Dell announces Latitude Z laptop with wireless charging

Dell seems to have a bit of a thing for skinny laptops — it launched the slender Adamo earlier this year, has the Adamo XPS on the way and has now announced the svelte Latitude Z.

Dell is claiming that the Latitude Z is the world’s thinnest, lightest 16in laptop, but while the 20mm thickness is certainly impressive, we’re not sure that the 2kg weight is that much to shout about. Still, it’s a great looking laptop and Dell has also slipped in a few innovative features.

More details and photos after the cut.

The Dell Latitude Z uses an Intel CULV Core 2 Duo processor — either the 1.4GHz SU9400 or 1.6GHz SU9600 — and comes either 2Gb or 4Gb of RAM. That 16in screen has a 1600 x 900 resolution and it’s backed by the Intel GMA4500MHD graphic chipset, which means that while video playback should be up to scratch, 3D gaming is off the menu.

Although the screen isn’t touch-sensitive, the Latitude Z’s bezel is. A touch on the right side brings up application shortcuts, though we can’t see how this is that much different to having shortcut buttons above the keyboard.

More impressive is the optional $200 stand that charges the Latitude Z wirelessly — just like the Palm Pre’s TouchStone dock. There’s also an optional wireless HDMI adapter for use with a compatible monitor to cut down the cables still further.

The Latitude Z has yet to appear on Dell’s UK site , but US prices start at $1,799 (around £1,100).

[ Dell US]