Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.
I had never heard of Dynabook before I was asked to review the Dynabook Portégé® X30L-G notebook. When I was contacted to review this notebook, all I was told was 'it is a slim, light and powerful device'.
The first thing that I noticed about the Dynabook was the weight. At just 870 grams it is one of the world’s lightest 13 inch notebook and dramatically lighter than the usual corporate work laptops I was accustomed to. And I was suitably blown away by how light this device is! My work requires me to constantly be on the move so the fact that I could easily pick up and carry this notebook anywhere made working on the go a breeze.
Purely from a physical perspective - I had some scepticism that this sleek machine would stand up to the bumps and knocks I seem to put my devices through as I am constantly working in different offices or locations. As turns out - while it is just 17.9 mm thick, 308.8mm wide and 211.6mm deep, it is built with a selection of lightweight but strong material such as reinforced magnesium alloy qualifying for a military toughness standard (The MIL-STD-810 military-grade certification covers drops, temperature, humidity and dust protection). I can report that after a few weeks in my care, this machine is bruise free and looks brand new.
Once I was accustomed to the weight and durability of the Dynabook, my immediate questions were around performance.
In terms of the physical use of the device - The keyboard felt responsive (great for touch typing) and every key is backlit which is perfect for working in meeting rooms with dim lightings. The trackpad was also very responsive. And somehow hidden in the tiny chassis is an array of ports with full-sized HDMI, USB 3.0 and USB Type-C ports, mSD card slot, 3.5mm audio and even Ethernet. This meant I never had to worry about conducting presentations at different office locations as the Dynabook is capable of taking any input I throw at it without having to lug around an adaptor.
While I'm not using the device for super intensive tasks such as video editing, I found the Dynabook was more than capable of running smoothly with multiple programs open (powerpoint, excel, BI tools etc as well as multiple browser tabs). The experience on video calls, which have been a large part of my work day currently, has also been positive - the microphone has been clear even without a headset and the audio quality is rich. The battery life is also outstanding and I was able to get through an entire work day with a complete charge. A nice perk with the device is that I was able to continue charging my mobile phone even while the Dynabook is in sleep mode.
Something I have also appreciated is the matte screen which has allowed me to take advantage of working outside .The screen is bright enough and reflection is low enough to work comfortably in full daylight.
Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable. I would rate this device a 5 out of 5 and would recommend it to any business user who is looking for an ultra-portable device that comes complete with durability and performance.
