Dell Latitude D620 (Core 2 Duo 1.66GHz, 1GB RAM, 60GB HDD, XP Pro)

Pros: Customer service, Solid build, very good battery life, Spillproof keyboard, Drop zone Hardrive, Minimal 'bloatware', Excellent performance, Lighter than most 14.1" Widescreens

Cons: Limited vertical viewing angle, Only 2 choices for video cards, no firewire option, Not a gaming machine

Summary: When I was purchasing a laptop, I wanted something light, powerful, durable, and relatively affordable.

My configuration:
2 Ghz Duo Core
1 GB 667 Mhz RAM
100 GB HD 7200 RPM
8x DVD R/CD RW
Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics
WSXGA+

Appearances:
I was most impressed with the conservative but attractive styling. The widescreen 14.1" screen is excellent in quality (WXGA+) and is sharp for watching movies and looking at digital images.

Build:
This is one of the most solid notebooks you can purchase with no screen flex and firm palm rests. Given the 'spillproof' keyboard and the 'Drop zone protection' for the hardrive, this was an intuitive choice for a mobile user. The finish is durable and more scratch resistant than plastic notebooks. This will take the wear and tear of the mobile user who needs power and durability without sacrificing weight.

The feel of the keyboard is excellent and is standard in size with the same configuration as most mainstream notebooks. The dual pointer/mouse pad option adds excellent versatility. The lid closes very tightly and the hinges are composed of metal. Some plastic trim around the keyboard is present

Up to 4 GB of memory can be added.

Slots include 4 USB, Serial port, PCMCIA, Smart Card and Network access. No firewire ports in this machine.

This PC weighs in a 5 lbs with a 6 cell and 5.5 lbs with a 9 cell battery. Battery life is very good: 6 cells (3:40 Maximum settings and WIFI on) and 9 Cells (6:00 Maximum settings and WIFI on). With WIFI off your battery life is extended about 25%.

Performance:
Startup from rebooting is fast. Multitasking with is no problem which included virus scanning, spyware scanning, surfing the net, working in Office programs with multiple documents open, and playing music. Programs start very quickly and I had never seen a faster start up for Adobe Photoshop than with this. Video encoding is a faster than I have experienced on my previous Pentium M 1.6 Ghz notebook with 512 MB RAM ( I have gone from running to flying).

This is not a gaming machine. With the Intel 950 GMA integrated graphics, your choices of games is limited. The NVidia option is available but I have yet to testt that.

Given the minimum amount of 'extra' and needless software, performance out of the box is top notch.

Entertainment:
Given only one speaker, sound is decent. Music with dynamic ranges or Pop music is distorted at the loudest setting.DVDs play smoothly and are crisp; even with the action.

Customer service:
Excellent customer service with wait times less than 5 minutes. Technical support is helpful and knowledgable. My interactions with customer service has been nothing less than excellent.

Impression:
Other than not being a gaming machine and a limited viewing angle, there aren't too many competitors who can deliver all of the features, durability and service accompanying the Dell Latitude D620. I highly recommend this notebook.