Review: Dell Latitude E6500,

The Dell Latitude E6500, the PC maker’s new 15.4-inch business laptop, is now available.


The Latitude E Series E6500 is based on Intel’s Centrino 2 technology. The notebook comes with a Core 2 Duo processor, up to 8GB of the latest DDR3 memory, up to 250GB of hard drive space or a 64GB solid state drive, and a DVD ROM, Combo drive, or DVD burner. The Intel 4500MHD integrated or the NVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M 256MB dedicated GPU manages its 1280×800 or 1440×900 display. The latter uses LED backlight. In addition, Dell announced that the E6500 will be offered with a 1920×1200 screen later.


Connectivity features include an 802.11 WiFi module with optional support for draft-n standard, and Gigabit Ethernet LAN, as well as optional 56K modem, mobile broadband, and GPS. The product specifications also list Bluetooth and UltraWide Band (UWB), but these options are not available yet.


The laptop has stereo speakers, a keyboard with optional backlight, optionally built-in web camera, Display Port and VGA outputs, both ExpressCard and PC Card slots, a 5-in-1 media card reader, four USB ports, Firewire, and an eSATA port.


Regarding security, the Latitude E6500 incorporates the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2, optional fingerprint reader and full hard drive encryption, and a SmartCard reader.


The E6500 has a magnesium alloy chassis and weighs 5.2 pounds with a 4-cell battery. Dell says users can achieve “up to 19 hours of battery life” with the combination of a 9-cell battery, new high capacity battery slice, and exclusive ControlPoint software.


The notebook, which also features Intel vPro Technology advanced management, runs Windows Vista OS.


The Dell Latitude E6500 starts at $1,169. It can be purchased through the company’s online store.