back to article Dell takes aim at iPad, uncloaks enterprise-level Win8 tablet

Dell has updated its Windows 8 tablet line, and in doing so has juiced the industry's increasing realization that fondleslabs are here to stay, belong in the enterprise, require enterprise-level security features, and are not just for playing Angry Birds. "At Dell, we have – unequivocally – the most secure, most manageable, …

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    1. mmeier

      Re: More for less

      Dell offers less for less money:

      Surface/Pro is a core i5 with 4GB, USB3, full sized SSD

      Latitude 10 is an Atom with 2GB, USB2, slower SATA etc.

      Dell offers some security enhancements that may or may not be needed. The 20h battery life is either totally unrealistic or with a docking station that has a second battery. 6-10h is realistic depending on the battery used (2 or 4 cell) and usage.

      Benefit of the Dell: If you can get a second battery it is quick swap capabel so you could carry two and still stay around 1kg.

      =======================

      As for the OEM "thumbing their nose": MS get's paid either way. The S/P does not make much money at the price it is sold (1)for and MS actually WANTS more tablet pc on the market. And companies like Samsumg will sell more of their Atom units (base Ativ 500 is 650€ in germany) as will Acer with their cheap "touch only" stuff.

      What the S/P does is setting a price limit for many penable systems when it becomes available world wide. Even "top of the line" Atoms (Dell and once they fix the typical quality problems Lenovo) can not go higher and will likely end up around 800€ for a 3G or LTE equiped penable by June, 700€ for a WLAN only.

      Core-i based tablet pc / convertibles will also be restricted in price. Some brands can get away with "old style" prices because the offer special capabilities (Fujitsu T90x series) but many will either end up around 1000-1200€ for a similar equipped unit by June or offer more (like 8GB, powered docks etc).

      (1) Similar sized/equiped units with an older generation i5/ULV went for 1000€ in 2011. Those had cheaper plastic bodies and lower resolution screens (Resolution heavily affects the price of the penable digitizer). And from quite a few sources neither Asus nor Samsung reaped in "big money" it was more a "we can deliver those too, no need to go Fujitsu/Lenovo"

    2. graeme leggett Silver badge

      Re: More for less

      I thought the purpose of the Surface was to inspire/shame/encourage/whatever the OEMs to get on with developing and producing windows 8 tablets. I'm sure Microsoft benefit from a greater variety of them at all specs and prices.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: More for less

      Microsoft deliberately didn't undercut it's OEMs.

  1. Wardy01
    IT Angle

    Dam guys ... At least get the comarisons right !

    It should be:

    XPS 10 = Surface = ipad

    XPS 12 = Surface Pro

    An ipad is a mobile platform on mobile hardware, so is a surface.

    A surface pro / XPS 12 is ultrabook / laptop grade hardware running a desktop OS.

    When you get that ...

    They are roughly comparable, and at similar prices for the spec.

    Bearing in mind Microsoft have their hands in Dells pocket right now (to the tune of $2bn) I doubt their offerings are going to be that different so as to leave either side completely at a disadvantage ... if anything I suspect both would be overpriced as per some high level Microsoft demand in order to take the apple angle of "lets make it exclusive so people want it" lets face it, it's worked for apple for years and Microsoft is very good at copying other peoples approach.

    It's also worth noting that the comparison between an ipad and an XPS 10 is a fair one and the study shows how much dells study lacked depth because personally I would have put them on roughly even ground based on what I know about the 2 products.

    Personally, I think the best tablets on the market are the Surface Pro at the moment.

    You get a full laptop effectively in the tablet form with ultrabook grade hardware inside, but a bit more flexibility in the spec would be cool however the top model does feature a 128GB SSD which spec junkies will like.

    I think the use of an i7 cpu is fairly new to tablets as most have stuck to the i5 due to power requirements, for that reason I can't imagine the real world battery life of an XPS 12 giving a lot of up time before it needs a wall to slurp from.

    I don't see a comparable product from Apple ... that would be like installing Mac OS on an ipad+ (+ meaning something of higher spec at least) but when you look around companies do offer to build Mac OS tablets ... for about $3,000 so in all fairness to Microsoft I think they might be on to something here witht he surface, its a good mid range product with a good balance of feature offerings.

    My problem with dell as choice of partner ...

    My XPS m1730 (apparently the mutts nuts of laptops at the time retailed around $2,500) was ok but like many others had many "little issues" that I had to go back to dell for.

    A mate recently bought what he thinks is the best thing since computing began (yet another dell laptop) ... he's on his 3rd replacement (that alone says it all to me).

    We use dell around the office too ... the number spare parts floating around is beyond a joke ... its an office not a dell storage facility.

    When dell start making reliable products that actually look good (lets face it, for style I definately prefer the ipad to any of these XPS tablets) i'll start to seem interested, until then there's always something like the asus iconia w710 which is just as good and at a cheaper price point.

    And lets face it:

    All that "security stuff dell is so proud of" is built in to the OS so any windows 8 tablet has it, expensive or not!

    I don't think i've ever seen dell advertise something they added to a product, they always seem to advertise that stuff that Microsoft did.

    And yes ... this is basically an "edvert" anyway ...

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