Latitude E4300 first impressions

I hear you.. I also had dell 400 or something a few years back when I was in UK and it was a very blunt cheap corporate laptop which actually had the keyboard replace twice in 1 year :/ When I saw the PR and pics of the new E4200/4300 series I really thought that Dell finally turned around producing higher quality laptops... I'm disappointed to hear you didn't like it cause I have the suspicion that I won't like it either as I'm picky like you..

oh well.. back to x200 it is then...

 

Well, you can always give it a spin. I tried really hard to like it because I had a good experience with the D-series.

 

Wow--makes me glad I got a D430 I like it a lot. Build quality is top notch. It's so good, I gave it to my 9 year old.

 

I seem to be the only person who has the E4300 and thinks it's pretty good. My keyboard (non-backlit by accident) is actually quite good -- maybe the backlit one is much worse?? If so, I may stick with what I have and not replace it with the backlit version.

Regarding sound, I am a pretty serious audiophile and really can't imagine listening to anything through laptop speakers other than a You Tube clip or music sample on Amazon). The screen is decent, I would say. The vertical viewing angles aren't great, that is for sure, but it is super bright and readable.

Regarding cost, why do you say the Dell is $1000 more expensive than the competition? I got a fairly good deal on mine ($1900 less a $100 coupon = $1800). For comparison, I just configured an x200s (it has too small a screen for me) to the same specs and got $2200 before any CPP discount, so assume you can get it down to $2000. A Sony SZ is about the same. What comparable notebook will cost you ~$900/1000??

 

My keyboard isn't backlit. On its own, it's okay. I typed the entire review up on it. But when you've been treated to Thinkpad the Latitude D-series keyboards, this keyboard plain out sucks for the price you pay. It's noisy. It's responsiveness sucks.

In my view, this laptop is only a step above the XPS M1330, which is $1000 less. The internal parts are more or less the same. Just order the XPS M1330 through the Small Business section of the website, and you get the same premium service.

The screen on the XPS M330, while glossy, which I like, is obviously superior. The keyboard, when replaced with the Vostro keyboard for $30, is actually quieter, and less noisy to the E4300 keyboard. In fact, you might as well get a Vostro.

XPS M1330, Lenovo U1330 - these are all alternatives that can be priced for $1000 less and coupled with business support.

The user interface for the Dell E4300 is equal to or lower than these laptops. If you're concerned about battery life, then that's a valid concern, but the E4300 loses out to the X301 and the Sony Z. Maybe you can justify $1000 for their support, but I cannot.

I really tried to like it. I like Dell, but this fall short on the most important counts for me. I returned my XPS M1330 in hopes that the Dell E4300 keyboard would be awesome, but it is not. It is mediocre -> unacceptable for $2250 including tax that I paid.

 

I'm really picky because I'm paying this $2250 (including tax) out of my own pocket. This $2250 including tax, is even after being given free shipping and $238 negotiated off the laptop sticker price. My company isn't picking the tab up. Perhaps it's different when it's not your own money.

Overall, I'd say it's an above average laptop. It's superb in some respects, but mediocre/below average in others.

I replaced the XPS M1330 for the keyboard. I expected a keyboard as good, if not better, than my Latitude D820. It fails both in responsiveness and noise (200% louder). I'm also a pretty light touch typist too with a typing speed of around 115-125 WPM. When I buy a new laptop, I expect it to be superior to my old laptop in every respect.

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 and Overpriced

 

I'll be posting here whenever my E4300 comes in. I had no choice to go with another manufacturer, since my work is buying it for me. I'll be switching from a Thinkpad, so my standards are high.

Of course, I'm not too worried about the screen and keyboard, since I'm getting the dock, and will be using an external keyboard and 24-inch monitor while at work. The only thing that would seriously bum me out is if the build quality were poor. But we'll see about that.

 

You have no worries then. Should work fine. This laptop is as good as a Thinkpad build quality wise. I really like the solidness of it.

 

Strangely enough, it should be perfect for me.

I need a desktop replacement that gets carried with me everywhere I go, and booted 8-10 times a day in 3 different offices - each with a docking station and complete set of peripherals. I'm replacing a D410 that has been very good for this purpose, but is now slow.

I may only open my notebook 10-20 times a year - 99% of the time it stays closed. So screen quality, keyboard and audio are irrelevant to me. And cost is not really an issue for me.

I'm still going to wait a couple of months for Dell to get their act together. It sounds like product quality consistency and software support for the E series is still 1.0 or maybe even beta. I've found with Dell that early adopters get punished not only on price but also on build quality and support.

 

I don't get why ppl complain about the sound. What do you expect? to have good sound you need decent power, to limit power consumption you can't put 10W speakers. what the heck?!?! then you want 1000000000 hours of battery life. It's called physics.