Dell Unveiled Latitude XT3 laptop: Dell extended its latitude series in India with the release of Latitude XT3 Laptop. One can get the flexibility of a tablet with the power of a laptop. Dell Latitude XT3 features 13.3 inch auto- bright HD LCD display and anti-glare LED backlit. The new device is powered by Intel Core i5-2520M with Turbo Boost technology with 2GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM, which includes WiMAX and mobile broadband. Latitude XT3 can deliver over 8 hours of battery life and with latitude Express Charge the battery can re-charge 80 percent in just about an hour. The device can also be converted from laptop to tablet mode with the help of a new bi-directional hinge that enables users to rotate the laptop screen right-to-left and vise versa for quick, easy conversion to tablet mode.The Latitude XT3 Laptop can be availed with a price tag of under Rs.1,00,000.

Dell’s Compact Powerhouse: The Vostro series from Dell has always been the cheaper alternative to the Latitude for business use. But there’s nothing cheap about the way the Vostro 3350 looks or performs. In fact, the fit and finish can rival more expensive machines quite easily. The Vostro 3350 may be a business machine, but it still comes in three colours-silver aluminium (Aberdeen Silver), Lucerne Red and Brisbane Bronze. It has a 8-cell battery (which sticks out from under the machine) — it makes the notebook look chunkier, even though the weight is just about 2kg. The advantage of the protruding battery is that it raises the notebook up from the back, which brings the keyboard to a more comfortable position and helps in cooling. The 13.3-inch display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, which provides enough screen estate for an average user. The display brightness is great, although the colors did feel a bit washed out. On the inside, the notebook has a matte finish — a big relief.

The chiclet keyboard is well-spaced and comfortable to use but is not backlit (it is an optional feature). There are three dedicated keys present on top right of the keyboard — two have pre-assigned functions and the third one can be customised. The first key provides quick access to volume, battery status, wireless connection status (and so on) in a pop up box, while the second key launches the Dell support center. The third key is set to launch the browser by default, but can be configured for anything using the quick settings key. The track pad is very responsive with large buttons for primary and secondary click. A biometric fingerprint reader is also available on the palm rest for security.

On the left side there are two USB 3.0 ports, an Ethernet port and a DVDRW drive. The right side has a D-sub out, HDMI out, e-Sata/USB combined port and 3.5mm jacks for headphone and line-in. A multi-card reader is present on the front right, whereas the indication lights are on the front left.

Overall, the notebook has great build quality and well placed ports. It is a second generation Intel Core i7 processor running at 2.7Ghz with 4GB DDR3RAM, 500GB hard-drive and Intel HD 3000 graphics switchable to ATi 6490M graphics card when required. The Vostro 3350 specked like this can easily be used to run applications for photo and video editing or for playing high-end games.

Multimedia performance on the notebook is a mixed bag. The display is a bit of a downer due to the washed out colors, which in turn plays a spoilsport in videos. However, audio output from the notebook is above average — both from speakers and headphones. The HD webcam is top-notch as well with impressive clarity even in lowlight surroundings.

As regards battery life, the Vostro 3350 has an impressive 7-hour back up on a full charge with 50% brightness and Wi-Fi connected (with the included 8-cell battery). The Vostro 3350 is great for someone who wants a compact but powerful notebook. Vostro 3350 with i3 processor Price starts for as less as Rs. 35,000 and goes up with configuration. The i7 processor configuration may cost Rs.65,000.

Sony SB18GG/B notebook : In comparison to the above Dell Vostro 3350, an alternative in the same price range is the Sony SB18GG/B notebook —similar specs but without the HD webcam and 8-cell battery for Rs.69,990. However, the Sony does have a magnesium body and a lower weight of 1.7Kg for the same screen size.