Culture

Dell's new Latitude attitude

We've reviewed the new redesigned Dell Latitude.

Dan Ackerman Editorial Director / Computers and Gaming

Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications. "Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines." -- The New York Times

Expertise I've been testing and reviewing computer and gaming hardware for over 20 years, covering every console launch since the Dreamcast and every MacBook...ever. Credentials

Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings

See full bio

Dan Ackerman

Aug. 28, 2008 1:01 p.m. PT

We've seen more than a little interest in Dell's radically revamped Latitude line of business laptops. Our new review of the 14-inch Latitude E6400 is already one of the most-viewed laptops on CNET.

While we liked the excellent battery life and copious security features (and the backlit keyboard), you can get most of those from any decent business-minded laptop. What really stood out is the new brushed-metal design, which is a serious departure from the previous gray Latitude look, a staple of cubicle culture for several years.

To give you an idea of how different the new look and feel is, here are a few comparison shots of the Latitude E6400 and a slightly older Latitude D630, one of the most common laptops found in corporate America.