Dell Latitude C600 laptop

The Dell Latitude C600 is a straightforward corporate laptop with excellent battery life and some special touches.

One aspect that is unique among the machines we tested (and worth copying by others) is the inclusion of both a touch pad and pointing stick. Those who are comfortable with both features can switch back and forth, depending on the task (both are active concurrently), and those with a preference can choose between them, turning one or the other off.

Hot-swapping modules to and from the single bay worked like a charm: We just clicked an icon on the System Tray, ejected one module, and popped in the new one. Another highlight is the high-resolution display. Although its 14.1-inch size is the same as most others, the screen's 1,400-by-1,050 native resolution lets you see more of a document or Web page without scrolling.

As for the audio capabilities, the speaker volume was very low: For presentations, you'll need an external pair of powered speakers. The keyboard layout, spacing, and feel were all comfortable. One notable keyboard feature is the Dell AccessDirect button, which calls up the on-disk documentation. You can also program this button to launch a frequently used application or—even more useful for IT managers—to preconfigure each machine with a specific support resource, such as Dell's technical-support Web site.

Dell also caters to tech managers' needs. Bay modules, batteries, docking slices or stations, and an AC adapter can be shared among any Latitude C-series models, including legacy systems (CPx, CPt, CPi, and others). The modules also can be shared with L-series models via an external expansion bay and an IDE cable. Also, the primary and secondary battery are identical and can be used in either the battery bay or the multipurpose bay.

Speaking of battery life, the C600 beat out all the other notebooks in our roundup. With a system weight of 5.4 pounds, the C600 is one of the bulkier models we tested. Those extra few ounces (due to its bigger battery), however, translate to more than 3.5 hours of runtime or nearly 8 hours with an extra battery installed in the modular bay.