Dell Latitude E5530

Dell’s Latitude range is directed towards the ‘no-nonsense’ business sector. There are few bells and whistles on machines like these but they have all the tools you could need for a day’s work.

You’ll find it closely related to the Dell Latitude E5520 (who would’ve thunk it?). The main difference between these machines is that this one comes with Intel’s latest 3rd generation i-Core. These processors were released June 2012 and offer better battery efficiency and of course speedier processing.

What we like best

The first thing you’ll notice about this laptop is that it has more of a robust build. If you’re after a light model laptop that looks executive and has a stylish metallic finish, we would direct you towards an ultrabook.

The Latitude range is more rugged, there are models that are field tested to withstand the rigours of military usage – see the Latitude E6420 XFR if you don’t believe us.

This laptop is built for longevity, with its moderately low price tag it would be suitable to buy in bulk if your company is refreshing its hardware.

Its suitable business features include remote access, so your tech team can install software and security updates as well as run diagnostics without interrupting work flow. It has a docking capacity, so bringing the Dell Latitude E5530 in to work and hooking it up to a monitor won’t be a problem.

One thing we appreciate most about the E5530 is that it is comfortable to use and the wide LED display is capable of handling HD graphics. It has a full sized keyboard complete with numeric pad, which anybody who spends their time staring at spread sheets will surely appreciate.

What we like least

We have just complimented Dell on designing this machine to be highly functioning work machine and ignoring glossy (and expensive) additional features. So it doesn’t seem right to then complain that it isn’t a very visually appealing laptop – but it isn’t, the core may be impressive but it’s not much of an eye-catcher.

It is a portable laptop but not particularly light, when held up against an ultraportable like the Toshiba Portege Z830, it’s twice the weight. You need to consider whether things like the flash drive and greater connectivity are more important than a couple of kilograms.