Dell shows off its second-generation Tablet PC

Dell's Latitude XT was met with great anticipation when specs for the device first leaked in May of 2007. Interest began to dwindle somewhat, however, when Dell announced the $2,499 starting price for its first entry into the Tablet PC arena.

The current generation Latitude XT makes use of Intel Core 2 Solo and Core 2 Duo processors and ATI's Radeon X1250 mobile graphics core. The Tablet features a 12.1" WXGA display that can be had with traditional CCFL or LED backlighting.

Connectivity options abound with Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, 802.11n and optional HSDPA/EVDO support. Users also have access to three USB 2.0 ports.

Dell isn't resting on its laurel with the Latitude XT -- Engadget managed to get its hands on a computer-generated image and specs for the XT's successor: the Latitude XT2.

The Latitude XT2 will be built on Intel's Montevina (Centrino 2) platform and will include Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) and Low Voltage (LV) processors. The Latitude XT2 will also make use of Intel's new integrated graphics core. Dell's port selection for the XT2 is not surprising and will include a VGA, NIC, Firewire, two USB 2.0 ports, and an eSATA port. An ExpressCard slot and SDHC reader are also included in the mix.

Dell is currently studying the feasibility of including an optical drive on the XT2 -- a feature that was lacking on the original XT.

The 3.5-pound Latitude XT2 is expected to launch this November -- hopefully Dell will bring pricing for its second generation closer to Earth this time.

Source from DailyTech