If you are an IT consultant, you no doubt have customers who are using tablets of a variety of types and operating systems. As the “trusted advisor”, your customers rely on your expertise to help them chart the course through the ever-changing sea of tablet options. Dell's approach to the tablet market has been to embrace Microsoft's Windows 8 and RT, and produce tablets that leverage those operating systems. Dell boasts a diverse offering of tablet form factors to meet your customers’ needs.
Depending on your customers’ specific needs for mobile computing, there's a Latitude 10 that should fit the bill. The Latitude 10 is the latest flagship tablet product, with a 10.1 inch screen and loads of features that promote this device to laptop add-on, if not full replacement when paired with the right peripherals. If you have customers who are already using Windows 8, using the Latitude 10 is easy and becomes second nature; novices that are used to other touch devices will pick it up in a flash. There are three versions of the tablet: Essentials, Standard, and Secure, with each successive version's features building on the prior one. One added bonus unique to Dell is the removable 2- and 4-cell batteries (not available for the Essentials version) - no other tablet manufacturer offers this feature.
The XPS 10 is a similar tablet in form if not function to the Latitude 10. It also boasts a 10.1 inch screen, and it is the only tablet that runs Windows RT, an operating system which only allows loading of programs from the Windows Store. Despite this perceived limitation, the XPS 10 is an excellent multimedia device with long battery life (10+ hours), and an optional keyboard dock that provides a second equivalent battery and connectivity ports like mini-HDMI and USB 2.0. The battery in the dock depletes before the one in the tablet, once connected.
The XPS 12 is a unique device due to its dual form factor nature - it is both an Ultrabook laptop and a 12.5 inch tablet. Using a screen that flips 180 degrees inside the bezel, the XPS 12 transforms from tablet to laptop quickly, with no disruption in function. Using Windows 8 with this device allow users to see how the OS works with input devices like a finger or stylus, and also the more traditional keyboard and mouse. The XPS 12 also boasts a well thought out design using aluminum and carbon fiber, rounded edges, and a balanced weighted feel.
The XPS 18 is truly a go-big device - a five pound, thin 18 inch display screen with an optional stand that transforms it into an all-in-one device! You can enjoy the benefits of a large touch screen device that can be used as a traditional desktop simply by seating the tablet in its dock - a small footprint holder using magnets and "pogo pins" to connect to the tablet for charging.
Customers have begun to embrace devices in different ways, by creating usage cases that empower mobility, replacing larger, heavier devices, and finding new ways to do things. There has not been such a drastic change in the computing environment since the introduction of the personal computer in 1981, then the laptop in 1986. Many steadfast computer users are having to "un-learn" old habits to, ahem, ”reset the sails” by adopting tablets in their use environments.
Later this year, as the desire and need for tablets increases, Dell will be introducing new devices that will feature:
- Windows 8.1 – update to the current OS that incorporates new and requested features
- Newer iCore offerings in the 10.8 inch display space
- An 8 inch HD display form factor
- Near Field Communication (NFC)
- Miracast and Intel WiDi (wireless audio/video (A/V) connection to supported displays)
- Quad-core Intel Atom processors (faster and support better A/V)
- Keyboard docks similar to those of the XPS 10 and XPS 18 (pogo-pin and magnetic)
- Multiple peripherals (cases, docks, cases, etc.)
Many independent sources see that the tide of tablets is not abating, and Dell will continue to ride the wave of change through innovation, services, and support of these. To learn more about our newest tablet offerings and how they can benefit your customers, contact your DCN sales rep. Members of DCN enjoy benefits which include:
- Dedicated sales reps
- Dell rewards gift cards
- Discounted training through Dell Education Services
Visit the DCN website to join or learn more.