Here’s a complimentary review of the new Dell Latitude D420 – a full-featured laptop with the sturdy feel of the other Dell Latitude models, but weighing less than four pounds. It’s got a 12.1 inch widescreen and a full-size keyboard, but the CD/DVD drive is left to an external device to keep the weight down.
There’s one interesting design choice. The default 9-cell battery offers generous battery life, but it extends out of the front of the laptop – in a sense, it’s a comfortable palm rest. But there is a 4-cell battery that disappears into the case and brings the weight down under three pounds, at the cost of some battery life.
Like the other Latitude D models, the D420 can include integrated access to Verizon’s EVDO network in addition to integrated 802.11 wireless networking.
It looks like a nice little package – it’s the first ultra-portable that looks like a true business computer with as few compromises as possible.
