Joey's Blog

"I start to wonder how the chaos in our lives could pass as sane." –Switchfoot

Feed on: Posts; Comments

Refresh to see random header image.
All photos by Joey Bowles.

Dell Latitude E6400 XFR Rugged Laptop

Jan 9th, 2010 by Joey

One of the great things about my job is that I get to test new gear from time to time. Most of the time this usually consists of new computers that are just a new iterations of existing models. On occasion, something interesting comes along. Dell has recently entered the specialty market of ruggedized computers. Although the market is small, it is primarily dominated by the Panasonic Toughbook line. Dell has expanded their Latitude line by releasing a semi-rugged model (Latitude ATG), a fully ruggedized model (XFR), and a rugged convertible multi-touch tablet (XT2 XFR).

While the tablet is the most interesting to me, I have my hands on the Latitude E6400 XFR. All these models fall within the Latitude line and have the same internal specs as the mainstream Latitudes. As was explained to me by my sales rep, these are Latitudes which have had the cases removed and new cases applied by hand. Seems inefficient to me, but what do I know? This is good news if your business already has an investment in the Latitude line. All of your images, peripherals, and docking stations should work without modification.

The term “fully ruggedized” is confusing to some. The term does not imply 100% waterproof. The computer is meant to withstand dirty conditions, moisture and rain, and some abuse but cannot be fully submerged. Update: My Dell rep told me today that the XFR can be fully submerged for up to 30 seconds. There are no exposed ports, the speakers are enclosed, even the heat vents, speakers, and webcam are covered. The XFR achieves an ingress rating against blowing dust and moisture of IP65 (if you know what that is).

To further increase the durability, my eval arrived with a solid state diskdrive (SSD) to reduce the chance of mechanical failure. Dell utilizes an alloy casing called Ballistic Armor Protection System featuring PR481 which they claim has twice the impact resistance of traditional magnesium alloy. I have performed some minor drop tests but can’t bring myself to really test the durability. Dell claims the XFR is first in class to achieve the military’s MIL-STD-810F specification for a four foot drop on plywood over concrete. My test was a two foot drop on carpet over padding as I prayed.

You would think with all the covered ports, that heat would be a concern. According to Dell, the XFR meets military standard MIL-STD for temperature extremes. Heat dissipation is managed by their QuadCool thermal management system (See photos below for the QuadCool vent).

The computer does not lack horsepower. This is one of the most responsive computers I have used. I am running Windows 7 Ultimate and it takes about 20 seconds from power-on to being in a usable state. Impressive. There does seem to be a refresh glitch with the Intel video driver from the Intel site. I find myself having to minimize/restore various windows to force a refresh. I have the latest driver as suggested by Intel’s auto-detect utility.

As I mentioned before all the ports are covered to prevent dust and moisture from entering the system. The port covers are opened by a two step motion by pressing and sliding the release. The SD card slot is the most inaccessible. It is located behind the handle on the front of the unit. Open the cover and inserting the SD card involves some phalange gymnastics. Even getting a good photo (see the gallery below) of the SD slot was difficult. Other than that, the design seems well thought out. This model includes a VGA, Display port, modem, Ethernet, three USB, one USB/eSATA combo, PCMCIA, SD slot, fingerprint sensor, and one 1394 Firewire port. Like all other manufacturers, there is a swift move from serial interfaces. This laptop is no exception. The serial port is following the steps of the parallel port and the diskette drive.

The battery is small and based on the body design, I don’t think an extended capacity battery will fit. However, with Windows 7’s power management features and the SSD battery life has been very impressive so far.

Here are some photos of the XFR. Sorry for the lack of professionalism, my wife sold her studio a few years ago so all I have now is my dining table.