etc...?

 

It is better. For me.

Nope. But I hope I was allowed to buy E6500 .

Not about USB -- only about audio.

Spending money on design, and designing something are different things.

Outlet model -- I did. NBR cut that off. Tax rate -- it is Illinois. Total tax was $70.

I have two hands, the left is on the left of the computer, right on the space key.

Before you said you were sitting. Anyway, I had no problems with D610 is such position, but it may be the issue with the belly ;-)

Are you sure? -- it looks more like an intake.

Here is part NBR team removed:
"A little math—my D610 provides ~124dpi, this E6500 provides ~145dpi and even ancient laser printer provides 300dpi with no sweat. (...) WWW: Unlike using installed programs which you can configure as you like, with WWW you are at the mercy of the web page authors. There are a lot of layouts focused on low resolution screens—as the effect you get tightly packed text in one narrow column in the middle. I hope more and more people will notice there is a variety of screens out there but for now reading web pages is the biggest disadvantage of having WUXGA screen."

The screen is great, the resolution is great too. The only weak point is reading web pages -- because of the high resolution
(bitmap images do not scale too good), and because of the widescreen (I pointed out NBR site as bad example).

So -- web pages look so-so, the rest is simply great. I get the same size as before but now much sharper, more clear text
(thanks to bigger dpi). But note -- I don't use Windows, I use KDE. Windows (Vista, XP) is not so good in setting fonts for all apps.

If there were screen with 4000x2400 resolution, I would buy it for sure. D610 with 1400x1050 was great, E6500 with 1920x1200 is a beauty and I can't wait to see even higher resolutions.

Please remember: the bigger the screen, more text you can put on the screen. The higher resolution, clearer text you can get. And I read/write a lot, web pages, mail, pdf -- 99% of the time.

 

Thats quite a difference, don't you think?

Sure - but makes your point about the exhaust non existent.

You don't plug a mouse to the audio port, do you? You were complaining about the combination.
And front audio ports placement generally sucks - since you end you with the cable tangling between your hands or can't use it at all in the position described below.

Yeah, like one of the worlds larges computer manufactures spends their design money on candy.

And thats how you "type" for 16 hours a day?
I'm pretty sure if the exhaust would be on right/back/front you're hand would be resting there for the sake of the argument.

Because it sitting, just in a more relaxed position. If the laptop lies on it's front end (and there is no other way in this position) then the speakers are covered.

No, I'm not sure. How do you figure it's a intake?
One more thing about the W500 - the keyboard has a similar "mindless layout" as the E6500.

 

Nitpicking the nitpicking?

It sounds like someone is trying to convince themselves that the E6400/E6500 is not only the best notebook for themselves, but the best notebook for everyone else. I think it's okay to accept the fact that macias has problems with it.

Also, why should someone have to change their personal preferences to fit the notebook (i.e. sitting, hand placement, etc.)? It should be the other way around, as much as possible.

 

Is this so hard to understand the more cables you have interfering with the mouse the harder is to use it?

It looks you took the review very personally And I am not the only one who sees it.

Well said! Not mentioning the odd attitude of Lack towards lefties/righties -- it is just one step next to say the handicapped people does not have right to complain.

For me -) I didn't suggest I wrote the review on behalf of the whole mankind) E6500 is less comfortable than D610. Currently I am still struggling to find the way to avoid air exhaust -- so far the best solution is to make micro-table, with the height of notebook, so the air could flow underneath without any contact with my hand. However such hoops tell you a lot about the E6500 design.

 

I'm nitpicking imaginative problems created for a sake of argument.

Sure - but most the stuff macias is having problems with were easily avoidable before he hit the "submit order" button - looking at the pictures for example.
Not to mention all the arguments don't add up (first the exhaust prevents mouse usage, then all of a sudden typing (how the hell?) and now hand resting although allegedly the laptop is being used for 16 hours a day typing).

Just proving my point it's about the combination.

I took it literally. And it doesn't hold up.

Asking if someone is a leftie is an odd attitude? And prevents handicapped people any rights?
You're on crack?

Would you mind posting a picture of your typical work layout? I'm really having a hard time picturing how it's impacting your work with all the various scenarios you posted.

Edit:
This might help - elevates the laptop so you don't have to care about the imaginary exhaust problems and can use an external keyboard easily (for the lack of menu button, which as I said previously bothers me as well), a bit pricey with a docking station though:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=330-0878
And a coolslice, don't know if it will elevate high enough:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...11-9051&mfgpid=198269&chassisid=8471#Overview

 

So when my left hand is burnt by hot air coming from the computer I should look at the pictures and solve the problem that way?

Placing the left hand next to computer is very unpleasant and it causes problems with a hand.

I cannot put left hand at rest, I have to hold it all time up on the palmrest. So naturally I am more tired than I was before (when using D610).

Yes, it prevents, see below, problems with air exhaust, according to you are "imaginary".

Yes, this is an odd attitude (ligtly speaking). You imply lefties have no equal right as righties.
I quote you "it [the fact I am rightie] makes your point about the exhaust non existent". In other words
-- you claim that somebody can or cannot point out faulty design depends if she/he is a right or leftie.
Or handicapped person.

I sit in front of computer as I like, not as "designer" told me to. I put hands to feel comfortable --
on the palmrest, next to computer, on my laps. I am a rightie, but since I have problems with my elbow I use mouse
with my left hand.

If you want to be rude, please go some place else. Thank you in advance.

Anyway, I think you said already what you had to say -- I get your point and your attitude -- so I don't think continuing this "discussion" will be fruitful in any way.

 

"Mądry Polak po szkodzie". You could have easily foreseen that by looking at the pictures.

Quite a bit different then previous statements, don't you think?

Since we're back on the left with the mouse, maybe you should consider leaving more free space between the edge of the computer (and the exhaust therefor)? I know I like to have as much space as possible - specially with a WUXGA screen where you need quite some movement for the cursor.

I can only read what you post here - so far the problem was imaginary.

This is absurd (lightly speaking). This is not a competition of stupidly understood political correctness, nor is it one about "what author had in mind".

So another twist in the story - mouse moves back to the left. How exiting.
And since you're sitting as you like I'm sure that you'd be bother by the exhaust wherever it would be positioned, like said previously.

While we're at the though sharing stage, I think that you simply didn't think through your purchase and try as hard you can to nitpick and convince yourself that the computer is simply defect by design, not catering your very specific needs, making this a rant rather then a review.

The bad news is that usual suspects from the competition (W500 and HP 8530p) share the exhaust design.

 

Alice in Wonderland? If I didn't bought E6500 it would change the design of the computer?

Please, get excited somewhere else. You have obviously too much time -- I don't, so I won't answer your comments from now on.

Just for the record, the "reason for buying" section which NBR asked to write and then removed it.
"
Reason for buying
Actually… none. After three years I am still happy user of Dell Latitude D610 as I was happy when I bought it. But nothing lasts forever and my 80GB hard drive was screaming for some time for making more room. I could just buy a new hard drive but my Mom started thinking about new computer and also I was not that sure I would like to go through the ordeal of swapping disks back and forth until I manage to put the system and files in order. So why not take the chance and make an upgrade to a new system for my Mom and me at the same time—for me I considered combo solution (CPU + storage server with some ultra portable machine) or all-in-one high-resolution laptop. The first one, more appealing for me, was ruled out due to budget limitation so the only problem was…
Where: Since I was not aiming at netbook level I couldn’t just go to the store and buy computer I wanted—way too expensive. Luckily, with help of my friends, I knew I was able to buy a refurbished laptop “directly” in US.
What: I can say I use computer almost only to read (web pages, articles), write (programs) and run programs (mine)—so I wanted higher resolution than I already have (1400x1050), non-glare screen of course, more powerful CPU and the biggest possible disk (it could be the smallest one as well for cheapest replacement later). The rest however should be as modest as possible—price. Today 4:3 screens are almost extinct, thus the 14.1" screen means lower vertical resolution (900 pixels). The only way getting higher resolution is buying bigger, 15.4", laptop.
After checking reviews at NBR site (where else?) I decided to buy Lenovo Thinkpad W500—one reason only, it has better keyboard layout than D610, the rest for me is on par with D610. Unfortunately there were some wild prices listed at Lenovo outlet (probably even now you can spot some poorly configured T61 for $2,000 as a bargain), there were not too much W500s (I spotted 4 in two weeks), even when they were available the data was incorrect and when I tried to contact sales it appeared the their mail address is unknown for Lenovo mail server. Oh boy…
Time was running out (my friend was just about to go to US), I had to make a choice quickly—I have Dell, I like it, I know their outlet web page. Now, which one should I buy—older D830 or newer E6500? The latter one was looking better, it offered better performance, it will age slower, probably there were some minor improvements. All small details in favor of E6500—in a hurry I neglected some obvious weaknesses and I missed one important (for me) issue. More about those in a second.
"

Hint: air exhaust should be at the back since it is impossible to work with computer turned by 180°.

 

It wouldn't bug you, like 99% of the users.

Don't ruin the show!

Agreed, the screen resolutions choices on the new E series are limited. Two steps behind Lenovo.

D830 is a pretty nice machine. Used one for a full year.
It does however experience couple "design flaws" - the speakers are at the sides of the keyboard and there is no dedicated menu button (just + fn, even though Dell managed to squeeze one in the 12" D430 and XT). The audio ports are at the left side, so they would interfere with your mouse.
W500 has a left side exhaust as well, so you wouldn't be satisfied.
My advice - get used to it or get rid of it. Latter case, consider getting a smaller machine (like E4300) + full docking solution (monitor, keyboard, mouse).

Did you look at the back? Battery is covering 90% of it, so it can't be done. Left side is the path of least resistance in term of design - front is out of question since the air would blow directly towards the user, right side would be uncomfortable for the majority of users and the back is reserved by the battery and quite often it's blocked by a docking station.

 

yeah, the heat output of the D610 into your lap is awful, the E6500 is much smarter, the bottom hardly gets warm at all and actually draws air away from your lap.

I really wanted the res so thats what pushed me to the 6500 rather than the 6400, still its a lot more practical to use on the train/plane than any 17" machine.

I've got a 7200RPM 500GB drive on order to replace the 64gb ssd, it is too small for my needs.

 

Sorry to hear your new E6500 is so problematic! Looks like Lenovo also exhausts on the left as well, so there must be a reason it works better and less chance of ports getting blocked than if they were in the back? Any way to creat a deflector to give your mouse space less of a blast of heat? Maybe a folded piece of file folder (stiff and thin), folded lengthwise to create a "foot". Make the verticle part as tall as the exhaust port. Trim the verticle part that's close to the laptop out by a couple inches so some of the "foot" can be slid under the laptop so you can tape it to your desk. Angle the deflector so air can escape but shoots up the desk and to the feft of your hand. Sounds pretty funky, but it's cheap and easy to try!

 

D610 is burning hot at the bottom but there is no output. Only air intake.

D610 does the same -- but E6500 uses newer CPU, intake is placed in the center.

Looks like a trend :-( Another one -- after glossy screens, widescreens and merging arrow keys with navigation ones.

I doubt it works better, because in W500 the exhaust is in the corner. I think the reason is the battery placement has priority.
And there are only two places which could work without raising the keyboard (extended battery) -- the back or front.
After my experience with the air exhaust I would prefer it at the front.

I tried this already Sor far, the best solution for me (and cheap) was raising the mouse pad, so the air blows beneath
my hand and I don't feal any heat and air flowing around.

Next time I had to be very careful -- exhaust in the back worked perfectly well for 3 years for me, 0 problems. Even if I used mouse with the right hand I would like to be able to put hand next to computer and does not feel the urge to move it because of the laptop air flow.

 

It sounds like you're one detail-oriented, picky guy! Just like me . I'm keep finding myself frustrateded with so may different types of purchases these days because companies either cut quality to save money, or introduce inferior designs because of new mainstream trends and can't financially justfy keeping an older, and in my eyes, more practical design around.

It seems there's always a "gotcha", something irrating that I missed is scoping out something new. I know the heat issue is more than a minor irritation for you, and placing the exhaust in the back corner would be a better choice, ala Lenovo. But then someone would complain that it forces those who use the USB and VGA to have a tangle of wires sticking out so close the the front, and it's tidier to have them come out towards the back. I guess one person's ergonomic solution is another's irritation.