At CES this week, Dell announced its new Latitude 10 Essentials laptop-tablet hybrid line, which will puts Windows 8 in your hands for as little as US $499. The new tablet is powered by Intel’s 1.8GHz Atom Z2760 ‘Clover Trail’ processor, runs the full Windows 8 to support new and legacy Windows applications, and offers a 32GB or 64GB SSD.
Like the other Latitude 10 configurations, the new slates are framed in magnesium alloy and covered with soft-touch paint for durability and easier grip. And if you drop it, the screen is protected by Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass.
The Latitude 10 has just two GB of RAM, but it can run Windows 8 Snap Mode, which aims to make it easier to multi-task between two applications, such as interacting with a class or meeting presenter remotely via Skype while taking notes in Microsoft OneNote.
By itself, the tablet weighs 1.43 lbs., or about 647 grams, and has a combined audio jack, a single USB slot, and a full-size SD storage card slot. If you buy the optional productivity dock, you can can add four more USB ports, an audio jack, plus Ethernet and an HDMI port. There’s also an optional keyboard and mouse, sold separately.
The Latitude 10 essentials configuration 64 GB is available now, starting at US $579. Dell plans to offer a 32 GB version in the coming months at US $499. The tablet is a bit cheaper than similarly-spec’ed competitors, but HP’s similarly priced ElitePad will join the party later in January.
