The second largest PC-maker in the world gave no disclosure on its plans to add a new product to the tablet PC market. However, in May 2007, Dell decided to put an end to rumors and confirmed its latest creation: The Latitude XT tablet PC, with a 12.1 inch LED-backlit touchscreen, a 1.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Solo processor, 1 GB, 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM, ATI Radeon X1250 UMA integrated graphics  and several type of hard drives (40 GB/80 GB and 4200 RPM, or 32 GB/64 GB solid state-drives), together with wireless options such as Draft-802.11n Wi-Fi and integrated EV-DO modules. The device weights 3.57 pounds and comes with 5 hours of battery life and an integrated keyboard.

The newest of Dell’s creations comes with an integrated version of Windows (Windows Vista Business Edition, Windows Vista ultimate edition – both with integrated tablet features, or Windows XP tablet Edition 2005). The starting price for the latitude XT tablet PC will start at a staggering $2,500 and orders will be taken within the next weeks, according to what Dell executives said in a PCWorld interview.

According to Dell’s representatives, the XT’s touchscreen technology has been optimized, so that the computer will not mistake the stylus and the user’s hand anymore. The multitouch interface came as a result of the increasing demand of the users to more actively interact with the product they purchase and the best example of this is the successful launch of Apples’ iPhone. Furthermore, the creators of XT wished to make a flexible product, with features that will not add too much complexity to it.

The tablet PC’s have a great potential for the future, but there is still one element missing: the software applications that can be applied to the touchscreen devices. According to CNet News.com, Richard Shim, PC industry analyst with IDC said: “The (manufacturers) making progress are the ones getting closer to customers, like Motion Computing”, while Dell, HP, Toshiba and Gateway “have to come up with applications that are a little more mainstream or mass market. The hard part is they’re not used to thinking that way, in terms of applications, as (tablet computing) is less and less about speeds and feeds, and more about the experience.”