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.
Display
Our Dell Latitude E7240 comes with a matte 12.5-inch HD display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. This gives a pixel density of 125 dpi. The compromise of screen real estate and image size is good and will be liked by many users. Dell wants to offer a full HD display with touch support soon. However, alike many other options, it could not yet be configured at the time of testing.
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.
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.