Dell gets business-savvy with 'E' family laptops

Tuesday Dell unveils its new take on the business notebook with its "E" family of laptops. Trying to merge consumer sex appeal with business-savvy notebook features is no easy task--but that isn't stopping Dell from making the attempt. Is the new line merely business as usual, or is it--as the press materials say--"Business Unusual?"

Improved Battery Life

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One of the promises of the new family is long-life computing. Dell promises "All day computing" with the introduction of the "E" family. Nineteen hours of battery life, according to the speakers this morning at the introduction event. You want to do the math on that? It's a little over nine hours with the 9-cell battery and another 10 hours if you tack on the battery slice that attaches underneath. Ah, but it still needs charging at some point.

That's where the next buzzword comes in: Express Charge. The notion is that if you plug in the smartphone-sized AC adapter (nice and small compared to most bricks you have to lug around) you can recoup 80% of the laptop's power after an hour of charging.

If true, that will be amazingly handy when you're scavenging through airports trying to find an open outlet. And, it's another interesting design choice that makes it easier for "Digital Nomads" to charge devices through the USB port. Maybe it's just me, but I'm a big supporter of being able to charge my cell phone, MP3 player (or both) through the notebook even while the PC is off.

Speaking of the PC being off, Dell also announced their Latitude On technology. Y'know, instant-on technology. They didn't really go into much detail, but I'll be anxious to see how well it works firsthand.

Better Security

Next up is improved security features. Dell can remotely track and wipe data from a notebook if reported stolen. But they really wanted to push this whole notion of a Control Vault. A separate subsystem, outside pf the operating system, locks down your data (end user credentials, for example). Couple that with contactless smart card reading and what they claim is an improved fingerprint reading and Dell could be making the right moves for catering to the business mobility set.

Design also is important in the new PCs. Dell's new cases are beefing up in some of the right ways. In particular, I'm happy to see a metal hinge and latch system--a step up from Dell's norm--for properly protecting your investment. And, borrowing from Apple's Air (and, technically, from Dell-owned Alienware's gaming notebooks), the new units have backlit keys, which will make low-light computing for hunt-and-peck typists easy.