Dell’s Got a New Latitude

Faster. Stronger. Smarter. That’s the battle cry coming out of Round Rock, Texas, as Dell announces the availability of its new D-family line of Latitude business notebooks. The company claims that the D620 and the D820 offer a lighter, slimmer design while incorporating technology to improve mobility, security and all-around performance.

Both the D620 and the D820 include Intel Core Duo processors, which are designed to help increase performance when running multiple applications simultaneously.

The Dell Latitude D820 (Click for larger image).

Calling mobility “mission-critical for businesses of any size,” Dell offers both Wi-Fi (standard) and integrated mobile broadband (optional) in both the D620 and D820. The company calls its wireless initiative HyperConnect, and says that it lets people stay connected and work anywhere, anytime. HyperConnect features include the following:

• Choice of wireless broadband options through Cingular Wireless or Verizon Wireless (in U.S.) and Vodafone (in Europe)
  
• Pre-configured for 802.11n scalability, a wireless specification that can significantly increase throughput and range of the current 802.11g capability
  
• Wi-Fi Catcher a utility designed to help find wireless connections without turning on or booting up the PC
  
• Location Profiler software to configure settings for a variety of networks or locations

Under the heading Smart Security, Dell offers several integrated features designed to help companies prevent unauthorized access to your data and to recover lost notebooks. These include the following:

• An optional biometric fingerprint reader, trusted platform module (TPM1.2) smart card reader to ensure authorized access to data
  
• Wave Embassy Trust Suite integrated security solution lets companies use and manage these security technologies
  
• Computrace theft recovery and asset tracking software to help locate missing notebooks and delete data remotely

Dell says it’s built these notebooks to withstand the rigors of the road, and the company uses the term “Road Ready” to describe the new line’s durable features such as magnesium alloy construction and sealed, spill-resistant keyboards. Dell also says these notebooks are thinner and lighter than the previous generation.

The D620’s base model sells for $1,149 and includes the following hardware configuration:

• Intel Core Duo T2300 processor
  
• 14.1-inch wide aspect XGA display
  
• 512MB shared DDR2 memory
  
• 40GB SATA hard drive
  
• 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi capability
  
• Starting weight of 4.4 pounds

The D680’s base model sells for $1,289 and includes the following hardware configuration:

• Intel Core Duo T2300 processor
  
• 15.4-inch wide aspect XGA display
  
• 512MB DDR2 shared memory
  
• 40GB SATA hard drive
  
• 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi capability
  
• Starting weight 5.6 pounds
  
• Advanced upgrade options for the D820 include the NVIDIA Quadro NVS 120M business graphics solution with 512MB, a high-resolution WUXGA display and 120GB hard drive

Workstations to Go
Claiming its delivered high-end desktop performance in a mobile package, Dell announced the Dell Precision M90 and M65 — workstation-class PCs designed for engineers, artists, developers and other professionals who work with computer-intensive applications.

The Dell Precision M90 (Click for larger image).

In a written statement, Dell said that the M90 and the M65 have been certified on “some of the workstation industry’s most demanding CAD, CAE, DCC, GIS and other applications are available today” and that “mobile options like Wi-Fi and mobile broadband that give workstation users the freedom to deliver exceptional engineering design, analysis and content creation anytime, anywhere.”

The M90 features a 17-inch wide-aspect display and Intel Core Duo processors. Pricing starts a $2,239 and the base configuration features:

• NVIDIA Quadro FX OpenGL graphics
  
• Up to 512MB dedicated graphics memory
  
• 2MB L2 cache and a fast 667MHz front side bus
  
• Up to 4GB of high speed DDR2 memory
  
• 667MHz memory interface
  
• Displays up to WUXGA (1920 X 1200) resolution
  
• On-board IEEE 1394, three-button touch pad, and DVI and SVGA video outputs
  
• TPM 1.2 support

The M90 features a 15.4-inch wide-aspect display, Intel Core Duo processors, optional integrated mobile broadband and biometric finger print reader. Pricing starts a $1,849 and the base configuration features:

• 2MB L2 cache and a 667MHz front side bus
  
• Up to 4GB1 of high speed DDR2 memory
  
• 667MHz memory interface
  
• Up to 512MB shared graphics memory with NVIDIA Quadro FX 350M Turbocache
  
• 128-bit graphics pipeline and 128-bit graphics memory interface
  
• TPM 1.2 support
  
• Optional dual batteries for extended battery life

You’ll find more information on the M90 and M65 on the Dell Web site.

Lauren Simonds is the managing editor of SmallBusinessComputing.com