Gotta love it.
Written: Jul 26 '00
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Pros: Fast 3D video; thin; flexible options; large, bright screen; long battery life
Cons: No built-in modem available (even though there's a spot for it); sound could be better
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| epsilonx's Full Review: Dell Latitude CPx |
Thin for its class. Bright, clean, large screen. Long battery life. Dual pointing (touch pad and "eraser head"). Great support - both web and phone. Amazing flexibility in configuration. Excellent price.
I finally retired my Compaq Armada 4120, which I bought used to begin with. I purchased the 650MHz model with 128MB of RAM, 18GB hard drive, and a CD-RW. This pushed my price up a bit, but in my applications it is often extremely valuable to be able to spit out a CD at any time for a client.
At the time I was looking for a laptop, none of the major vendors (Compaq, IBM, Toshiba) could come close in the specs I wanted. First of all, no one had a CD-RW available. Most manufacturers didn't have the flexibility of configuration. Toshiba was the only one that came close, with a PIII-650, 12GB hard drive, 128MB RAM, but no CD-RW. And I strongly prefer the touchpad. That ruled out IBM and Toshiba.
I had briefly looked at Sony, who came close to the specs I wanted, but Sony hasn't been in the laptop market for a long time, and local support (and availability) is far too sparse.
Compaq's offerings, besides their increasing lack of quality, were about $800US more than the Dell with a smaller screen, smaller hard drive, and no CD-RW. Besides, Compaq's screens are harder to see (they're not as bright as the Dell Latitude's). Compaq's phone support is not that great anymore, as well (I recently used to work in a shop authorized to repair Compaq product and used to be a Compaq fan). Also, I don't put much faith in a computer that a company won't sell with a standard 3 year warranty. You have to purchase the extended 3-year warranty.
Additionally, three other workers in our company purchased Compaq Armada laptops (PII-333) and have had numerous problems with all three. They are at least 2 pounds heavier than the Dell (built-in power supply), which is not desirable if you carry the laptop undocked while you work.
The CD-RW is a Panasonic and works very well in Windows 98 SE and Windows 2000.
You are also able to access the BIOS settings, including power management, boot, and security settings while in Windows. Pressing Fn-F1 switches you into a DOS-like screen where you can access BIOS settings on the fly.
S-VHS output works great to TV/VCR. The ATI Mobility chipset makes TV hookup a breeze.
At 1.77" thin, 6-7 pounds, this powerhorse more than fits the bill... for now.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 3600
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: 601-700
Screen Size: 14"
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: CD-RW
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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Epinions.com ID:
epsilonx
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Reviews written: 1
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