Dell Latitude E6410

At first glance the Latitude E6410 looks quite old fashioned, with none of the sleek curves and swish lines that we have come to expect from modern laptops.

However, this is actually one of the most impressive and powerful machines we’ve ever reviewed.

The Dell Latitude range has been designed specifically for work and business, focussing on durability and providing solid practical features rather than the fluffier stuff that you expect to find in a home laptop.

A robust chassis, excellent security features and superb connectivity combined with awesome performance capabilities to deliver a genuinely desirable, yet practical machine.

What we like most

The model we reviewed came with an Intel i7 Core processor and 4 Gb RAM, making it lightning quick in all tasks. In fact this was an exceptional performance for a portable machine. Anyone who needs a real workhorse when they’re out on the road will love the Latitude E6410.

The keyboard is really comfortable to type on and it comes with a very nice LED backlight, which lights up all the keys so you can see what you’re doing in the dark, perfect for plane travel.

The 14 inch 1440 x 900 screen provides a vivid and crisp viewing experience, while the matt anti-glare finish makes it easy to work even in areas of bright sunshine. It’s a nice screen that leaves many of its rivals in the shade – literally.

Unlike many of today’s laptops, the Latitude E6410 has its speakers on top, on either side of the keyboard. The sound quality is very good and I cannot envisage you having to connect external speakers for any reason. It also has a very nice built in HD webcam and noise reduction microphone for professional level video conferencing.

Dell has also been focusing on added durability for its business range making them a seriously practical option for travelling business people. They have a special free fall sensor and shock absorber, so you don’t need to worry about data loss if your laptop is accidentally dropped or knocked. The solid chassis also comes with reinforced hinges and latches; it certainly feels like a well-built machine when handling it.

What we like least

What there is to criticise really isn’t worth writing about. As mentioned at the start, the machine is a little boxy, but many of us in the PC Site office thought that it looked quite classic and professional, an antidote to the over-designed laptops of today even.