Week O' Dell Scoops Part Deux, fini: the Latitude E-series accessories

We're closing out our Week O' Dell scoops the way it began, with Dell's new Ergo, revealed. Clearly, it's not a waffle iron or bulk food scale with LCD monitor. It's just an E-series stand supporting LCDs up to 24-inches. Sorry, but it looks like the existing Latitude D-series of docks won't work for the new Es. As such, prepare to purchase a truckload of new E-Ports to accompany your Latitude E6000 and E5000 laptops, E4300 and E4200 ultra-portables, and the semi-rugged E6400 ATG. At least the XT2 Tablet should work with the existing XT media base. All the details can be found in the gallery below.

Gallery: Week O' Dell Scoops, part deux fini: the Latitude E-series accessories

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[Flashpoint @ Mar 28th 2008 8:12AM]

This thing is UGLY.

Its funny but the industries have decided that they were going to mask their poor designs by offering large LCD screens that take up as much space as possible.

I can't imagine sitting in front of this thing to do work. Now playing Crysis....

[BobbyW @ Mar 28th 2008 8:29AM]

seriously, dell's new designs of the month loo like 8th graders sketched them up in shop class.

[benjesuit @ Mar 28th 2008 8:46AM]

Taking a few steps back in style... again.

Poor Dell. Just cant get the whole form and function concept down.

[schmitty338 @ Mar 28th 2008 9:33AM]

I don't think that is fair....Dell's XPS series of laptops (mainly the M1330 and M1530) are pretty stylish IMO, and the new E-series latitudes look amazing!

I agree this dock/LCD stand is quite ugly, but I wouldn't say they have been making a habit of it.

[Ali @ Mar 28th 2008 9:18AM]

What's wrong with getting an external monitor hooked up via DVI or HDMI? This is better... how??

[Ali @ Mar 28th 2008 9:26AM]

Ah, this is a dock as well... Hmm... Still doesnt tickle me..

[gaforces @ Mar 28th 2008 10:18AM]

It does look like a waffle maker and it also looks like the laptop would interfere with the monitor if you open the lid. Bad design.

[Eric @ Mar 28th 2008 10:55AM]

Looks like the Bang and Olufsen meets Legos. :-D

[Steve @ Mar 28th 2008 11:11AM]

If this design prevents a user from having two screens--laptop and external--it hardly seems worth it.

[Reg @ Mar 28th 2008 2:53PM]

Small but important point for me...

Regarding the 24" monitor spec and thus 1920x1200 native res. Wasn't the previous upper limit on Latitude notebooks 1600x1200 for a digital port?

Can someone confirm that? And if that is so are we seeing the benefits of the new graphics cards in the Latitudes to be released June '08?

[El Guapo @ Mar 28th 2008 6:24PM]

My current Latitude D820 is 1920x1200 native resolution and it also outputs at the same resolution to my 24 inch monitor.

To those that say this is a bad design I have to disagree, it does what it is intended to do if you need something like this. Now if you want dual monitors the other E-Ports give you that option, and if you just need a stand and want to hook up directly to your notebook just buy the Latitude Notebook stand. The options for the new Latitude seem good so far, now they just need to introduce and E-Dock with and internal bay for an express card add on and for an internal E-bay much like the D-Dock had.

[Reg @ Mar 28th 2008 7:15PM]

Thanks, EG.

I forgot the D8xx had WUXGA... Just so I'm clear your connecting the D820 to the 24" monitor via analog VGA-- correct?

I've got zero experience with this so I'm asking out of ignorance. Is there generally a loss when you use a analog connection as opposed to a digital connection with respect to the "input lag" and "resolution fidelity" on a external monitor?

In other words-except for image size-- is your viewing experince the same using the ext. monitor vs. the LCD on the D820?

FWIW, assume I'm interested in business applications no gaming.

[IT-Accountant @ Mar 28th 2008 1:35PM]

It does seem like an efficient use of desk space... I'll say that for it. Even though I would never buy one. I'm addicted to my dual-screen setup.

[Candja... @ Mar 28th 2008 9:32PM]

Cat says:

It are NOT hat?! It are still fugly!