Dell’s new line of Latitude laptops provides something for just about every business scenario - from high performance users looking for a desktop replacement to road warriors looking for an ultra portable or, for those whose laptops cop a bit of abuse, a semi-rugged laptop. The range includes the lightest ultra-portable in the company’s history and for the first time Dell will offer colors on the new Latitude laptops, which feature full-frame magnesium alloy construction and all-metal hinges.
The Ultra Portables start with the E4200, a 12.1-inch laptop that starts at 2.2 pounds making it the lightest commercial notebook in the company’s history. It is also Dell’s first laptop offering a motherboard containing halogen-free laminates, as well as halogen-free chassis plastics and fan housings. Further to its green credentials it ships in packaging that is up to 99-percent recyclable by weight. For those can handle an extra 1.1 pounds there is the 13.3-inch Latitude E4300. Dell also announced that in the coming months they expect to offer Dell Latitude ON with the E4200 and E4300. Dell Latitude ON uses a dedicated low-voltage sub-processor and OS that can enable multi-day battery life to enable near-instant access to e-mail, calendar, attachments, contacts and the Web without booting into the system’s main operating system.
The Dell Latitude E6400 and E6500 are 14.1- and 15.4-inch laptops that are being marketed as desktop replacements for high-performance users. Dell are claiming all-day computing on the E6400 with battery life of up to 19 hours – although we’re guessing you wouldn’t want to be putting much strain on the system to get that kind of figure. The E6400 is also available in a semi-rugged version called the E6400 ATG, which is built and tested to meet military 810F standards for dust, vibration and humidity. The E6500 features a contact-less Smart Card reader and a fingerprint reader - the only laptop with both these features that complies with Federal Information Processing Standards.
The new Latitude lineup is completed with the 14.1-inch E5400 and 15.4-inch E5500 laptops, which Dell touts as ‘cost optimized’ – read 'budget' – while still retaining essential features. They are available now from US$839 for the E5400 and $869 for the E5500.
To give the new line a personal touch users can choose to have their Latitude E4200, E4300, E6400 and E6500 decked out in Regatta Blue, Regal Red and Quartz Pink (E4200 only) in addition to standard Mica-Brushed Metal. The E5400 and E5500 are only available in Matte Black. The E6400 and E6500 are available now from US$1,139 and $1,169, respectively while the semi-rugged E6400 ATG starts at $2,399 and should be available next week. The E4200 and E4300 will be available in the coming weeks at prices to be announced.
Via Dell.