Case
Embracing the mantra of preserving what works, Dell has left well enough alone in nearly every aspect of the E5430's construction. You'll find a virtually identical design to that of its elder (the E5420), and considering our overwhelmingly positive feedback for that aspect of it, there isn't much room for concern with what largely qualifies as a component-level update.
Connectivity
The Latitude E5430 provides a comfortable selection of expansion ports. Headlining are two USB 3.0 ports (one of which doubles as an eSATA combo), accompanying two additional USB 2.0 ports, for a grand total of four. Once again, the Firewire port has been dropped from the spec sheet as its appeal continues to wane in the face of USB 3.0's sweeping superiority.
Keyboard
Two different keyboards are available for the Latitude E5430: a standard (still excellent) model, and a nicer backlit model. Our review unit included the latter, and as usual, we were impressed by its performance. The backlit keyboard is not only convenient for low-light usage, but it actually features an overall better feel than the standard keyboard. In comparison, it has a softer touch with a slightly rubbery finish, while the standard keyboard feels a bit cheaper, is a little louder, and requires a bit of a heavier stroke to invoke a keypress. While both keyboards are very good, given the option, we would always recommend choosing the backlit keyboard for these reasons alone.