Aiming its new Latitude 2100 at both K-12 and enterprise markets, Dell seems to suggest that going back to school or back to work aren't that different. The colorful netbook features a rubberized case, available touchscreen, gigabit Ethernet, and optional SSDs (solid state drives), says Dell.
For the K-12 market, Dell touts the Latitude 2100's five primary colors -- "School Bus Gold," "Chalkboard Black," "Ball Field Green," "Blue Ribbon," and "Schoolhouse Red" -- and a "four-square-ball-style" rubberized casing that makes the netbook easier to grip and protects it from drops. The device includes an available carrying strap, a vent-free bottom for enhanced spill resistance, and even an optional antimicrobial keyboard, the company adds.
Dell also notes the Latitude 2100 includes a personalized labeling window for easy identification, plus a networking activity light that enables teachers to easily spot when a student is using the device's WiFi connectivity. But the company is also pushing its new netbook for enterprise customers, with a data sheet that stresses features such as "image commonality" and "a secondary laptop for your users to check email when their primary systems went down."
Latitude 2100
Like the majority of newer Windows netbooks, the Latitude 2100 comes with hard disk storage -- in this case, 5400rpm drives are available that range up to a relatively massive 250GB. But as a defense against either classroom mayhem or travel mishaps, the device is also available with SSD storage up to 16GB, says Dell.
Dell Mobile Computing Station (Click to enlarge)
The Latitude 2100 ships with remote management software that enables features including Wake-on-LAN, Alert Standard Format, and Microsoft's Systems Management Server. In addition, the netbooks will soon be offered in the U.S. with an optional Dell Mobile Computing Station, a specialized cart system designed to ease the process of storing, charging, and managing up to 24 netbooks at once. Students can store the units in charging slots, which are also configured to enable IT administrators to remotely update the computers with new software at night. (See the video farther below for more on the Latitude 2100 and Mobile Computing Station.)
The Latitude 2100 includes a rubberized case and vent-free bottom (Click to enlarge)
Underneath its features, the Latitude 2100 is fairly similar in spec to Dell's 10.1-inch Inspiron Mini 10 and new Inspiron Mini 10V netbooks. It is far from a clone, however, and offers a faster Ethernet port (10/100/1000Mbps), higher resolution (1280 x 576 pixels), a touchscreen option, and a distinctive tapered design that ranges in thickness from 0.9 to 1.6 inches.
Like the Mini netbooks, the Latitude 2100 is equipped with the Intel Atom N270 clocked at 1.6GHz, along with the usual Intel 945GS Express Chipset. The netbook ships with 1GB, but upgrades to 2GB are possible, as is flash expansion via a memory card slot.
Connectivity includes the gigabit Ethernet port, three USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth, and WiFi, with an option for the faster, longer range 802.11n variety. Like Dell's Inspiron Mini netbooks, the Latitude 2100 is available with both Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux, and in this case Windows Vista Home Basic is also offered.
Latitude 2100 in primary colors
Specifications listed for the Latitude 2100 include:
