Dell has announced a refresh of its popular Latitude notebook line, including options for customization and the ability to check e-mail without completely booting up the machine. Models range from what the company calls “ultra portable” to “semi-rugged.”

The new “E”-series laptops are clearly targeted to corporate users, where Dell has an particularly strong installed base of customers. Dell claims to have solicited input from more than 4,000 IT professionals and business users in the production of the new line, and product management says it invested more than one million hours in the engineering process.

In the announcement, CEO Michael Dell said the company has shipped more business laptops since 1995 than any other computer manufacturer. Dell is number one in the U.S. market, according to analysts, but trails HP in world sales.

From Slim to Rugged

The ultra-light Latitude E4200 weighs in at a mere 2.2 pounds with a 12.1-inch screen. The

Latitude E4300, with a larger 13.3-inch screen, weighs 3.3 pounds. Both ultra-portables will be available in a few weeks. Pricing was not released on these models.

The Latitude E6400 and E6500 models, available now, are targeted as desktop replacements, and sport 14.1-inch and 15.4-inch screens. They start at $1,139 and $1,169, respectively. According to Dell, the Latitude E6400 ATG with a 14.1-inch screen is a “semi-rugged” laptop that meets the military 810F specifications for durability against dust, vibrations and humidity. The unit will be available next week for $2,399.

Additional models round out the launch in the mid-tier, with a balance of weight and performance. In all, Dell unveiled 10 new models.

Battery Life, Customization and Latitude ON

The company claims to have made a breakthrough in battery technology that enables the new Latitude series to perform for up to 19 hours on a singled-out charge….

Orginal post by Mike

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