The Latitude Z on wireless charging station, and wireless dock adapter on the right.
(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET)That Dell is releasing a new laptop for business customers is the opposite of surprising. But the fact that it contains notable features not seen in any other laptops certainly is.
Most everything about the new Latitude Z is expected: It's yet another very thin notebook (a metric which PC manufacturers keep using to try to one-up each other), with a different kind of exterior finish (soft-touch, in this case), and comes in a black cherry. It measures 16 inches across, and is 14 millimeters thin at its most narrow point.
But you probably wouldn't guess that the Latitude Z charges wirelessly. And as far as we can tell, it's the first laptop to do so. Surprised that this is coming from Dell? You're not alone.
The wireless charging is handled elegantly enough. An inductive pad that's built into a laptop stand can accomplish a full recharge in "about the same amount of time" as a standard-issue cabled charger, according to Dell. While smartphone maker Palm has a similar (albeit smaller) wireless charging system for the Pre, and companies like Visteon and Wild Charge have debuted wireless charging accessories for phones, no PC maker has incorporated the idea until now.
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I'm really praying this isn't another Adamo. The soon-to-be-introduced Dell Latitude Z will have a premium design, super high-end specs, and a lofty price tag. I've heard that all before, but wireless charging in a notebook? That's new.
The laptop is said to have a 16-inch display, which is a larger screen than your average business notebook. Other than that, the details are few and far between. Apparently it will pack an Intel processor and, you know, RAM and a hard drive.
But back to the wireless charging that's being reported by Forbes, the details of which aren't entirely clear. My guess is the laptop would need to be put on an inductive pad of sorts to charge without wires. Sort of like the Palm Touchstone or those WildCharge mats, but this would be pretty new for laptops.
The whole package is said to be more than the "typical $1,100 business laptop," in both design and price, which means it's going to be costly. According to Forbes, Dell thinks the world is ready for another expensive laptop (or maybe optimistically thinks companies have the budget for that kind of thing these days). Sounds like it will be announced in the next couple of weeks.
This story originally appeared on Gizmodo.
Dell's sorta-rugged Latitude 2100 Netbook.
(Credit: Dell)Aiming to bring small, low-cost laptops to schools, Dell has just announced the Latitude 2100, a Netbook specifically targeted to educational markets. We recently got a chance to take a brief hands-on look at the Latitude 2100--and we think its appeal will go far beyond the classroom.
Dell's Mobile Computing Station for storing and charging Netbooks.
(Credit: Dell)The basic components are similar to what you'd find in almost any other Netbook--Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP--but the chassis of the Latitude 2100 is specifically designed with young users in mind. Somewhat thicker and heavier than typical consumer Netbooks, the system has a semi-rugged feel and a thick rubberized cover, along with an optional anti-microbial keyboard.
The entire package reminded us in some ways of the original Intel Classmate laptops, which were the first examples of Netbooks. One new feature that seems especially intriguing (but may tax the Intel Atom processor) is an optional touch screen.
To appeal specifically to educational buyers, the systems include a handful of unique features, including a small light on the back of the lid, called the Network Activity Light. It can interact with third-party software or simply turn on when students are surfing the Web (instead of working on classwork), which can help teachers keep track of the status of everyone in the classroom.
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Second-gen ruggedized Latitude from Dell.
(Credit: Dell)Dell is back with a slimmed down version of its fully rugged 14-inch laptop.
Like the company itself, the XFR's second-gen improvements on the device are incremental and in some cases, slightly experimental. The E6400 XFR is the name of what used to be the Latitude XFR D630. The laptop gets an internal tuneup, boasting better processing power (Intel Core2Duo), discrete graphics enabled by better cooling. The new XFR also keeps most of its original features: touch screen, a solid-state drive, mobile broadband, GPS, and long battery life. In this case, Dell says an additional battery pack will keep the laptops going for up to 13 hours.
The XFR is strengthened by a new exterior material the PC maker is calling Ballistic Armor, which replaces the magnesium alloy used in its other laptops. It's allowed the machine to be trimmed down--it's now 8.5 pounds instead of 9 pounds--and also strengthened: it meets military specifications for ruggedness and can withstand a 4-foot drop rather than 3.
Ballistic Armor was developed by a partner company and licensed exclusively to Dell. It's a hybrid, nonmetal polymer designed to better absorb shocks and withstand the elements. That Dell is experimenting with different materials is intended to signal its willingness to try new things and focus on creating different options for targeted customers.
In this case, that's military contractors, government, and utility company field workers, law enforcement, and other groups that are not known for being particularly gentle with their computers.
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Dell)
The widely leaked Dell Latitude XT2 tablet has finally been officially announced, and as expected, it includes multi-touch gestures, and claims up to 11 hours of battery life (if you use a giant 6-cell battery, plus an additional battery slice).
It was almost a year ago that we first got wind of this sequel to the popular Latitude XT tablet. At the time, the leaked docs we saw pointed to a November 2008 release, but it's clearly taken a bit longer to come to market. According to Dell's press release:
Multi-touch capabilities on the Latitude XT2 allow users to use natural gestures like a pinch or tap for scrolling, panning, rotating and zooming that work with productivity applications they use every day. Dell's integration of multi-touch screen technology allows customers to use the full real estate of the display, as opposed to just the touchpad.
The XT2 has an Intel ULV processor, a 12.1-inch display, and supports up to 5GB of RAM. It starts at $2,399 and is available starting today at Dell's Web site.
Lenny Engelhardt, N-trig's VP of Business Development
(Credit: N-trig)Wanting to know more about N-trig's multitouch technology, now that it has reached the consumer market with the HP TouchSmart tx2 tablet, I spoke with N-trig's VP of Business Development, Lenny Engelhardt, earlier today. Here's what I learned.
The HP TouchSmart tx2 tablet features similar multitouch functionality as the enterprise-focused Dell Latitude XT with a few differences. Both tablets provide multitouch gestures such as dragging and dropping, flicking, and pinching. If you make an M gesture with your finger on the TouchSmart's screen, however, you'll launch HP's MediaSmart application. For its part, the Dell Latitude XT includes two gestures not found on the HP: two-finger scrolling and a double-tap gesture that turns off the display and touch sensitivity. The scenario for the double-tap is this: you have the tablet in slate mode and want to pick up it up and move to another room. You can carry it with your palm or fingers gripping part of the screen without worrying about moving the cursor. Simply tap the touch pad, mouse button, a key, or remove the stylus from its garage, and the screen and touch sensitivity return.
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The Dell Precision M2400 uses an LED-backlit display.
(Credit: Dell)Dell announced on Wednesday that within 12 months, all displays in its new laptops will be light-emitting diode (LED)-based.
Dell says that as of December 15, two-thirds of its Latitude E-Family laptops, as well as its Precision line, will be shipped with mercury-free LED backlighting as standard.
LED backlights are known to be mercury-free and very recyclable. Compared to cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) technology, which most LCD displays use today, LED displays are much more energy efficient. Dell says that its 15-inch LED displays consume an average of 43 percent less power at maximum brightness.
Dell estimates that, overall, this could save consumers approximately $20 million and 220 million kilowatt-hours in 2010 and 2011 combined, the equivalent of the annual CO2 emissions of more than 10,000 homes' energy use. This figure was based on Dell's internal analysis using U.S. EPA carbon-conversion calculators.
By the end of 2009, Dell plans to have at least 80 percent of all of its laptops delivered with LED backlit displays. By 2010, it expects that number to rise to 100 percent.
Over the past year or so Dell has been committed to "Hulking out" (you know, turning green?) as a company. In June 2007, Dell announced plans to reduce its corporate carbon footprint by 15 percent or more within 5 years. In May 2008, it announced its desire to cut PC-energy use by 25 percent. In June of this year, Dell said that it had become the first company to introduce a "80 PLUS Gold-certified" power supply for servers. It launched its Studio Hybrid in July, which, according to Dell, uses 70 percent less energy than a traditional desktop.
We've seen more than a little interest in Dell's radically revamped Latitude line of business laptops. Our new review of the 14-inch Latitude E6400 is already one of the most-viewed laptops on CNET.
While we liked the excellent battery life and copious security features (and the backlit keyboard), you can get most of those from any decent business-minded laptop. What really stood out is the new brushed-metal design, which is a serious departure from the previous gray Latitude look, a staple of cubicle culture for several years.
To give you an idea of how different the new look and feel is, here are a few comparison shots of the Latitude E6400 and a slightly older Latitude D630, one of the most common laptops found in corporate America. ... Read more
The HP EliteBook 2530p is 12 inches and weighs 3.19 pounds.
Those in the market for a business laptop (or, more likely, their IT departments) will hopefully notice a trend, starting with last week's new brushed-metal-look Dell Latitude systems and this week's just-announced HP EliteBook 2530p and EliteBook 2730p, both of which feature a brushed, anodized aluminum exterior. HP calls it the DuraCase, and claims the combination of an aluminum lid and magnesium alloy chassis can meet military spec tests for extreme temperature, dust and humidity.
The EliteBook 2530p is a 12-inch laptop (although how "2530" relates to 12-inches is beyond us) that weighs as little as 3.19 pounds, with an LED display and a choice of either 1.8-inch or 2.5-inch hard drives, depending on a capacity you want. The EliteBook 2730p is a thin convertible tablet, also with a 12-inch LED display, and starts at 3.74 pounds.
The HP EliteBook 2730p is a thin convertable tablet.
Both systems support Intel's updated Centrino 2 platform, and include HP's QuickLook 2 software, which is a quick-booting pre-OS environment for checking your e-mail, calendar, and contacts, along with HP's standard business security tools, such as Drive Encryption, a built-in File Sanitizer, and a custom security management software interface.
Even though they're being announced on August 18, both the HP EliteBook 2530p and 2730p won't be available until early September. The 2530p will start at $1,499 and the 2730p at $1,670.
The Dell Latitude E6400
(Credit: Dell)If you have a company laptop, chances are it's either a Lenovo ThinkPad or a Dell Latitude--both have universally recognizable designs, and are capable performers in both small and large businesses. This week, Dell is unveiling a fairly major revamp to the Latitude line with the new E series, anchored by the 15-inch Latitude E6500 and 14-inch E6400.
The most striking break from the traditional gray Latitude look is the new black brushed metal design, which promises to be thinner and lighter than the current versions. In a Latitude first, select models will also be available in Regatta Blue, Regal Red and Quartz Pink (but not at launch).
These new systems are powered by Intel's Centrino 2 platform, and also offer options such as backlit keyboards (an idea we heartily endorse), SSD hard drives (up to 64GB), and 7,200rpm hard drives with accelerometers, along with all the expected connectivity options, including mobile broadband, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and WiMAX. In addition to standard 6- and 9-cell batteries, Dell promises "all-day computing," with the optional 12-cell "battery slice"--essentially a giant battery that fits over the entire bottom of the system.
The new laptops will feature Dell's ControlPoint software.
The new Latitudes also feature Dell's ControlPoint software--the latest version of the catch-all apps found on almost any business laptop for easy access to power settings, security features, networking functions, diagnostics, and administrative controls. Business-friendly features include Intel's vPro platform, a TPM chip, fingerprint reader, and a contactless smart-card reader.
Dell is breaking its new Latitude line out into four categories:
The Latitude E6500 and E6400 are available right away, along with the less-expensive E5500 and E5400 (which add some weight and lose the LED backlit displays, Display Port video output, and other high-end options). The 12-inch E4200 and 13-inch E4300 are arriving sometime in September.
The ATG version of the E6400 will ship in late August.
(Credit: Dell)Also shipping starting next week is the E6400 ATG, which stands for all-terrain grade. It's essentially a version of the E6400 built into a new semirugged shell. We checked out the first ATG Dell last year, and this new version seems much more like it was built from the ground up as a rugged laptop, rather than just adding rubber bumpers to a standard Latitude.
