Latitude E6400 vs Studio XPS 13

Hey everyone,

ok, I know that they are two different focused machines, but now that the Studio XPS has been out for a little while, can anyone comment on how the E6400 and 13" SXPS stack up against each other?

Battery life?
Computer performance CPU for CPU?
Keyboard quality?
Quality of build?
Screen quality?

Basically was looking at the E6400, but saw the SXPS in person yesterday and foudn it to be very nice (in the minute of time I was touching it).

Thanks
Michael

 

Battery life- whether the XPS 1340 has the standard CCFL or optional LED-backlit display will have an impact on battery life. I seems that Dell is offering the LED upgrade FREE at the moment. All E6400s have a standard LED display. Whether integrated or discrete graphics are selected will have an impact on battery life also. Overall, I believe the E6400 would have the edge with the help of Dell's "Control Point" software to squeeze every possible minute of battery life.

CPU- The XPS only offers three- 2.26GHz P8400, 2.4GHz P8600 ($50) and 2.53GHz P9500 ($175). The E6400 also starts with the P8400, but has eight others available including the 2.53GHz P8700 for $70. On the XPS, I'd stick with the P8400- the P8600 will provide minimal benefits and the P9500 isn't worth $175. On the E6400, the P8700 seems like the sweet spot.

Keyboard- I haven't used the new XPS keyboard, but I've never seen a Dell consumer product with a keyboard superior to the Latitude's. The newest Latitude E-series have only improved in this area.

Overall quality- The E6400 is designed to withstand the abuse of frequent travel and very heavy business use. The standard 3-year warranty and durabilty of previous Latitudes are both good indicators that the E6400 will hold up well. The E6400 makes use of magnesium alloy in the base and LCD back (lid) which adds strength and reduces weight. The Studio XPS 16 also benefits from magnesium alloy construction, but I'm not certain whether the XPS 1340 does or not.

The Studio XPS 1340 will have better quality audio and superior graphics performance than the E6400, if either of those are h

 

does the E6400 trackpad got that pinch zoom option ?
and if i choose E6400.. what is the difference between the pc-card and the express card for nvidia GPU. which one is better ?
please help...

 

Yes the E6400 has both pinch zoom and chiral scrolling.

PC Card is a legacy expansion port. Express card is the replacement and newer technology and hence the "better" choice. Pick the express card option to more future proof your computer. Dell tied the option to the graphics card on it's order form and that has caused quite a bit of confusion. It has nothing to do with the nvidia graphics card, however, so rest easy knowing that it won't affect your graphics no matter which option you choose.

 

I just got the studio xps 1340. The other laptop i was considering was the e6400. What convinced me was the wow factor, the e6400 had none. Everyone I showed the 1340 to was blown away by the style and said the e6400 looked too bland. Eventually I caved for the stronger GPU and better looking machine. So far the 1340 was an excellent choice. The screen is fantastic, and the keyboard is very pleasant to type on. It seems like everything works the way it's supposed to on this machine and the build quality is excellent. I'm sure the e6400 is just as good, it just comes down to your personal prefernece.

 

thank you very much tubby for your answers.
I'm still confused between these two...
as jb1007 said.. studio xps 13 got that wow factor...!!
but e6400 has a little bigger screen with high resolution, but edge to edge is missing tho !!!
docking
battery
high speed processor(in hongkong p9600 not yet found in studio 13)
cheaper than studio 13 with 3 years warranty
finger print reader
but hdmi and 2 audio output are missing in e6400...
err.. i'm confused !!!!!!

 

Here's my tip when choosing a processor for a new laptop. Get the lowest/cheapest model offered. Sometimes, there's a great bargain, like someone mentioned above, the e6400 has the p8700 available for only $70 - good deal. I always choose the least expensive processor, it's probably good for a year, and then head out to ebay or another retailer and buy the fastest processor for much cheaper. It's not an option that makes sense for everyone, but its a simple upgrade that can be very cost effective by waiting a few months versus overpaying for a powerful processor when you buy your laptop.