Great Back to School Tech: Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 Laptop/Tablet Combo

We are increasingly performing many day-to-day tech tasks with our smartphones. But you still need a laptop to get real work done—especially school work. The problem with traveling with laptops is that they can be cumbersome to tote around. That’s why the Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 is a great option as a back-to-school tool or as a work accessory.

The 2-in-1 should give a clue about the form factor. This is a slim laptop that folds into a tablet. It boasts a 14-inch high-definition touchscreen (you can also opt for a stylus for more precise input).

Using the laptop for a couple of weeks now, I was impressed by how lightweight the device is, yet it’s built from sturdy material. This is not a flimsy device, by any means. Part of that lightweight-ness is due to the SSD storage. The laptop I tested comes with half a terabyte of storage but you can order it with 1 TB.

Measuring .34 inches by 12.59 inches by 7.87 inches (HWD), and weighing less than three pounds, the 7400 is small enough to fit into a backpack or briefcase. The 14-inch screen makes good use of screen real estate so you don’t have a cramped viewing experience.

Installed with 64-bit Windows 10, technical specs include support for up to 16GB RAM, 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor (lending to the laptop’s speediness), and support for 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, the latest wireless standard.

Ports include dual USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, HDMI, and a uSD memory card reader.

There are also some security add-ons available. You can order the 7400 with a SmartCard reader or go for a fingerprint reader.

Dell’s ExpressSign-In feature can be used with Window Hello. With the pair, the laptop can detect when a human is near or away from it. This means the device can go in and out of standby mode automatically, saving battery life; can automatically lock the machine when a user steps away from it; and can provide an automated, touch-free log-on experience.

A few features that really stand out for me: Great battery life. I used the 7400 for working on spreadsheets and other documents and got a good day-and-a-half of battery time before I noticed the battery icon getting low. You can add on the Dell ExpressCharge feature which will charge the battery up to 80% in an hour.

I also was impressed with how easily the screen orientation flips into tablet mode when you fold the device.

The high-gloss touchscreen does tend to get a bit smudgy, so you will want to make sure you touch with clean fingers (or use the stylus or available wireless mouse).

Depending on the configuration, the 7400’s starting price is $1500 and goes up to $2802.

If you are looking for a solid choice of a laptop for your kid heading off to college, a high-schooler, or even one for you to use outside of the office, the Dell 7400 2-in-1 is a worthy consideration.