Dell Latitude E6400 XFR

Calling all office warriors, those who need to see spread sheets in sub zero or take their word processing all terrain, check out Dell’s Latitude E6400 XFR.

Specs wise the Latitude E6400 is a decent mid range business model, with Intel® Core 2 Duo Processors, Windows 7 or Vista, 120Gb hard drive and up to 8Gb RAM.

Things go off road from your standard IT department computer however with the hard drives; there are solid state drives of up to 128Gb (solid states have no moving parts), or 5400 RPM shock-mounted hard drive of up to 120Gb, with free fall sensor. The latter takes the heads from the platter, meaning if you drop it (in theory) that you won’t lose data or corrupt a disk.

The screen is 14.1 inch with a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, which is a bit basic but by latest screen standards, but thanks to DirectVue™ technology, it’s easier to view outside.

Though you’re probably too manly to need a GPS (we expect you navigate by the stars) there’s one included, just to make doubly sure.

If you’re really going to take this laptop out into the world then all the gizmos and tech would be a bit redundant without it being a bit ‘ard.

Firstly Dell have covered the E6400 in a “ballistic armour protection system”, which all sounds a bit military, but Dell assure us that it’s twice as strong as traditional magnesium alloy on impact.

Dell use PrimoSeal™ to protect against dust and liquid getting in your laptop. Either way, the E6400 passed the US Department of Defence Military Standard tests for heat dust and vibration. OOO-RAH Marine!

All the ports are protected behind sealed doors. You don’t get that many though; 1 x USB, 1 x VGA, 1 x eSATA and microphone, headphone and speaker.You can lock in the cable and hard drives with steel-reinforced locks.

Despite this it weighs in at a surprising 3.86 kg. It’s not exactly ultraportable, but still portable around a building site, mountain or warzone.

There’s a heap of wired and wireless networking options and Dell Wireless mobile broadband card. You can also select protected access and private network modes.

What I like

The E6400 hardly has amazing specs, but this is one tough workhorse of a laptop. It would make your MacBook Air cry if it could, and it enjoy it.

What I don’t like

The E6400 judges me for a having a job that involves sitting at a desk.

Tech Specs

• Intel® Core™2 Duo Processors
• Dual Channel DDR2 Memory 800MHz (max.) 8Gb RAM
• 5400 RPM shock-mounted up to 120Gb with free fall sensor or
  Solid State Drive up to 128Gb

• NVIDIA® Quadro® NVS 160M 256MB DDR2 or
  Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD

• DVD-ROM, CD-RW/DVD, DVD+/-RW
• Ballistic Armour Protection System, Steel-reinforced Cable Lock Slots, Battery and Hard Drive Locks, PrimoSeal technology.
• Windows Vista or 7

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