Dell added three new consumer-grade devices to its Windows 8 lineup Tuesday, including the XPS 10 Windows RT tablet, the Latitude 10 Windows 8 tablet, and the Inspiron 15z Ultrabook, and two business PCs.
The new devices are available for pre-order now, but ship times vary depending on the device. Based on Dell’s current shipping estimates, the Inspiron 15z starts shipping Monday, October 29, following the Windows 8 launch on Friday, the Latitude 10 begins shipping mid-November, and XPS 10 deliveries start in mid-December.
[Related: Dell to continue offering Windows 7 after launch of Windows 8]
Here’s a closer look at Dell’s latest additions to its Windows 8 line-up.
XPS 10
First announced in late August, Dell’s XPS 10 tablet features a 10.1-inch touch display with a resolution of 1366 pixels by 768 pixels, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor, 32GB or 64GB of flash storage, a 2-megapixel webcam, a 5MP rear-facing camera, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and Windows RT.
Pricing for the XPS 10 starts at $499, which matches the price of Microsoft’s Surface tablet that became available last week.
An optional Kensington KeyFolio case with stand and keyboard for the XPS 10 will run an additional $74.
The tablet is targeted at both home and business use, said Alison Gardner, director of product group brand and messaging at Dell. As the use of personal mobile devices grows in the workplace, Dell has added features for system administrators to easily secure and manage the tablet.
For example, IT managers can remotely disable the tablet if lost or stolen. Custom software images can also be deployed across a fleet of XPS 10 tablets.
“It depends on what the IT manager is willing to deal with or the features they prioritize,” Gardner said.
Connectivity features, including 3G/4G mobile broadband options, will be offered with the tablet in the future, she added. The S4 chip in the XPS 10 already has a built-in LTE radio.
The $499 price for XPS 10 was no surprise to Sarah Rotman Epps, senior analyst at Forrester Research.
“They are competing with not just the iPad, but also Microsoft’s Surface tablet with RT,” Rotman Epps said. “Any RT tablet that comes in above that [$499] price will really struggle.”
Dell will likely sell more tablets with Windows than it did with Android, Rotman Epps said.
“Android just wasn’t a product that people wanted to buy from Dell,” Rotman Epps said, adding that Dell is still a strong brand, and Windows is a better fit for the company’s hardware.
Latitude 10
The Latitude 10 is the Intel-based alternative to the XPS 10, and features a 10.1-inch IPS touch display with a resolution of 1366 pixels by 768 pixels.
The Latitude 10 comes with an Intel 1.8GHz dual-core Atom Z2760 (Clover Trail) processor, 2GB DDR2 of RAM, and 64GB of storage.
Also included is USB 2.0, an SD card reader, miniHDMI, microUSB, 802.11a/g/b/n, Bluetooth 4.0, a front-facing webcam, and 8MP rear-facing camera, and Windows 8 32-bit (Windows 8 Pro 32-bit is $35 extra).
Pricing starts at $650. An optional docking station with four USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, audio out, and ethernet is available for $130.
You can also pick up a Wacom Active Stylus for $50 more or the Kensington KeyFolio case with stand and keyboard for an additional $74.
The tablet is targeted at businesses with features like a replaceable battery and x86 support to run legacy Windows applications, Dell’s Gardner said. The Latitude 10 tablet will replace the company’s existing business tablet called Latitude ST, which has an older Intel tablet processor and Windows 7.
Inspiron 15z Ultrabook
Those looking for a more traditional notebook can grab this Ultrabook: prices start at $750.
The basic specs for the Inspiron 15z include a 15.6-inch WLED non-touch display (a touch option is available), a 1.4GHz Intel Core i3 processor, and 6GB DDR3 of RAM.
Also included is a hard disk drive of up to 500GB, an optical drive (Blu-ray optional), a webcam, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, a media card reader, and Windows 8 64-bit.
Business PCs
Dell also unveiled two new PCs for enterprise users, but was short on details about the devices.
Nevertheless, business customers can now order the Latitude 6430u Ultrabook starting at $900 and the 23-inch OptiPlex 9010 All-in-One touch PC starting at $1,200.
Earlier this month, Dell announced three other Windows 8 devices for pre-sale. These include the XPS 12, XPS One 27 All-in-One PC, and the Inspiron One 23 All-in-One.
Agam Shah of IDG News Service contributed to this report.