Like HP with their Elitebook Folio 9470M, Toshiba with their Z930, Lenovo with their X1 Carbon, Dell are launching a business-focused Ultrabook. The Dell Latitude 6430u was leaked back in May but formal launch was announced by Dell this week.
Clearly they were waiting for Windows 8 but note that this isn’t a touchscreen Ultrabook, despite the pretty touch-led Metro user interface being shown above.
Product specifications and tracking page.
The Dell XPS 12 Convertible Duo is an impressive looking Ultrabook. People here at IDF are flocking to it to check out the unique flip screen. The design works well but like all convertible designs that retain the keyboard, can’t give you a lightweight tablet. A 1.4KG tablet isn’t very mobile but it does offer something for those that primarily want a touchscreen Ultrabook with occasional tablet-style capabilities. This could be a good one as an ice-breaker for business meetings though!
We’re big supporters of what Dell and Canonical are doing with project Sputnik. It’s not just another Ubuntu-based Linux distro, it’s a Linux distro with funding and a defined hardware target and the fact that the hardware target is an Ultrabook makes it even better. If you’re a Linux fan, check out our first post on the subject and then, read-on here…
Unlike the “new” XPS 13 which we warned you about the other day, Dell’s XPS 14 Ultrabook actually is new and starts at $1099 for the base model with a 1600×900 display. Dell says it’ll last for 11 hours on a charge. Four configurations are offered, all of which are Ivy Bridge, and range from Core i5 with integrated graphics to Core i7 with discrete graphics. Step inside and we’ll break it down.
Print advert from Dell showing the ‘New’ XPS 13 based on Sandy Bridge next to the New XPS 14 based on Ivy Bridge
At the beginning of June, Computex revealed to the world a flood of new Ultrabooks based on Intel’s third-generation Ivy Bridge platform. These new Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks, which must meet certain criteria to be called an Ultrabook, represent the second generation of Intel’s Ultrabook specification. Dell’s XPS 13 Ultrabook, while well received, is a first generation Ultrabook based on the previous generation Sandy Bridge platform, but this hasn’t stopped the company from branding it as ‘New’ in online and print advertisements.
Sascha Pallenberg reacts exactly as we did when we first saw the Dell Inspiron 14z. Is it really an Ultrabook?
In terms of specs, it does appear to fit inside the Ultrabook definition and taking a view from the mainstream laptop world, it’s also fits quite nicely. Maybe we’re getting too used to thin and light devices already.
Another huge day for the Ultrabook world as Computex gets started on day one! Most of the big surprises like the Asus TaiChi and Transformer Book were outed on Day 0, but there was still a flood of exciting news today. We worked hard to bring you detailed coverage here at Ultrabook News and now we’ve got a handy round-up of all the Computex Day 1 news; come on in and check it out!
Dell may be looking to reboot it’s screen-flipping netbook in Ultrabook form. The Inspiron Duo was a netbook offering from Dell which featured interesting convertible mechanics, wherein the screen flips around right inside of the bezel, allowing the device to function as a standard clamshell or tablet device. The netbook version of this didn’t sell very well, but the convertible concept might not have died with it. With Windows 8’s vastly improved touch functionality just around the corner, we’d love to see the XPS 12 from Dell.
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