Dell unveils Windows 8 ultrabook and tablet for business use

Dell has unveiled a trio of upcoming Windows 8 devices for the corporate market, comprising a tablet, Dell's first business-class ultrabook and a touch-enabled all-in-one desktop.

Set to be available when Windows 8 launches in October, the new systems are designed to meet the needs of the changing workplace, according to Dell.

They feature sleek designs to give consumer appeal without compromising on the performance, security and management features demanded by the IT department, it added.

"The workplace has changed, and people are looking for more ways to be productive outside the workplace, but for IT staff, this can mean spending more and more time on management and new security worries," said Kirk Schell, Dell vice president of Personal Computing.

To this end, the Latitude 10 tablet, Latitude 6430u ultrabook and Optiplex 9010 desktop all feature the latest Intel processors, file-level encryption via Dell Data Protection and extensions to Intel's vPro technology to add capabilities such as remote Bios updates.

The Latitude 10 tablet is a 10.1in slate-mode device running Intel's soon-to-be-delivered Clover Trail Atom chip and weighing in at 725g with an SSD for storage.

Unlike many consumer tablets, this can be configured with a two-cell or four-cell removable battery pack, and also features a full-size USB port in addition to an SD Card slot for memory cards.

Other options include a fingerprint scanner and smartcard reader, plus a desktop dock that allows the tablet to be used with touch-enabled external monitor, keyboard and mouse.

The Latitude 6430u, styled as Dell's first business ultrabook, boasts a 14in display but is just 21mm thick and weighs in at 1.7kg.

Based on Intel's third generation Core processors, this fits up to 8GB of memory and SSD storage options up to 256GB into a magnesium alloy chassis designed for light weight but durability.

The laptop also has a three-cell or six-cell removable battery pack, with optional smartcard and fingerprint reader.

Finally, Dell's Optiplex 9010 all-in-one has a 23in touchscreen and comes with an articulating stand but can also be wall mounted.

This desktop system is said to be ideal for libraries, kiosks and point-of-sale applications, and can be configured with an optical drive, up to 16GB memory and SSD or standard hard drives for storage.

Pricing for the new systems has yet to be disclosed, but Dell said the Latitude 10 tablet will be "competitive against the iPad".