Dell’s Latitude XT2 Tablet Promises Longer Battery Life, Brighter Screen

When Dell’s Latitude XT tablet hit the market last spring, it became the first notebook with a capacitive touch screen (thanks to a firmware update, it later became the first with multitouch). We raved about the tablet performance, but it lost big points in our review due to its short battery life. The XT2 (starting at $2,399) promises longer battery life, in part thanks to Intel’s Centrino 2 platform. Specifically, Dell claims it can last 11 hours and 28 minutes with a six-cell battery and six-cell battery slice (in our tests, the XT lasted about 7 hours with a six-cell battery and nine-cell slice). It will also be offered with a four or six-cell battery. Moreover, it has DDR3 memory, which promises improved performance, and can support up to 5GB RAM. Like the original XT, the XT2 has a 12.1-inch display. The multi-touch technology, again powered by N-trig, means that users can make gestures using multiple fingers, such as zooming, pinching, scrolling, double tapping, and rotating. And, of course, since multitouch is a form of capacitive touch, the display will register gestures without the user having to put much pressure on the screen. While the screen size and multitouch gestures remain the same, Dell promises the XT2′s display will be brighter, having doubled the nits. Other changes include the addition of Intel’s vPro platform, which is designed to make remote management easier for IT workers. Dell also redesigned the hinge to make this convertible more stable. The XT2 starts at $2,399 and is available today here. Below, a list of key specs:

• Intel Core 2 Duo ULV SU9300 (1.2-GHz) or SU9400 CPU (1.4-GHz)
• Up to 5GB RAM
• Resolution is 1200 x 800, but users can opt for a Daylight Viewable Display
• Starts at 3.6 pounds with the 4-cell batter; 3.8 pounds with the 6-cell
• 5,400 rpm 80GB or 120GB hard drive or a 64GB SSD
• 802.11g standard; 802.11 draft-n and Bluetooth optional
• 2 USB ports, USB/eSATA, FireWire 1394, VGA, Ethernet, headphone, mic
• ExpressCard/54, SD card reader
• Fingerprint reader, TPM v. 1.2, optional Smart Card reader
• Energy Star, EPEAT Gold