Dell Laptop Recommendation

[subgenius]

I'm looking for a recommendation on a Dell laptop that's primary use will be for presentations (both small audiences of 3-10 people as well as larger audiences of up to 1,000 people).

Here are my primary requirements:
- Budget: $700-$1200
- Display: Matte finish, not glossy
- OS: Windows 7 Pro (32 bit or 64 bit)
- Laptop audio would ideally be above average w/o needing external speakers
- RAM: At Least 3GB
- HD: At least 250 GB

Preferred Specs:
- RAM: 4GB
- HD: 320 or above (7200)

The processor is not a huge concern because any new Dell is going to have the power needed to do a good presentation. The key for me is to find the best display with the best price. I spoke with a Dell Sales person on their site earlier, and their pointed me toward the Latitude series. I value the knowledge of the users on this forum more though, so any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dawza]

If it must be a Dell, then the Latitude series would almost certainly be the best choice.

As far as which Latitude, I only have experience with the E6510; from the spec sheets, it seems that the E6410 is essentially the same, but in a 14" form factor. You can save some money by going with a E55XX/45XX series notebook, but they are thicker, heavier, and do not come standard with a 3-year warranty.

From what you have described, it would appear that you would want to use the laptop (sans projector) to give presentations to very small groups of people (hence the requirement for a good display), as well as for hooking up to a projector for larger groups. None of the Latitudes, to my knowledge, has anything other than a TN panel, so vertical viewing angles are pretty poor (or, rather, typical for a notebook). With the exception of the Latitude Z (which, if new, is out of your price range anyway), I believe the Latitudes all have VGA-out for projector hookup. Panel brightness should not be an issue, particularly with the newer LED-backlit models; the FHD panel on my 6510 is bright enough to use in direct sunlight.

As far as audio, it's passable. Better than the garbage most business laptops a few years ago came standard with, but certainly nothing to get excited about. Loud and clear enough to give a small presentation in a small to medium-sized room, I would think.

An added benefit is that the E6510 is very, very quiet--albeit with an SSD. The CPU fan is quite conservative in ramping up.

Oh, and build quality is more than sufficient to handle the rigors of being transported constantly.

 

[subgenius]

Thanks dawza! I did some additional research, and the E6510 was recommended by another person with similar requirements.