Dell’s Latitude D630 and the Lifebook P 7230 from Fujitsu-Siemens are two new Vista-capable laptops with integrated 3G broadband capability, offering workers the ability to access the internet and keep in touch with the office from virtually anywhere.

While both models are designed to offer enhanced mobile connectivity, Dell’s laptop offers workers greater comfort with a larger 14.1in display and greater performance, while the P 7230 puts the emphasis on being as small and light as possible, but can feel somewhat sluggish running Windows Vista Business Edition.

The Fujitsu-Siemens Lifebook P 7230 weighs just 1.25kg and has a 10.6in wide-aspect display with a resolution of 1280x768 pixels. We found this model no problem to carry around even for fairly long periods, and its screen is clear and bright. It also has an excellent keyboard, making the system well suited to users who want a highly portable device for corporate email access and basic productivity work.

However, the Lifebook P 7230 is based on an Intel Core Solo U1400 ultra-low-voltage processor running at 1.2GHz that is perhaps a little underpowered for Microsoft’s Windows Vista, despite having 1GB of memory to work with. We found the system seemed to struggle at times, such as when starting up applications. The Lifebook measures 2.0 under the Windows experience index (WEI) of Vista, but is capable of displaying the Aero graphics interface.

For such a lightweight system, the Lifebook P 7230 is very well equipped, with a removable DVD super multi writer, Bluetooth, Intel 802.11a/b/g adapter, plus a mini FireWire port in addition to two USB ports. The laptop also has a memory card slot for reading SD Card and Memory Stick Flash storage, and a PC Card slot. There is a 1.3 megapixel camera positioned above the screen for web conferencing and video calls.

In contrast, Dell’s Latitude D630 seems much bulkier, even though Dell characterises it as a thin-and-light model for mainstream business use. At 2kg, the system is about average for a laptop PC, but nearly twice the weight of the Fujitsu-Siemens model, and we found it quickly became heavy when carried for any length of time.

Dell’s model is based on a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 processor, which is not only dual-core, but clocked nearly twice as fast as the Lifebook’s processor. The Latitude also has 2GB of memory, making it better suited to more demanding applications. The system’s 14.1in screen with its 1440x900 resolution also enables more information – such as larger spreadsheets – to be displayed.

The Latitude has a WEI score of 3.4, which is a very respectable tally for a laptop. It also rates highly at the component level, with a processor score of 4.9 and hard disk score of 4.7.

Although more powerful, the Latitude is otherwise similarly equipped to the Lifebook, with a removable DVD±RW drive, Bluetooth and Intel 802.11a/ b/g adapter (although (802.11a/ g/draft n is optional). The Dell likewise has a FireWire port and USB ports, plus a PC Card slot.

In addition to other connectivity options, both the Dell Latitude and Fujitsu-Siemens Lifebook have an integrated 3G broadband modem that supports the HSDPA standard.

We tested the two models using a network SIM provided by Vodafone, and we found this offered quite reasonable connection speeds where 3G was available. From IT Week’s central London offices, we were able to browse the internet at a speed not much slower than you might expect from a Wi-Fi connection. Outside London, however, we were only able to get a GPRS signal. This offers sufficient bandwidth for web browsing and collecting email, but is noticeably slower than Wi-Fi.

Both laptops provide a manager application to connect/disconnect from the 3G network. This is called 3G Watcher on the Lifebook, and Dell Mobile Broadband Card utility on the Latitude. As well as current status, these provide a history of the volume of traffic sent and received – a feature that is essential to keep tabs on how much of your monthly data plan you are using up.

In security features, both Dell and Fujitsu-Siemens include a trusted platform module (TPM) security chip and a fingerprint swipe scanner. The Latitude additionally features a smartcard reader.

Despite the difference in size, both laptops shipped with a six-cell battery rated at 56Whr. We found that after about an hour’s use, both systems were down to about 75 percent charge, suggesting that users will get about four hours work from a fully charged battery.

The Latitude D630 came with a second nine-cell 85Whr battery that should extend the life to at least six hours, while an optional battery pack for the Lifebook should add an extra couple of hours when used in addition to the main pack.