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Dell Latitude ST Gets Official, Already Reviewed

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Dell took the semi-transparent lid off their new Windows 7 slate, the Latitude ST, today and it’s already been reviewed.

The thoroughly leaked tablet became official on the Direct2Dell blog (via Engadget). It’s not loaded with crunchy bits like tech specs but rather focuses on the benefits to different markets, such as enterprise, health care, and education, to which the slate is targeted. Of interest are their partnerships with organizations and software makers in these fields. Also included is the previously leaked promo video.

That announcement, however, opened the door for Tablet PC Italico to publish the official specs on their site and share an indepth first-look review of the hardware.

Spec-wise, it’s similar to previous Windows tablets running the Intel Atom Oak Trail processor, including an N-Trig pen + multi-touch digitizer under a 10″ display. However, the review notes the performance feels noticeably better than that of the Fujitsu Stylistic Q550, which felt woefully underpowered to me. They speculate it could be the result of an improved SSD or updated drivers. Regardless, this is the news I find most assuring.

A few other high points include the 16:10 screen ratio (which I feel is better than 16:9 for mixed portrait and landscape usage), high resolution front and rear cameras (though high-res does not necessarily indicate high-quality), and a rotation lock button. Despite some clumsiness in the Google-supplied language translation, the review conveys a good sense of the feel for the machine, which is so important when you can’t try before buying. Please click over to Tablet PC Italico (translated) to read the full review.

7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. Sabre

    10/27/2011 at 8:20 am

    Too bad that the review looks completely fake!

    • Giacomo Davide Fumagalli

      10/27/2011 at 9:06 am

      Sabre, it is not a fake, but it is just a hands-on review and not a full review written after a full month of tests.
      I had the opportunity to test a demo unit during the SMAU 2011 in Milan last week, and I tested it as better as I could; but it was a demo unit with only Windows 7 and a small pack of apps so this is just impressions. I’ll do better when I’ll have a demo unit for an entire month.

      • Sabre

        10/27/2011 at 5:14 pm

        so you had the device for 10 minutes and you call it a review?!? it doesn’t look a fake, it is a fake!

        • Giacomo Davide Fumagalli

          10/29/2011 at 3:42 am

          Sabre, I did not use the ST for a long time: I used the ST around for forty minutes and during this time I got to try the pen, the touch, the opening of large files, on/off/hibernation, I had the opportunuity of do some small physical stress (such as torsion tests) and partially disassemble the unit to see the inside. Ok, forty minutes are surely few, and this is why I did not write a Full Review but only a “introductory review” with just my impressions. But in my opinion forty minutes is enough to get some significant ideas and impressions, especially if you use every day the Tablet PC platform and with a Fujitsu tablet Q550.As soon as Dell Italy send me a unit, I will try to do something better, but for now I wrote what I saw: structure, sensation to touch, feel the use, the speed impressions, impressions on the screen, impressions on the accessories. But, again, my post is not a Full Review.

  2. Brettg

    10/27/2011 at 4:51 pm

    It’s a shame, but this oak trail processor is not up to scratch in my opinion. This n-trig / oaktrail combination requires major tweaking and config out of the box. People who buy this without access to those skills will be majorly disappointed. Reminds me of the damage that the HP Tx1000 did to the tablet reputation with its poor touch screen experience. Another set back for windows tablets. Take my advice and stick with Intel Core / Waco tablets. These do not dissapoint.

  3. DNel

    10/27/2011 at 5:48 pm

    It would be a bigger draw if it had a wacom digitizer, but wacom in my opinion is missing the boat when it doesn’t make a 10″ digitizer. Conceding the pad/tab market to N-trig is a big mistake.

  4. Tabletsteach

    04/24/2012 at 10:59 am

    I had a HP Tx2 which had an N-Trig digitizer and it went out in flames, the AMD/ATI graphics chip soldered out of its socket and never worked again (a major manufacturing flaw).  The new Elite is a Intel/Wacom and now I use a Lenovo XT220t which is a Intel/Wacom too, but even though is very light, it is still bulky to carry around my classroom. I asked Dell for an ST to evaluate it as a tablet for education, will post the result on my blog https://tabletsinscienceeducation.wordpress.com/.

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