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Powered by Intel's latest mobile chip, Dell's pricey but packed new laptop--the Latitude C600--jumps right to the top of the performance heap. And traveling execs and salespeople especially will appreciate the C600's features.

Sporting a dark purple-gray case with a decorative Dell button on the lid, the Pentium III-850/700-based C600 racked up a blistering 169 on our PC WorldBench 2000 test suite, the highest score we've ever seen in a Windows 2000 Pro notebook system, and about 10 percent better than the previous mobile speed champ, a Dell Pentium III-750/550A-based unit. A shipping unit also performed well on our battery test, lasting 3 hours and 28 minutes.

The $3378 Dell C600 has 128MB of RAM and a brilliant, 14.1-inch active-matrix LCD screen powered by an ATI chip set with 8MB of RAM. It comes with a nice-sized 10GB hard disk and with a CD-ROM drive in the media bay; other modules are available. Besides the standard ports, there are also ports for a 56-kbps modem, ethernet, and S-Video. The C600 packs all this into a trim, 1.5-inch-thick, 6-pound package (7.7 pounds with an AC adapter and an external floppy drive).

The keyboard is well laid out, although some may feel that the keys are a bit shallow.

Dell continues to use its dual pointing stick and touchpad scheme; both are very responsive. And a new Internet button located over the keyboard launches Internet Explorer, with MSN's home page as the default (the user can reprogram this button).

Minor gripes: The CD-ROM drive's eject button is slightly recessed, making it awkward to open; and hooking up the external floppy drive uses up the parallel port.

All in all, the new Latitude C600 backs up its new look with value that's a lot more than skin deep: You get top-notch performance and a full-featured package that won't break your back on the road.

SUMMARY

Dell Latitude C600 PRO: A lightweight laptop for its class; a top performer. CON: A bit pricey, tricky eject button for CD-ROM drive. VALUE: Well suited for power-hungry business travelers. Street price: $3378 Dell Computer 800/388-8542 www.dell.com