Dell Latitude D630 Laptop
Price range:
$759.00
-
$759.00
Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo (2.00 GHz), 2.00 GHz, 1.0 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 5.1 lbs, 14.1 TFT active matrix, EPA Energy Star, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Service Pack 1, With media
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Review Source: CNET.com
Editor's rating:
8.2
Good:
Strong performance; long-lived nine-cell battery; sturdy construction; bright display; comfortable keyboard; corporate-level security, including smart card reader; WWAN available as an option; lengthy three-year warranty.
Bad:
Somewhat heavy for a thin-and-light notebook; native screen resolution makes icons and text look small; fingerprint reader decreases mouse button size.
Bottom line:
Corporate users can't go wrong with the Dell Latitude D630, which integrates Intel's latest mobile platform with a business-friendly feature set and lengthy extended battery.
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User Opinions |
Average rating: 7.8 out of 10 Add your own opinion at CNET Reviews |
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Summary: What an IMPRESSIVE... first impression by markiedub - November 14, 2008 Pros: - Reliable Battery Life (4 hours running multiple programs) - Decent Integrated Graphics - Solid build quality, you can truck it on the Road! - XP SP3 available, Vista is so weak sauce... - Overall... Outperforms some desktops out there! Cons: - Too many hater reviews touting the overpriced and underperforming Lenovo T-61! - How can you call the extended battery an awkward chin... of an afterthought... Using it as a wrist rest is an evolution to laptops... honestly... |
User Rating 10 out of 10 |
Lets be honest consumers, how many laptop owners out there are tired of the gadgety blinking lights and multitude of useless add ons that the average bear will not use anyway? I am for sure...
The Dell D630 is my first laptop and what an impression it has left on me. I am a PC builder who has NEVER considered once to buy a laptop. I had a fear that I would be wasting my money because of the gap in performance that I presumed would be there. WOW I was wrong to assume that with the D630.
My desktop:
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ 65W Dual Core Black Box edition (Beast...)
- ASUS M2N-E Nvidia 570 SLI AMD Motherboard
- 4 gigs Kingston Hyper X DDR2 800
- (2x) XFX 8800 GT 512MB Zalman cooled
(My desktops a gaming beast...BEWARE)
My Dell Lattitude D630
- Inter Dual Core X7500 running at 2.4 ghz
- 2 gigs DDR2 800
- Nvidia integrated graphics X135
(The laptop performs comparable to my desktop application wise, and decent too for some of my games...)
Set up was a breeze, thanks to XP SP3...yes Vista does suck... and the laptop was up and running after I fully discharged the battery and recharged for 7 hours. I have buddies with other laptops, Powerbook, Lenovo T61 and even a Dell XPS but neither one could keep up with the D630 on benchmarks. To top it off the D630 price point is almost a full grand less! what a deal. I was lucky to buy mine new off a buddy who does IT infrastructure, he had a spare as a part of his signing bonus.
In the future I will be using this laptop in conjunction with my IT classes, seriously every IT techie I've spoken to had nothing but high praises for the functionality and relevance of the D630 for IT workloads, and it comes with a Parrallel port (alas a dying breed)
IF YOU WANT A NO NONSENSE LAPTOP TO HANDLE ALL OF YOUR MULTITASKING WITH NO COMPROMISE IN PERFORMANCE, this is the laptop for you.
SORRY MACBOOK AND POWER BOOK USERS, YOU NO LONGER HAVE A HOLD IN THE VIDEO AND MEDIA EDITING DEPT. I RUN ADOBE CS3 FASTER THAN YOU DO, CONVERTING RAW TO MONO TAKES A SNAP OF A FINGER.
!!!DONT SETTLE FOR LESS AND PAY MORE!!! UNLESS ALL THE BLINKING LIGHTS MAKE YOU SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT.
My Name is Mark and I'm a PC...
The Dell D630 is my first laptop and what an impression it has left on me. I am a PC builder who has NEVER considered once to buy a laptop. I had a fear that I would be wasting my money because of the gap in performance that I presumed would be there. WOW I was wrong to assume that with the D630.
My desktop:
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ 65W Dual Core Black Box edition (Beast...)
- ASUS M2N-E Nvidia 570 SLI AMD Motherboard
- 4 gigs Kingston Hyper X DDR2 800
- (2x) XFX 8800 GT 512MB Zalman cooled
(My desktops a gaming beast...BEWARE)
My Dell Lattitude D630
- Inter Dual Core X7500 running at 2.4 ghz
- 2 gigs DDR2 800
- Nvidia integrated graphics X135
(The laptop performs comparable to my desktop application wise, and decent too for some of my games...)
Set up was a breeze, thanks to XP SP3...yes Vista does suck... and the laptop was up and running after I fully discharged the battery and recharged for 7 hours. I have buddies with other laptops, Powerbook, Lenovo T61 and even a Dell XPS but neither one could keep up with the D630 on benchmarks. To top it off the D630 price point is almost a full grand less! what a deal. I was lucky to buy mine new off a buddy who does IT infrastructure, he had a spare as a part of his signing bonus.
In the future I will be using this laptop in conjunction with my IT classes, seriously every IT techie I've spoken to had nothing but high praises for the functionality and relevance of the D630 for IT workloads, and it comes with a Parrallel port (alas a dying breed)
IF YOU WANT A NO NONSENSE LAPTOP TO HANDLE ALL OF YOUR MULTITASKING WITH NO COMPROMISE IN PERFORMANCE, this is the laptop for you.
SORRY MACBOOK AND POWER BOOK USERS, YOU NO LONGER HAVE A HOLD IN THE VIDEO AND MEDIA EDITING DEPT. I RUN ADOBE CS3 FASTER THAN YOU DO, CONVERTING RAW TO MONO TAKES A SNAP OF A FINGER.
!!!DONT SETTLE FOR LESS AND PAY MORE!!! UNLESS ALL THE BLINKING LIGHTS MAKE YOU SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT.
My Name is Mark and I'm a PC...
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Summary: Solid choice for business laptop by HenHoo - November 14, 2008 Pros: Good performance (especially with 7200 rpm drives) Solid battery life Decent screen Cons: Replacement batteries expensive and only last 12 months in realistic consulting use A couple of hard drive failures (2 in 50) |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
I've been buying these and their precedessor (D620) for our consulting company for the past two years. They have low failure rates (maybe 2 out of 50 have had problems which was much better than our experience with Lenovo). Performance is good and support is adquate. We've moved on to buying the E-series now and I hope they work out as well.
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Summary: almost perfect by ravi_cnet - June 30, 2008 Pros: Light weight, really fast, integrates well with docking station, battery longevity is incredible, everything I wanted in a laptop. Cons: Lack of media card reader, wierd battery "chin" bar, lack of availability of a discrete video card, potential mobo limitation of RAM use, |
User Rating 8 out of 10 |
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Summary: Pleasantly Suprised! by sfraibe2 - March 12, 2008 Pros: Great screen, solid construction, good and reliable customer service. Cons: Slightly heavy and clunky (not too much) |
User Rating 8 out of 10 |
Pros
I almost returned this laptop out of the box because I was so disappointed with the screen--the colors looked dull and washed out. But after adjusting the screen settings, it actually looks fantastic, far better than I expected. The screen by the way is the higher resolution with 1440 * 900. In addition, the keyboard is ok, something which I was worried about after finding the keyboard on the XPS 1330 to be cramped and flimsy. As the other laptop reviews on this site point out, the D630 seems like a very solid, well built laptop, and the battery life is excellent. I get about four hours (with the six cell battery) on a single charge. There is no need to worry about the additional drain of a graphics card, because this shuts off automatically when the computer is unplugged (of course this setting can be changed). Usefully, the graphics card also lets you hook this up to a monitor and extend your screen (as opposed to a mirror). Another key factor in selecting this computer was support for XP. Dell more than any other company, perhaps except Lenovo (which has other problems), seems to make XP available.
Cons
The computer, even with the six cell battery, is a bit heavier and clunkier (though I do not want to overstate this) than I would expect from a laptop of this size. I also would like Dell to offer a bigger hard drive for this computer. The Vosto right now offers a 250GB hard drive, and the largest for this model is 160GB, and this cost is high because of a higher speed and free fall sensor.
Additional Thoughts
Perhaps better than the computer itself has been the service. I swore off Dell many years ago after a terrible experience with customer service. I recently, however, returned after being pleasantly surprised with the service on a relatively small purchase. I found the customer service agents to be exceptionally good. I have noticed in their emails, they write they have taken ownership of the problem. And I believe this to be the case. Finally, someone at Dell is taking ownership over the problems! As I noted above, I was initially unhappy with my laptop screen and immediately had my feelings about the customer service validated upon contacting them. The customer service agent was very helpful and applied no pressure to get me to keep the computer. Quite the opposite. In the end, furthermore, the screen turned out to be the best thing about the computer.
In terms of other companies, I have had negative experiences with Toshiba, and I have heard horror stories about Lenovo. I am tempted to say that Dell is the best of a bunch of bad options. But now I would say that Dell is not a bad choice at all. The customer service plan I got as an educational purchase through my university is a great deal with 24 hour at-your-door service for three years. Someone wrote in another review "good computer, better service." While there may be sexier computers out there, at this point I need something reliable and service that I can count on. Dell seems to fit this bill.
I almost returned this laptop out of the box because I was so disappointed with the screen--the colors looked dull and washed out. But after adjusting the screen settings, it actually looks fantastic, far better than I expected. The screen by the way is the higher resolution with 1440 * 900. In addition, the keyboard is ok, something which I was worried about after finding the keyboard on the XPS 1330 to be cramped and flimsy. As the other laptop reviews on this site point out, the D630 seems like a very solid, well built laptop, and the battery life is excellent. I get about four hours (with the six cell battery) on a single charge. There is no need to worry about the additional drain of a graphics card, because this shuts off automatically when the computer is unplugged (of course this setting can be changed). Usefully, the graphics card also lets you hook this up to a monitor and extend your screen (as opposed to a mirror). Another key factor in selecting this computer was support for XP. Dell more than any other company, perhaps except Lenovo (which has other problems), seems to make XP available.
Cons
The computer, even with the six cell battery, is a bit heavier and clunkier (though I do not want to overstate this) than I would expect from a laptop of this size. I also would like Dell to offer a bigger hard drive for this computer. The Vosto right now offers a 250GB hard drive, and the largest for this model is 160GB, and this cost is high because of a higher speed and free fall sensor.
Additional Thoughts
Perhaps better than the computer itself has been the service. I swore off Dell many years ago after a terrible experience with customer service. I recently, however, returned after being pleasantly surprised with the service on a relatively small purchase. I found the customer service agents to be exceptionally good. I have noticed in their emails, they write they have taken ownership of the problem. And I believe this to be the case. Finally, someone at Dell is taking ownership over the problems! As I noted above, I was initially unhappy with my laptop screen and immediately had my feelings about the customer service validated upon contacting them. The customer service agent was very helpful and applied no pressure to get me to keep the computer. Quite the opposite. In the end, furthermore, the screen turned out to be the best thing about the computer.
In terms of other companies, I have had negative experiences with Toshiba, and I have heard horror stories about Lenovo. I am tempted to say that Dell is the best of a bunch of bad options. But now I would say that Dell is not a bad choice at all. The customer service plan I got as an educational purchase through my university is a great deal with 24 hour at-your-door service for three years. Someone wrote in another review "good computer, better service." While there may be sexier computers out there, at this point I need something reliable and service that I can count on. Dell seems to fit this bill.
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Summary: Very strong performance, even better support! by HerbieK - February 22, 2008 Pros: Fast. Lots of Features. Long battery life. Dell Support. Cons: 9-Cell Battery Location |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
I have used a Dell D600 that my company provided for four years. When they announced they were switching to a Lenovo T61 I was not happy since I have three workstations with docking ports and monitors. I decided that I would buy a refurbed Dell D620 from the Dell outlet.
Let me say that I should have known better, but I got a great deal on a D620 with a 256 MB nVidea card, 2 MB of RAM and lots of other goodies. From the moment I fired up the D620 I experienced what I call my blue screen video nightmare.
After a month of calling tech support, sending the machine back for a new system board, and a new hard drive and battery the problem remained. Even reformatting the HD and a clean OS reinstall didn't help.
Dell gave me the option of sending the unit back again or a replacement unit. I opted to replace the machine. A week later I received my replacement computer and got a surprise.
Instead of another D620 they replaced the refurbed machine with a NEW D630 which cost about $350.00 more. It did not have the nVidea card so I was skeptical, but Dell Support assured me I would be happy with the integrated video performance. The new machine ran circles around the D620 and the video was smoother than the D620!
Although I was not initially happy with my purchase, Dell Support did everything they could to satisfy me and then replaced the machine with a better one. I am totally sold on Dell products and it's great to know that they really stand behind the product they sell. Even though I am being given the Lenovo T61 I will be using my Dell D630 as my main machine.
Let me say that I should have known better, but I got a great deal on a D620 with a 256 MB nVidea card, 2 MB of RAM and lots of other goodies. From the moment I fired up the D620 I experienced what I call my blue screen video nightmare.
After a month of calling tech support, sending the machine back for a new system board, and a new hard drive and battery the problem remained. Even reformatting the HD and a clean OS reinstall didn't help.
Dell gave me the option of sending the unit back again or a replacement unit. I opted to replace the machine. A week later I received my replacement computer and got a surprise.
Instead of another D620 they replaced the refurbed machine with a NEW D630 which cost about $350.00 more. It did not have the nVidea card so I was skeptical, but Dell Support assured me I would be happy with the integrated video performance. The new machine ran circles around the D620 and the video was smoother than the D620!
Although I was not initially happy with my purchase, Dell Support did everything they could to satisfy me and then replaced the machine with a better one. I am totally sold on Dell products and it's great to know that they really stand behind the product they sell. Even though I am being given the Lenovo T61 I will be using my Dell D630 as my main machine.
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Summary: A perfect laptop! Better: a perfect laptop with an excelent price! by Diogo Cysne - February 15, 2008 Pros: Almost, no... absolutely everything! Cons: I found no problem with the notebook until now... |
User Rating 10 out of 10 |
My wondest tech-dream was a laptop: not too powerful and not too basic, but a good one. Well, I won a better one in my 15 years' birthday: I won a Dell Latitude D630!
I will make a small and fast comment about the product: it's perfect! I said that lots of times and I will say it again: perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect. Do I need to say more?
I will make a small and fast comment about the product: it's perfect! I said that lots of times and I will say it again: perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect. Do I need to say more?
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Summary: Lots of Potential--Risky Buy!! by 08cicumm - February 8, 2008 Pros: Great battery life. Cons: Have had trouble since day one. |
User Rating 4 out of 10 |
The first day I got my D630 (with battery add-on for optimum battery life) I was sorely disappointed. My LCD was displaying negative color and, sometimes, nothing at all.
When I called Dell, I was transfered to a department SPECIFICALLY FOR D630 ISSUES. Apparently, I'm not the only one having issues. It was quite an ordeal sending my laptop in to have it repaired (takes up to a month!) and now that I have it back, I'm experiencing a new problem: my brand-new Vista often crashes and takes a while to reboot.
Bottom line: Nifty idea. Not worth the pain.
When I called Dell, I was transfered to a department SPECIFICALLY FOR D630 ISSUES. Apparently, I'm not the only one having issues. It was quite an ordeal sending my laptop in to have it repaired (takes up to a month!) and now that I have it back, I'm experiencing a new problem: my brand-new Vista often crashes and takes a while to reboot.
Bottom line: Nifty idea. Not worth the pain.
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Summary: Wouldn't buy anything else but Dell D series for work by mainbrace - February 8, 2008 Pros: Solid build, great screen, super fast, very quiet, excellent battery life Cons: Native screen resolution on these new wide screens taxes old eyes, a bit heavy (trade-off on battery life) |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
This is my third Dell D series work horse. They are my work station, my portable, and my presentation platform. Excellent build quality with the D630 being the best to date. The speed of the new Centrino Duo with 2GB RAM onboard is fanastic - stuff opens and gets going before you take your finger off the mouse. The new WIFI network catcher and/or latest wireless manager dramatically speeds up connections to known WIFI networks. Native screen resolution on this machine is 1280x800 which means this 50 yr old has to reach for his reading specs. Tweaking the DPI upto 110% (or more) pretty much addresses the issue. I'd hate to have the even higher res screen !! The advantage tho is the wide screen real estate which comes into its own in Outlook 2007. Folders, Inbox and Calander all side by side is a BIG winner for me.
Dell's service in the past - on the very odd occassion I've needed, it has been superior to that of any of colleagues' "big brand" notebooks, and oddly enough, they seem to need repair services more frequently !
12/10 from this strictly (and fussy) business user.
Dell's service in the past - on the very odd occassion I've needed, it has been superior to that of any of colleagues' "big brand" notebooks, and oddly enough, they seem to need repair services more frequently !
12/10 from this strictly (and fussy) business user.
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Summary: Nice desktop replacement by cptdrinian - January 19, 2008 Pros: Full size keyboard, widescreen Cons: Heavy, very heavy |
User Rating 7 out of 10 |
This is a really powerful machine with a lot of real estate on the screen. For the user who is looking to replace desktops for a mobile workforce this might be their answer. I fly weekly for work and find it to be very heavy to lug around.
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Summary: Durable Machine by kashmoney - January 5, 2008 Pros: Screen, upto date hardware, features, durability Cons: Weight - too heavy for its size.. |
User Rating 8 out of 10 |
I had to return the first machine since I ordered the WXGA+ version (1440x900) and text was too small.
I was disappointed at the replacement as well, I was still getting eye strain - until I went into the Nvidia control panel and manually adjusted the settings. After that the screen was very good.
Screen:
1280x800
Matte Finish
Brightness - very good
Keyboard:
-No flex around edges
-Minor flex toward the center
-Pointing devices work well, but center pointing stick is redundant and gets in the way.
-Touch typing is very easy and almost enjoyable.
-"girth" of machine makes it difficult to continuously type without getting strain in the forearms.
Video Card:
Adequate, seems to speeds thing along - nothing to write home to mom about, though.
Ports
USB, Firewire, PCi exp, etc...
Some are awkwardly placed.
Wifi
Nice setup, although the listed benefits of dell 5100 "capture card" are somewhat overstated.
Bluetooth
Not tested.
DVD RW/CD RW
Not tested.
Construction:
Solid construction, 0 flex on the back the screen. Laptop feels tight and doesn't have a loose plastic feel. This is a big accomplishment - especially for dell.
Overall: would buy this again and again if they just made it 1-1.5 pounds lighter. 8
I was disappointed at the replacement as well, I was still getting eye strain - until I went into the Nvidia control panel and manually adjusted the settings. After that the screen was very good.
Screen:
1280x800
Matte Finish
Brightness - very good
Keyboard:
-No flex around edges
-Minor flex toward the center
-Pointing devices work well, but center pointing stick is redundant and gets in the way.
-Touch typing is very easy and almost enjoyable.
-"girth" of machine makes it difficult to continuously type without getting strain in the forearms.
Video Card:
Adequate, seems to speeds thing along - nothing to write home to mom about, though.
Ports
USB, Firewire, PCi exp, etc...
Some are awkwardly placed.
Wifi
Nice setup, although the listed benefits of dell 5100 "capture card" are somewhat overstated.
Bluetooth
Not tested.
DVD RW/CD RW
Not tested.
Construction:
Solid construction, 0 flex on the back the screen. Laptop feels tight and doesn't have a loose plastic feel. This is a big accomplishment - especially for dell.
Overall: would buy this again and again if they just made it 1-1.5 pounds lighter. 8
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Summary: A great product made even better by markiv454 - December 22, 2007 Pros: Powerful and sturdy Cons: touchpad keys not necessary |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
This is the 3rd generation of Latitudes that my company has bought and it is the best yet. The chassis is the predictable sturdy titanium that has earned the Latitudes a great reputation with added bonus of multiple peripheral ports in strategically positions. Keyboard is good layout and size. Volume controls and Wifi switch are a great convenience features to easily get to these functions. As it is a business notebook the display is good but not spectacular. It barely breaks a sweat running Vista Business and MS Office Suite with the Intel T7100 process and 2 GB RAM with the standard video card. Battery life has been adequate. It did not take long to get use to the extended battery but the extra touch pad keys next to the keyboard are a bit redundant and get in my way. Since we are a construction company the work environments that these notebooks endure is to say the least harsh. Dirt, dust, with wide temperatures changes are just some of the examples that these units endure. The D500 through the D630's have held up well and have proved themselves to be sturdy and reliable.
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Summary: Fast and feature packed! by ChrisMSmith - November 28, 2007 Pros: Good performance to weight ratio. Cons: None yet (fingers crossed) |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
I have had this laptop for two weeks now and I'm really happy. This is my third Dell laptop (over 10 years) and they keep getting lighter, smaller, and more feature-packed. The HD is huge, plenty of RAM, a fast processor, and the battery life is awesome. I also have the broadband verizon card for work and it's a must-have.
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Summary: Finally, a computer that boots quickly by sdankert - November 15, 2007 Pros: fast power on to use Cons: none so far |
User Rating 8 out of 10 |
I love how fast this boots up when I turn it on. No reliablity issues or performance issues in my first month of ownership.
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Summary: Latitude D630 is a Fine Product Period by triroger - November 10, 2007 Pros: Quality Finish, Slim and Tough Book Cons: No Web Camera |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
I have the Latitude D620 and Inspiron E1505 notebooks and DELL is the best computers I have ever invested in. Don't think TWICE about this ONE
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Summary: Best Laptop in the Business Class by bj-user - October 26, 2007 Pros: Battery Life, Mobility, Weight, Style Cons: None that I can think of |
User Rating 10 out of 10 |
I have owned many laptops, and I mean a lot. Probably get a new one every couple months. Have owned HPs, IBM Thinkpad's, Apple MacBook Pros, etc. I would have to say that out of all of these, the Dell D630 is by far the best in its class. Superior battery life to any I have ever used. Make sure you upgrade and for like $30 more get the 9-cell battery. I have taken this to classes all day long and still have %40 or more battery life left over. It is simply amazing. Would be lucky to get a little under 2 hours on the macbook pro. My recommendation, and here is what I did, order the Dell with 512MB which is the minimum. Then, order 4GB ram from newegg for about $200.00. I tell you, the D630 screams with 4GB of ram running vista x64. I ordered the 80GB hard drive due to money restraints. I will probably upgrade that when I can next. I highly recommend this laptop to anyone. I have used dozens of laptops, even the new D830s and I think this is by far the best.
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Summary: Buy this instead of an Inspiron! by tnaval - October 21, 2007 Pros: fast, lightweight, perfect for school or business Cons: looks 9cell battery sticks out the front |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
The Dell Latitude D630 notebook is an amazing machine. I bought the d630 because it had a smaller screen and an option for up to 4 GB of RAM. I bought it with 1 GB and will add another 2 GB later. I have the optional dock and it makes life really easy. The notebook is very fast and would recommend it to any college student who is thinking of getting a new inspiron. This laptop is much better than the Inspirons and you can get more bang for your buck with this. The only downside is that if you get the optional 9 cell battery, it sticks out in the front about an inch.
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Summary: A Good option for business users, easy to use by TechyNerd_X - October 1, 2007 Pros: cheap,easy to use,good compoents Cons: hefty for size,Hard-drive is slow |
User Rating 6 out of 10 |
The Dell Latitude is a good option for corporate users such as myself, coming at a resonable price for its components. The Intel T7300 CPU works well, and is overall an easy PC to use. The HDD could be faster(only 5400-rpm), and it is quite heavy for a "mobility-notebook". I would reccomend this PC to business users, but this PC would not be a great choice for the average home-users
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Summary: Battery life is horrible by mhardin_99 - October 1, 2007 Pros: Powerful no frills buiseness machine Cons: plan on replaceing the battery every 6-8 months |
User Rating 6 out of 10 |
Good no frills business machine. No, it's not a thinkpad but still a solid machine for the price. The biggest issue I have had with both this and the D620 concerns the longevity of the battery (can only speak for the 9 cell). After 6-8 months of daily usage, you should plan on the battery not holding a charge for more than 30-40 minutes. The most unfortunate part of this has been that Dell admits this is an issue, yet is anything but cooperative when trying to get it replaced. I do all of the hardware purchasing for my department, and unfortunately the difficulties with Dell over this issue are forcing us to take our (large) business elsewhere. Bottom line....good machine, but fixable flaws left in place to generate continued revenue for Dell.
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Summary: ThinkPad power for less, and a little more style by JoachimIII - September 17, 2007 Pros: The best value in its class, great battery, really stylish appearance. Cons: Having a smart card reader and biometric security at the same time isn't really practical. And a webcam or media card reader would be a plus. |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
I'm a media student, and my university recommends the ThinkPad across the board. But after taking it out for a spin, I have no regrets after getting the Latitude D630 instead. With an eye-catching appearance, better battery, a widescreen display, and all the power of a ThinkPad for less, how can you go wrong?
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Summary: not a road warrior's tool, yet lacks features for others by neosynthesis - September 17, 2007 Pros: battery life Cons: too many, read on for details |
User Rating 3 out of 10 |
lacks real road warrior features such as:
-you call this a keyboard? still haven't learned from IBM/HP all these years?
-dedicated scroll button (with IBM/Lenovo's, there's a dedicated scroll button in between the two track point buttons, so I can browse any corners of a document, website, PDF without taking my fingers off the keyboard typing position).
-awful sound, mono speaker, sound controls hard to press, volume adjustment varies way too much with each press of the button. i know it's a business product, but this kind of quality is unacceptable considering other manufacturers offer better controls and/or sound quality
-screen viewing angle is very limited from side to side, awful from top to bottom
-pointing stick buttons very hard to press, making navigating difficult compared to HP/IBM
-docking station is idiotic, requiring first pressing the "undock" button before undocking
-docking station is idiotic, requiring first to remove the laptop lock before the undocking button can be pressed to undock the laptop (i have to run to meetings with my laptop several times a day at very short notices, how many times a day does Dell think I should lock and unlock my docking station)
-no dedicated video RAM? i need all the system RAM i can get (already at 2G's), and the shared memory is competing with the system RAM and i don't have control over how much system memory video will eat up!
-much heavier and bulkier than Lenovo T series and HP NC series while not offering more impact resisting technology like lenovo's HD impact protection
-no built in mic
-all buttons are recessed, making them very hard to press
-only had it for 4 days and the cpu cooling fan is already starting to splutter slightly
-wi-fi on/off switch easily activated accidentally when taking up the machine, i guess they are trying to make up for all the other buttons being so hard to press
-even for a dell business class product it looks bulky, heavy, unappealing and completely understated. dell used to make better looking products before!
-where are the business features such as data encryption?
bottom line:
-dell calls this a business product?? just because a laptop is stripped of decent multimedia features does not automatically qualify it as a business product. a business product has to offer something for its intended target user. since it's a dell, i didn't expect it to outdo its competitors in features, but i was hoping at least it would try and keep up with its competitors in some aspects. well, it didn't and that's been dell's way.
-road warriors, find something else that can actually do the job, looks better, and lighter to carry around
-other users: there are other laptops at this price range that can do a whole lot more.
-you call this a keyboard? still haven't learned from IBM/HP all these years?
-dedicated scroll button (with IBM/Lenovo's, there's a dedicated scroll button in between the two track point buttons, so I can browse any corners of a document, website, PDF without taking my fingers off the keyboard typing position).
-awful sound, mono speaker, sound controls hard to press, volume adjustment varies way too much with each press of the button. i know it's a business product, but this kind of quality is unacceptable considering other manufacturers offer better controls and/or sound quality
-screen viewing angle is very limited from side to side, awful from top to bottom
-pointing stick buttons very hard to press, making navigating difficult compared to HP/IBM
-docking station is idiotic, requiring first pressing the "undock" button before undocking
-docking station is idiotic, requiring first to remove the laptop lock before the undocking button can be pressed to undock the laptop (i have to run to meetings with my laptop several times a day at very short notices, how many times a day does Dell think I should lock and unlock my docking station)
-no dedicated video RAM? i need all the system RAM i can get (already at 2G's), and the shared memory is competing with the system RAM and i don't have control over how much system memory video will eat up!
-much heavier and bulkier than Lenovo T series and HP NC series while not offering more impact resisting technology like lenovo's HD impact protection
-no built in mic
-all buttons are recessed, making them very hard to press
-only had it for 4 days and the cpu cooling fan is already starting to splutter slightly
-wi-fi on/off switch easily activated accidentally when taking up the machine, i guess they are trying to make up for all the other buttons being so hard to press
-even for a dell business class product it looks bulky, heavy, unappealing and completely understated. dell used to make better looking products before!
-where are the business features such as data encryption?
bottom line:
-dell calls this a business product?? just because a laptop is stripped of decent multimedia features does not automatically qualify it as a business product. a business product has to offer something for its intended target user. since it's a dell, i didn't expect it to outdo its competitors in features, but i was hoping at least it would try and keep up with its competitors in some aspects. well, it didn't and that's been dell's way.
-road warriors, find something else that can actually do the job, looks better, and lighter to carry around
-other users: there are other laptops at this price range that can do a whole lot more.
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Summary: Great, but Dell must get rid of the pointing stick by EdCarrochio - September 16, 2007 Pros: Great balance of weight, screen size, keyboard layout, audio, video, processing power/speed, memory, and durability (I travel all the time with it). Cons: Dell must make the pointing stick optional. I would rate it a 9 or 10 without it. |
User Rating 8 out of 10 |
Pros? Great machine. Iâve been a user of the Latitude D600 line for years. This machine is a workhorse and travels well. My last Dell cracked many times, but this one is solid. The one serious complaint that I have is the stupid pointing stick in the middle of the keyboard. Does anyone seriously use this anachronistic vestigial organ anymore?
Cons? Can you guess? How many of you have had âpointing stick rage,â when you are typing fast, and your finger hits that tiny porcupine/cactus in the middle of your keyboard? Itâs unbelievably taxing. Itâs like going out to play in your yard and stepping in a surprise that your dog left there for you. And itâs embarrassing to think that a serious company like Dell doesnât offer you the option to order the computer without it. All it would take would be to spend 25 cents producing B, G and H keys that cover it up. But apparently, the corporate good soldiers at Dell are focused on the lowest 1% of their target audience. Are the suits at Dell still stuck back in 1993? The rest of us have moved on from the pointing stick.
Somebody at Dell could really earn themselves a promotion by offering this computer without the pointing stick. They could leave the pointing stick buttons below the space bar â theyâre not in the way. As for the pointing stick, please make it go away.
Cons? Can you guess? How many of you have had âpointing stick rage,â when you are typing fast, and your finger hits that tiny porcupine/cactus in the middle of your keyboard? Itâs unbelievably taxing. Itâs like going out to play in your yard and stepping in a surprise that your dog left there for you. And itâs embarrassing to think that a serious company like Dell doesnât offer you the option to order the computer without it. All it would take would be to spend 25 cents producing B, G and H keys that cover it up. But apparently, the corporate good soldiers at Dell are focused on the lowest 1% of their target audience. Are the suits at Dell still stuck back in 1993? The rest of us have moved on from the pointing stick.
Somebody at Dell could really earn themselves a promotion by offering this computer without the pointing stick. They could leave the pointing stick buttons below the space bar â theyâre not in the way. As for the pointing stick, please make it go away.
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Summary: Not even close to Thinkpad! by StevenDPeterson - September 14, 2007 Pros: Exceptional battery life, large screen Cons: Numerous quircks, heavy |
User Rating 6 out of 10 |
Three months ago I replaced my Thinkpad T42 with this machine. I'm a pretty basic user and just want a laptop that I can lug around, will be easy to use and deliver solid performance. I expected something three years newer would be significantly better than my T42 (especially after all the glowing reviews). Instead, I ended up with heavier machine that seems riddled with quircks. For example, about half the time the D630 will not go into the hibernate or standby mode when I want to shut down. About once a week when I've been away for a few hours the screen turns black, it will not "awaken" though the power is on (I basically have to power off and lose all the open applications). While Dell is reasonbly helpful, I've quickly grown tired of all the quirck of this machine (few of which occurred with the Thinkpad), and just want something that doesn't require constant brainpower to figure out what's wrong. On the positive side, I will say the battery life is phenomenal (but I want another Thinkpad)!
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Summary: Nice Machine by SFDANGERMAN - September 4, 2007 Pros: Hardware Works Cons: Gold Tech Support Lacking. Battery Removal is difficult |
User Rating 6 out of 10 |
Gold tech support option for North America Support was purchased. Fast response time. However quality of support is questionable. Each tech took a different approach. Had to format c drive and reinstall everything and then call back because they did not provide details on what to reinstall. Shipped WIFI card which I had to put in, (not comfortable opening up PC's) They do not have current drivers on thier site, Intel site drivers more current did not work. They did not seem to understand the Intel Pro set wifi chip software and features. The tech's said they had x & y certifications. Requests to call me were ignored. Mail tag is wrong way to go. Bought an external keyboard. They cannot find a manual for it. Provided the model, description, part number etc. They kept sending a similiar keyboard manual. This was not resolved. If you sell a new part and you provide manuals for older parts like a keyboard, it shoul be on your site to download. Obviouslyy the layoffs in 2007 have impacted their ability to support what they sell 100%. While I avoided the usual hassle of dealing with non North american support, I cannot give them a good grade on service. When all the details are provided, they should just admit they do noy have the manual. Then go get it and post it. Lame is the only way to describe the service. They gave up. A real service company would never give up.
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Summary: Very good notebook! by kennut - August 27, 2007 Pros: Light, 14.1 LCD screen. Cons: Missing Multicard-reader and web-camera. |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
I think DELL is starting to listen to what power-users one. I travel a lot out of the country, so getting a light notebook is a must. I hate those 12.1 or 13.1 type, so 14.1 is just nice, not too big and not too small.
Specs I got is a 1.8Ghz, 2gig, 120GB HDD, second 80GB HDD, 9-Cell batt. Comes with a DVD+-RW, bluetooth and lotsa of stuffs with it.
The only cons I have is with the price, should come with a multicard reader and a web-camera.
Go buy this!!
Specs I got is a 1.8Ghz, 2gig, 120GB HDD, second 80GB HDD, 9-Cell batt. Comes with a DVD+-RW, bluetooth and lotsa of stuffs with it.
The only cons I have is with the price, should come with a multicard reader and a web-camera.
Go buy this!!
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Summary: A Wonderful Value by abbaland - August 21, 2007 Pros: Fast, Sturdy With A Great Support System Cons: Fingerprint Reader Software Is Not Quite Up To Par. |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
I donât usually take the time to write reviews, however, I read one of your reviews pertaining to the comparison of the Lenovoâs R61 to the D630 and it grabbed my attention. I quite agree with your reviewer. I read all the recent rave reviews of the R61 and I purchased one. I had it several days and even though the keyboard was everything it was supposed to be cracked up to be, the laptop in general didnât perform up to expectations of the reviews that were offered. It was slow and temperamental. I returned it in a week and received a full refund because their tech people felt that I had valid issues that they were unable to correct. On a positive note, the Lenovo folks were very nice to deal with. I then purchased a D630 and what a wonderful laptop Dell has come up with. Itâs fast and rock solid sturdy, the response time is super and the graphics provide complete satisfaction. Dell sent me the recovery discs at no charge (Lenovo charged $9.00 for their discs) along with the CDâs for Roxio and Cyberlink Power DVD. The extended battery is everything Dell states. Itâs a bit heavy, however, thatâs a comfortable tradeoff considering this is a heavy duty business laptop that one will depend upon for long periods of battery power, utilizing it on the road, airplanes, etc. I did have to return the first D630 that I had received due to the fingerprint software that Dell installed. Itâs my impression as well as my ISP (Verizon FIOS) that the fingerprint technology software is not quite there yet and since itâs a preboot function if it doesnât work it can become sluggish and repetitive in order to gain entry into the operating system. At present Iâm not utilizing the fingerprint option, however, the D630 has the hardware installed for future consideration if I should so choose. I would like to mention that not only is this small laptop a real gem and lives up to itâs reputation it happens to be several hundred dollars cheaper than the Lenovo R61 with approximately the same components offered on both laptops. In closing, I would also endorse the Gold Star technical package Dell offers with the D630. For $99.00 you can call a Dell tech on a 3 year service package for help and they generally respond within 2 to 3 minutes. I have had various computers over the years and Iâve never had such outstanding service. You canât go wrong if you want a fast, reliable laptop with outstanding support. Itâs hard to beat this total package. Abba
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Summary: great pc, BUT battery does NOT last long by gustinham - August 21, 2007 Pros: quick processing, handles multiple programs at one time Cons: battery life. the battery does not live up to its promise |
User Rating 8 out of 10 |
great laptop overall. handles multiple functions at one time. battery IS TERRIBLE! if they fix this problem...i would buy this laptop again.
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Summary: garbage. try IBM by joel99k - August 9, 2007 Pros: decent look, Cons: graphics, size. weight |
User Rating 2 out of 10 |
my disk drive broke after 4 weeks of use. dell mailed me a new drive and then informed me it wasnt the drive, it was the motherboard. i was warned about DELL but didnt listen. now after 4 weeks , dell refused to refund my money. DONT BUY DELL. i cant be any clearer.
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Summary: D630 is a very fine laptop from Dell, No wonder its the Editors Choice. by sanjaynaidu - August 2, 2007 Pros: Strong Build, Great battery backup, very nice keyboard, Does not gets heated up, good sound output for a business laptop Cons: I did'nt find any so far. |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
I did'nt give 10/10 as I have been using this laptop for 2 months now, SO FAR SO GOOD.
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Summary: Excellent Notebook! by teky teky - July 22, 2007 Pros: Nice features with compact size. Has a great screen resolution. Cons: Why does the 9 cell battery have to stick out in the front? Other notebook manufacturers have made long live batteries that are more compact and fit flush with the laptop. |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
I originally purchased the Dell D620. I was so disappointed that I returned it to Dell within a week. Dell customer service tried to convince me that there was no difference between the D620 and the D630. I'm so glad that I did not listen and exchanged the D620 for the Dell D630. The difference in the screen resolution is way better with the Dell D630. Itâs practically a day and night difference.
I also love the security features and the fact that this model does not preloaded with a lot of unwanted software. I would recommend upgrading the Intel PROSet Wireless card and also getting the Bluetooth.
If you're looking for a thin and light notebook for home or business thatâs with great security and is portable you can't go wrong with the Dell D630.
I also love the security features and the fact that this model does not preloaded with a lot of unwanted software. I would recommend upgrading the Intel PROSet Wireless card and also getting the Bluetooth.
If you're looking for a thin and light notebook for home or business thatâs with great security and is portable you can't go wrong with the Dell D630.
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Summary: Law School Power House by jmwager - July 3, 2007 Pros: Powerful and stable, runs dual monitors without issue Cons: Problems undocking and returning from hibernation. (Vista Issues) |
User Rating 8 out of 10 |
I use this notebook solely for law school. It has fulfiled my need for a powerful dockable laptop. Just light enough.. maybe a little heavy. I dont really need or have any experience playing games, but the video card runs dual 2007WFPs without issue. Office 2007 works flawlessly like a champion. I would recomend this laptop to anyone, although you might want to look else where if you are on a budget. People in my class generally spent about half of what this cost me after configurations. I recomend splurging and upgrading to 4gb of ram...I did it to make sure the laptop would be relevant for 3 years of law school
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