The core of most #WorkFromHome workspace is the computer, around which everything else is built around. It’s important to start on the right foot and get a good computer that has the performance and connectivity to anchor your entire #WFH setup.
The Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 laptop is a great desktop replacement for #WFH that can be brought on the road with its compactness, long battery life and 5G LTE connectivity.
What does one look out for in a home computer for #WorkFromHome?
For me, it must have the performance to handle most work-related activities, ranging from basic tasks like word processing and surfing the Web (for accessing emails, research and other cloud-based activities), to more demanding photo editing and video editing for content production.
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Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 laptop freshly unboxed. Included is a 90W power supply. Dimensions: H: 0.71″ (18 mm) | W: 13.4″ (340.3 mm) | D: 8.49″ (215.8 mm)
I eschewed desktop computers a long time ago, in favour of notebook computers for space saving and the flexibility of bringing them on the road.
The disadvantage of a small display is easily overcome at home with an external large monitor.
The Latitude 9520 2-in-1 laptop is a suitable desktop replacement to serve as the main workhorse of your WFH setup.
It is powerful enough for business workflows and photo/video editing, and suitable for bringing on the road with its 5G connectivity.
Connectivity is therefore important for connecting the laptop to other accessories eg. the aforementioned external monitor, external keyboards and mice, expansion hard disk drive, USB drives etc.
The Latitude 9520 2-in-1 laptop computer meets all my above requirements for #WFH, and more.
For instance, it has a touch screen which, though not a critical need, helps reduce RSI by reducing the number of mouse-clicks.
And I like that the display can be folded completely (360-deg) to transform it into a tablet, or propped up in tent mode as well for watching movies.
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To the right of the Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 is a USB 3.2 Gen 1 slot (with power share), a 3.5mm audio combo jack, and a wedge-shaped lock slot. On the left side is an HDMI 2.0 slot, two Thunderbolt 4 with Power Delivery and DisplayPort (USB Type-C) ports and a microSD card reader above a SIM-card tray.
The Latitude 9520 is actually a 15-inch notebook compacted into the size of a 14-incher, with minimal bezels on all four sides of the Infinity Edge screen.
It is not the lightest at 1.45kg (3.1lbs) but that’s bearable considering the large screen it provides for those working off it while on the road.
Dell Optimizer
The Latitude 9520 features Dell Optimizer, a built-in AI that learns and responds to the way you work to improve application performance, battery life and audio settings in the background.
To provide seamless Wi-Fi, ExpressConnect automatically joins the strongest access point in the office and directs bandwidth to conferencing applications, wherever you work.
Intel Adaptix Technology, prioritises your most important apps, so they open faster and perform better.
The result is that Dell Optimizer extends runtime and improves battery performance by adapting to my usage patterns.
I liked the ExpressCharge Boost provided up to 35% charge in about 20 minutes, or up to 80% charge within 40 min with new ExpressCharge 2.0.
For those Zoom and Microsoft Teams conference calls, Intelligent Audio provides enhanced audio quality and reduces background noises.
The Latitude 9520 has a 720p that produces reasonable video quality for business meetings etc.
For safeguarding privacy, there are function keys on the keyboard to close the camera or mute the microphone.
Sound-wise, it has top-firing stereo speakers on either side of the keyboard.
The Latitude 9520 is equipped with Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) promises nearly 3x faster speeds and next-gen security to PCs and wireless networks – like the home network running on my Wi-Fi 6 Linksys 9540.
It is also equipped with 5G or 4G LTE so I’m well covered should I bring it on the road.
My Latitude 9520 2-in-1 is powered by 11th Generation Intel Core i5-1145G7 (4 Core, 8M cache, base 2.6GHz, up to 4.4GHz, vPro) with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD.
The laptop came with Windows 10 Pro 64 bit installed which upgraded to Windows 11 Pro for free since the license is included.
The 15-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) touchscreen has a 16:9 aspect ratio and 400 nits brightness.
It is compatible with a Dell Active pen that is not included in the box.
The screen is connected to the keyboard via two sturdy hinges that felt firm when rotating the display the full 360 degrees.
The overall build quality is also solid, with a metal body with totally no flex.
And you can easily open the lid with one hand.
The Latitude 9520 came with a 90W power supply with USB-C connector to charge its inbuilt 88Wh battery.
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Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 laptop in tent mode for watching movies, and in tablet mode as a graphics tablet with its touchscreen.
Even with heavy usage, I haven’t come across the laptop being noisy – even when the fans fire up, they are barely audible.
The laptop automatically switches itself on when you open the lid.
The face unlock is accurate and works even in dim light.
The Latitude 9520 has a back-lit keyboard so it’s quite convenient when the ambient lighting is dim.
Typing is comfortable with well-spaced out keys and adequate travel.
The buttonless touchpad is sensitive and accurate as well.
Tags: #t4tWFH, #t4tWorkFromHome, computers, DELL, laptops, Latitude, notebooks, reviews, tech4WHF, tech4WorkFromHome, WFH, WorkFromHome
Did you install Windows 11 on it? how did it go?
Yes. Immediately after setup to Windows 10 Pro, you can upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for free. It took overnight for the installation to be completed though and for a few weeks, some apps just froze. But Microsoft must have sorted out the problems because I haven’t encountered these recently.