Dell recently came out with the Latitude 6430u ultrabook in
India, aimed at users who want a no-nonsense business laptop to work on-the-go.
It boasts of a decent spec sheet, but does not boast of a touchscreen. Going by
its features, the machine can easily make its presence felt in the business
computer segment of the Indian PC market. So we checked out its performance to
figure out whether or not its price tag of Rs 70,000 is justified in the era of
cheaper alternatives. Here's our review...
Design
In terms of design language, Dell seems to be going from
strength to strength these days, another example of fine craftsmanship being
the XPS 12 laptop we reviewed some time ago. Same is the case with the Latitude
6430u ultrabook, whose body is made using quality materials. The black matte
finish can be seen all around, topped with silver magnesium alloy trim along
the lower bottom half of the chassis and the lower back panel.
The backlit keyboard boasts of chiclet layout and the keys
are curved, making the typing experience more convenient. This keyboard is
spill-resistant, so you won't have much to worry about in case you spill some
liquid on the device. Another unique feature is the two sets of hardware mouse
keys, one above the trackpad and one below it. The set of keys above the
trackpad come in handy when you use in combination with the small nubbin placed
in the middle of the keyboard. While it is a handy feature, we did not find
much use of this nubbin throughout the review period.
Latitude 6430u is a sleek product, with thickness of 21mm
and weighing 1.7kg. While the weight may make it seem like a hefty package,
when you hold it you will realize that the body has been crafted such that it
will never feel too heavy.
Hardware
The screen of Dell Latitude 6430u ultrabook measures 14-inch
diagonally and comes with anti-glare coating. We found two issues with the
display. The first is the resolution being restricted to 1366x778p even though
rivals support higher resolutions in this bracket. You can opt for models that
support 1600x900p, but that cost extra. The second is that colours are never
vibrant in this display and you don't get to enjoy videos much, something you
are likely to do even if you are primarily a business user.
Under the hood of Dell Latitude 6430u is the 1.8GHz
dual-core Intel i5 processor, backed up by sumptuous 8GB RAM. During our usage,
the laptop never gave any issues and we found it to be a pleasure to use. When
conducting the benchmark run, this ultrabook really shone. On PC Mark 7, the
device notched up a very respectable score of over 4900. This is a very good
score and shows that it has above par computing capabilities.
However, Dell Latitude 6430u misses out on a dedicated
graphics card, but that is expected in a business laptop. This means that the
ultrabook does not have much to boast of when it comes to gaming.
The review unit we received had a three-cell battery, which
delivered approximately four hours of life on a single charge. It takes just
one hour to charge to 80% of capacity. If you want more life, you can opt for
the variant that comes with six-cell battery and can work for up to 10 hours in
one go, but that will obviously mean you carrying more load.
One thing that surprised us in this ultrabook is the audio.
While playing music, we enjoyed largely distortion-free sound, even when the
volume was cranked up to 100%. However, if you seek bass or treble, then be
prepared to be disappointed. Nevertheless, the three in-built speakers of
Latitude 6430u do a better job than most rivals in this price range.
Connectivity options in the laptop include Ethernet port,
two USB 3.0 ports, one eSATA port, card reader, HDMI, VGA, Bluetooth 4.0 and
Wi-Fi. You can opt for the version with mobile internet compatibility, though
it will cost extra.
The drawbacks
While Dell Latitude 6430uultrabook is full of positives, it
has its negatives too. First comes the absence of HDD; the manufacturer has
opted to go for SSD storage, with two options - 128GB and 256GB. Letting go of
HDD is quite common among ultrabooks, but getting stuck with a maximum of 256GB
storage can be a little limiting, especially if you need to load several heavy programmers
or files. But then, a lot of users now address this by carrying the portable
external HDD.
Then comes the absence of touch screen which is a sore miss.
Nowadays, touch screens have become the primary input mode for most devices and
leaving out this feature in an ultrabook costing Rs 70,000 does not seem like a
very good decision on Dell's part.
The default software in our review unit was Windows 8. While
not really a drawback for Dell Latitude 6430u, its presence in a non-touch
device seems a little confusing. Of course, it is the latest version of
Microsoft's operating system and the software maker is trying hard to get it on
as many machines as possible. However, we feel that Windows 7 would have been
enough for this ultrabook, as you are limited to a keyboard and mouse in case
you wish to access apps in the absence of a touchscreen. Thankfully, you can
opt for models that come with Windows 7 pre-installed as well.
Rivals
One of the biggest rivals of Dell Latitude 6430u is the
Samsung Series 9 ultrabook. Both stand neck-to-neck on most specifications,
though the latter supports 1600x900p resolution natively. However, at Rs 1.02
lakh, it is considerably costlier than the Dell model.
Another competitor is the Acer Aspire S7ultrabook, another
business machine that does its job without any frills. The body is a mix of aluminum
and plastic and looks good. The screen measures 11.6-inch, which is much
smaller than that of Dell's product, but you get touch screen here, making the
inclusion of the touch-optimized Windows 8 OS more sensible. However, it costs
above Rs 85,000 in the market.
While these are the two chief rivals of Latitude 6430u, you
may also look at HP Elite Pad 900, a tablet. This device has a 10-inch touch
screen and shares most other specs with the Dell ultrabook. However, it relies
on its set of covers for basic features like connectivity and charging.
Nevertheless, you can buy the product and the associated jackets within Rs
70,000.
Verdict
Dell Latitude 6430u is a no-frills ultrabook that delivers
on most counts. Its positives easily outweigh the negatives, though as we said
the absence of touch screen at a price point of Rs 70,000 might irk some. It
does well on the performance front and delivers acceptable results when it
comes to battery too. The design is admirable and makes the device look
pleasing to the eye. The keyboard is easy to use and resistance to spillages
adds to the appeal. Dell's data encryption suite is also an addition you would
like in a business machine.
Overall, we would be glad to recommend Latitude
6430uultrabook to business buyers.
Price: Rs 70,000
Key specs:
Display: 14-inch anti-glare screen;
Operating system: Windows 8, Windows 7;
Processor: 1.8GHz;
RAM: 8GB;
Connectivity: Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 ports, one eSATA
port, card reader, HDMI, VGA, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi; optional mobile
internet; and
Battery: 3-cell battery with backup of four hours
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