Dell Latitude D420 12" Laptop Core Duo 1.2Ghz 1GB RAM

Update 11/13/2012:

While d420 is still capable of running basic tasks, it is a very old computer. There are newer models from Dell (like 13" Dell Latitude E6410 or E6430), or HP (like 12" HP Eliebook 2540 or 2560) that will not bankrupt you and still be able to deliver much better performance and cope with future demands.

I personally would buy something with at least the second generation of Intel i3 (i5 is better) processor Sandy Bridge. The third generation Ivy Bridge is better (and its on-board graphics are much better) and should still be reasonably priced now.

I would also make sure I have at least 3GB of RAM. I would not care much for a Hard Drive I would swap it for a Solid State Drive. A SSD is the best upgrade for your laptop, period. You can buy something like 120GB Intel 330 or Samsung 830 for about a $100. And Windows 7 is still the best.

Hope this update will help. Thanks for reading.

Original Review:

I have had this D420 for 2 years and it has never failed me no matter what. I take it every day to college. And to get to my school, I commute in the crowded NY subway for 1 hour one-way! I also take it when I travel. So far it has been in London (UK), Moscow (Russia), and twice in Kiev (Ukraine).

This computer is very thin and weights only 3 lb. It has the magnesium-alloy frame and high-quality plastic outer shell. It is really rugged and rigid no flex whatsoever. It has withstood the beating very well there are practically no marks or scratches after 2 years.

My laptop came with Core Solo U1300 1.06GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and Windows XP Pro. The system is very stable never had any problems with it. I installed AVG antivirus, Windows Defender, and Win Patrol HIPS. With all this running, I am able to use MS Word 2007, MS Excel 2007, Firefox (several tabs open), and Media Player at the same time with relative ease. I usually surf Internet, watch YouTube or Hulu, and do light photo editing with XNView. With an external DVD drive, I watch movies and rip CDs. Also, I work with Word, PowerPoint, and Excel every day. I even do some occasional gaming (WarCraft 3 runs smoothly on medium/low settings!) But do not expect this laptop to be lightning-fast. And do not try to play Crysis! This computer takes its time at the start-up (nothing too big though) and when opening multiple apps.

The computer is very power-efficient. The battery lasts for several hours and easily gets me through my day in college. The wireless card works just fine. I use it to connect to my campus network. At my home, I use wired DSL modem via the network card no problems here either. When I went to Russia and Ukraine, I used the built-in dial-up modem worked like charm. There is a slot for a Cellular HSDPA modem never used it. I like the SD Card slot use it a lot. The speaker is really tiny, but I use external speakers or headphones for music. The keyboard is really comfortable. I have had something like a dozen laptops, and I think that d420 has one of the best keyboards I have seen so far. The touchpad is good too, though I usually use a wireless mouse.

To extend connectivity and avoid plugging and unplugging numerous cords every day, I bought a Dell Media Base with built-in DVDRW drive. Now my DSL modem, speakers, printer, and power cord are constantly connected to the Base and the d420 sits on top of it. This also allowed me to move all the cords to the back, so they do not get in the way.

Long story short: I am really happy with it highly recommended. You can also find very good reviews of this laptop on notebookreview and notebookcheck.

Bought the first one for my college-age daughter, who just loved it. She has a docking station at her desk so she can quickly disconnect and throw it in her backpack. Case is magnesium and built like a tank. Dual-core processor is an order of magnitude faster than the Atom in netbooks. Even with a 6-hour battery, whole thing weighs maybe 3.5 pounds. Great keyboard, too.

Anyway, I loved the first unit so much, I bought a second one for myself, then a third for the wife. Great machines, and now you can easily find them for $250 on eBay or as refurbs. To me, WAY more sense than a netbook. You can get serious work done on this thing, and it's still small and light.

Buy Dell Latitude D420 12" Laptop Core Duo 1.2Ghz 1GB RAM Now

I have owned the D420 sinse 2006. I use it every single day for a couple hours on average and generally do not power it off between use. The screen is still bright and everything works as it did when new. I am a hard core computer user and have been for over 20 years and this was the 8th or 9th laptop that I have owned. So far, it has been by far the most reliable and longest lasting laptop for me. I bought two batteries when new and cycle between them. One has about a one hour charge and the other is about two, which is not bad at all considering the age.

Obviously I cannot rate the actual used product that someone may be purchaseing on this forum, but for the product line in general, I have nothing but good to say for the Dell Latitude D420 great product.

Read Best Reviews of Dell Latitude D420 12" Laptop Core Duo 1.2Ghz 1GB RAM Here

I've bought other Dell Laptops but never bought the business class ones so I decided to purchase one instead of buying a Netbook. I am glad I made the choice because I get a small unit that actually has more power than your netbooks out there.

My configuration actually comes with a Core Duo 1.2 with one gig of RAM which is plenty for XP. I may boost it to 2GB just for some added speed.

As for reliability, you can't go wrong with this unit. It has never given be problems whatsoever. I really think Dell is a leader in their business class notebooks as for their home series I think they need some work.

Overall, if you want a great travel laptop that is reliable,and great to type on and browse the net then why not get one of these!

Want Dell Latitude D420 12" Laptop Core Duo 1.2Ghz 1GB RAM Discount?

I am completely addicted to this laptop, a steal at the price and perfect for my needs, I e-mail, FB, play farmville (go ahead and laugh, I swore I never would but now addicted). Had an issue pop up when installing my wireless router (after a couple months of continual seamless use) that drove me INSANE, couldn't access my laptop for about a week because all of a sudden it was asking me for a password that I had never created. Couldn't access my laptop!!! END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT!!! Well, after 2.5 hours on the phone first with Circuit City, then D-Link (who told me it was common for used laptops for a previous user's password prompt to re-occur ~ this was not the case btw) and finally Dell, the support staff at Dell was able to walk me through and then remotely fix the issue that I could not. They removed the prompt for the password to pop up which is what I wanted. I'm the only one that uses this thing at home so I didn't need it. Thank you for this great little box!