Intel's fastest Pentium M processor makes a grand debut in the Dell Latitude D800.

The desktop replacement's second-generation 2GHz Pentium M (code-named Dothan) helped it clock the best performance scores we've seen among Pentium M laptops. The spoils continue with an expansive, 15.4-inch display; built-in Bluetooth and 802.11b/g wireless; and a smart-card reader. All of these features and more make the Dell Latitude D800 a must for employees seeking top speed in a well-designed portable.

The Dell Latitude D800's 4.3-by-35.8-by-27.4cm, 3.36kg case outweighs the thin-and-light cases of Dothan competitors such as the HP Compaq Business Notebook nc6000 by more than a 450 grams. Yet with this girth come many perks: such as a broad, 15.4-inch display; a familiar, desktoplike keyboard; and both a touchpad and a pointing stick. The system also offers almost every port possible, including FireWire, Gigabit Ethernet, S-Video out, four USB 2.0 ports, a parallel port, and even a serial port. The latter dinosaur represents a nod to Dell's long-standing corporate customers who may still use old peripherals based on serial port technology. Finally, the Dell Latitude D800 features a swappable internal bay for its included DVD/CD-RW drive and optional modules, such as DVD+R/+RW or a second battery. Each module works with all members of the Latitude D-series family, helping businesses buy fewer modules to share among employees.

A handful of additional Dell Latitude D800 features are worthy of note. The system sports the hottest wireless components du jour: 802.11b/g and Bluetooth. It also includes a smart-card reader, which accommodates secure cards containing your personal passwords and other info. Writing info to these cards requires optional software, which Dell sells, starting at AU$91.30.

The Dell Latitude D800's 2GHz Pentium M processor, 512MB of 266MHz SDRAM, killer 128MB Nvidia GeForce FX Go5650 graphics chip, and fast 5,400rpm 80GB hard drive made quick work of CNET Labs' benchmarks, bumping the laptop into the top Pentium M performance spot. (Editor's Note: The model Dell sells in the Australian market ships with a 4200RPM hard drive; the model tested in our US labs had a 5400RPM Drive.)

Its 250-minute battery life proved slightly less impressive compared to the lives of other Dothan-based notebooks, such as the 325 minutes of the Acer TravelMate 8000.

Mobile application performance  (Longer bars indicate faster performance)

BAPCo MobileMark 2002 performance rating

Battery life  (Longer bars indicate longer battery life)

BAPCo MobileMark 2002 battery life in minutes

System configurations:

Acer TravelMate 8000
Windows XP Professional; 1.8GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 128MB; Hitachi 5K60 80GB 5,400rpm

Dell Latitude D800
Windows XP Professional; 2GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce FX Go5600 128MB; Hitachi 5K60 80GB 5,400rpm

HP Compaq Business Notebook nc6000
Windows XP Professional; 1.8GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 64MB; Toshiba MK6022GAX 60GB 5,400rpm

WinBook W360
Windows XP Professional; 1.7GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 64MB; Hitachi 5K60 80GB 5,400rpm

ZT Group ZTpro M1015
Windows XP Professional; 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 64MB; Toshiba MK6021GAS 60GB 5,400rpm

Dell Latitude D800
Company: Dell Australia
Price: AU$$4356
Phone: 1800 812 393

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