"The 9400 isn't the prettiest laptop around. It's by no means a Vaio, or an Asus, and the external styling is a bit stodgy, Still it's not ugly either. With the 17" monitor size and it's powerful components, it is a big and imposing laptop. Open it up and things get much better. One look at the high resolution (1920x1200) screen in action is almost enough to convince you that you've purchased the right laptop.

However, it is not all good news. In a chassis of this size Dell has opted to include a normal 'laptop' sized keyboard. I feel this was a bit of an opportunity missed. Some of the editing keys are in an unusual position, and take some getting used to. The feel of the keyboard is good however. Not up to the quality of the best Sony keyboards, but for me, little is.

The pointing device isn't my favorite ever. It's pretty generic. Still it works, and there are plently of USB ports to use on external keyboard and mouse etc.

Considering the power of the components inside, the chassis is pretty cool running, as I type this, I've been using it on my lap for the past hour, and my legs are not on fire yet! The hot air exhausts are intelligently placed, one on the left and one on the right at the rear of the chassis.

It's also amazingly quiet. My wife could hear a butterfly flap it's wings on the other side of the planet, but could not find fault with this Dell 9400. Unless the DVD drive is spinning, or the system is under great load, it is inaudible in a normal living environment."

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