So what differentiates the ATG model from a regular Latitude 6430, and what makes it "all terrain grade?" While Dell doesn't publish a lot of ruggedness benchmarks in its specifications, the ATG is third-party tested and certified for durability and reliability according to the MIL-STD 810G test procedures for a variety of harsh environment conditions. How's the Latitude ATG different from regular Latitudes? Since Dell consumer notebook product cycles are fairly short and the ATG models are based on them, the D630 gave way to the E6400 ATG, and that one to the E6420 ATG and then the current (as of August 2013) E6430 ATG. The original Latitude ATG ( see our 2007 review) was a half-hearted effort and quickly replaced with the ATG D630 that introduced a superb outdoor-viewable display technology called DirectVue (we were impressed see our full review of the ATG 630). Around 2007 Dell realized there was a small but growing market for tougher versions of standard notebooks. It's always good to know how things came about, and here's the ATG's history. The ATG costs about twice as much as a standard issue Latitude, but only half as much as the big, bad XFR. This latest fortified laptop model means Dell has something to offer to customers who want a computer that can handle more abuse than run-of-the-mill consumer notebooks, but without the cost of the full rugged treatment as in Dell's own E6420 XFR.
The Dell Latitude E6430 ATG reviewed on this page was introduced as a tech upgrade to the prior E6420 ATG and E6400 ATG. When affixed to a Dell notebook, the letters "ATG" stand for "All Terrain Grade" and at Dell that means semi-rugged. Blickenstorfer photography by Carol Cotton) Why the JTG Daugherty NASCAR racing team chose rugged Dellsĭell's semi-rugged Latitude E-family model remains an attractive and technologically up-to-date option for enterprise users, and a remarkably powerful one at that Video:Michael Dell's keynote at Dell World 2013 Rugged PC - Rugged Notebooks: Dell Latitude E6430 ATGĮvent:Dell Rugged media and analyst invitational September 2016 in Austin, TexasĪrticle:What really makes a mobile device screen readable outdoors.