Dell preps 10.8-inch Windows 8 tablet, says report

by Brooke Crothers May 24, 2012

Dell's upcoming Windows 8 tablet will break the 10.1-screen-size mold, spanning a roomy 10.8 inches, according to a report. And it's targeted at business -- a market that Microsoft and its coterie of Windows device makers know well.

The "Dell Latitude 10," as reported by Neowin, has some brawny PC-like specs, including a 128GB solid-state drive and up to 2GB of memory -- which, by the way, is what Dell currently offers on its 10.1-inch Latitude ST, also targeted at corporate "enterprise" customers.

A source familiar with upcoming Windows 8 tablets and hybrids told CNET today that the Dell Latitude 10 cited by Neowin "seemed very accurate" and added that Dell is also coming out with a Windows 8 hybrid laptop-tablet aimed at consumers. (See Dell's Inspiron Duo for reference.)

(Update: Dell XPS 12 convertible is also coming in late 2012.)

But getting back to the Windows 8 Latitude tablet. Here are some salient specs, as reported by Neowin:

In case you didn't notice, a nice feature is the removable battery. "We are hearing that the smaller battery will get 6-8 hrs of battery life and the larger battery will get 10-12 hours," Neowin said.

Michael Dell had a lot to say on Tuesday, during the company's earnings conference call, about tablets, hybrids, and ultrabooks for the Windows 8 launch later this year.

"We're totally lined up with Windows 8. You'll see us introduce tablets," Dell said.

But touch-based devices won't be cheap and business-oriented products like the Latitude tablet may be too pricey for most consumers to stomach.

"But what I can tell you is that we think that the touch-screen products will certainly cost more. They're more in the price points and price bands that we tend to operate in," Dell said.

Updated on May 25 at 12:40 a.m. PDT: adding Dell XPS 12 convertible discussion.

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