NEW Latitudes on the way!

Is it wrong to say that I can like the understated looks of the current E latitudes and thinkpads? There are times I don't really need to have blinged out silver chrome looking metal material all over my laptop like the macbook pros and new hps. Not that they are bad looking per say, but everything has its place.

 

Hello all.

I just came across this forum in the last few days when I read of the new latitudes. I was actually pretty happy when I read the announcement since I am in the market for a new notebook. Of course I was let down after seeing the pics as everyone else seems to be.

One concern I have about the 6520 is it seems that the black part of the lid is "peeling off" in one of the pictures on notebookcheck.com picture #6 of 14. (sorry cant seem to figure out how to insert an image). Anyone else notice?

Dell Latitude E3 Refresh (E6420, E6520, E5420, E5520) - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

Another example is in pic #4 at the front where they placed that weird strip on the front of the lid.

My issues with it is mostly in the looks dept. Unfortunately the looks may be a deal breaker for me. I just can't see dropping that much money on something I plan to use for the next 3-4 years and it looking like that. At least the 5520 Isn't too bad looking although it's not the one I really want.

To me the screen bezel seems huge. That orange stripe is nasty looking. The overall exterior just has a Frankenstein look to it. I don't know but to me it just looks like they took various pieces of other notebooks and put them together, and poorly at that.

From my understanding the 5520 has no dedicated graphics and no option for USB 3. Which is another thing. One would think any new notebook would have at least one USB 3 port standard.

So I guess for me it's a 5520 or 6510 if i can still get one when I'm ready. Another manufacturer possibly but I hate that since I've had such good luck with Dell notebooks over the years.

 

That is for the antennas, metallic casing materials will block signals, so they need rubber or plastic (notice how all previous Latitudes had a plastic section on the front of the lid as well).

 

It's definitely an acquired taste, and everyone's different. The first E series systems were unusually conservative for a Latitude in styling and color. (nearly completely black..if you looked verrrry close you could see the metalflake finish inside but you literally had to be inches away from the system, unlike a D630) Not saying they were bad looking though, as they certainly weren't esp with the freshened model's return to a silver back.

As far as fit and finish goes, I noticed that too, but I'm certain that the systems shown off were preproduction units, testbed systems, etc. Lets hope that is the case and that the systems that will roll off the assembly line will have much better polish. Dell will need it to compete well with EliteBook, the few I've unboxed and set up were very attractive looking and felt well made.

Tis correct, but my plastic cutout is perfectly flush with the surrounding metal lid. As previously stated, hopefully Dell has ensured that design tolerances will be tight when production systems are being made.

 

Not going to lie - I am NOT feeling the new look of the Latitudes.

I LOVE my E4300 and other from the same line. But these new designs look bulky and fat, and frankly - totally late 90s early 00s (not in a good way).

 

I wasn't really thinking about the antennas but I do hope they will clean up the look of it.

I hope this is because of them being preproduction models but one would think Dell would even want those to look as nice as possible. I know the overall look wont change and perhaps it will grow on me. Sometimes thing just look better in person than in photos. Things sometimes look worse though.

 

This is a bit of a risk for dell. Never mid series have they made this much of a change.

The C series pretty much looked all the same

There was a big change in the D series, but that was because of the screen change. (4:3 to 16:10) They made sure to keep the color scheme and look pretty much the same.

I thought the silver lid on the E6410 was a bit of a break from the E6400 mid series. But the rest was pretty much the same. Now we have this radical change halfway thru the E series. You might as well call them F series. I have shown the pics of the E6420 around the enterprise where I work and the first reaction is shock that dell would change the Latitude line this much mid series. After the shock wears off, a lot of people like it. I am growing to like it. Final judgment reserved for when it's in my hot hands.

USB3.0 will not fully be in the Latitude until the E series docking port has run it's course. Dell has said will stay the same for 5 years since it was introduced. So while you might see USB3.0 in a port on the laptop body itself, or a media bay slide in, you won't see it on the replicator until the next docking connector.

HDMI/Displayport. The E series docks will not be changing so you will always have displayport support thru the E series docking port and the replicator. But I could see dell putting an HDMI on the laptop body itself. A lot of AV and flat pannel TVs used in conference rooms use HDMI so travelers could use that. So you have displayport on the replicator for your Flat Pannel monitor and HDMI for the traveler. Best of both worlds.

 

I don't see why HDMI's a big deal...you could always carry an adapter with you, but I see using HDMI as rare as there's always VGA. Port space is limited, and if they have extra space, I'd rather they put eSATA/USB there.

 

Actually The D series under went a very big color scheme (and design) change imo....from this: (Latitude D610)






to this (Latitude D620/D630)





Both are nice looking machines but in their own way. I prefer the D620/30 design but I'm admittedly biased!

Its not new, and I'm sure that if I could go back that far here, many freaked about the D620's looks as well. I personally thought that the D series looked far more interesting and stylish than the early pre "slate silver" refresh E series.

 

Right but minus the color scheme, the overall design stayed the same.