Dell Latitude E5440
rental/day:   rental/week:   rental/month:   Long term lease only. Pls contact us for details.	Processor	Core I5-4310U, 1.9GHz
	Memory	4GB DDR3 1600
	Hard Drive	500GB SATA7200
	Media Drive	DVD-RW
	Network Interface	1000M/802.11bgn
	Screen Size	14.0'LED
	Battery	6 Cell

Latitude-branded laptops are dedicated to the most demanding businesses and largest enterprises for a reason: They're fully loaded, with a world of options to choose from. For instance, the Dell Latitude E6430, the company's latest 14-inch business laptop, has every feature and component that a power user could possibly dream up, from the full range of Intel Sandy Bridge processors to the gamut of business-oriented features. This particular configuration runs an Intel Core i5-3320M processor, a 6-cell battery and integrated graphics. Although powerful, the E6430 is pricey and weighs a whopping 6 pounds, which is very heavy for a 14-inch laptop. Frequent travelers, take note.

Design
The E6430's heavy weight can be attributed to several factors. There's the huge 6-cell battery without which the E6430 wouldn't have its impressive battery life. Then there's the fact that it's a solidly-made laptop, made from magnesium alloy and topped with an aluminum finish. This metallic blend withstood a wide range of improvised military torture tests by Dell that include vibrations, extreme temperatures, drops, and moisture, to name a few.  

Despite its heft, the E6430 has pleasing aesthetics. The gun-metal gray top is made of brushed aluminum that tapers along the sides, surrounded by a light silver trim, while the base is completely black. The interior has a similar color combination: black palm rests and aluminum trim around the keyboard. The additional orange lining around the keyboard, however, may seem like color overkill, although I didn't find it to be an eyesore. In contrast, ThinkPads sport an all-black frame.

The 14-inch widescreen is intensely bright. It's a matte screen, the kind that doesn't reflect light back at you. The combination of a backlit keyboard and traditional-style keys makes for a satisfyingly productive experience, regardless of lighting conditions. It has dual-pointing devices—pointing stick and touchpad—though the pointing stick was my least favorite feature on the E6430, as it was too stiff to use for navigation. The touchpad, on the other hand, felt really nice and dragged smoothly, complemented by a pair of really soft mouse buttons.

Features
Its feature set isn't exactly brimming with new technology, but it has the essentials for any business to run smoothly. The E6430 is equipped with 4 USB ports, one of which is an USB/eSATA combo. There are no USB 3.0 ports, though. There's the legacy features such as VGA, ExpressCard, and SmartCard slot. The DVD drive in my review unit is as ancient as it gets, although Dell offers a DVD burner option. The included webcam is actually an option, not standard for this model, and it doesn't shoot in 720p, like the one found in the Lenovo T430. In terms of storage, this configuration is loaded with a fast 500GB, 7,200rpm hard drive. An HDMI port and Gigabit Ethernet can be found in the back of the laptop.

Performance
The E6430 ships with a 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-3320M processor, which is based on Sandy Bridge architecture. A Core i7 option (dual-core) is available as well if a Core i5 isn't fast enough. Performance tests, as you can imagine, was nothing short of spectacular. It beat out the LenovoT430 in processor-intensive tests, although the other two have yet to receive the latest Intel parts. It turned in one of the fastest Adobe Photoshop CS5 scores we've ever had, finishing in 3 minutes 25 seconds. Sandy Bridge entails a much better graphics subsystem than previous generations, so gaming is possible with the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 chipset. If you need to crank up the eye-candy or run a very 3D-intensive application, Dell offers an upgrade path to an Nvidia NVS 4200M, which is more than I can say for the Lenovo T430 (it offers integrated graphics only).

A new look, an Intel Sandy Bridge processor, and can be configured with an endless array of optional features, the Dell Latitude E6430 has everything that an enterprise user is looking for in a business laptop. It can be outrageously powerful (for a steep price) or run the bare essentials yet still be a competent business laptop. As well-equipped as it is, it left little room for mobility with its 6 pound frame. It's my only quibble and one that should be taken lightly given its full selection of goodies.