Dell has just introduced a new version of its multi-touch, convertible tablet PC. This will have a longer battery life than the previous versions, as Latitude XT 2 can run up to 11 hours and 28 minutes without a recharge, with the use of two six-cell batteries. However, the second battery is sold as an option, so one battery will probably run up to about 5 or 6 hours.

XT 2 supports up to 5GB of DD3 memory, a faster technology than the old DDR2, and also includes Intel’s vPro technology for system management and security. In order to add multi-touch capabilities to the original Latitude XT, Dell released last July a software module.

Of course, the XT 2 is shipped with those capabilities, which includes the use of gestures like a pinch or tap for scrolling, panning, rotating and zooming. Furthermore, a programmable double-tap feature allows a user to launch a Web browser or turn the screen off to save power. What is a convertible PC? Well, it’s a machine that can be used as a notebook, but which presents a rotating screen that can fold down on top of the keyboard to provide a flat writing surface.

The Latitude XT 2 has a 12-inch viewable display and it’s also available with Dell’s ControlVault and ControlPoint security software. As for the system’s capabilities, customers can choose between a 1.2 GHz and a 1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 dual-core processor. For storage, Dell offers a 120 GB, 5400 RPM SATA hard-disk drive and a 128 GB solid-state drive.

The Latitude XT 2 weight about 3.6 pounds with a four-cell battery and the pricing starts at $2,399. It remains to be seen if Dell will reach its desired success with its new convertible PC.