Dell's $ 2000 Notebook: Pretentious or Luxurious?

Dell has introduced its niche product, The Latitude Z, a super sleek, $2000 laptop, and has surely got heads rolling. The market is steady and recovering, and targeting the bourgeoisie audience at this time is certainly an interesting strategy.

Called as a disastrous move by some, and a bold one by others, it is as thin as the Adamo, though a little heavier. The Latitude Z has a 16 inch high definition display, with a 2 mega pixel camera. It runs on Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and is available with a multi-touch trackpad.[/quote]

The major debate in the market is whether anyone would prefer a Dell machine, which is known for its sturdy body and substance, over Apple's MacBook Air.

Wicked features
The notebook, though, is more than just a mean machine. It allows one to employ two 256 GB state drives, and comes with the smooth features of a sophisticated touch screen, wire less charging, and excellent security. The notebook can be recharged by putting it on a special stand that creates an “inductive charging field”.

There is also a wireless docking station that has been provided for USBs, audio jacks, and DVI ports etc.

During the release of the $2000 Adamo, John Spooner, a senior analyst at Technology Business Research, had said that this stage is a metamorphosis for Dell. "It's an attempt to deliver an extremely high-end, premium brand that sets it apart from competitors," Spooner said. "It's a statement. It's Dell saying, 'Hey, we can design sexy just as well as the other guys.'"

The camera is another one of its distinctive features. A sheet of paper kept in front of it can be scanned and turned into a PDF format file within seconds. The camera is also able to perform face recognition functions, and the moment one moves away from the computer, it automatically locks the system.

The security system is state-of-the-art with a finger print reader, and an office card scanner through which one can lock the machine just by waving one's office identity card over it.

Latitude "On"
The feature after which the notebook is christened, is the Latitude “on” mode, which makes sure that the start up to one's mail, organizer, contacts, and the Internet is instant. One does not need to access Windows in the Latitude “on” mode, and the feature can increase the battery life to up to two days.

The features of a BlackBerry have been entrusted in the Latitude Z. “The idea is to bring the functionality of a BlackBerry that promises always synced email and calendar to a PC”, says Steve Belt, vice president of business client engineering at Dell.

“We wanted to create something that would be the best of both worlds,” says Belt. “The Latitude On mode is fast and gives users gobs of battery life.”

Belt said the devices were "architected and conceived by Dell", and would help Latitude Z users create a "nice, clean desk".

There are always those who value luxury over everything else, those who can pay for it. The Latitude Z, with its pretentious nomenclature, is a must buy for them.