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Dell releases bevy of firmware updates to fix most of what ails some of you
Remember Throttlegate, the epic saga of warmth-averse Dell laptops turning themselves into 100MHz clunkers whenever temperatures rose above freezing? The issue has been plaguing some users for months, but less than a day after we posted about it Dell had a BIOS update ready for its Latitude E6400 and E6500 series machines, timing that can only be explained as coincidence. Dell also released an update to quiet noisy Seagate drives in a number of its portables, seemingly the same issue that plagued MacBook Pros over the summer -- great news for anyone who hates disks that sound terminal. However, there's still no solution for the Studio XPS 1645 complaints we also reported about, and now we're hearing that the Alienware m15x may be similarly under-clocking itself. Oh how deep the throttlehole goes... Update: It seems all still isn't well. Most are indicating an improvement with this BIOS update, but according to many in comments some machines are still not operating at full speed. At this point it looks like Dell is working openly with users to come up with a more final fix, so we're optimistic... for some reason. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Dell facing massive E6400 and E6500 overheating and underclocking problem?
All is not well in the land of the E6400- and E6500-series lappytops. What looks to be hundreds of owners of these machines have been complaining of massive performance issues, throttling themselves down by as much as 95% under what would seem to be normal operating conditions. Whenever the devices get slightly warm the BIOS automatically starts dialing down the performance until they basically crawl to a halt, some indicating that even when cool they won't go over 50% of maximum clock. Users have been reporting this issue since early in the year and Dell has apparently started censoring some posts on its forums, including a link to a PDF created by (now-banned) user Tinkerdude describing the problem in detail. It's entitled "Performance loss during normal operation in a Dell Latitude E6500 laptop due to processor and bus clock throttling", and if you think that's long wait until you see all 59 pages of analysis (at the read link). As of now there's no official fix provided by Dell, leaving many to call this Throttlegate, and we do love a good Stargate reference. Update: Ibrahim e-mailed to let us know that these two series aren't the only ones being gimped. The Studio XPS 1645 is said to be having similar (but somewhat less drastic) issues according to this thread, seemingly thanks to an inadequate AC adapter. In this case Dell seems to be shipping replacement adapters to those who call up and complain. Update 2: Dell's Chief Blogger Lionel Menchaca dropped the following in comments, which is something of a positive step: We're aware of concerns raised in this post and others like it. At this point, our teams are looking into the details. When we have more information to share, we'll update customers via a post on Dell's blog, Direct2Dell.
Super-rugged Dell Latitude E6400 XFR is tougher than you
We've always been drawn to the rugged Latitude E6400 ATG, and now we're even more in love -- Dell just announced the second-gen Latitude E6400 XFR. Carrying on in the tradition of the Latitude XFR D630, this newest model is a little more visually amped up than its all-business Latitude roots would suggest, and we'd say some showing off is in order -- not only can the XFR handle the DoD's MIL-STD 810F heat, dust and vibration requirements, the PR481 "ballistic" armor provides twice the impact protection of magnesium alloy and the whole thing is well-sealed enough to handle direct blasts of pressurized water. Inside, you're looking at a Core 2 Duo paired up with both a 256MB NVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M and an integrated Intel 4500MHD driving a sunlight-readable 14.1-inch WXGA display, all in a 2.2-inch thick and 8.5-pound package that's 15 percent thinner and 5 percent lighter than the previous XFR. Yeah, we want one. No detailed pricing yet, but you'll have to save quite a few pennies to get rough with this one -- the starting number is $4,299. Hit up a bunch of pics in the gallery and head after the break for a promo video of the XFR taking quite a beating.
Dell's Latitude E6400 reviewed: lovely, save for minor annoyances
If your Latitude D630 is growing a bit long in the tooth, it sounds like the Latitude E6400 is the perfect replacement. Critics over at NotebookReview had no qualms mentioning the unit's strengths, from the rugged chassis to the excellent port assortment to the remarkable 19-hour battery life. Of course, it did point the majority of the review at business-minded users, but it's not like you're really looking at the Latitude line to run Crysis, anyway. Overall, reviewers couldn't find any "major reason" to dislike the E6400, though it couldn't help but mention a smattering of "minor annoyances." Like, you ask? Frustrating ControlPoint software, a less-than-awesome trackpoint / touchpoint and a general build quality that made the unit "feel less durable than it really [was]." If you can overlook those gripes, however, you could be staring at a winner.
Dell's One-Touch Privacy filter keeps your Latitude E6400 screen undercover
We're a bit miffed as to why Dell's keeping its new One-Touch Privacy system exclusive to the Latitude E6400, but whatever the story is there, it'll definitely keep straying eyes from seeing too much confidential information. Interestingly, this here filter isn't hardware based; rather, it's a software-driven application that "creates a pixel-based pattern on the screen, reducing the side viewing angles of people seated next to the user." Dell assures us that it has "minimal impact on display brightness" and that it can be activated with a single touch key, but we're still wondering how it landed on the seemingly sky-high $139 price. Talk about paying for the privilege.[Via T3]
Dell's Latitude E6400 ATG gets acquired, previewed
Merely weeks after Dell offered its long-awaited Latitude E6400 ATG up for sale, one of said units has been procured, unboxed and briefly tested by the laptop lovers over at NotebookReview. Initial impressions are that it's quite heavy (expected for a tough cookie such as this), built Ford tough and made to be used in broad daylight. The keyboard showed slight flex and a somewhat disheartening layout, though the touchpad was "very smooth" and the buttons had "excellent action." We won't spoil the first batch of benchmark results for you, so you'll have to wander on down to the read link for that and a handful of other pics.
Dell Precision and Latitude E series hands-on
Tons of pics of Dell's new Precision and Latitude E series machines? You got 'em, including shots of the crazy-small E4200, which really takes us back to the days of the hot little Samsung-built X1. Hit the gallery below, marvel at some of the machines your IT department may be rolling out in the next 6-18 months.%Gallery-29505%
Dell's rugged Latitude E6400 ATG laptop now available to order
Though we expected Dell's ruggedized Latitude E6400 ATG to have already launched by now, we suppose late is superior to never. As of this very moment, said laptop is available to order from the outfit's Small & Medium Business division, and the baseline machine comes with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 CPU, Vista Home Basic, a 3-year warranty, 14.1-inch WXGA LED-backlit (and outdoor viewable, too) display, Intel's GMA 4500MHD graphics, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, an 80GB 5,400RPM hard drive, 802.11b/g and a built-in combo drive. The machine we just described can be ordered up for $2,399, but those with a higher spending limit can opt for integrated WWAN, a 64GB SSD, a respectable amount of memory and a 2.8GHz T9600 processor. Sadly, the estimated ship date is September 29th, but you can feel free to get in line before that figure slips well into Q4.[Thanks, Anthony]
Dell's new Latitude E series for suits detailed by elaborate PowerPoint presentation
Having been privy to a few leaked Dell PowerPoint presentations in our day, we can say without reservation that they know how to blow that stuff out. Roadmaps? Charts? Bullet points? They've got it all, and this new Latitude E series presentation is no different. Sure, the subject matter is a little dry: reliable, boringbooks for businesses, but there are a few gems in here. The basic thing to get down is that Dell is kicking the D series to the curb, and is going E with its professional laptop line. Improvements include the perks of Centrino 2, more WWAN and other wireless chips, eSATA and Display Port plugs, thinner dockable laptops and huge ass batteries for all-day usage. The E6400, for instance, boasts 19 hours of battery with a 9-cell. On the teensy end, the E 4200 offers a 12.1-inch WXGA screen in a 2.2 pound form factor, with 32GB and 64GB SSD options. The E4300 bumps that up to 13.3-inches and 3.4 pounds. At the other end of the spectrum, the E 6400 ATG is a 5.6 pound beast designed to withstand drops, dust and moisture. The E 5400, 5500 and 6400 are the mainstreamers, with 14.1-inch and 15.4-inch screens, disc drives and all the other trappings you'd expect. Dell's roadmap has the larger laptops hitting in August, with the 12 and 13-inchers showing up in September. Unfortunately, it looks like the XT2 is getting pushed out to January of next year, but it can't all be roses. Check out the gallery for all the sordid details.%Gallery-28701%
Dell's leaked Latitude E6000 and E5000-series of laptops pack GPS, DisplayPort, WWAN, UWB and much more
Our week o' Dell scoops continues with what Dell calls its "mainstream" and "essential" series of Latitude E-series laptops. While the enterprise-ready, mainstream series packs just about everything (and more) that you could hope for in a balanced spec-for-size lappie, the essential series is only essential if you're on a tight budget and just can't live without the comparatively low-end chub. The 15.4-inch E6500 and 14.1-inch E6400 models will replace Dell's D830 and D630 whereas the "essential" 15.4-inch E5500 and 14.1-inch E5400 carry on the low-end tradition of Dell's D531 and D530. With any luck, these will be Dell's first Montevina / Centrino 2 class machines if they all hit the targeted June release date as planned. AMD fans will see the E5500a and E5400a configurations at about the same time. So what can you expect under the hood? Well, just look at the 5.1-pound E6500 which reads like a suit's, geek fantasy: UWB, Bluetooth 2.1, mobile broadband Integrated GPS, yes GPS New 84WHr slice batteries for "all day" computing LED backlighting, 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution, discrete nVIDIA graphics and DisplayPort out Hard, Hybrid, and Solid State disk drive options with eSATA jack for more Optional camera and mic Plenty of security options including contact-less smart cards and encrypted hard disks Time to pad those budgets a bit, eh CIOs? Full low-down in the gallery below.%Gallery-18965%
Okoro Media Systems now shipping Core 2 Duo based systems
Trailing only slightly behind the onslaught of Core 2 Duo machines we've seen recently, Okoro Media Systems is following suit by offering Intel's latest processors in their home theater computers. Okoro has shown it likes to keep pace in the HTPC race, and by tossing the Core 2 Duo in three of their PCs, it hopes to take advantage of the extra speed and efficiency the chips offer. The OMS-TH540 will sport the Intel 1.8GHz E6300, while the OMS-TH550 gets the 2.13GHz E6400, and still holding tight to its "fastest HTPC available" claim, the OMS-GX300 rocks the Intel Core 2 Extreme 2.93GHz X6800. While it doesn't look like they've removed any fans, the company states that the Core 2 Duo was chosen because of its efficient nature, allowing the creation of "high performance, ultra-quiet, and low power" entertainment systems. This new trio runs "up to 40 percent faster and quieter" than the previous generation of Okoros, and these fresh releases also rock "DTS Connect" technology, which provides 7.1 "HD audio," HDCP compliant video playback, and ATSC recording capabilities. The revamped lineup -- Core 2 Duo and all -- is available immediately, but with prices starting at $2,095 and reaching way past our credit limit, the bleeding-edge technology comes at a painful premium.
The Alienware Area-51 7500 lands with Core 2 Duo and new chassis
Perhaps the most notable things about the revamped Alienware Area-51 7500 are its new mood-lighting adjustable case and P2 chassis. The AlienFX case sports user-adjustable lighting in six different areas of its tool-less entry chassis, while the inside adds additional slots and inputs for the h@x0r in you - complete with AlienWare's AlienIce cooling system. Specs-wise, the new 7500 (an apparent bump from the MJ-12 7500) packs a dual core Intel Core 2 Duo processor or 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800 (at the high end - default config is a Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz), nVIDIA graphics (options include both single and SLI configurations, with up to dual 512MB GeForce 7900 GTXs), and as much as 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM. The new machine starts at $1,799, but our configured uber-rig (with 30-inch LCD, mind you) got us over $6,800 within just a few radio button clicks. Do your credit card a favor and take it out to dinner before you lay this one on it.[Thanks, David]
