Dell puts Latitude XT tablet up for orders

Dell today began taking orders for its long-delayed Latitude XT convertible tablet PC, putting the system within closer reach. The Texas PC builder distinguishes the system with a more advanced capacitive touchscreen that is both more precise than most such displays while also offering a comparatively bright, thin LED-backlit screen with the standard model. In a departure from most of the company's lineup, however, Windows XP Tablet Edition is installed by default; using Microsoft's newer but more demanding Vista Business is free but remains an option.

The stock $2,499 model ships with a 1.06GHz ultra low-voltage Core Solo, 1GB of memory, an extra-compact 40GB hard disk, and a DVD/CD-RW drive; upgrading to a similarly energy-efficient 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo adds $60 with the standard LED-lit screen or $160 when combined with a daylight-viewable display. The system can also be optioned out with as much as a 120GB conventional hard drive or a 64GB solid-state disk, up to 3GB of memory, and a DVD burner. Shipments of systems begin on January 15th; Dell has not explained the delay but is believed to be accounting for holiday-related supply problems.