Dell Latitude X200 (Pentium III-M 800MHz review: Dell Latitude X200 (Pentium III-M 800MHz

The Latitude X200 is the first Dell ultralight to offer a bottom-docking media slice (historically, Dell laptops have docked from the back). While the slice drives up the price of the total package, it also brings the Latitude X200 to the level of a desktop replacement. The slice has two media slots, which offers an impressive amount of configuration options. The model we tested included a floppy drive in one bay and a front-loading, 8X DVD/CD-RW combo drive in the other. And the slice is easy to use, due to the dual sliding locks. Frequent travelers will appreciate the Latitude X200's versatility, speed, and thoughtful design.The Latitude X200 is the first Dell ultralight to offer a bottom-docking media slice (historically, Dell laptops have docked from the back). While the slice drives up the price of the total package, it also brings the Latitude X200 to the level of a desktop replacement. The slice has two media slots, which offers an impressive amount of configuration options. The model we tested included a floppy drive in one bay and a front-loading, 8X DVD/CD-RW combo drive in the other. And the slice is easy to use, due to the dual sliding locks. Frequent travelers will appreciate the Latitude X200's versatility, speed, and thoughtful design.

Media frenzy
The $2,557 Latitude X200 we tested came with Intel's new 800MHz ultralow-voltage mobile Pentium III-M, 256MB of RAM, and a 30GB hard drive. Its media slice included a floppy drive in one bay and a front-loading, 8X DVD/CD-RW combo drive in the other. Thanks to dual sliding locks, attaching and releasing the slice is a cinch. Sans media slice, the notebook costs $1,999.

Small but well supplied
The Latitude X200 may be small, but it squeezes in a lot of features. It measure .8 inches thick by 10.7 inches wide by 8.9 inches deep and weighs 2.8 pounds. The AC adapter adds .49 pounds, while the media slice adds 2.46 pounds and doubles the notebook's thickness. Connectivity is good, with one IEEE 1394 (FireWire), one Ethernet, one modem, one audio, and two USB ports. The single Type II PC Card slot is nice, but rather than a spring-loaded door, it comes with a flimsy, plastic dummy card that'd be easy to break or lose. Dell meets you halfway on 802.11b wireless networking; you get dual antennae inside the system, but you have to purchase the optional TrueMobile 1150 mini-PCI wireless card ($149) to make them work or use a wireless card in the PC Card slot.

The display and the input devices (the components you'll use the most) are well designed. The 12.1-inch, XGA (1,024x768), active-matrix screen is small--a typical ultralight trade-off--but it's bright and crisp. Atypical for an ultralight, the keyboard is nearly full-sized and feels as big and comfortable as a desktop's. Nestled in the wrist rest is a smooth-feeling touchpad with two mouse buttons underneath. The front speakers are standard, adequate-sounding notebook fare.

Average speed, battery life
It's unclear whether the low-voltage processor helped the Latitude X200; the Dell's standard six-cell battery conked out after just 114 minutes in CNET Labs' tests, which is normal for an ultralight. By comparison, the Toshiba Portégé 2000 lasted only 92 minutes on its primary battery, but the Gateway 200 held on for 161 minutes. If you need more juice, squeeze out another $199 for the X200's optional second battery, an eight-cell pack.

The Latitude X200 performed capably in CNET Labs' performance tests. Running Windows XP Professional, it closely trailed the Gateway 200, which had a faster 866MHz CPU. The Toshiba Portégé 2000's 750MHz mobile Pentium III CPU (which has a slower frontside bus and a smaller Level 2 cache than the mobile Pentium III-M's in the Dell and Gateway) kept it respectfully behind the Latitude X200.

Super service and support
Dell's impressive support package for the Latitude X200 includes a lengthy three-year warranty as well as an onsite, next-business-day repair plan. Toll-free phone support is available 24/7 for the life of the notebook.

As ultralights go, the Dell Latitude X200 is one of the better systems we've seen. Hard-traveling execs and office workers who want to switch between a well-configured ultralight and a desktop's worth of drives will like the flexibility of the Latitude X200's optional media slice. Competent in speed and features, it also has a great-feeling keyboard for such a tiny machine, and Dell's generous support program is the icing on the cake.