Laptops Arena

The Dell XPS M1710 is Dell's latest flagship gaming notebook. What makes the XPS M1710 special is its optional Go 7900GTX 512MB video card with Core Duo. It also has the option of either a sleek Formula Red or Metallic Black cover, a 17 inch WUXGA screen that is 30% brighter than previous XPS generations, up to 4GB of RAM; all in a nice silver finish case.

Dell XPS M1710 configuration (as purchased):

* System: Dell XPS M1710 Metallic Black
* Processor: Intel Core Duo T2400 (1.83GHz)
* Memory: 1GB @ 667MHZ - 2 DIMM Slots (2 x 1GB)
* Hard Drive: 60GB 7200RPM
* Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX with 512MB Memory
* Screen: WUXGA Truelife (1920 x 1200)
* Optical Drive: 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW/+R) with Dual-Layer
* Operating System Windows Media Center Edition 2005
* Wireless Card: Dell 1390 (802.11b/g)
* Battery: 9-cell lithium ion rechargeable battery
* Ports / Slots: 5-in-1 Memory Card Reader, DVI-D, VGA video output, S-Video, IEEE 1394 (Firewire), 6 USB 2.0, Express Card slot, Modem, Ethernet/LAN, Microphone in, Headphone out
* Integrated Subwoofer
* Price of this configuration: $2,350 (After Discounts)

View full review here.

It’s been a while since I’ve looked at a model from Dell’s Latitude range, but that doesn’t come as a major surprise. Unlike the more common Inspiron range, the Latitude range is aimed squarely at the corporate user, and as such the models don’t change too often.

There are few things that an IT manager at a big company values more than continuity – after all, the last thing he wants is for a notebook to be discontinued when he’s halfway through rolling it out to all the employees.

I was therefore quite keen to see Dell’s new range of Latitude notebooks when they were announced last month, and I badgered Dell’s PR department until they agreed to send me an early sample. The model sitting in front of me right now is the Latitude D620, which sits nicely in the middle of the notebook pecking. The D620 is reasonably slim and light, so that you’d be happy to carry it around with you all day, but it’s not so small as to put potential users off due to a small screen and reduced size keyboard.

View full review here.

Every once in a while I get a notebook that blows me away with its visionary concept and bold design. Grand in every sense of the word, the Dell XPS M2010 ($4,675 direct) is just such a system.

On first inspection, the big machine resembles a full-fledged desktop, yet it closes gracefully and can be carried like a huge clamshell notebook (with a handle). The one caveat: It's too pricey for most mere mortals.

Size aside, the Dell XPS M2010 is a study in design. Its most astonishing feature is the 20.1-inch widescreen LCD panel, which can easily be mistaken for a standalone desktop LCD monitor. The display even has built-in speakers and an integrated 1.3-megapixel camera.

Despite several promising features, including its groundbreaking design and slick engineering, the Dell XPS M2010 is way too expensive for a desktop and far too heavy to be considered a truly portable notebook. No doubt it will appeal to a small cadre of media-centric folks who don't travel, need a big screen, and have money to burn. The rest of us, though, are better off taking a pass.

View full review here.

The Dell Latitude D420 is a 12.1" ultra-portable notebook designed to succeed both the Latitude X1 and the Latitude D410. In an effort to simplify its ultramobile product line, Dell has merged several traits from each of these two retired models to create the new D420.

Specifically, the Dell D420 adopts the X1's wide-aspect screen and ultra-low voltage processor while maintaining the D410's aesthetic appeal and full-sized keyboard. In addition, the D420 continues Dell's trend of not including an internal optical drive, although external options are once again available.

Having used the Dell Latitude D420 for some time now, my impressions have mostly been overwhelmingly positive. Although certain aspects such as the slow 4200RPM hard drive, lack of internal optical drive, and merely satisfactory screen have proven less-than ideal, these are acceptable sacrifices in the pursuit of the best portability possible.

Even despite the cons, there are more than enough pros to tip the scales in the opposite direction: the Dell D 420's light weight, excellent build quality and aesthetics, and commendable battery life. Therefore, with the scales tilted heavily in the D420's favor, I can wholeheartedly recommend Dell's Latitude D420 for those searching for a new ultra-portable.

The build quality and sheer usability and form factor of the Dell Latitude D420 make it great. The low starting price of $1,200 puts the icing on the cake with making it easy to recommend.

View full review here.

Better late than never. After a series of incidents of Dell laptops going kaboom, they have announced a recall of 4.1 million Sony make batteries.

This is the biggest recall ever made by Dell and the faulty batteries were shipped to customers between April 1, 2004 to July 18, 2006. The affected batteries were shipped with models mentioned below:

Latitude: D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810
Inspiron: 500M, 510M, 600M, 700M, 710M, 6000, 6400, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 9400, E1505, E1705
Precision: M20, M60, M70, M90
XPS: XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170, XPS M1710

Via techtickerblog.