Dell today officially confirmed many of the details of its Latitude XT tablet. The Texas PC maker hopes to distinguish its first ever touchscreen PC by making it one of the lightest available: at 3.57 pounds, the system will be relatively easy to carry, Dell hopes. The new convertible Latitude will also have the choice of either a thin, LED-backlit screen or an outdoor-focused screen that remains more visible in daylight. Weight and speed can also be improved through storage; while up to a 120GB traditional hard disk is available, up to a 64GB solid-state drive should improve boot times and reduce weight.

Core performance will be supplied by either a 1.06 or 1.2GHz ultra-low voltage Core 2 Duo, a minimum 1GB of memory, and ATI Radeon X1250 integrated graphics. Buyers will not only have the option of upgrading the most of these components but also to boost the wireless to include 802.11n or a 3G cellular link for EVDO providers such as Sprint, Telus, or Verizon. The choice of Windows XP or Vista will remain, Dell says.

Reflecting its use of ultraportable components, the 12.1-inch Latitude is now known to be priced at a base $2,499. It should be available and shipping worldwide before the end of the year.