Laptops, Smart Phones on Display at Gartner Expo

In August, Dell rolled out a new line called the Latitude E-series for business users. The Latitude E6400 is what Dell calls a “mainstream” notebook, with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors and a 14.1-inch display. Dell also claims that with a combination of battery technologies and power-savings features the E6400 offers up to 19 hours of battery life.

The Dell Latitude E6500 notebook is similar to the E6400 laptop but offers a slightly larger, 15.4-inch screen.

At 3.7 pounds, this Panasonic Toughbook is much lighter and much more business-friendly than its larger and heavier Toughbook cousins. The CF-F8 is considered business-rugged, and its magnesium alloy case makes it resistant to drops and other hazards. This Panasonic features a 14.1-inch screen and an Intel Core 2 Duo SP9300 processor running at 2.26GHz.

This Panasonic notebook is geared toward vertical markets, such as government or health care, where workers need a rugged notebook that can perform well in the field under difficult conditions. While the CF-U1 is not meant for typing in Microsoft Word, its design will allow a user to fill out a report or take a picture. The design is also notable for its use of Intel’s Atom processor.

The ThinkPad W700 is Lenovo’s answer for the growing field of mobile workstations that, while not lightweight, offer a significant amount of performance. This mobile workstation offers a full, 17-inch screen and an Intel Core 2 Extreme X9300 processor.

The Lenovo X200 tablet, which the company debuted in September, will eventually replace the older ThinkPad X61 tablet PC. The X200 tablet offers users a 12.1-inch, touch-screen display, a choice of low-volt Intel processors and a solid-state drive.

This Latitude is one of the smaller, more portable notebooks that Dell unveiled in August. The Latitude E4300 offers a 13.3-inch screen along with a solid-state drive, which helps keep the weight at 3.3 pounds.

In addition to making improvements in battery life and screen size and offering the latest Intel processor technology, Dell has worked to improve the aesthetics of its consumer and enterprise notebooks. Dell is offering its Latitude E-series in several colors, including this shade of blue called Regatta Blue.

Dell, a recent convert to the tablet market, launched the Latitude XT Tablet PC in 2007. In July, Dell offered new features for its XT Tablet, including multitouch capabilities that allow a user to scroll by placing two fingers on the screen and to navigate a Web browser or other applications. There is also the ability to zoom and what Dell calls “programmable double-tap,” which allows a user to program a command, such as turning off the screen, that will respond to two taps with two fingers.

Palm had a number of smart phones on display at the Gartner expo, including its latest device, the Treo Pro. This new smart phone uses Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system as well as Wi-Fi capabilities and GPS technology that supports features such as directions.

Earlier this month, on Oct. 8, Research In Motion rolled out the BlackBerry Storm, the company’s answer to the widely popular Apple iPhone. This smart phone features a 3.2-inch screen, preloaded with Facebook, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. The BlackBerry Storm also features built-in GPS, a 3.2-megapixel camera, video recording capability, a media player and a removable battery. No release date for the Storm has been set, but it drew big crowds at the Gartner show.