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Dell has added the Latitude 13 to its business notebook lineup, with a design that is identical in virtually every respect to the Vostro V13 introduced in December. The “Latitude” brand name is used by Dell to indicate that the notebook includes features for management by large companies. Here’s the description of the added features distinguishing the Latitude 13 from the Vostro V13:

The Latitude 13 adds features such as remote manageability and  desktop virtualization through certification from Citrix and VMware to deliver a full PC experience to users in non-standard computing environments such as

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When you tell me about certain kinds of computer problems, I sometimes begin weeping uncontrollably, or excuse myself from the room for a few minutes while I gobble down powerful antidepressants. Let me give you another example to show you why.

A law firm wrestled with a new Dell Optiplex 760 for months, starting almost immediately after it was purchased – erratic lockups with no obvious cause and no pattern.

At some point the computer refused to restart, with a message on a black screen that there was no boot device to be found. It wasn’t consistent – […] continued

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Once my wife saw my Dell Vostro V13, it didn’t take long before we had two Vostro V13s.

The Vostro V13 is an ultrathin notebook with a 13” 1366×768 nonglare screen and a full-size keyboard. It’s two-thirds of an inch tall with the lid closed and weighs just 3.5 pounds. The aluminum body oozes style and elegance, with curved edges and a polished exterior that is surprisingly solid for such a light machine. It has the same appeal as some very expensive ultrathin laptops, the Dell Adamo and Sony Vaio Z, but sells for far […] continued

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Intel formally announced its new line of Atom N450 processors for netbooks, which will make the teensy computers powerful enough to be useful. In late January, Dell will be shipping the Inspiron Mini 10 with the new processors.

The features are pretty typical: 10-inch screens running at 1024×600 or 1366×768 resolution; 1Gb of memory (expandable, I hope); 160Gb or 250Gb hard drive; 3 cell or 6 cell battery; built-in wireless and optional built-in mobile broadband for data over a cell phone carrier’s network. The lightest ones will be under three pounds, although it will edge up […] continued

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Dell’s line of Optiplex desktops was updated a few days ago. It continues to be my first choice for small businesses. Like all the manufacturers, Dell changes its consumer lineup frequently – there are a dizzying array of Inspiron, Studio, and Studio XPS models, with constantly changing colors and specs. The Optiplex line has looked more or less the same for years; as much as possible the parts and configuration are standardized across the Optiplex line. They’re sturdy and Dell ships them with virtually no useless extra programs.

The latest models are the Optiplex 380 […] continued

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Now that we’ve all had our fun looking at ultraexpensive ultrathin notebooks, Dell announced one this week that looks much more reasonable. The Dell Vostro V13 has all the characteristics we want from an ultrathin notebook – a 13” screen and a full-size keyboard, in a package that’s two-thirds of an inch thick and weighs three and a half pounds. It can be configured with a Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4Gb of RAM, a 7200RPM hard drive. It’s beautiful.

Prices for the Dell Vostro V13 start at $650 for Windows 7 and a Core […] continued

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Let me show you some of the ultrathin notebooks that have caught my eye. There are more on the market and new ones are appearing every week, so this isn’t an endorsement, just an idea of what’s out there.

There are a few Dell models that look svelte and sleek. Click here to go to the Dell Small Business web site, then let your mouse hover over “Laptops & Netbooks.” You’ll be able to pick the specific models I mention from the menu that drops down.

Start with the Dell Studio 14z. It’s relatively inexpensive; it’s thin […] continued

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Trying to help a very small business decide on technology that will last for 5-10 years has always been an interesting challenge, and the choices are completely different now than they were just a few years ago. Small Business Server 2003 was an obvious choice for a long time but Small Business Server 2008 is only one of many possibilities now, and I’m frequently recommending alternatives, especially for businesses with 4-10 computers where SBS 2008 might be overkill.

Microsoft has quietly released an interesting product, Windows Foundation Server 2008, and I’m not sure yet where it fits in. It […] continued

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Access everywhere! Lots of interesting services are being set up to make it easy for you to have access to files, folders, photos, and computers from anywhere, whether it’s working on an office computer from home or bringing up pictures from your home computer on a mobile phone.

The latest entry comes from Dell, strangely enough. Dell just introduced Dell Remote Access, a ten dollar per month service for a number of tasks loosely related to “remote access.” It’s designed to be extremely easy to use. You’ll install some software on the computer to be controlled; the […] continued

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I set up a new Dell Inspiron 518 desktop computer today – a nice home computer, a lovely case bristling with USB ports and shiny black plastic that will attract dust like nobody’s business, fast and well-equipped, shipped with the correct configuration and working out of the box, as usual with Dell.

Dell ships computers with less preinstalled software than most other manufacturers, even from the Home & Home Office division, so setup is easy. There were a handful of third party apps to take off – Google’s cluttered “Google Desktop” widget/search program and the rarely used Google Toolbar, […] continued

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