Dell has unveiled a new range of computing devices which it says are “Designed for the evolving workforce”. Three new additions to Dell’s portfolio of computing devices were announced; the Latitude 10 tablet, Latitude 6430u Ultrabook and the touch-enabled OptiPlex 9010 All-in-One desktop.
Dell’s take on these new products is that they are “designs that appeal to consumers combined with the IT security and manageability needed for the enterprise”. This is the drum Dell beats to try and differentiate its range of devices. In the company press release announcing these computers Sam Burd, global vice president, Personal Computing Product Group emphasises the appeal to both consumers and enterprise “Never before has the intersection between great design and data security and manageability been as important as employees increasingly ask for support for gorgeous products while IT needs to maintain corporate controls. Dell is providing the answer with these new Latitude and OptiPlex products designed to inspire workers and meet the needs of IT”. He continues his ‘unity’ theme; “Dell’s approach is rooted in our heritage of deep familiarity with the needs of IT professionals combined with our new, world-class set of commercial products that meet user demands.”
Let’s look at each new device in turn, starting with the tablet.
Latitude 10 Tablet: “Built for Versatility”
The Latitude 10 tablet is powered by an Intel Atom SoC and runs Windows 8 Professional OS. It features a 10.1-inch screen which runs at 1366x768 pixels resolution. This IPS panel is protected by Gorilla Glass. You can interact with the touch display using your finger or a stylus. The tablet has 2GB of RAM and up to 128GB of eMMC storage. An SD card slot is installed. For connectivity Engadget says the Latitude 10 has a full-size USB 2.0 port, a microUSB charging socket, mini-HDMI, a headphone/microphone combo jack, proprietary docking port and a micro-SIM slot for WWAN. There is an easily swappable 60Wh battery, one of which should be good enough for about 18 hours according to Dell’s preliminary testing. A purpose built dock provides charging and four USB 2.0 sockets, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI and audio output.
The Latitude 10's removable battery
Latitude 6430u: “Built for the Ultimate in Business Mobility”
Dell’s Latitude 6430u is a 14-inch Ultrabook built to withstand US “MIL-STD-810G testing”. Compared to Dell’s current 14-inch Latitude, this new Ultrabook is 33 per cent slimmer and 16 per cent lighter. The 14-inch matte screen runs at a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. Buyers can choose to buy this Ultrabook in Ivy Bridge Core i3, i5 or i7 configurations, with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of SSD storage. The 6430U comes with Windows 8 Professional (64-bit) preinstalled. Like the tablet, this computer has a user swappable battery, not that common on an Ultrabook. Dell claims that a single battery will give you 10 hours of continuous use.
Dell OptiPlex 9010 All-in-One: “Built for Collaboration”
This is a 23-inch All-in-One which is touch enabled. Dell says this “business-class All-in-One offers options for a multipoint touchscreen, fixed or rotating camera, and an articulating stand to optimise the user’s work experience”. The screen resolution is 1920x1080 pixels. A very similar All-in-One running Windows 7 was available from Dell previously. Here’s an in-depth look at this new version from Anandtech.
Security features in the portable computers
The Latitude 10 tablet optionally “includes a fingerprint reader and smart card reader for effective two-factor authentication” and also this tablet and the Latitude 6430u include “robust security options such as Dell Data Protection | Encryption, which encrypts all data from the hard drive to the USB port”.
We can see what Dell is attempting to do with these new Latitude portables. It’s all about making desirable consumer computer products that also appeal to enterprise with great security and manageability. These devices may do well for Dell in that context. The company released no price details for the new trio of devices.
