Dell designed its new Latitude C400, the smallest and lightest notebook in its corporate line, for executives on the go. But what sets this 1.77ââ,¬" kilos travel companion apart from other ultraportables is that you won't give up much in the way of performance or features.

The Latitude C400 isn't as tiny as the Sharp PC-UM10 notebook. But at exactly one inch thick and weighing 1.77 kilos (2.13 kilos with the AC adaptor), the Latitude C400 will hardly bog you down. In addition, many competitors in this class can' t match its performance and features.

The Latitude C400 is one of the most loaded ultralights around. The configuration we tested included a screaming 1.2GHz mobile Pentium III-M processorââ,¬"a rarity among ultralights since their small batteries usually can't withstand such tremendous power output.

The Latitude C400's incredible speed didn't sap its battery life. Its test score of 3 hours and 15 minutes is excellent for an ultralight. Not just an excellent performer, the Latitude C400 is also a surprisingly full-featured and usable ultralight. The sharp, 12.1in, XGA (1024 x 768 pixels), active-matrix screen is large enough to look at for hours without eyestrain.

Dell also built in a slightly smaller yet still comfortable version of the signature keyboard and mouse layout found on almost all of its Latitude and Inspiron laptops. It conveniently includes both a touchpad and a pointing stick with corresponding mouse buttons.

As with most ultralights, however, you'll have to connect secondary storage drives externally. All systems ship with a floppy drive. Our evaluation unit included a combination DVD/CD-RW drive (which is sold separately for AU$1164), but other options include CD-ROM (AU$527), DVD-ROM (AU$659), CD-RW (AU$615), or a second 20GB hard drive (AU$659).

Each of these drives fits in the internal bays of the C400's larger siblings, the C600 and the C800, as well as in past C-series systems. IT managers will love this cross-compatibility since your company can buy just a few drives to share. Our only gripe with this setup is that you can attach only one drive at a time to the system's proprietary connection port.

Latitude C400 users can make these drives more aesthetically appealing by slipping them into an external plastic case, but those who care more about travel weight can ditch the case and plug cords directly into the drives themselves. The AC adaptor also comes in a plastic case that helps prevent an unmanageable power cord by wrapping it around the case grooves; again, you can leave the case behind if you're looking for a lighter load.

Dell follows the example of many ultralight manufacturers by integrating an antenna for 802.11b wireless networking into the C400's chassis. Our configuration also included the internal TrueMobile 1150 mini-PCI wireless card (sold separately for AU$384), leaving the single Type II PC Card slot open for other uses. And, because the system offers enough connectivity ports, such as serial, USB, VGA, headphone, microphone, docking, and IrDA, you can plug in peripherals without needing a cumbersome port replicator.

Dell also minds its p's and q's when it comes to support, providing a long three-year parts and labour warranty with convenient onsite service. For enterprise customers, Dell's Web site lets you set up a customised support page with content from a huge customer forum, FAQs, downloads, and more.

From just about every angle, the Dell Latitude C400 is a sight to be seen. Any business looking for an ultralight with an excellent combination of features, performance, support, and price should consider this system.

Product:	Dell Latitude C400
Price:	AU$6062
Vendor:	Dell
Phone:	1300 362 042
Interoperability:	Good variety of ports and connectors.
Futureproofing:	An ultralight notebook with a good combo of features, performance, support, and price.
ROI:	Great price for what you get.
Service:	Three-year next business day parts and onsite labour warranty. Ph: 1300 655 533 8am to 8pm.
Rating:

Copyright © 2009 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All Rights Reserved.
ZDNET is a registered service mark of CBS Interactive. ZDNET Logo is a service mark of CBS Interactive.