I spent some time with this machine when I set it up for a customer we bought it for. The machine I am reviewing is the "s" model, which was custom configured for the customer.This is the newest variant of the Latitude business-class notebook PC's. The e6430 is designed to have the same footprint as a 13" notebook, but sports a larger 14" display. It's still really compact, although not as thin or light as a competitor's notebook, but that's ok because this isn't designed to be an ultra-lightweight machine. It's still about 4 lbs, which is a couple lbs. lighter than the E6500 or D5500 series Lats. It's pretty thin, not as thin as my MacBook Pro though.
It's made mostly out of plastic, which isn't a bad thing because plastic is lightweight and durable, and if you drop it, it won't dent or deform like an aluminum or aluminum-clad machine. The top of the display cover and some trim pieces are clad in brushed aluminum though, and that makes it look really nice and adds some scratch resistance. You still get the same features as the bigger Lats like the weird pointer button and finger buttons above the trackpad, which is also programmable for multitouch input (pinch to zoom, rotate, etc.). It's a little small, but that's not a problem as I found it really easy to use. The trackpad mouse buttons and palm rests are coated in soft touch rubber, which feels really nice. The keyboard is backlit and has 3 brightness settings. It turns off when you aren't using it though,. The keyboard is sealed underneath to protect the components inside if you splash or spill something on it. The permimeter of the laptop is also reinforced with plastic and the display lid is sealed to the chassis with a rubber seal. The screen lid locks into place with a sturdy latch system. Overall, this machine is very well-built and the build quality is top-notch. It doesn't feel cheap or flimsy, or fragile like some other laptops. I wouldn't feel so bad if I dropped this one as it would probably just scuff the plastic trim whereas with a MacBook or other "unibody" machine, you'd get a big ugly dent.
The OS is Windows 7 Pro 32-bit, which we chose because the RAM is only 4 GB. It will take up to 8 GB, and with only 4 this is still a smoking fast machine.
The 14" display is 1366x768 LED backlit LCD display with the anti glare coating, which for a machine in this price range is just mediocre. There are 2 USB SS 3.0 ports, a VGA, eSATA, mini HDMI, and ethernet ports.It includes a 8x super multi writer drive (DVD R+RW. CD-R R/W) that reads, writes, and re-writes CD's and single or dual layer DVD's. The internal hardware is what makes this machine so great. Inside is Intel's 4000 graphics chip, and one of the most powerful mobile CPU's on the market. The E6430s is configured with Intel's 3rd gen Core i7 3520m quad core CPU 2.9 GHz 4 MB cache, 4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM, Dell's 1520 802.11 g/n single band mini WiFi card, and the optional Dell Mobility 256 GB SATA 6 gb/s solid state drive (SSD) which was a $600 option and brought the price to this machine up to a hair under $2,100. I also tested this in the less-powerful i5 2.8 GHz CPU and standard hard drive and it's still extremely fast. It performs like a $2,000 laptop should.
The hardware makes this a smoking fast machine. From POST to Windows desktop is a hair under 8 seconds. Apps and large resource-hogging programs like iTunes and Photoshop didn't slow it down at all. Installing things like Windows service packs, updates Office with service packs was very fast. I'm an IT tech, and can honestly say this is the fastest machine I have ever worked on, and I've had my hands on some pretty impressive computers. It will do everything you ask it to and a lot more. It's not an ultra high end entertainment or gaming laptop like the XPS line or Alienware. It doesn't have a super high res screen, super thin chassis, or made of exotic materials. This is designed for a business user as a mobile workstation, and perfect for anyone who needs a fast, portable, rugged, no-nonsense machine with good battery life. I ran this computer without being plugged for over 2 hours and the battery gauge barely moved. I have no doubts this would last for 6 hours on a charge. Plus, it's easy to use. The keyboard isn't cramped and the palm rests are sufficiently large. Dell also doesn't ship their computers with loads of bloatware or unnecessary trial programs that expire, or are just annoying. You can tell that Dell designed this to be a mobile workstation. It also works with the port-replicator dock thanks to the connector port on the bottom, so you can mount extra USB devices, 2 monitors, or other devices when you want to use it like a desktop.
The 14" screen makes viewing documents easy, and is a lot nicer to work on than an ultra book or netbook. However, for a machine costing $2,100, I wished it was thinner, lighter, and had a better display. This is supposed to run with the MacBook Pro 13 and even 15, and I think it does a great job at it, but I think Dell could have done better. The i5 model of this is just as fast and it's about $300 cheaper (minus the SSD).
Pros:
Latest Intel i7 mobile CPU
Fast RAM
SSD
Lightweight
Fantastic build quality
Nice display
Good battery life
Dell quality
2 USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and eSATA
Able to connect to Dell's port replicator dock
Cons:
Display is just mediocre
Could be thinner and lighter
A little on the expensive side
I have no reservations recommending the Latitude 6430s. It's a no-frills, solid, well-built, and high performance business computer, but will be equally at home in your home as much as the office! Check out the new Latitude E6430 line before you shop elsewhere. They might be more expensive, but you do get what you pay for.
What I Love:
-Rugged Design, seems like it can withstand anything
-Built to last
-Perfect Size, easy to just pick up and go
-Price on Amazon is much lower then what I have seen at other places
-All the ports I could ever need
-i7 Processor doesn't disappoint
-Battery lasted me all day (approximately 9-10 hours of constant use)
-Screen has superb visibility inside and outside
What I don't Like:
-Over 6 pounds (I really don't mind, but others may)
Overall, 5/5 StarsI have been a loyal Dell customer for over 15 years. The E6430 is about to change that. This laptop is the product of a cost cutting exercise. The screen is the main problem. At 1600x900 it's smaller than that of the E6410. The laptop lid size, however, remains the same. There's now a ridiculous strip of wasted space above the screen, the only purpose of which is to make it hard to open when used in an airplane. The screen contrast is abysmal and has a unpleasant "checked" quality to it. The E6410 has an excellent, sharp screen.
I will be returning mine.I made my purchases directly through Dell.
I have been a loyal Dell customer since 1999.
Prior to the Latitude E Series Lap Top Dell really had a reputation for building a machine that could be a dependable work-horse.
I have purchased several E Series Latitude note books and I have to tell you. THESE MACHINES ARE POORLY MADE and WILL MALFUNCTION all the time.
I have spent 100's of hours on the phone with tech support with the E series note books. I have had technicians perform onsite service and I have had system replacement. None of this is convenient. It has cost me thousands in lost productivity.
I can't say it enough DO NOT BUY A DELL NOTE BOOK!! You will regret it.
A partial list of Issues that I have had -
1. Mother Board Replaced due to Wireless Malfunction;
2. Mother Board Replaced due to Overheating;
3. Mother Board Replaced due to Finger Print Reader Not Working;
4. Complete System Replacement;
5. Returning a machine to their repair depot only to get it sent back to me with a completely malfunctioning hard drive they made no attempt to notify me that the PC was not fixed; and
6. Complete Hard Drive Replacement.
PS. This is only one of several E Series note books that I use on a regular basis. They all have similar issues. Some of the issues are present right out of the box. Dell makes no effort to ensure that the system that you buy is configured the way you ordered it. Here is the kicker if you are willing to spend a day on the phone with them, they will walk you through the configuration that you bought and paid for when you purchased the machine. In other words, you get to work for Dell but don't get paid.
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