Dell Latitude XT2 – Will The Low Endurance And The Price Hold This Ace Performer Behind??

Sum n substance:

Thumbs up: Lightweight sleek design, brilliant performance, good multitouch functionality.

Thumbs down: Low on endurance, no webcam.

Inside the trunk:
CPU :1.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400
RAM Included :1GB
RAM Upgradable :5GB
Hard Drive Size :128GB
Hard Drive Type :SSD Drive
Optical Drive Type :External DVD /-RW
Optical Speed :8X
Display Size :12.1
Native Resolution :1280×800
Graphics Card :Intel GMA 4500MHD
Video Memory :Shared
Wi-Fi :802.11n
Bluetooth :Bluetooth 2.1

Operating System: MS Windows Vista Business

THE WHIZ-KID SPEAKS: In 2008 Dell came up with the Latitude XT which was the first laptop to have a capacitive touchscreen. Now we have the second generation of this laptop making its appearance along with added multitouch features. Which means that like on an iPhone the user can perform multiple gestures like rotating or zooming using multiple features.

Though this one comes with a added multitouch this one doesn’t look any different from its older sibling. The dimensions are pretty much identical at (11.7 x 8.6 x 1.0 inches) and weight (3.8 pounds). Its got a matte black keyboard along with brushed aluminium lid and palm rest.

Below the display the convertible has four buttons i.e. power buttons, for orientation changing, settings button and one that performs the same function as ctrl+alt+delete. The screen does rotate automatically when the orientation is changed but I noticed that the screen goes dark for a second or so and then the resized picture appears. At the lower right there is a finger print reader and we have a rocker beneath the bezel which can be used for scrolling. The stylus is tucked at thee back and just a small push is enough to make it pop out.

The keys on the keyboard are flat and have a matte finish and are well placed providing a speed of 88 words per minute in the typing test. At the center of the keyboard we have a blue trackstick which was a bit too small for comfort. The touchpad below the keyboard is kind of small and the buttons also have a mushy feel to it. It’s got a nice frictionless feel to it.

Many times it is observed that multitouch displays are less responsive this one on the other hand was like extra sensitive. For example at times when I used to pinch over a browser page for zooming it I would tap another link unknowingly. And it does get annoying when unwanted apps pop up on the screen. However I later found out that the sensitivity could be fine tuned by using the settings. Resizing of the onscreen images took place quite smoothly.

Though this one easily supports the multitouch functionality, those who are more comfortable with the conventional pen stylus can also interact it with it easily. The display is as responsive to the pen taps as it is to the fingers.

Its got a 12.1 inch laptop with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels. The matte screen provides for good viewing angles unless and until it is dipped at sharper angles of about 45 degrees where the image kind of degrades. Otherwise the images are quite vibrant and innate. For adjusting the brightness its got an adjustable light sensor.

On the right side its got a small speaker which much to my surprise sounded pretty loud to fill up a small room with around 5 people. It did sound a bit tinny at times when listening to “hysteria” by Muse. But comparing it with the other small machines I d rate the speakers of this one as the best.

This one loaded with 1.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 CPU, 3GB of RAM, and 32-bit Vista Business OS scored high above the category average in the overall performance test. Transfer of  a 4.97 GB folder of mixed media took place at a brilliant speed of 38.0 Mbps, thanks to the 128GB Intel SSD. Multitasking with this one was really smooth with no interruptions at all. Being a business laptop its quite obvious that this one isn’t one for gamers. And even if the gamers try their stunts on this one they are bound to be disappointed.

The battery life of this one is around 3 hours and 25 minutes which compared to its older sibling is a huge improvement but it still falls way too short of the category average which is 5 hours.

The basic configuration of the XT2 can be obtained for $1,909 with its 1.4 GHz CPU. The 1.6-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9600 can be obtained by adding another $100 to it. This one comes with a 1GB RAM and upgradation to 2GB, 3GB and 5GB would cost $40, $189 and $459 respectively.

Nitty- Gritty: Just look at it… I don’t think I need to say more. This one is definitely for the mobile users. Apart from the battery life which can be fixed by shelling out a few extra bucks for the 8 cell battery this one doesn’t really have any other drawback as such. So if you’re looking forward to a high end efficient business laptop then this is the one.

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