Dell Latitude XT

Dell felt it was time to shake up the tablet market with its first ever convertible, the Latitude XT. And shake it up it does: The system is the first convertible to employ capacitive touch technology for its display, which means you can manipulate the screen better than ever before with your fingers. The capacitive touch also helps future-proof your purchase, in that it will support multi-touch applications when those become available. We also like that you can configure this convertible with a solid state drive and mobile broadband. The lightweight and secure Dell Latitude XT is one of a kind, but for a whopping $3,321, we wish it offered longer endurance without having to splurge for the nine-cell battery.

Dell Latitude XT Design and Ergonomics

There is no doubt that the XT belongs in Dell’s Latitude business line. It features a sturdy magnesium-alloy chassis, which is covered in a brushed black aluminum. The 11.7 x 8.6 x 1.0-inch convertible is slim, and at just 3.8 pounds, it’s far lighter than it appears. Even better, it feels comfortable when held in the crook of your arm in tablet mode.  

This ultraportable doesn’t compromise on features. The full-size keyboard is roomy and comfortable, although the keys produced loud clicks. We love that Dell includes a trackpoint and a touchpad; each has its own set of right- and left-click buttons, which take up some room on the palm rest.  

Missing from the system is a webcam. However, a biometric fingerprint reader located on the screen is part of the package, and the system has a nice assortment of connectivity options, including three USB ports, FireWire, VGA, and Ethernet ports, and an SD Card slot. Though the system lacks an optical drive, Dell offers an external option with its MediaBase (included in our configuration), which includes an 8X DVD±RW drive, three additional USB ports, VGA, audio, FireWire, DVI, Serial, and an Ethernet port.

A convenient rocker switch for scrolling and a Back button reside on the screen’s edge for those who prefer not to use the pen or touch interface. The bezel also contains a Windows Security button, screen rotate button, e-mail shortcut button, and the QuickSet button, which lets you program options for the tablet and pen.