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Entered CNET Catalog: 09/08/2006
SKU: bldwgsd
Manufacturer: Dell, Inc.
Manufacturer description
The Dell Latitude D420 is designed to deliver excellent computing performance in an extremely small and light notebook. Its top-level components, wireless options and battery life can help you stay fully productive on the road, in meetings and wherever you do business.Product summary
The good: Slim, lightweight design; full-size keyboard; Wi-Fi Catcher works even when system is powered off.
The bad: High native resolution means tiny type; only one CPU choice.
The bottom line: Dell's smallest business laptop, the Latitude D420 manages to combine decent specs with a convenient form factor, even if it's not all that configurable.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 09/15/2006
The charcoal-and-silver case is appropriately conservative-looking; measuring 11.5 inches wide, 8.5 inches deep (9.5 with the bigger nine-cell battery), and just a hair over 1 inch high, it's an easy fit for laptop cases or shoulder bags. The almost all-metal construction gives the Latitude D420 a reassuring sturdiness, and the system feels like it could stand up to the rigors of regular travel. Dell refers to this (and in fact, all of their Latitude, Precision, and Inspiron notebooks) as "RoadReady," a bit of proprietary jargon that means the designs have been tested to withstand reasonable extremes of humidity, temperature, and mild shocks and falls.
Like most laptops of its size, the Latitude D420's wide-aspect 12.1-inch native resolution of 1,280x800. The small screen at that resolution makes for some potentially hard-to-read text, but we didn't have any trouble with basic Web surfing or word processing. The display's crispness partially makes up for the loss of impact that comes from a smaller display. While not the brightest notebook screen we've seen, it was easy to see in a brightly lit office environment.
Despite the overall compact vibe of the Latitude D420, Dell manages to cram a full-size keyboard into the case, leaving no oddly placed or hard-to-hit Chiclet-size keys. Both a pointer and a touch pad are included, catering to both major schools of laptop pointer control. There are also two sets of left and right mouse buttons, one pair above the touch pad and one below it. You can set up the touch pad for horizontal or vertical scrolling--a must for navigating long Web pages or documents.
The Latitude D420 has a fairly basic set of ports for a business machine, including two USB 2.0 ports and a mini FireWire port on the rear, plus a PC Card slot, an SD card reader, and mic and headphone jacks on the left side. Video output is limited to a basic VGA connection. For networking, there are Ethernet, modem, and 802.11a/g wireless; Bluetooth and either Cingular or Verizon WWAN are optional. Like other members of the Latitude line, the D420 includes a handy Wi-Fi Catcher; the Wi-Fi on/off switch doubles as a Wi-Fi detector even when the lid is closed or the computer is powered off.
Being an ultraportable system, there is no internal optical drive, but Dell offers a variety of optical drive options. Our review unit came with a Media Base which added a DVI output and parallel port, plus a DVD burner. If you just need a basic read-only drive, switching to a simple external DVD-RAM drive will knock $230 off the price.
For such a small system, our Latitude D420 review unit offered a decent set of components, including a 1.2GHz Intel Core Duo CPU, 1GB of DDR2-533MHz RAM and a 60GB 4,200rpm hard drive. Graphics are provided by Intel's Mobile Express 945GM chipset, which should be fine for office use and occasional media viewing. While every manufacturer seems to be hopping on the Core 2 Duo bandwagon, Dell's Web site mentions a Core Solo CPU as an option, but for now the only CPU choice available through Dell's configurator is the Core Duo in our review unit.
Performance-wise, the Latitude lagged behind other laptops with Core Duo CPUs, such as the Toshiba Satellite P105-S6024 (admittedly a larger desktop-replacement system), in CNET Labs' iTunes and Photoshop CS2 tests. The highlight of the Latitude D420 was its battery life--at 7 hours, 8 minutes (with the larger 9-cell battery), that's 3 hours more than the Lenovo 3000 V100, a similarly configured ultraportable Core Duo system.
The basic warranty on the Latitude D420 is Dell's three-year mail-in plan, which includes lifetime phone support. A variety of upgrade options are available. Moving up to three years of next-business-day onsite service costs an additional $99, while the three-year onsite Business Standard plan is an extra $317 and includes accidental-damage coverage and access to Dell's Gold level of support, which promises, "faster resolution of complex technical issues, easier access to advanced-level technicians, and more comprehensive support."
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iTunes 6.0.4.2 AAC-to-MP3 conversion | |
Photoshop CS2 performance |
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BAPCo MobileMark 2005 performance |
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BAPCo MobileMark 2005 battery life |
Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.
System configurations
Dell Latitude D420
Windows XP Pro; 1.2GHz Intel Core Duo U2500; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM PC2-4300 533MHz; Intel Mobile 945GM Express 224MB; Toshiba MK6008GAH 60GB 4,200rpm
Toshiba Satellite A105-S4074
Windows XP Home; 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo T2050; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM PC4300 533MHz; Intel 945GM Express 128MB; Toshiba MK1234GSX 120GB 5,400rpm
Toshiba Satellite P105-S6024
Windows XP Media Center; 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo T2050; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM PC4300 533MHz; Mobile Intel 945GM 128MB; Fujitsu MHV2100BH PL 100GB 5,400rpm
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 User Rating: 
9/10
Great Laptop All Around. Sturdy build. Great Wireless.
Pros: Lightweight: Under 3 Pounds
Nice screen resolution
Very sturdy enforcements
Fast Core 2 Duo ULV
Cons: Only supports 1.8 inch hard drives
Only can support up to 2.5 GB Ram
Pricey
User Rating: 
6/10
Like the size but the battery life is awful
Pros: small size, light weight
Cons: battery life is an hour at bestss
User Rating: 
10/10
Simply superb yet can be perfected
Pros: Portability (Footprint / Weight), Elegant Looks, Sturdiness, Battery Life, Integrated Mobile Broadband, Bluetooth, Outdoor Screen
Cons: Limited Processor Speed, Lacking Optical Drive, Slow HDD, USB Ports At The Back
I was torn between this and HP Pavilion TX series and chose this. And I think I made the right choice. TX is also a nice machine (I bought that as well but returned it after deciding to keep Latitude) but gets beaten when it comes to portability and ease of use.
So in a nutshell, this is my forth laptop (others were Inspiron 600m, Pavilion dv9500t and Pavilion tx1499us) and by far the best one, I must say. I cannot brag enough about it. It is simply an elegant piece of work with enough specs to perform usual tasks with utmost portability.
User Rating: 
8/10
Nicely designed: extremely thin
Pros: Thinner than ever
Cons: no integrated CD/DVD, 6 cell battery makes it feel bulky
Overall it's a very nice system. I like that they've tightened up the spacing by moving the power button to the side, though in doing this they've eliminated the power buttons. (There is a way to control it via a FN key, though). Shortening the system length is nice, but if you upgrade beyond the cheapest battery to a 6 cell, the battery pack sticks out in front of the system. I feel like it's going to break loose at the connection some day since it really just seems like too much wear and tear when your hands are constantly using the battery as a wrist rest.
The system came with XP as they sent it to me, but it took Vista nicely (I imagine many of them ship with Vista)
The wide screen ratio makes the overall screen size feel a lot smaller than the standard sized screen ratio used in the D400 series of prior models.
It's still super annoying that other vendors (namely Sony) have managed to design a system this size that integrates a CD/DVD drive, yet somehow the one here is still a proprietary external drive.
If you're attached to Dell, it's the best small system Dell has right now.
User Rating: 8/10
Very nice and portable laptop.
Pros: Portable, well made, touchpad+tractpoint
Cons: Gets very hot
I like the machine for a nice build quality, good keyboard, high maximum display brightness and reasonable WiFi radio.
The major flaw, which is not a consequence of portability nor energy saving etc. is that the bottom right gets nastily hot.
User Rating: 9/10
Portabilility, thy name is D420
Pros: Size, Weight, Portability
Cons: Heat, Small Drives Only
First, the size of this unit is spectacular. It is the first "truly" portable notebook I have owned in that it doesn't bother me to carry it everwhere it go. With the 6-cell battery, I am good for about 3 hours of battery life so I don't even bother lugging the battery charger (which, while still a brick, is smaller than the Inspiron chargers). I have a D-Dock at the office and a D-Port at home so I can just dock the laptop between service calls.
My only two concerns are that the 1.8" drives seems to only come in 80GB at the high end. I guess this is a technology limitation, and with the included SD-Card slot, I can offload my work files to a 1GB SD Card. I am considering upgrading the hard drive to a solid state drive once the capacities increase the prices drop.
The other concern is the heat. My major heat problem comes from the right rear side of the unit. That can't be good, but with a 3 year warranty I imagine this baby will be upgraded to the D430 before long.
btw, another plus in my book is the keyboard. Nice sized keys, very tactile. A+ on that design/quality.
User Rating: 8/10
Mobility above all else
Pros: Superlight, superthin, good functional aesthetic, very competitively priced
Cons: Comparatively slow, fan is LOUD
The D420 is very light and extremely thin. When I opened the box it came in, all I saw was a slim line balanced against two pieces of styrofoam. Carrying it with me has not been difficult at all, especially when everyone around me is lugging their big Inspirons and Pavilions. Speaking of the Inspirons, I'm glad the D420 is subdued in black rather than the gaudy silver-and-white scheme that's found on their consumer class cousins. The D420 also sports a MATTE screen which is a true blessing.
Unfortunately, the D420 is rather slow. It's a trade off I can accept, especially since I bought it for work and not play. Its loud fan, however, is more annoying. It produces a very audible hiss. With a single mono speaker, this machine is also not ideal for multimedia.
With all that said, the D420 makes a great ultramobile workstation at a very competitive price, unless your line of work happens to be in video editing or graphics design.
User Rating: 9/10
solid machine
Pros: lightweight, sturdy
Cons: no optical drive
User Rating: 8/10
very good robust machine have just ordered a second one
Pros: light weight, strong construction, acceptable performance, decent battery life, good docking station
Cons: get's hot on the lap
User Rating: 8/10
Very pleased with Latitude D420 in business use
Pros: Very light weight, small form factor, excellent performance
Cons: Screen gets a bit tiresome to read
I had no problems to speak of that were not of my own creation and recommend this unit highly.
I do suggest visiting a Dell retail outlet, if possible, before making as large a change in form factor as I did. You almost certainly NOT find a Latitude at their mall kiosks, but armed with Latitude specs from the web, you can get some idea of what it'll be like by looking at various Inspiron and XPS models.
User Rating: 
2/10
Light weight, but plasticky and VERY BAD support
Pros: Light weight- so is a piece of paper
Cons: Support, feels cheap, doesn't work
The d420 is light, and reasonably well designed with a usuable keyboard and decent screen.However it massively let down by the way it is (or isn't) setup.
The big difference I now see between the (very slightly) more expensive Thinkpad range, and Dell is that the Dell is designed and built to be good enough, and the Thinkpad is designed and built to be excellent.
Problems with the Dell
1) it runs Vista (this is very bad)
2) the drivers are not properly installed
3) the Dell management software is simply appalling - utterly useless, ugly, from a Web 0.0 era
4) the machine feels cheap and I am quite sure will start to fall apart within a year
Then we get on to support- 3 weeks of repeated calls, of no replies, of blatant lies and still no where to go. And this is business support!
So my advice would be to avoid it, it is trying to be a business machine but lacks the robustness, the design, the stability and most of all the support to be reliably used by anyone- but that's just my opinion!
User Rating: 9/10
Great little laptop.
Pros: Very small, good battery life, good wireless
Cons: No internal DVD
User Rating: 9/10
Great laptop!
Pros: Solid, robust, quality feel, fast
Cons: none: who needs a DVD/CD player in a business notebook?
User Rating: 9/10
A lightweight beauty.
Pros: Comfortable keyboard. Featherweight. WiFi Catcher.
Cons: The 4-cell battery's battery life is a bit short.
User Rating: 10/10
Lovely little thing...love it
Pros: Light, SexySlim,alots of connection possibility
Cons: should be more CPU choices
User Rating: 9/10
Improvement over the 1X model
Pros: Compact, light, good battery life, Wi-Fi sniffer, etc
Cons: Not for heavy processing, external D-Bay
User Rating: 10/10
best portable lappie
Pros: true laptop, fast, light, long bat life, brillant screen, nice built & design
Cons: external optical
it is pretty fast with core duo 1.2, measured 1m 53s on super pi test. about the same as petium centrino mobile 2.0. web browsing and download and installation are very fast as well. 9 cell battery has 6 hours max.
i bought this laptop from dell outlet $801, features duo1.2/30gb hd/1.5g ram/cdrw/9cell bat/xp pro. it says scratched and dent on dell outlet, but when i received it, it is just like a brand new one, no sign of usage at all, let alone any scratch.
i had 2 dell 700m b4, and i have to say d420 are a better mobile option, the weight is 0.5lb less and height is 0.3 inch less.
this is the best buy for me this year.
d420 look like a ibm thinkpad remade model
User Rating: 9/10
Best little guy i have seen in awhile
Pros: weight, batterylife
Cons: can get a little warm
User Rating: 8/10
Powerful workhourse in a slim, agile package.
Pros: Light, small screen, excellent for maximum mobility.
Cons: Small font.
User Rating: 
7/10
If only this laptop did not have 2 flaws!
Pros: Very light, fast enough
Cons: Separate D-bay, so..no DVD player inside
User Rating: 9/10
Dude - you're getting a Dell
Pros: small size - light weight and looks great
Cons: Max HD is only 80GB and 4200 rpm. Dell should have added a SATA drive
1) I love the way the keyboard is setup on the D420. Its so easy to type...while its in your lap and on the desk. none of the keys are sized down or anything. PERFECT!
I also love the placement of the "Delete" key-top left corner and "Ctl" key-bottom left corner.
2) The screen does not flex at all, which is great. Sony screens have a lot of flex in them, which basically means that if you're not careful, you're screen will crack.
3) Latop feels solid and the darksilver/carbon grey colors look great.
4) I don't have the reflective screen and I like it that way.
5) I went with the Intel build in NIC and its pretty nice. it picked up all the access points in my building. Including my own secured AP. Also, a thing to note is that it picks up AP's that don't broadcast.
6) Weight: Its so light..even with the 9Cell battery. I am going to order the 4Cell battery so I have the option to make it super light - right under 3lbs.
7) Way thin than the M1210. I am so glad that I did not go with the M1210. After I saw it at a local Dell booth, it seemed too thick for a ultramobile..and frankly, sorta heavy. All said, weight was my first priority. M1210 is a great system. just not for users who have weight/size in mind with decent performance.
Things I don't like about D420
8) No internal optical drive: but that's ok, usb flash drives are like 4 GB now...so that'll work. Also, I went for the CD RW/DVD rom drive option. since I am not really going to burn DVD's from this laptop...its not built for burning DVD's, it would take too long and this thing would heat up hard. so DVD rom does just fine for watching movies on those long cross atlantic flights.
---All that said - my 2 cents---
I have not yet seen anyone post the pics along with a scale. You really need to see this laptop along with a deck of cards to put it in prespective. Its ultra small/light and I love it.
I suggest you wait till Dell release a ultra-portable - under 3 lbs laptop that has Core 2 Duo processor with higher clockspeed and a SATA HD - with more storage than 80 GB. or even better SATA 2 with 3gb/sec transfer rates. Now that would be sweet...I think good guess would be Fed 2007 Release of such a system.
Docking options:
I use my D-dock and have two 19" flatpanel monitors hooked up to the dock, so I can dock this baby and have dual screen. I also have ultramon installed. so that helps me manage screens on both my displays. So its ultra-mobile system which is also a desktop replacement, though not a very powerful desktop replacement, it gets the job done. D420's strength is obviously the mobility it offers. Throw it in your pack and you won't even know its there
My D420 specs:
Intel Core Duo Processor ULV U2500 (1.20GHz, 533Mhz)
1.5GBMB DDR2-533 SDRAM, (512MB Integrated) 2 DIMMs
60GB Hard Drive, 8MM, 4200RPM
D-Bay plus 24X CD-RW/DVD
Dell Wireless? 1390 802.11g Mini Card
9 Cell Primary Battery
65W A/C Adapter
Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Microsoft Windows XP Pro w/ SP2
Network Interface Card:Broadcom 10/100/1000 (Gigabit LAN)
User Rating: 8/10
Perfect for the road warrior looking for feather weight
Pros: Battery life, light weight, wide screen, slim media base, everything built in
Cons: Larger drive would be nice, jumpy touch pad
When I got my D420 over a month ago, I had not really looked at the footprint. This machine is a lot sexier than the D410 I bought in February 2006.
My biggest issue is always batteries. I'm on planes, in remote offices, hotels, airports etc at least 15 hours a week. I always hesitated powering up my laptop for fear of running my battery down after an hour or two. With this macine, I am able to get 7+ hours with the 9 cell battery!!! Close to 5 hours with the 6 cell and 3 hours with the 4 cell battery.
The mini-PCI bluetooth and Broadband card are also great. No more fudging for the full size PCI card. The antenna seems to have a better range for the broadband.
The screen size is great on planes. I especially like the fact that in economy, I can open the laptop and work even when the passenger in front of me is in full recline mode.
The weight factor is wonderful. I now have two options when traveling. My normal laptop bag with a weeks worth of work (total 11 lbs). My second option is a slim attaché case with the laptop, an extra battery and a couple of files, toothbrush... (no power cord!!!) I'll use this for day trips or an overnight trip (total 6 lbs). I've even left the laptop bags at home and started putting the laptop in the outside poach of my carry on luggage. It fits anywhere because it is so thin!!!
I was also surpised that the media base did not increase the weight or size very much. If I ever need to take the media base along (my kids might want to watch some movies on a long plane ride), then it will certainly not be a hassle.
For those who think they need a built-in CD/DVD. You would be surprised how easy it is to get by without one. I have managed for over 5 years. Besides, God invented USB thumb drives to help us out!
My only beef is the small hard drive. The 60 GB (and now 80 GB) drives are the new 2.5" form factor which explains why the drives are not at 120 GB yet. I'm sure that in a year, this problem will be solved.
I'm especially happy/excited that with 1.5 Gb of memory on my machine, I will be able to have the full Vista experience!
My support experience with Dell has improved over the past year. It is not perfect, but for business users, it meets our need.
The touchpad settings need to be "adjusted". I turn the "tapping" feature off, because my thumb often triggers a "tap" which is annoying.
I have to say that this laptop is NOT for everyone. I have a workstation in my home office where I do all my "technology" heavy lifting. I could not survive with just the power of this Latitude to get all my technology work done.
Finally, I must add that I purchased a 19" LCD screen and the D-Docking station. When I return from my trips, I slip the D420 into my desk's cupboard (where the docking station is) and I only have my bluetooth keyboard, mouse and wired monitor on my desk which is a lot more fun then my old days of using the laptop/docking station without a monitor on my desk and losing a lot of real estate.
Great job Dell!!!
User Rating: 8/10
Nice small laptop
Pros: size & weight
Cons: external CD/DVD Price
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