Dell Releases Latitude Z With Wireless Charging

Dell on Tuesday unveiled its ultra-thin personal computer -- the Latitude Z600 -- with its long-awaited "inductive charging" feature.

The $1,999 PC appears to be aimed at Apple's Air laptop computer, as both are very thin and very light. The Latitude Z weighs 4.5 pounds and is just 0.55 inches thick. Its distinguishing feature is its ability to charge the device simply by placing the notebook computer on a custom stand with inductive charging that powers the PC in the same way that many electric toothbrushes are charged.

The optional custom docking station lets the Latitude Z wirelessly access USB ports, audio jacks, and a DVI video link, provided that the docking station is situated within 9 feet of the PC. The additional stand and docking station add about $400 to the base price of the Latitude Z.

The Latitude Z's 16-inch 1600x900 resolution widescreen represents the high end of the Latitude family.

While Dell has successfully produced a sleek and elegant design, the casing still hides a ruggedized magnesium alloy chassis that covers a large 8-cell battery. On close examination, users will find a full-sized keyboard with scalloped keys.

The Latitude Z comes with two central processing unit options from Intel. The ultra-low-voltage Core 2 Duo SU9600 delivers 1.6 GHz while the ULV SU9400 hits 1.4 GHz. The computer is shipping now with Windows Vista.

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