Best Dell Laptops of 2015
Best Dell Laptops of 2015
1. Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1 (3147)
The Inspiron 11 3000 Series
2-in-1 lasted 8 hours 24 minutes on our battery rundown test. For comparison,
the Asus Transformer Book T100TA (64GB, k) £257.00 at Amazon, our Editors'
Choice for entry-level, detachable-hybrid tablets, lasted 11:20, but the Lenovo
Yoga 2 11 only managed 6:53. The Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1 will get you
through a typical work day, and its battery life is exceptional for a
convertible-hybrid laptop.
The Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series
2-in-1 (3147) proves that you don't have to endure a stripped-down laptop when
you only have $450 to spend. It combines a well-designed flipping hinge with
all-day battery life and a relatively full feature set. All this earns the
Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1 our first Editors' Choice for entry-level,
convertible-hybrid laptops.
Design and Features
The compact Inspiron 11 3000
Series 2-in-1 is built around an 11.6-inch, 1,366-by-768 resolution, 10-point
touch screen. The laptop chassis measures about 0.83 by 12 by 8 inches (HWD),
and weighs a relatively light 2.99 pounds. That's smaller and about a
quarter-pound lighter than the HP Pavilion 11t-n000 x360, but a smidge heavier
and larger than the Lenovo Yoga 2 11$464.00 at Amazon. It feels fine in the
hand, and is balanced for one-handed use in slate-tablet mode. The system will
fit fine in most commuter bags, including messenger bags and backpacks made to
hold full-size tablets and compact laptops.
The In-Plane Switching (IPS)
screen is bright and clear, but you'll have to disable the somewhat aggressive
screen dimming. Thankfully, the dimming isn't as dark as it is on the
business-oriented Dell Venue 11 Pro (7139) tablet, since you can still see
what's on the screen in a typically lit room. The 1,366-by-768 resolution is
common for sub-$500 laptops and is capable of displaying 720p HD videos at full
resolution, but 1080p HD videos will have to be scaled down. Screen taps and
swipes register quickly, and there is a multipoint touchpad below the full-size
keyboard. Key fnjeel is average for a compact laptop, but there's a hint of
keyboard flex.
You can flip the screen around
into four modes: Laptop, Stand, Tablet, and Tent. Laptop and Tablet modes are
exactly what you think they are. Stand mode has the screen facing you with the
keyboard upside down on the table, while Tent mode has the screen facing you
with the keyboard facing up and away from you. With both Stand and Tent mode,
you use the touch screen without access to the physical keyboard, but Tent mode
may work better when you have limited desk space, like when you're working on
an airplane tray table.
Though the chassis is slim, it
has a good selection of I/O ports, including an HDMI port, an SD card reader,
two USB 2.0 ports, and a USB 3.0 port. Note that the USB ports are all the same
black color, so you'll have to figure out which one is the USB 3.0 port by
searching for the tiny USB SS icon (hint, it's on the left, next to the HDMI
port). The full-size HDMI port is more convenient than the micro-HDMI port you
get with the Lenovo Yoga 2 11.
The system comes with 4GB of
memory and a 500GB hard drive. The hard drive is slower than the flash memory
or solid-state-drives (SSDs) found in slate tablets, but there's a lot more
space for your files. While very few users will do so, Dell offers instructions
on how to replace the hard drive and memory with a speedier SSD or
higher-capacity memory, respectively. The hard drive has lots of free space on
it, and the Start screen has relatively few pre-loaded apps: Adobe Revel (for
photo sharing), Amazon, Dell Shop, Dropbox, eBay, Kindle, Office Trial,
OneNote, and Pocket Cloud. The system comes with a one-year warranty.
What is Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series
2-in-1 (3147)?-Video
Performance
The Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1's components include a 2.16GHz
Intel Pentium N3530 quad-core processor with Intel HD Graphics, built on the
Bay Trail-M platform. The system managed a passable 1,712 points on the PCMark
8 Work Conventional test, which measures performance while working on office
documents, video conferencing, and Web browsing. We don't have a lot of
comparison PCMark 8 scores yet, but the Dell system's score is higher than the
1,576 points earned by the Atom-equipped Acer Aspire Switch 10$279.00 at
Amazon.
It also did comparatively well on
the multimedia tests: 5 minutes 54 seconds on the Handbrake video encoding test
and 12:35 on the Adobe Photoshop CS6 test. While these scores can't hold a
candle to those of ultrabooks with Core i5 processors, they are better than the
scores we've seen on other systems with Atom, Celeron, and Pentium CPUs.
The 3D scores were par for the
category: single-digit frame rates that show the system is better suited for
casual games. The Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1 has good speed for an
entry-level system, and will be sufficient for day-to-day general use.
The Inspiron 11 3000 Series
2-in-1 lasted 8 hours 24 minutes on our battery rundown test. For comparison,
the Asus Transformer Book T100TA (64GB)£279.95 at Amazon, our Editors' Choice
for entry-level, detachable-hybrid tablets, lasted 11:20, but the Lenovo Yoga 2
11 only managed 6:53. The Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1 will get you through a
typical work day, and its battery life is exceptional for a convertible-hybrid
laptop.
The Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series
2-in-1 (3147) proves that you don't have to endure a stripped-down laptop when
you only have $450 to spend. It combines a well-designed flipping hinge with
all-day battery life and a relatively full feature set. All this earns the
Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1 our first Editors' Choice for entry-level,
convertible-hybrid laptops.
A docking device connector on the bottom of the chassis is compatible with a desk dock or one mounted in a vehicle. The new dock isn't compatible with Dell's older ATG and XFR laptops, but works with the semi-rugged Dell Latitude 14 Rugged and fully ruggedized Latitude 12 Rugged Extreme laptop lines. A sturdy handle on the leading edge of the laptop lets you grab the system off the ground while you're accelerating to a full sprint, or retrieve it from a vehicle in a second. There's an NFC reader under the palm rest and a biometric reader for secure computing. A compact stylus sits in its own compartment, attached to the system with a lanyard.
2. Dell Latitude 13 Education Series (3340)
Design and Features
The laptop measures 1.4 by 13 by
10 inches (HWD). A rubberized coating around the screen and bottom lid protects
the system from the scrapes and dings that students can dish out. The coating
also helps you grip the case when rushing from class, to the library, and back
home. The chiclet-style keyboard and touchpad are fully sealed against
accidental spills. Corning Gorilla Glass NBT covers the 13.3-inch 1,366-by-768 resolution
touch screen, protecting the LCD panel from scratches and impacts.
Our review unit has a touch
screen and Windows 8, but is only available in black. There is also a
non-touch-screen version available with Windows 7, and that can be ordered with
red or blue borders around the standard black body. The system weighs 4.28
pounds, which is imperceptibly lighter than our Editors' Choice for small
business laptops, the 4.44-pound Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E431$609.99 at Adorama and
within a hair of our Editors' Choice for entry-level ultrabooks, the 4.2 pound
Lenovo IdeaPad U430 Touch.
The LCD screen has an anti-glare
coating to increase readability in bright classrooms or outdoors. Its
1,366-by-768 resolution display is much tighter than more expensive systems
with 1,920-by-1,080 resolution (1080p HD), but still adequate. In any case,
students are unlikely to be working on multi-page spreadsheets or
professional-grade photo editing, where a 1080p HD screen would start to make more
sense. Since these systems are designed for classroom use, an innovative
network status light on the top of the lid lets teachers and parents know if
the system is using the 802.11ac Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
The Latitude 13 Education Series
has a robust, forward-looking set of I/O ports, including a Gigabit Ethernet
port, an HDMI port, a mini DisplayPort, an SD card reader, a security lock
port, and two USB 3.0 ports. This is an improvement over our previous Editors'
Choice for entry-level desktop replacements, the Dell Inspiron 14R-5437$799.99
at Dell, which lacks mini DisplayPort and has a USB 2.0 port instead of a
second USB 3.0 port.
The system we tested has an Intel
Core i3-4005U processor, 4GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive, and Windows 8 Pro.
Other configurations on Dell's website come with options for Intel Celeron and
Core i5 processors. Schools have a wider choice of options, like mobile
broadband and solid-state drives, but those are off the table for parents just
buying one laptop. Thanks to the Latitude 13's educational focus, there is no
bloatware or preloaded software, aside from Windows 8.1. The system comes with
a one-year warranty that can be extended up to five years for $350.
What is Dell Latitude 13 Education?-Video
Performance
Dell Latitude 13 Education Series
(3340) The Latitude 13 Education scored a very good 2,268 points on the PCMark
8 Work Conventional test, which tests the system on everyday tasks, including
navigating the Web, video conferencing, and office tasks like word processing
and spreadsheets. This is competitive with the Dell Venue Pro 11
(7139)$1,141.43 at Dell tablet (2,407 points) with its Intel Core i5-4300Y
processor. The Latitude 13 Education bumped into its limits on the Adobe
Photoshop CS6 test, taking a leisurely 11 minutes, ten seconds to complete the
11-step test. The Dell Inspiron 14R-5437 was a smidge quicker, but the Lenovo
U430 Touch (6:13) and Lenovo Edge E431 (5:38) took almost half the time,
showing that their Core i5 processors are better suited for heavier workloads
and multimedia tasks.
This is an all-day laptop,
lasting an excellent 10 hours 17 minutes on our battery rundown test. The Dell
14R-5437 was closest at just under 10 hours (9:46). To add to the appeal, the
Latitude 13 Education has a removable 65-watt battery, which can be replaced
when it stops holding a charge. This is a nice alternative to the sealed
ultrabooks like the IdeaPad U430 Touch.
The Dell Latitude 13 Education
Series should certainly be on your short list when shopping for a moderately
priced laptop for your K-12 student. Other systems may have faster processors
or more memory, but the Latitude 13 Education has a ten-hour battery life and
is designed to be a durable companion for the next few years (and then some).
It's our new Editors' Choice for entry-level desktop replacement laptops.
3. Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme
Design and Features
When all of the latches and doors
are buttoned up, there is no chance for dust, snow, water, or even inadvertent
prods from steel tools to get lodged in the system's I/O ports. Each port door
has a two-step latch: a sliding lock, which doesn't have to be held to
disengage, and a pull latch, which does. These doors hide a plethora of ports,
including a DVD burner, two Ethernet ports, an ExpressCard reader, an HDMI
port, a power connector, an SD card reader, two serial ports, a Smart Card
reader, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and a VGA port. Doors also allow
access to the system's modular SSD/hard drive bay and battery bay. This means
that you could swap out your drive and pass the laptop on to a colleague to use
with their own modular drive. Built-in 4G LTE with GPS and a larger 512GB SSD
are?available as options for about $1,000 more than the configuration we
tested.
A docking device connector on the bottom of the chassis is compatible with a desk dock or one mounted in a vehicle. The new dock isn't compatible with Dell's older ATG and XFR laptops, but works with the semi-rugged Dell Latitude 14 Rugged and fully ruggedized Latitude 12 Rugged Extreme laptop lines. A sturdy handle on the leading edge of the laptop lets you grab the system off the ground while you're accelerating to a full sprint, or retrieve it from a vehicle in a second. There's an NFC reader under the palm rest and a biometric reader for secure computing. A compact stylus sits in its own compartment, attached to the system with a lanyard.
What is Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme?-Video
The 14-inch 1,366-by-768 touch
screen may seem to have a low resolution in this day and age, but it is a
unique panel for a variety of reasons. Software used in the fire, military, and
police fields is designed for quick information retrieval, so it's unlikely
that a soldier under fire will need a 1080p screen to look at multipage
spreadsheets. Rather, they will likely be using a simple touch-based interface
to read weather reports or route communications. To that end, the touch screen
uses resistive single-point touch functionality, so you can interact with it
even with a gloved hand. Capacitive multitouch screens, on the other hand,
require specialized gloves with metal woven into the fingertips.
The screen acts like a single
button mouse: You can click and drag, but you can't pinch to zoom or
right-click. The Windows operating system treats the display like a mouse as
well. The System Control Panel doesn't recognize it as a touch device (which
has to have at least five points of touch for Windows 8 to acknowledge it). The
rugged touchpad is also a single-touch device, with two physical mouse buttons
for clicks. The tech isn't all vintage, though. The screen has full daylight
visibility, which is important when you're using it outdoors the majority of
the time.
The Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme is
fully certified and tested to meet IP65 and MIL-STD-810G standards, which
govern durability. The IP65 certification essentially means that the system is
impervious to dust and particle intrusion, as well as water spraying at the
closed port doors and exposed portions of the laptop. The MIL-STD-801G
certification ensures that the system can survive drops, outdoor environmental
effects, temperature swings, and severe vibration from riding in vehicles on
rough terrain. It's not indestructible, but it's more likely to survive a
battlefield environment than laptops like the Dell Precision M2800$1,610.30 at
Dell or the HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 (G4U67UT)$1,504.57 at Amazon. Drops,
kicks, and vibrations from vehicles are unlikely to damage the system beyond
cosmetic scratches. The system comes with a three-year warranty.
Design and Features
The Latitude 14 Rugged
Extreme$4,705.75 at Dell is sturdily built for soldiers on the battlefield and
other active users, like police and fire departments. The tank-like
construction is similar to the Dell Latitude E6420 XFR, though this is a newer
chassis. It is a fully ruggedized laptop, and meant to survive harsher
environments than the semi-rugged Dell Latitude E6430 ATG$3,655.75 at Dell. Its
chassis measures a beefy 9.75 by 14 by 2 inches (HWD) and weighs 8.39 pounds.
A docking device connector on the
bottom of the chassis is compatible with a desk dock or one mounted in a
vehicle. The new dock isn't compatible with Dell's older ATG and XFR laptops,
but works with the semi-rugged Dell Latitude 14 Rugged and fully ruggedized
Latitude 12 Rugged Extreme laptop lines. A sturdy handle on the leading edge of
the laptop lets you grab the system off the ground while you're accelerating to
a full sprint, or retrieve it from a vehicle in a second. There's an NFC reader
under the palm rest and a biometric reader for secure computing. A compact
stylus sits in its own compartment, attached to the system with a lanyard.
The 14-inch 1,366-by-768 touch
screen may seem to have a low resolution in this day and age, but it is a
unique panel for a variety of reasons. Software used in the fire, military, and
police fields is designed for quick information retrieval, so it's unlikely
that a soldier under fire will need a 1080p screen to look at multipage
spreadsheets. Rather, they will likely be using a simple touch-based interface
to read weather reports or route communications. To that end, the touch screen
uses resistive single-point touch functionality, so you can interact with it
even with a gloved hand. Capacitive multitouch screens, on the other hand,
require specialized gloves with metal woven into the fingertips.
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme
The screen acts like a single
button mouse: You can click and drag, but you can't pinch to zoom or
right-click. The Windows operating system treats the display like a mouse as
well. The System Control Panel doesn't recognize it as a touch device (which
has to have at least five points of touch for Windows 8 to acknowledge it). The
rugged touch pad is also a single-touch device, with two physical mouse buttons
for clicks. The tech isn't all vintage, though. The screen has full daylight
visibility, which is important when you're using it outdoors the majority of
the time.
Performance
Our review unit comes with a
1.9GHz Intel Core i5-4300U processor and Nvidia GeForce GT 720M graphics. The
components are several generations newer than those on the previously tested
rugged laptops like the Dell Latitude E6420 XFR and the Panasonic Toughbook
CF-31$2,982.00 at Amazon, so we can't directly compare performance to the older
systems, but we can compare laptops with similar parts. The Latitude 14 Rugged
Extreme received a very good score of 3,136 points on the PCMark Work Conventional
test, almost on par with the Dell M2800 and much faster than the HP 1040 G1.