Solid in all ways

I received the Latitude D620 as part of my scholarship package. Initially I was about to sell it since it came without a good dedicated graphics card option but I decided to keep it and save up for a gaming desktop. Anyways, I have been happy with it for the most part. To start off, a list of my specs:

Core Duo T2400 (1.83 Ghz)
512MB ram
Nvidia quadro 110m
80 GB SATA HD
DVD+/-RW drive
14.1 inch widescreen XGA+
6 cell battery

Packaging:

The laptop was shipped in a well protected box. The box had Dell tape so you are sure it was not tampered with.

Body/Materials:

The laptop is very well constructed as this is the main selling point of the Dell Latitude Series. According to Dell's website, the chassis is trimetal (magnesium, aluminum, and steel) and the hard drive is specially protected. The casing has a sturdy feel and does not have any cheap plastic parts or materials. The hinges are well built and do not creak or show any weakness. The latch is also well made.

Speed:

Sporting the Core Duo processor, the laptop is snappy and much better than my old P4 2.0 Ghz desktop. The usual tasks (internet, word proc, email) are all quick as expected. No problems for the average business user.

Gaming:

This is definitely not a gamer's laptop. If you are a gamer, you should focus on the inspiron e1705 or xps series laptops. This laptop shipped with an Nvidia Quadro 110m graphics card. Comparable to the Geforce 7300 go, it is good enough for most basic multimedia tasks (video, DVDs, etc) but is terrible for games. Unfortunately, there is no other graphics option (other than the worse intel integrated card) so don't expect to play Oblivion or any future games.

Keyboard/touchpad/touchstick:

The keyboard is a typical laptop keyboard with quiet clicks. The touchpad is good and buttons are big and convenient. This is one of the few laptops that come with a touchstick (notable on the IBM thinkpad notebooks). I generally don't use the touchstick but it is sensitive and should serve the purposes of those who want it. It comes with its own buttons.

Screen:

The screen is fairly disappointing considering the price and caliber of the rest of the laptop. It is generally good enough for most purposes but is not as good as screens you can get comparably priced or even cheaper laptops. It is dull in general and there is not glossy option. However, it comes in a widescreen aspect which is a good feature. In general, passable but barely.

Ports:

The laptop comes with a variety of ports but nothing extraordinary. 4 usb, serial, vga, infrared, smart card, pc card, and a ddock expansion port (useful if you wish to use the port replicator). Notably absent is any type of video out or svideo port and firewire.

Battery Life:

I get an average of 3 hours with the 6 cell. The 9 cell gets an upwards of 6 hours and is an extra upgrade. I don't really know how long the battery will last before replacement.

Stuff that it comes with:

My laptop came with a Windows XP reinstallation disk, all drivers and software, and an AC adaptor. Nothing fancy.

Conclusion:

If you are constantly on the move and want a sturdy notebook at your side, you can't lose with the Latitude D620. Granted, I haven't actually abused the laptop yet so I don't know what damage it can withstand, but it does look and feel strong. However, it is probably not a suitable option for casual users and gamers because of the lack of a good dedicated graphics option and screen selection. Otherwise, it's a good buy.