Dell Latitude D810 Review (BIG pics!)

[freedon]

EDIT: (pics have been lowred, they are now 1MB ~ total)
EDIT2: added a little more info

SPECS
*Intel Pentium M 760 (2.0GHz)
*Video: ATI RADEON X600 128MB
*Windows XP pro
*Screen: 15.4" UltraSharp Wide Screen WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050 )
*Memory: 1GB (512x 2) 533MHz DDRII - Dual Channel
*Hard Drives: 60GB 5400RPM
*CDRW: 24X CDRW/DVD Combo
*Wireless: Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915 802.11 a/b/g
*Battery: 9-CELL


This is my first laptop. Been using it for 2 months. I usually take it everyday for school. I've have 2 issues with it.

Even when it's connected to the AC, Belarc and Everest show that the cpu isn't running at 2.0Ghz, but at 800Mhz. Same speed when running on battery.
I got an answer from Dell support but the site was only for latitudes with pentium 3. Haven't insisted, want to reformat one of these days, remake my partitions. And the other issue, on the on/off, battery,activity leds, the thin layer seems to be falling off (have pics). And third, though not an issue, is you can't control the volume unless windows has booted completely. This is a pain when I use it at home I usually have it to max or close to max and when I'm at class I turn it on, but I forget I have it at max so all the classroom hears the Windows boot sound. Everybody keeps looking at me, I apologize.

Other than that, I'm happy with it. The most intensive activities I do are playing games (mostlly WoW). Haven't installed heavy software like VS studio .net. Though I don't know if this if for all Pentium M, but when playing WoW and I return to Windows and open IE, it's becomes real slow when opening more IE windows.This does not happen with my Athlon XP 2500+ desktop with also 1GB ram.Same programs, the only difference is the desktop is win2k and the laptop XP pro (eye candy disabled).

Though it does weigh bit more than 6lb and 1.6" thick, you get used to it. It's still lighter than a friends 2 year old Pentium 4. I walk everyday for school (20~min per trip) and I no longer feel the extra weigh on my back.

I'm been using the Fn shortcuts more than I thought I was
Fn + (Esc,F1,F2,F3,F4)
Esc = standby
F1 = Hibernate
F2 = enable/disable wireless
F3 = battery status.

It doesn't run that hot even after many hours of WoW. Just in case I bought some vantec special laptop fans (will make a review later).

With no intensive activity I have bit more than 3 hours of battery. If I disable the onboard nic while on battery, I get an extra 30min. I can also readjust the brightness.

For Wireless, I prefer the Intel software instead of Microsoft for wireless.

Open

Top

Back 1

Back 2

Right Side

Tall

Bottom

Model Number and Fn functions

[freedon]

This is what I'm talking about the layer that seems to be falling off




The AC

[SkyDog]

Even when it's connected to the AC, Belarc and Everest show that the cpu isn't running at 2.0Ghz, but at 800Mhz. Same speed when running on battery.

You could try using SpeedSwitchXP, which gives you better control over processor throttling than Windows XP's built-in power modes.

[SaturnBeat]

Wow nice review up there, by the way the pictures are a bit big, do you mind resizing them a little because it's really hard to see. You have to scroll so much. Sorry about that.

Aside of this, congrats on it! Seems like you're enjoying yourself on this beauty.

[freedon]

You could try using SpeedSwitchXP, which gives you better control over processor throttling than Windows XP's built-in power modes.

I'm pretty sure I tried it when you post it in the Technical Q&A forum, haven't tried it again. To tell you the truth I'm not that worried about it. When I get home I play WoW and when I'm at school I'm using word/excell/powerpoint, not very intensive software. Even on battery I can't feel the difference (at school).

[dellat]

I just tried running the speedswitchxp on my d810. For some reason it's clocking the CPU between 300 and 500 MHz (it's a 1.8 GHz). Why is it running so slow? My computer has been on for a while...could it be that its hot? It's running less than 20% of of its potential...very upsetting

[stonez]

turn off speedstepping in the bios, alternatively windows 2000 doesn't have this problem.

[freedon]

BUMP!

pics have been lowered in KB and resolution size

[SaturnBeat]

BUMP!

pics have been lowered in KB and resolution size

Yay, looks much better now. They were just too big...

Anyway can you tell, is there any text bleeding when you're on such high resolution? I'm asking because, my dad's laptop Samsung X30 also has 15.4 WXGA monitor, and I can't run it on anything but 800x600 resolution. It supports up to 1280x800, but the text is just aweful.

[freedon]

Yay, looks much better now. They were just too big...

Anyway can you tell, is there any text bleeding when you're on such high resolution? I'm asking because, my dad's laptop Samsung X30 also has 15.4 WXGA monitor, and I can't run it on anything but 800x600 resolution. It supports up to 1280x800, but the text is just aweful.

I'm used to my Viewsonic PF790 19" 1600*1200
I don't notice any text bleeeding on the 15.4" screen

[SaturnBeat]

I'm used to my Viewsonic PF790 19" 1600*1200
I don't notice any text bleeeding on the 15.4" screen

Yeah I'm also starting to get used to my ViewSonic 19" 1280x1024 lol. A bit big though...

You're lucky then, the text on mine is unbearable. Here we go again, Samsung is one worthless company!

[freedon]

Bottom

[/IMG]

Something I've noticed lately, when I have to work on non perfect flat desks (like garden chairs that have holes) or when I have to work in the school's lab, I have to put my laptop on top of another computer. They're all tower cases, so I lap isn't stable, it wiggles to a side. I also think it's due that the back part is a lot heavier than the front part