Product Notes: Dell Latitude XT2 XFR

October 30, 2009

Dell announced the Latitude XT2 XFR on October 27, 2009. The XT2 XFR is Dell's first rugged Tablet PC and enters a small market - its only major competitor is the Panasonic Toughbook 19. With its 5.4 pound minimum weight and convertible configuration, the XT2 XFR has the potential to meet the needs of the University's Windows-based users who need rugged Tablet PC capability (examples of such needs include field work, manufacturing, and law enforcement).

Design and Changes

The Latitude XT2 XFR is a single-spindle, 12-inch widescreen convertible Tablet PC. It uses a 1.6 GHz Core 2 Duo ultra-low-voltage (ULV) processor.

The display is an extremely bright DLV display designed for outdoor viewing. For input, the screen is a capacitive multi-touch screen, allowing input from both finger and pen.

The Latitude XT2 XFR includes standard 4-pin FireWire along with an Express Card 54 slot and a SecureDigital card slot. Three USB ports are included, one of them shared with an eSATA port.

Ruggedness is accomplished with features such as sealed keyboards (one backlit and rubberized), rugged hinges, doors for I/O ports, and shock-mounted drives. As is common with highly ruggedized notebooks, the XT2 XFR is MIL-STD-810G-certified.

The Latitude XT2 XFR is EPEAT Gold-compliant and Energy Star 5.0-certified.

Ordering Notes

Several considerations when ordering a Latitude XT2 XFR through Dell's Premier Page for the University:

1. Information Systems & Computing (ISC) strongly suggests configuring the Latitude XT2 XFR with Windows Vista SP1 if at all possible. Windows Vista's tablet capabilities are significantly superior to those of Windows XP Tablet Edition. Windows 7 availability is expected later in 2009 and ISC believes Windows 7 will be the best choice for the XT2 XFR beginning some time in early 2010.
2. Having at least 2.0 GB RAM is essential for the optimal functionality of a modern single-spindle Tablet PC, especially since all such models (including the Latitude XT2 XFR) use integrated video. Remember that any Tablet PC also has increased overhead for the pen and touch-related functions.
3. ISC suggests choosing the Energy Star 5.0 Enabled/EPEAT Gold efficiency option. This does not prevent otherwise appropriate system configuration.
4. As with any Tablet PC, ISC suggests that LSPs consider purchasing both a low-capacity (4 cell) and a mid-capacity (6 cell) battery along with an extra AC power adapter for the Latitude XT2 XFR. A high-capacity (9 cell) battery slice will be available later in 2009.
5. The XT2 XFR's connectivity options including 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Gobi multi-vendor WWAN connectivity, and Bluetooth 2.0. After a seven year development process, the 802.11n standard was finalized in September 2009, so currently shipping 802.11n products may not work correctly without a firmware update. ISC believes that Bluetooth is a relevant protocol for most Tablet PC users and that WWAN connectivity is useful for many "road warriors".
6. Though Dell has made it part of the default configuration for the Latitude XT2 XFR, ISC does not believe that ProSupport (a replacement for Gold Technical Support introduced earlier in February 2008) is the correct choice for all Schools and Centers.

See ISC's Tablet PC Computer Purchasing Guide for more configuration hints. As of October 2009, configuring a Latitude XT2 XFR to the Tablet PC specification can be done for approximately $2,800 to $3,350.

Analysis

ISC sees the Latitude XT2 XFR as being an important option among rugged Tablet PCs available in late 2009. Adding this product extends Dell's rugged line beyond the mid-weight Latitude E6400 ATG and E6440 XFR products. The combination of multi-touch capability along with extreme lightness for a rugged notebook give users options they did not previously have when in challenging environmental conditions.

Thanks to Erica Hilgeman, Lana Sveda, and Chuck Wilkinson for their help with this product note.

--John Mulhern III, Lead for Client Technologies, ISC Technology Support Services (October 30, 2009)