Review: Latitude -- Two Computers In One, Thin Box

With a feature list that would have read like science fiction just two or three years ago, the wafer-thin Dell Latitude Z will appeal to well-heeled executives and device freaks alike. Starting at $1,799, the Z delivers a 16-inch 1600-by-900 LCD with touch-sensitive on-screen menu system, dual-core processor with hardware virtualization, 64-GB solid state hard drive and a "FaceAware" Web cam that doubles as a document scanner. There's also an embedded Linux boot feature for battery life when accessing Outlook and the Web.

Also standard are a lighted keyboard, external slot-load DVD-RW eSATA drive and three-year warranty. What's decidedly nonstandard (yet included) is a feature called EdgeTouch, which brings up a customizable application launch menu when the lower right side of the bezel is touched. At all other times, the right-hand bezel is like a giant scroll bar, though we found it easier to scroll the old-fashioned way, using the right edge of the track pad.

Then there are the options. For another $349 list, there's a wireless dock that connects the unit to audio, USB and an external monitor with maximum resolution of 1680-by-1050 or 1600-by-1200 and a range of about 30 feet. It's perfect for the screen and media sharing in the conference room or small office. An extra solid state hard drive is priced starting at $199. For $349 more, the Latitude can even charge its battery without plugging in.

Dell's optional Wireless Induction Charging Stand permits the sleek new unit to fill its tank without touching the nozzle. More on wireless charging later, including suggestions about what to tell customers when they ask why their batteries have stopped charging at 85 percent (Dell says it's an undocumented safety feature).

Speeds And Feeds

The Latitude Z held its own in terms of performance, with a GeekBench score of 2005. Battery life was adequate at 90 minutes on the standard 4-cell battery, and 150 minutes on the optional 8-cell battery. The 15.5-by-11.5-by-.75-inch Z weighed in at 5 pounds, 11 ounces with the large battery and small power adapter. The unit consumed 62 watts while running and charging the battery, 35 watts when charging only and only 3 watts when running with the battery at full charge. Temperatures were within an acceptable range. The figures were unchanged when using the induction charger. The wireless docking station consumed about 7 watts.

Clearly, Dell wins wow points with its wireless power feature. But make a note of this to your support staff: When using induction, the battery will stop charging when it reaches about 85 percent.

"There's a fail-safe built into the battery," explained Burton Finley, Dell's development senior analyst. "If the battery is at 100 percent and discharges to 96 percent, it will not charge [back to 100] when you plug it in again." That's to prevent overcharging, which degrades battery performance over time, he said. Also, the induction unit cannot recharge the batteries alone; they must be connected to the laptop.

The Latitude Z is actually two computers in one. Walled off from the Intel processor and Windows operating system is a 600-MHz OMAP chip with its own Wi-Fi radio that runs a version of MontaVista Linux from ROM. Booting to the environment, called Latitude ON, is relatively long at more than a minute, and performance once there was a bit sluggish.

"That was a trade-off," said Finley, acknowledging the choppy behavior. "Latitude ON was developed with battery life in mind." Mission accomplished. The laptop ran for about six hours under continuous use. However, after about 5.5 hours, it froze up and wouldn't restart without removing the battery. After another 30 minutes, it performed an orderly shut down.

Dell's latest high-end laptop is handsome, performed reasonably well in benchmarks and incorporates cutting-edge innovations.

However, two design characteristics bear warning. The large screen makes it top-heavy, and if opened too far will roll off the lap. Also, the straight and relatively long power connector is vulnerable to stress and testers would have liked command-line access in the Linux environment for adding plug-ins to the Mozilla browser. Despite these flaws, and the perpetual appearance of Norton and AT&T trialware, the CRN Test Center gives the Dell Latitude Z a thumbs-up.