Dell Latitude L400

Computer Forum Mobile Technology
1

Hi guys its me again

Ok i bought a Dell Latitude L400 off a mate for £20 (somehow i feel ripped off)

Anyways i have a bunch of questions to ask, but first its specs

Processor type: Intel Pentium III
Clock speed: 700MHz
Ram: 256MB (NONE UPGRADABLE)
Hard disk: 20GB

Question 1)
The laptop has Windows XP Pro Service pack 3 installed, but is so
damned slow, its not not worth using it, thats why i feel ripped off.
Now i want to install a Linux distro to it,

but which one ?
I tried to install Ubuntu with Wubi in windows, but install fails
I tried Damn Small Linux, nope.

Another OS, i could use is Windows 98 (should handle it no probs), but
then if i connect it to the internet, i have the problem of old and new
virus and spyware/malware to contend with, ofcourse none of the
current software will work on 98.

Question 2)
It also has a weird slidy thing at the rear right hand side, near the LAN
jack i think its for a WiFi PCMCIA card, but im unsure, could anybody
clarify this and give me a suggestion please.

Question 3)
There is only one USB port and its V1 of the USB standard, do you
think resoldering a V2 USB port to the motherboard will be worth it ?.

Question 4)
The battery is knackered (best way to sum it up) I have to leave the
power plugged in when using it, asoon as i take it out to run on battery
power it fails and dies, even when i have given the charge over 2 hours.
The cheapest battery i found for it was £60 and i aint paying that
much if im not keeping the laptop, an alternitive was to run on Solar
Power by hacking the mains cable into a solor panel (i have an
electronics friend who can help me with this).

I was going to use the laptop for busines use, actually all i wanted it
for was a small mobile office with PIM software so i could keep my
customers address and notes on it, nothing flash or special.

Thanks to anybody who can help and or offer suggestions
And i really hope this was posted in the right section regarding
Software and Hardware

MaxTech

2

Yes, you paid £20 too much for this laptop. Not that it will not work but what is the point in having a laptop if it has to be constantly connected to the mains? Unless of course all you are trying is to save space…

XP will need at least another 256MB to run properly (it can run with a 700Mhz CPU but needs the RAM). If you cannot plant it in your laptop don’t use XP.

Linux with XFCE. You can try Xubuntu if you want an easy ride. However, most main distros offer the XFCE as an optional desktop manager. Other small desktop managers - Fluxbox, IceWM and others…
When installing format all partitions and start afresh. Installation should then run smoothly. If you care about the content of the 20GB drive, back it up first.

NO!!! You cannot use Windows 98! Sorry… please do not use windows 98. it is one of the worst creations ever and no longer supported by MS (I wonder why? :doh:). It is susceptible to all PC ailments of any kind!

This is the PCMCIA expansion slot. It takes type 1 or 2. Try and find a manual on Dell’s site to find out what this means. The card can expand other things beside LAN - extra USB, etc…

Will you be soldering a new port or a new controller (chip)? Why bother? Insert an expansion USB PCMCIA card. V1 should suffice for this type of laptop. In other words this type of Laptop will not benefit from USB2.

Could also be a faulty charging circuit. But as the battery is old, it is probably gone. Back to my fisrt point - no point in a laptop unless it is mobile and can live for a while without the mains.

Is this a wind-up? get it :doh: ? Aren’t you going a bit too far for this has been laptop? In any case, it will still have to be permanently connected to a power supply… back to point 1, eh?

No problem with Linux. Simply use OpenOffice and for PIM I am sure there is a Linux equivalent.

In short, unless you are going to use Linux and a very light desktop manager, or you are trying to save some space, go for a very small form factor desktop which will hide neatly under a desk. I am sure you can build one yourself. You can opt for windows (meh) so you will need a minimum of 700Mhz CPU and no less than 512MB RAM. Graphics card can be as low as 64MB. Simple NIC and off you go.
Otherwise you can do the same but use Linux. Safer and will work better even on old hardware…

3

Originally Posted by sabashuali
Yes, you paid £20 too much for this laptop. Not that it will not work but what is the point in having a laptop if it has to be constantly connected to the mains? Unless of course all you are trying is to save space…

Yeah i shoulda haggled n got it to £10 :chk:
Ive changed my mind with it, im gonna use it as my Office Computer
away from my Main Desktop PC, i have space for it, and now dont mind
it being plugged in, i have an alternitive device in mind for a mobile
office that i can take on the road and then sync back to the laptop.

Originally Posted by sabashuali
XP will need at least another 256MB to run properly (it can run with a
700Mhz CPU but needs the RAM). If you cannot plant it in your laptop don’t use XP.

Yes i see that, thats why i wanted Linux on instead.

Originally Posted by sabashuali
Linux with XFCE. You can try Xubuntu if you want an easy ride. However, most main distros offer the XFCE as an optional desktop manager. Other small desktop managers - Fluxbox, IceWM and others…
When installing format all partitions and start afresh. Installation should then run smoothly. If you care about the content of the 20GB drive, back it up first.

I looked for Xubuntu, but it seems i gotta pay for the cd, i cant download an iso and burn it myself, i found a link that said Xubuntu was renamed Jaunty Jacolope, well i have that version (two infact) one for slow computers and a more uptodate V9, for beefy computers like my main desktop.

Originally Posted by sabashuali
NO!!! You cannot use Windows 98! Sorry… please do not use windows 98. it is one of the worst creations ever and no longer supported by MS (I wonder why? ). It is susceptible to all PC ailments of any kind!

Yes thats true Windows 98 does suffer from the mother of all PC ailments.

Originally Posted by sabashuali
This is the PCMCIA expansion slot. It takes type 1 or 2. Try and find a manual on Dell’s site to find out what this means. The card can expand other things beside LAN - extra USB, etc…

Will do, oh n while im there, ill have a look around the site, see if theres a Motherboard BIOS upgrade, thanks for telling me its the PCMCIA slot too.

Originally Posted by sabashuali
Will you be soldering a new port or a new controller (chip)? Why bother? Insert an expansion USB PCMCIA card. V1 should suffice for this type of laptop. In other words this type of Laptop will not benefit from USB2.

Yes i see that now, the laptop wont boot from USB Flash drive either
so ill leave the USB port alone, and install a 4 port adapter instead, adding a USB mouse (tho the touchpad is easy to use) then i can use the USB port to transport file to n from my other computer.

Originally Posted by sabashuali
Could also be a faulty charging circuit. But as the battery is old, it is probably gone. Back to my fisrt point - no point in a laptop unless it is mobile and can live for a while without the mains.

Hmm, never thought it could be a faulty charging circuit, ill get my electrician freind to have a look, yes the battery is old, i spoke to the mate i bougt it from, he told me the guy who used to own it before him, worked in an office and had it plugged in all the time, so i think the battery has been overcharged and damaged it, but as i said i dont mind it being plugged in now, as i have an alternitive solution to a mobile office, and just use the dell as a base station instead.

Originally Posted by sabashuali
… solar power…

Is this a wind-up? get it ? Aren’t you going a bit too far for this has been laptop? In any case, it will still have to be permanently connected to a power supply… back to point 1, eh?

LOL, yes i was being serious about solar power, then i could still use the laptop while out n about without worry how much battery i have left, say im on the road using it for 8 or 9 hours a day, i dont want to use a customers electric.

Originally Posted by sabashuali
No problem with Linux. Simply use OpenOffice and for PIM I am sure there is a Linux equivalent.

In short, unless you are going to use Linux and a very light desktop manager, or you are trying to save some space, go for a very small form factor desktop which will hide neatly under a desk. I am sure you can build one yourself. You can opt for windows (meh) so you will need a minimum of 700Mhz CPU and no less than 512MB RAM. Graphics card can be as low as 64MB. Simple NIC and off you go.
Otherwise you can do the same but use Linux. Safer and will work better even on old hardware…

Yeah i just kinda started getting into Linux, by running a Live CD, n
liked it, Yes i have Open Office installed on my main desktop, i use that
alot, much cheaper than Microsofts Office.

Yes your right, i suppose i could build a small but powerful computer to
keep under my desk and still run it as my office computer, but funds
are tight at the mo, and my business hasnt started yet, im just working
out what i need in terms of cash before getting started, i still need a
business plan sorted out.

Thanks for your help and tips, im sure ill manage with what i have now
armed with some better knowledge about my (rubbish) laptop, ill make
it work.

Thanks once again
MaxTech

4

If you up your ram to 512, then Xp would work,But i would install a lite version.. Also what about windows 2000 or 2003… They also would work.. As for Linux ,you could try Dream linux Xfce or TinyMe linux..

5

Thanks for your help GhostMan, but im afraid to say i cant upgrade the
memory, digging around i found this link
Dell Latitude L400 memory upgrades | Latitude L400 Dell RAM memory and just to say what it says on the website

Boost the value of your Dell Latitude L400 portable machine by adding more memory. Trust PRO Memory Upgrade to provide rock solid expansion options for your laptop or notebook with a Dell Latitude Small Outline DIMM RAM upgrade.

Your Dell Latitude [COLOR=“Red”]maximum RAM capacity: 256MB
The Latitude L400 has 1 memory slots or sockets
This Latitude module upgrade PIN count is: 144-PIN
The memory speed is: SDRAM 100MHz, PC100
The DIMM type for your Latitude L400 is: SODIMM, SO-DIMM, Small Outline DIMM

I did state at the beginning of my query that the RAM was NONE UPGRADEABLE, and was a Latitude L400 Model, but thanks for your suggestion anyway, ill look into the Linux distros you have suggested, but i have since reformatted the laptop and put Windows XP Pro on it, Im going to use it as a base for my business stuff, so doesnt really require internet access, just my main OpenOffice and PIM software at the mo.

Thanks for all your help
MaxTech

6

I usually just buy my electronics such as notebooks that seem to have varying prices over at Gobid. I find auctions to be more of a money saver compared to buying directly. Just be warned though, they only ship at US to Canada.

7

Thanks for the tip, but i live in the United Kingdom, yeah i suppose auctions is a way, but i dont trust Ebay, ill ask around the computer
shops in my town, see what they say, anyways the laptop is doing fine
i just got it to do up and make it earn me some money rather than spend money on it.

Thanks
MaxTech

8

I agree with you.