Dell created a solid and decent business ultrabook with the Latitude E7240. It is light and delivers a good system performance. Several components can be replaced and it comes with many important business features including a docking port.
Case
The test sample features a dual-color aluminum case. The underside is anodized and the keyboard side features a soft touch surface. We like the decent look. Latitudes have usually come without chrome strips or glossy elements anyway. The silver lid slightly warps from side-to-side twisting, but appears to be stable and easy to clean. Moderate pressure does not affect the image when the screen is on. The stability of the base unit is not perfect either. It visibly bends from side-to-side twisting. Although this does not impair everyday use, the flexural rigidity cannot keep up with the ThinkPad S440's and slightly reduces the premium quality impression.
Connectivity
The connectivity is good for an ultrabook. Apart from USB 3.0 ports (1x with charging function), which became standard in the meanwhile, the Dell Latitude E7240 features a standard HDMI interface and a mini DisplayPort for digital connection of external displays. In addition, it has a card reader and a conventional Gigabit LAN interface. In our opinion, the interface layout is good. There are sufficient interfaces for connecting the usual peripherals like printer, external display, hard drives or optical drive on the rear side without disturbing cables left or right of the notebook. The right side houses another USB port, which can be used to quickly connect a digital camera or a smartphone. In addition, a card reader is placed there, making it easily accessible.
Keyboard
The standard keyboard features full-sized keys in a 19mm grid and includes a backlight feature. The latter has four brightness levels and improves the already good legibility of the key labels in low light conditions. The FN combinations have a different color (bright blue) and can be easily distinguished from the standard functions.
While the keyboard is slightly springy around "J", it is rather stiff in general. Because of the medium key travel, the quiet tapping and the decent pressure point, prolific writers will like the keyboard and you will only need a short time to get used to it.