As far as rugged or even semi-rugged notebooks go, one of the main issues has been the use of last-generation ultra-low voltage platforms. Granted, reliability and long battery life can be assured as in the case of the Panasonic ToughBooks. But fortunately, Dell's maiden voyage into the semi-rugged notebook market, the Latitude ATG D620, offers the configurations and Core 2 Duo processing power of the Latitude series with a tough rugged shell to protect the innards. It also has one of the brightest screens around, making it highly usable even under bright sunlight.
Design
If a company feels that its frontline staff are not getting enough exercise, then it should issue a Dell Latitude ATG D620 to all of them and make them walk the stairs. Weighing in at a hefty 2.84kg, it is possibly the heaviest 14.1-inch notebook in the market. The footprint is not insignificant, either. Occupying an area of 342 x 240mm with a height of 42mm, it is almost as large as a Latitude D820 with a larger 15.4-inch display. This is the price one pays for the protection of a semi-rugged chassis which meets military MIL-STD 810F standards.
The first layer of protection is really the paint. The textured coat of the ATG D620 forms a scratch-resistant layer and allows for a good grip even with wet hands. The chassis is formed from magnesium-alloy, stronger than conventional plastic yet cheaper than the hardier and lighter carbon-fibre material. Recognising that moving parts are the first components to fail, the hinges have been reinforced with steel to withstand high opening/closing cycles. The latch has also been reinforced and feels sturdy enough even for the roughest user.
Though we would have liked to see a magnesium-alloy roll cage, like those used in Lenovo's ThinkPad T60, protecting the hardware inside, Dell has made a compromise between price and functionality by shock proofing only the hard disk and LCD screen. This allows the unit to be used during transport or when vibration is an issue. Though it is not rated for protection against drops, the shock proofing should give the unit a higher survival rate compared to conventional systems. The top cover protecting the LCD was so strong, a 70kg Dell representative stood on top of the Latitude ATG D620 during a private presentation session with CNET Asia and the display remained intact. The screen is further protected with a scratch-resistant panel for use in windy and dusty environments.
The full-sized spill proof keyboard keeps the components safe from liquids. Like its daintier Latitude cousins, there are two cursor controls available -- the touchpad as well as a track stick. We felt it was an oversight that the ports on the flanks are not protected with a rubber flap, though one is available to cover the rear.
Features
Our review unit is a solid computing machine with a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB memory, DVD writer drive and an 80GB hard disk with a retail tag of AU$3,863, inclusive of taxes and delivery. The starting configuration without a fingerprint scanner, DVD/CDRW combo drive and 1GB RAM costs S$3,374. In order to shockproof the storage device, Dell uses a 1.8-inch hard drive in a 2.5-inch protective casing. This means that the cost per megabyte is higher than conventional 2.5-inch platters, as well as sporting a slower spin speed of 4,200rpm compared with the latter which can reach up to 7,200rpm. If hard disk protection is not required, the 1.8-inch drive can be replaced with a conventional 2.5-inch platter.
The highlight of this Latitude is centred around the screen. Besides the shock mounting and scratch-resistant glass overlay, the ATG D620 has possibly the brightest screen for a notebook. Rated at 500nits, it is more than twice as bright as most portables with LCDs topping at 200nits. The display is powered by Intel's Graphics Media Accelerator 950 integrated video chipset that can share a maximum 224MB of system memory to display resolutions of up to 1,280 x 800 on the 14.1-inch wide-screen. Though not the fastest of video-rendering solutions, this system should have no problem handling the Windows Vista Aero Desktop interface.
Sitting atop the screen is a keyboard LED light for use in dark places. Unlike other implementations of this feature, which commonly use white LEDs, the ATG D620 chooses an angry red. The rationale is that during the night, we use the visual rods located around the peripherals of the eye to detect motion and only light in the red spectrum does not affect these rods. Hence, using a red LED will reduce night blindness, provided you do not put the display at maximum brightness and ruin the effect.
Connectivity features are similar to the Latitude D620, with four USB 2.0, one Type II PCMCIA slot and a legacy serial port handling external peripherals. Like most modern portables, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are present and accounted for, with an additional infrared port to complete the series. A unique feature is the wireless switch, which doubles as a Wi-Fi catcher that indicates (using a built-in LED light) if a 802.11a/b/g network is present. An optional fingerprint biometric scanner, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, hard disk password and SmartCard slot form the foundations of the ATG D620's data security.
The full-sized keyboard and dual cursor control options make working on the ATG D620 a comfortable experience. Optical drives come in two flavors -- DVD/CDRW combo drive or DVD writer--and its modular design allows the ATG D620 to be used with an optional floppy drive. Unfortunately, it does not support a second bay battery to boost its uptime. There is a choice between a six-cell and nine-cell battery, the latter which sticks out a few millimetres in the front of the unit. A row of LEDs under the cell can be used to display remaining power, hence aiding those who have to manage multiple batteries.
Performance and Battery Life
Due to software conflicts, MobileMark was unable to complete its testing loop on our evaluation unit. However, we do not expect a performance loss compared with its non-rugged cousin, the Latitude D620, and the ATG D620 should have no issues dealing with most mundane productivity tasks. The lack of a discrete video chipset option, however, may limit its role for graphics-intensive tasks like designing or video editing.
Battery life was quite good. On the standard six-cell battery, the unit kept going for over three hours running simple applications and surfing the Web. Our sister site in the US tested the nine-cell option and reported three hour 55 minutes of uptime on its DVD battery drain benchmark. However, it must be noted that the US evaluation unit came with only 1GB RAM unlike our 2GB-equipped unit.
Service and support
Dell offers a three-year international onsite warranty for its business notebooks. However, the battery, like most accessories, comes with only a one-year warranty period. The warranty covers both parts and labour. Should there be a problem with the notebook, the company will send a technician onsite within the next business day. Updated drivers and other documentation can be downloaded from Dell's Web site. Users can also purchase additional warranty packages of up to five years of coverage. The top of the line five-year support for your system, inclusive of Gold Phone Technical helpline and three years of Helpdesk hotline, will set you back AU$420.
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lingbin
06/08/2008, 01:33 AM
rating
9/10
very good performance, never let me down
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