The good: Configurable with the latest Core 2 Duo processors; spill-proof keyboard with LED light; tough, durable casing with shock protection; strong security features; standard three-year warranty with upgrade options; exceptionally bright 500nits screen; compatible with Latitude series of accessories.

The bad: Heavy and bulky; expensive compared to equivalent non-rugged models; no discrete graphics card option unlike the Latitude D620.

The bottom line: The Latitude ATG D620 is, for all intents and purposes, a conventional D620 crammed into an armored chassis with an exceptionally bright display. Perfect for those who need a high-powered notebook in an unfriendly environment, but back-breaking, expensive and unnecessary for the cubicle warrior.

Read full review of the Dell Latitude ATG D620 »

By Darius Chang, CNET Asia
Mar 21, 2007

As far as rugged or even semi-rugged notebooks go, one of the main issues has been the use of last-generation ultra-low voltage platforms. Granted, reliability and long battery life can be assured as in the case of the Panasonic ToughBooks. But fortunately, Dell's maiden voyage into the semi-rugged notebook market, the Latitude ATG D620, offers the configurations and Core 2 Duo processing power of the Latitude series with a tough rugged shell to protect the innards. It has also one of the brightest screens around, making it highly usable even under bright sunlight.

	It's tough, it's rugged, but the ATG D620 is also exceptionally heavy. (Click for larger image)

Design
If a company feels that its frontline staff are not getting enough exercise, then it should issue a Dell Latitude ATG D620 to all of them and make them walk the stairs. Weighing in at a hefty 2.84kg, it is possibly the heaviest 14.1-inch notebook in the market. The footprint is not insignificant, either. Occupying an area of 342 x 240mm with a height of 42mm, it is almost as large as a Latitude D820 with a larger 15.4-inch display. This is the price one pays for the protection of a semi-rugged chassis which meets military MIL-STD 810F standards.

The first layer of protection is really the paint. The textured coat of the ATG D620 forms a scratch-resistant layer and allows for a good grip even with wet hands. The chassis is formed from magnesium-alloy, stronger than conventional plastic yet cheaper than the hardier and lighter carbon-fiber material. Recognizing that moving parts are the first components to fail, the hinges have been reinforced with steel to withstand high opening/closing cycles. The latch has also been reinforced and feels sturdy enough even for the roughest user.

Though we would have liked to see a magnesium-alloy roll cage, like those used in Lenovo's ThinkPad T60 , protecting the hardware inside, Dell has made a compromise between price and functionality by shockproofing only the harddisk and LCD screen. This allows the unit to be used during transport or when vibration is an issue. Though it is not rated for protection against drops, the shockproofing should give the unit a higher survival rate compared to conventional systems. The top cover protecting the LCD was so strong, a 70kg Dell representative stood on top of the Latitude ATG D620 during a private presentation session with CNET Asia and the display remained intact. The screen is further protected with a scratch-resistant panel for use in windy and dusty environments.

The full-sized spillproof keyboard keeps the components safe from liquids. Like its daintier Latitude cousins, there are two cursor controls available--the touchpad as well as a track stick. We felt it was an oversight that the ports on the flanks are not protected with a rubber flap, though one is available to cover the rear.

Features
Our review unit is a solid computing machine with a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB memory, DVD writer drive and an 80GB harddisk with a retail tag of S$4,310.25 (US$3,107.16), inclusive of taxes and delivery. The starting configuration without a fingerprint scanner, DVD/CDRW combo drive and 1GB RAM costs S$3,905 (US$2,815.02). In order to shockproof the storage device, Dell uses a 1.8-inch hard drive in a 2.5-inch protective casing. This means that the cost per megabyte is higher than conventional 2.5-inch platters, as well as sporting a slower spin speed of 4,200rpm compared with the latter which can reach up to 7,200rpm. If harddisk protection is not required, the 1.8-inch drive can be replaced with a conventional 2.5-inch platter. Another consideration is that unlike the Latitude D620, the ATG D620 does not have a discrete graphics option or choice of Windows Vista operating system.

The highlight of this Latitude is centered around the screen. Besides the shock mounting and scratch-resistant glass overlay, the ATG D620 has possibly the brightest screen for a notebook. Rated at 500nits, it is more than twice as bright as most portables with LCDs topping at 200nits. The display is powered by Intel's Graphics Media Accelerator 950 integrated video chipset that can share a maximum 224MB of system memory to display resolutions of up to 1,280 x 800 on the 14.1-inch widescreen. Though not the fastest of video-rendering solutions, this system should have no problem handling the Windows Vista Aero Desktop interface.

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