Why does the Dell Latitude 3490 (starts at $449; $1,189 as tested) have to be so heavy? It's a basic-but-capable 14-inch business laptop with few standout features, so you'd think Dell's engineers would be able to wrap all of its components into a package that weighs less than 3.85 pounds.
For several reasons, one of which almost certainly has to do with its legacy input/output options, they didn't.
The 3490 is therefore not a prime choice for road warriors, and the fact that it's covered in stodgy black plastic doesn't help.
On the other hand, it's eminently configurable, and the version we tested has plenty of computing performance, making it a good option for businesses in need of its rare-these-days VGA port.
A Humdrum Look
At first glance, the Latitude 3490's ($449.00 at Dell Technologies) weight isn't actually that much of an outlier.
It matches up almost exactly with the 3.74-pound heft of the 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad T470, one of its main competitors.
In fact, the starting weight of the Latitude 3490 is 3.79 pounds.
(Our configuration includes some extras, such as a fingerprint reader, that add a few feathers.)
The ThinkPad T470 has far superior styling, however.
In addition to its pleasingly soft-touch exterior (done up in matte charcoal gray, versus the Dell's hardened black plastic), the Lenovo's keys are more comfortable, its touchpad is larger, and at 0.79 by 13.25 by 9.15 inches (HWD), it is both slimmer and narrower than the Latitude 3490 (0.82 by 13.34 by 9.52 inches).
When you start to branch out beyond mainstream business laptops into thin-and-light models, the Dell's weight becomes just as much of an issue as its styling.
The 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, for instance, weighs just 2.45 pounds, and it still manages to include the comfortable keyboard and large touchpad you'll find on the ThinkPad T470.
You're paying more to shed this weight, though, since the X1 Carbon starts at about $1,500.
And, of course, most 13-inch consumer ultraportables weigh less than 3 pounds, from $300 machines like the Acer Swift 1 to the feather-light but expensive 2.01-pound LG Gram 13.
For a small subset of SMB buyers, however, the Latitude 3490's weight and stodgy black-plastic exterior are worth tolerating for its VGA port, an increasingly rare connectivity option that has mostly disappeared from mainstream business and consumer laptops.
As a relatively large analog connector, it takes up the full height of the Latitude 3490's right edge.
For businesses that don't need or want to upgrade their older monitors or built-in conference-room AV systems, a VGA port is handy; it eliminates the need to fumble for adapters.
The left edge also features a USB 2.0 port, a full-size SD card slot, and a receptacle for a security lock.
On the right, meanwhile, you'll find a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, a USB-C port, a full-size Ethernet jack, an HDMI output for more modern displays, an audio input/output jack, and the power port.
The lack of Thunderbolt support and the decision to include only one USB 3.1 port while relegating the other to USB 2.0 speeds is disappointing, but if you're buying this as a machine that will spend most of its time plugged into a desktop dock, that's less of a concern.
If you are planning on toting this laptop around, on the other hand, you'll appreciate the built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1, and you can add an LTE modem as an optional extra.
You'll also appreciate that the keyboard deck is sturdy and the keys are backlit, but you'll likely bemoan the stiff keys, their shallow vertical travel, and the lack of dedicated left- and right-click buttons for the touchpad.
The fingerprint reader in our configuration is an optional extra, as is the IR webcam that lets you log in to your Windows account using face recognition.
The camera offers acceptable video quality, but graininess quickly increases as ambient light decreases.
With a full HD (1,920 by 1,080) glossy touch display, the Latitude 3490 offers up crisp text and images, and it allows for wide viewing angles thanks to the In-Plane Switching (IPS) core display technology.
You can also opt for a matte 1,366-by-768 screen without the IR webcam, which will improve battery life since it has fewer pixels to power, although it will also make the picture quality considerably worse.
Audio quality from the Latitude 3490's downward-firing speakers is good, with crisp vocals and a distinct range of highs and lows while watching a streaming TV news broadcast.
Even at the laptop's maximum volume setting, however, the output is minimal, which means you'll definitely need headphones or external speakers for video conferencing.
For a small company without an IT staff, one of the advantages of buying an SMB laptop from Dell is the extensive range of support options, including onsite repairs and multiyear warranties.
Most of these options will cost extra, however.
A one-year warranty with remote diagnosis is included standard.
Meanwhile, if you do have an IT staff, the Latitude 3490 doesn't offer much in the way of management features, such as Intel vPro technology.
Those are available only on higher-end Latitude models.
Lots of Configuration Options
Storage and memory options are plentiful on the Latitude 3490.
Our test machine boasts a 256GB SSD, which makes for speedy boot times and lag-free multitasking or web browsing with lots of tabs open.
The drive is an M.2 SSD model from Samsung that connects using the SATA interface instead of the more cutting-edge PCI Express.
Unless you need a ton of internal storage, you'll definitely want to select this or the 128GB SSD option instead of the 500GB or 1TB spinning hard drives; the latter will make the system feel far more sluggish.
In addition to the 8GB of memory in our configuration, which is adequate for many business applications, you can step up to 16GB if you plan to have many apps open at once or manipulate large spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel.
We don't recommend selecting the base 4GB option unless your budget is very tight.
Because of its latest-generation Intel Core i5-8250U CPU, our Latitude 3490 did well on the PCMark 8 Work Conventional benchmark test, which measures general computing performance by simulating web browsing, video conferencing, and other basic tasks.
Any score above 3,000 on this test indicates excellent performance, so the Latitude 3490's result of 3,232 is impressive, though a few points behind similarly priced competitors such as the Lenovo IdeaPad 720s and the Asus ZenBook UX430U.
See How We Test Laptops
The Latitude 3490 also turned in a respectable score on the Handbrake video-encoding test (a class-leading 1 minute, 13 seconds) and thanks to its four processor cores, it achieved another class-leading result of 638 on the Cinebench 3D rendering test.
Battery life was good, at 9 hours and 39 minutes, which suggests that it will last all day with occasional use before needing a trip to the power outlet.
Still, all of its competitors offer better results on this test, ranging from just longer than 10 hours for the ZenBook to longer than 16 hours for the MacBook Pro.
The base model comes with a 42Wh battery, although our unit features an upgraded 56Wh battery.
With their integrated graphics processors, gaming performance is nearly nonexistent on the Latitude 3490 and its competitors.
Don't expect smooth gameplay for demanding titles, even at medium quality settings, although web-based games and basic time wasters like Solitaire should work just fine.
Good for Legacy Displays
If you need a VGA output to connect to an older monitor or conference-room display, the Dell Latitude 3490 is worth a look.
It's also a good choice if you plan to leave it plugged into one of these displays most of the time, since you can outfit it with a powerful CPU and 16GB of memory while stripping away other nonessentials to keep the price below $1,000.
Otherwise, for a more well-rounded SMB laptop, you should consider the Editors' Choice Lenovo ThinkPad 13 or a consumer ultraportable like the Dell XPS 13.
Cons
Stodgy design.
Heavy.
Flimsy touchpad.
The Bottom Line
If you need a VGA port to connect to a legacy display, the Latitude 3490 is a business laptop worth shortlisting.
Why does the Dell Latitude 3490 (starts at $449; $1,189 as tested) have to be so heavy? It's a basic-but-capable 14-inch business laptop with few standout features, so you'd think Dell's engineers would be able to wrap all of its components into a package that weighs less than 3.85 pounds.
For several reasons, one of which almost certainly has to do with its legacy input/output options, they didn't.
The 3490 is therefore not a prime choice for road warriors, and the fact that it's covered in stodgy black plastic doesn't help.
On the other hand, it's eminently configurable, and the version we tested has plenty of computing performance, making it a good option for businesses in need of its rare-these-days VGA port.
A Humdrum Look
At first glance, the Latitude 3490's ($449.00 at Dell Technologies) weight isn't actually that much of an outlier.
It matches up almost exactly with the 3.74-pound heft of the 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad T470, one of its main competitors.
In fact, the starting weight of the Latitude 3490 is 3.79 pounds.
(Our configuration includes some extras, such as a fingerprint reader, that add a few feathers.)
The ThinkPad T470 has far superior styling, however.
In addition to its pleasingly soft-touch exterior (done up in matte charcoal gray, versus the Dell's hardened black plastic), the Lenovo's keys are more comfortable, its touchpad is larger, and at 0.79 by 13.25 by 9.15 inches (HWD), it is both slimmer and narrower than the Latitude 3490 (0.82 by 13.34 by 9.52 inches).
When you start to branch out beyond mainstream business laptops into thin-and-light models, the Dell's weight becomes just as much of an issue as its styling.
The 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, for instance, weighs just 2.45 pounds, and it still manages to include the comfortable keyboard and large touchpad you'll find on the ThinkPad T470.
You're paying more to shed this weight, though, since the X1 Carbon starts at about $1,500.
And, of course, most 13-inch consumer ultraportables weigh less than 3 pounds, from $300 machines like the Acer Swift 1 to the feather-light but expensive 2.01-pound LG Gram 13.
For a small subset of SMB buyers, however, the Latitude 3490's weight and stodgy black-plastic exterior are worth tolerating for its VGA port, an increasingly rare connectivity option that has mostly disappeared from mainstream business and consumer laptops.
As a relatively large analog connector, it takes up the full height of the Latitude 3490's right edge.
For businesses that don't need or want to upgrade their older monitors or built-in conference-room AV systems, a VGA port is handy; it eliminates the need to fumble for adapters.
The left edge also features a USB 2.0 port, a full-size SD card slot, and a receptacle for a security lock.
On the right, meanwhile, you'll find a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, a USB-C port, a full-size Ethernet jack, an HDMI output for more modern displays, an audio input/output jack, and the power port.
The lack of Thunderbolt support and the decision to include only one USB 3.1 port while relegating the other to USB 2.0 speeds is disappointing, but if you're buying this as a machine that will spend most of its time plugged into a desktop dock, that's less of a concern.
If you are planning on toting this laptop around, on the other hand, you'll appreciate the built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1, and you can add an LTE modem as an optional extra.
You'll also appreciate that the keyboard deck is sturdy and the keys are backlit, but you'll likely bemoan the stiff keys, their shallow vertical travel, and the lack of dedicated left- and right-click buttons for the touchpad.
The fingerprint reader in our configuration is an optional extra, as is the IR webcam that lets you log in to your Windows account using face recognition.
The camera offers acceptable video quality, but graininess quickly increases as ambient light decreases.
With a full HD (1,920 by 1,080) glossy touch display, the Latitude 3490 offers up crisp text and images, and it allows for wide viewing angles thanks to the In-Plane Switching (IPS) core display technology.
You can also opt for a matte 1,366-by-768 screen without the IR webcam, which will improve battery life since it has fewer pixels to power, although it will also make the picture quality considerably worse.
Audio quality from the Latitude 3490's downward-firing speakers is good, with crisp vocals and a distinct range of highs and lows while watching a streaming TV news broadcast.
Even at the laptop's maximum volume setting, however, the output is minimal, which means you'll definitely need headphones or external speakers for video conferencing.
For a small company without an IT staff, one of the advantages of buying an SMB laptop from Dell is the extensive range of support options, including onsite repairs and multiyear warranties.
Most of these options will cost extra, however.
A one-year warranty with remote diagnosis is included standard.
Meanwhile, if you do have an IT staff, the Latitude 3490 doesn't offer much in the way of management features, such as Intel vPro technology.
Those are available only on higher-end Latitude models.
Lots of Configuration Options
Storage and memory options are plentiful on the Latitude 3490.
Our test machine boasts a 256GB SSD, which makes for speedy boot times and lag-free multitasking or web browsing with lots of tabs open.
The drive is an M.2 SSD model from Samsung that connects using the SATA interface instead of the more cutting-edge PCI Express.
Unless you need a ton of internal storage, you'll definitely want to select this or the 128GB SSD option instead of the 500GB or 1TB spinning hard drives; the latter will make the system feel far more sluggish.
In addition to the 8GB of memory in our configuration, which is adequate for many business applications, you can step up to 16GB if you plan to have many apps open at once or manipulate large spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel.
We don't recommend selecting the base 4GB option unless your budget is very tight.
Because of its latest-generation Intel Core i5-8250U CPU, our Latitude 3490 did well on the PCMark 8 Work Conventional benchmark test, which measures general computing performance by simulating web browsing, video conferencing, and other basic tasks.
Any score above 3,000 on this test indicates excellent performance, so the Latitude 3490's result of 3,232 is impressive, though a few points behind similarly priced competitors such as the Lenovo IdeaPad 720s and the Asus ZenBook UX430U.
See How We Test Laptops
The Latitude 3490 also turned in a respectable score on the Handbrake video-encoding test (a class-leading 1 minute, 13 seconds) and thanks to its four processor cores, it achieved another class-leading result of 638 on the Cinebench 3D rendering test.
Battery life was good, at 9 hours and 39 minutes, which suggests that it will last all day with occasional use before needing a trip to the power outlet.
Still, all of its competitors offer better results on this test, ranging from just longer than 10 hours for the ZenBook to longer than 16 hours for the MacBook Pro.
The base model comes with a 42Wh battery, although our unit features an upgraded 56Wh battery.
With their integrated graphics processors, gaming performance is nearly nonexistent on the Latitude 3490 and its competitors.
Don't expect smooth gameplay for demanding titles, even at medium quality settings, although web-based games and basic time wasters like Solitaire should work just fine.
Good for Legacy Displays
If you need a VGA output to connect to an older monitor or conference-room display, the Dell Latitude 3490 is worth a look.
It's also a good choice if you plan to leave it plugged into one of these displays most of the time, since you can outfit it with a powerful CPU and 16GB of memory while stripping away other nonessentials to keep the price below $1,000.
Otherwise, for a more well-rounded SMB laptop, you should consider the Editors' Choice Lenovo ThinkPad 13 or a consumer ultraportable like the Dell XPS 13.
Cons
Stodgy design.
Heavy.
Flimsy touchpad.
The Bottom Line
If you need a VGA port to connect to a legacy display, the Latitude 3490 is a business laptop worth shortlisting.
