Dell Latitude E5530 Review

Build and Design

The Dell Latitude E5530 offers an understated classy industrial grey and black finish contrasted by a sliver horizontal band that wraps around the device. Sporting a protective tri-metal casing, the Latitude is comprised of a brushed aluminum lid, magnesium alloy internal frames, and a zinc alloy latch. The result is a sturdy well put together device that feels cool to the touch.

The sturdy frame does come at a price though, as the Dell Latitude has some weight to it. With its large 15.3 x 9.9 x 1.2 inch frame and weighting in at 6.4 pounds, the Dell Latitude can be somewhat awkward to carry. Additionally users should be wary of how they hold the device, as the aluminum lid easily attracts finger print marks that deter from the otherwise clean aesthetic.

While the Dell Latitude E5530 is not exactly lean, the device more than makes up for it's with is durable design. Thanks to its tri-metal casing the chassis held up beautifully to force, the base of the machine did not budge, even when significant pressure was applied. The display faired just as well only giving slightly when excessive pressure was applied, with no noticeable rippling appearing on the screen. This Dell may not be the slimmest machine, but it will hold up under stress.

The Dell Latitude E5530 offers easy access to its components, through the devices bottom plate which is held in place by two simple screws. While accessing the devices components is rather easy, upgrading the machine is a bit more difficult due to the lack of space for additional components. However, as this machine is primarily used for business practices, upgrading the specs are hardly a primary concern.

For those that don't mind a few extra pounds and fingerprints, the Dell Latitude E5530 offers a sturdy structure that is sure to last the wear and tear of travel.

Ports and Features

The Latitude E5530 offers the standard selection of ports and uses the entire surface area of the device to make sure that each port is easily accessible. The right side of the notebook offers an audio jack, a USB 2.0 port, an 8X DVD drive, and VGA connector. The back of the device houses an Ethernet port, a second USB 2.0 port, and the power jack. The left side offers an HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports (one of which is an eSTAT/USB combo), and an SD and Express card/54slot readers.While the USB 2.0 port located at the back of the device may be a bit out of the way, the spacious placement makes each port easy to use and access.

Left: HDMI, eSATA USB 3.0 combo, USB 3.0, SD and Express card reader	Microphone Jack, USB 2.0, 8X DVD drive, VGA connector

The Latitude E5530 also offers additional security in the form of a fingerprint scanner. The scanner can be set up through Dell's Data Protection Access program. The program allows users to save multiple fingerprint signatures, which will allow users to log on to their respective devices with the simple swipe of a finger. The fingerprint scanner (like most others) works well most of the time, though sometimes misreads are possible due to the angle at which the finger is swiped.

The fingerprint scanner is a nice additional security measure for those that want it, and those that don't can easily ignore it.

Screen and Speakers

The standard Latitude E5530 model offers a serviceable 15.6-inch WLED display with a 1366 x 768 resolution, though a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution options is available.

The unit reviewed offered the standard HD display resolution, which appeared more than serviceable for this machine and its likely functions. Though the resolution may be a bit small for some, the display offered solid color contrast and a clear well lit image. Additionally, the WLED-backlit display holds up well against lighting with little to no glare, even in brightly lit rooms.

Another plus to the display is its generous viewing angles. The Latitude E5530 can be easily viewed across the horizontal plane only showing image distortion at extreme angles (past 100 degrees).  The display also holds up quite nicely when slightly tilted forward or backwards, though tilting the display any more than that will quickly cause the image quality to deteriorate.

With its solid image quality and flexible viewing angles the display is perfect for most business applications and multiple viewers.

The Dell Latitude's speakers are located at the bottom of the chassis, with three speakers located at the front end and fourth .ocated at the back right of the machine. Despite being on the bottom of the chassis, sound emanates freely form the speakers freely, even when using the machine as a laptop.

The modest amplification won't blow users away, but the speakers do manage to provide consistent and clean sound quality. While playing a classical score the Dell's speakers held up admirably catching both the highs and lows of the piece with absolutely no distortion. Even more impressive the audio integrity held up even when the speakers were at 100 percent capacity. While the Latitude may not be as loud as other machines, the level of quality is impressive for a budget device. 

Keyboard and Touchpad

The Dell Latitude E5530 offers a full-sized keyboard complete with number-pad. The spacious keyboard is comprised of curved textured keys that easily grip to the user's fingers for added traction. The key compression is fairly average, but paired with the responsive tactile feedback of each keystroke typing is a real pleasure. The added friction and feedback of the keyboard allows users to type quickly and efficiently with the assurance that each corresponding key has been struck.

Given the generous dimension of the Latitude the Alps Electronic touchpad could have been a bit larger, which would have been a nice addition for multi-touch gestures. However, the standard sized touchpad is big enough and proves to serve admirably.

The touchpad hosts a basic layout with right and left mouse buttons located below the pad and left, right, and middle mouse buttons located above it as well. The touch pad itself works very well reading gestures and inputs with little to lag and consistent accuracy.

Perhaps the touchpad's best feature is its customization options. As with most Dell notebooks, the Latitude E5530 allows users to customize the sensitivity and multi-touch gesture layout of the touchpad though the Dell Touchpad program. Users will be able to alter everything from the double click delay, to the touchpad's swipe sensitivity. This small addition makes a big difference when using the device, and it's one of the major reasons why the Touchpad is so comfortable to use.