Specifications

One concern I am sure users will have is the power button on the side of the notebook. It could potentially
be easy to hit when the laptop is in a backpack or luggage or briefcase. Everyone knows that an active
laptop is such a small space could cause heat related failures, and Dell was aware of this as well.
Fortunately, Dell programmed the BIOS of the laptop to NOT turn on if the laptop is closed. If you hit the
power button and the D430 boots while shut, the POST sequence will recognize that the computer needs to
shut down, which protects the laptop.
Operating System and Software
Thankfully, the D430 comes with a minimum of extra software and bloatware to clog the system. The D430
can be equipped with either XP or Vista, though I cannot imagine why anyone would want Vista on this
machine.
XP performance was definitely snappier then the test Vista installation I had running on the notebook. There
is no recovery partition on the D430 though (since the HDDs configuration options can be as small as
30GB), but this is offset by the fact that all recovery CDs will come with the notebook. There are only three:
XP CD, Drivers CD, and the PowerDVD software CD. Unless you purchase a notebook with the fingerprint
reader or require the business security suites that should be all you get with the D430. Less really can be
more!
Customer Support
In the past few weeks, I have had numerous contacts with Dell’s Customer Support teams regarding both
my D430 notebook and my XPS 420 desktop. While I have not needed to contact them about technical
issues yet, I will say that Dell more than impressed me during the purchasing phases of both systems.
Furthermore, when I needed to have some CDs and information sent to me they did so without hesitation.
Given how well they responded then, and how easily available the technical support is both by phone and
online in the Dell chat rooms, I believe that if I ever do have a support related question with either system
Dell will definitely respond in a timely and professional manner to solve the issue at hand.
Also, for those interested: Dell does maintain its own customer forums in which Dell customers can help
other Dell customers. Even non-Dell owners can sign up, help, and ask questions. There is a good amount
of information on those forums regarding specific systems and circumstances, which has proven to be very
useful when setting up all my systems or troubleshooting them.
Overall, my future experiences with Dell look to be very promising, which is a welcome turnaround
considering how far in disrepair I felt Dell’s services were a few years ago. Times have changed and Dell
definitely has turned their act around for the better.
Conclusion
Overall, I would have to say that the Dell D430 has plenty of positive aspects to the notebook, but there are
also a few flaws evident as well. Most laptops are not going to be perfect, and it is simply a matter of user
preferences that determine what features of the notebook you love, and what flaws you cannot live with at
all.
As an ultraportable machine though, the Dell D430 strikes a great balance between features, portability, and
price. The amount of power inside of the laptop, even though it is a meager amount, is more than enough
power to run 95% of your daily/average computing tasks. And for those who need more power, there are
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