NEW Latitudes on the way!

Screen bezel looks matte to me.

Watch the youtube video linked earlier - there is very little plastic. Much less than your e6400. There is a lot of magnesium metal, not plastic.

USB 3 is an unknown.

Keyboard could be great or terrible - how can it look cheap feeling and noisy? different senses involved there.

The E6320, E6420, and E6220 do open to 180 degrees.

Do you really think anything on the E6220 will drag it down to 1.0 after drivers are installed? Remember, Windows tests performance at the end of the install - before drivers are installed. Too bad Dell didn't re-run the WEI tests.

Batteries are now universal across the line. Want smaller footprint and less battery run time, get the 4 or 6 cell. Want more run time at the expense of having the battery stick out - get the 97Whr 9 cell.

I realize you are unhappy with these for whatever reason, but lets try to stay objective until we know more.

 

HDMI actually seems like a good idea to me. Talk to a business user who does a lot of traveling. At the top of the list, they want powerpoint and want to be able to hook into whatever AV gear is available wherever they are. This is why VGA is still there - projectors of all types still have this input.

What else would they hook up to? Maybe the flat screen on the wall of the conference room which might have VGA or DVI-D, but will definately have HDMI. You also get a very standard way of audio out of the machine without having to use the headphone out.

If color is important enough to not be sure if an HDMI to DisplayPort adapter will be enough, just get a docking station.

 

Indeed. A Dell notebook with a Dell logo on it and running Vista are not 'cons'.

As for 'PLASTIC EVERYWHERE':

"We experience a complete metallization of the case in terms of used materials. It's not easy to find plastic surfaces. The displayed pre-samples bestow a foretaste of the new business notebooks' outstanding stability. Twisting the case has practically become impossible and the devices even resist selective pressure to a great extent – a major improvement in comparison to the previous Latitude case. This is made possible by a so-called "inner-frame" which is an aluminum-magnesium alloy structure made of one piece. Additionally it is extended to the side edges around the top. This provides an exceptional stability and makes an overall rugged impression."

The 'orange' around the keyboard appears to match the color on the special keys.

GK

 

Personally, I'm not sold on the looks - looks a bit Inspiron-ish with a hint of the old Toshibas (with the rounded off edges to the bottom of the screen). Build quality is exceptional if this review is anything to go by:

Dell Latitude E-Series: Latitude E6320 first look review | Laptops | Reviews | PC Pro

Extract:

It’s the transformation in build quality that truly stuns. Previous Latitudes never felt insubstantial, but they wilt next to the new generation. Dell’s redesign has seen the new Latitude emerge with a reinforced magnesium alloy chassis, strengthened further by a ring of alloy running around the circumference of each laptop. With spill-proof keyboards and MIL-STD-810G accreditation across the range, Dell is taking on not only the ThinkPads, but also Panasonic’s Toughbooks at their own game.
If the E6320 is anything to go by, the new design feels indestructible. Despite weighing in at just 1.89kg, the chassis is rock solid and without a hint of flex to be found anywhere; the lid and reinforced metal hinges were taut enough to resist our most aggressive twisting motions. Prod viciously against the display’s rear, meanwhile, and there’s no sign of any show-through on the display itself. It’s clear this laptop will take transatlantic flights and the perils of boisterous baggage-handlers in its stride.

 

Erm, only that model has a glossy bezel, I looked at the NotebookCheck.Net site and didn't see any other of these new models with a glossy bezel. Combine that with vista and im thinking this may be a very early preproduction unit (I was mystified at that as well..honestly)

The base remains metal, there's even a "magnesium base" logo. I'd show you but the notebookcheck.net image gallery is frustrating to link to. The lid's also remain metal and there's the same trusty mag alloy style frame we've come to expect too, according to the press release.

EDIT: Found it!



That model's the only one that cannot open a full 180 degrees (why on earth would you want to??? Not hating because I'm sure there's a good reason, just curious? )

I prefer the "old Dell logo" actually it isn't "old" its been their current logo for a while. It's on all their product lines pretty much save for the previous latitudes.

I do think that the 3 usb ports is awfully skimpy but its a 12 inch laptop..there's only so much space you can shove ports into. Do any of its competitors have more than 3 usb ports?

16:9's a downer..it'll hit me hard as I'm used to the vertical real estate.


While it may sound like I'm a bit of an apologist, I think this looks a lot nicer than the previous E-series 12 inch models I spent a large amount of time with at my previous job (the build quality around the screen hinge tension and the feeling of the lid as you opened and closed it was borderline offensive to my tactile sensibilities..and apologies to current E-series users but they just seemed a bit less substantial than the good old D-series...a bit more "cost-engineered." This looks to be a far more substantial laptop.) and hopefully Dell builds them right. The latter's my main concern as ever since 07 it seems, every Dell launch has been riddled with embarrassing problems. M1330/M1530 "arctic white" paint fiasco anyone?

Kudos to them though for going out on a limb and trying something different. It's the reason I wen't with a Latitude in the first place compared to the competition, it didn't look nor feel the same as the "all black" competition.

 

Yes, you are all correct.. it's in metal... it's just it's texture on the pictures looked like, to me, plastic. So I stand corrcted. But still not happy by it.

VGA I can understand, for legacy support, and most projectors uses VGA. So it's fine.
Display Port is backward compatible to HDMI (with audio, as Display port has audio) and DVI with a silly, small, inexpensive adapter.

Again, Display Port has Audio, and can converted back down to HDMi with a silly adapter.

Once you cut stuff, you can't add them back. Take a picture in a picture editor, and cut it down it's colors down to 256 colors, save and close. Re-open it, and now add back the colors... oups you can't. Now what I just said has NOTHING to do with HDMi, obviously... but I just wanted to show that once you cut stuff, you can't add it back.

DVI is superior in every way of HDMi. In reality HDMi is the uncompleted Display port standard, where a lot of features has been cut out to reduce cost, and have super high royalty fees on the port, cables, and standard access. So, instead of having an HDMi cable costing pennies, you pay 5-6-7$ (assuming the cable manufacture pays for the royalty fees and good quality).

 

I would agree, but Aero is not enabled.. so that means no graphic drivers.
In any case, Vista was used instead of Windows 7. Put Win95 on your way.. at least it would have been funny.

No, you don't get it. The problem (well the model in the pictures) is that the 9-cell stick at the bottom.. it makes the laptop at this strange angle like ultra cheap Acer/Toshiba/HP laptops... I WANT IT to stick out on the back, so that the laptop is flat, and you can use the Touchpad and type on the keyboard in a comfortable fashion. I'll be surprised if Dell uses a new battery that is high capacity (8/9-cell), and this small size, so that it doesn't stick out or lift the laptop.

 

I do agree that a "stick out the back" battery would be preferred. Or..a stick out the front battery like on the later D series. My 9 cell is very inobtrusive and the nicely done "rubberized plastic" paint looks attractive.

Ironically the reason for doing the hinge like they did on the netbooks was to fit the extended size battery completely flush. On this machine i guess it was done for the same reason as Adamo: ports.

 

Study the hi-res pics, read this hands-on review, and then tell us again how Dell has sold out and turned the Latitude E-Series into <gasp!> a consumer notebook.

GK

 

So no more colored latitudes huh? I really do like the red coloring mine has now...