Yeah, you know the deal with teardowns. So if you've been wondering at all what Dell's semi-rugged capacitive touchscreen convertible tablet looks like disrobed, head on over and check out one pretty naked Latitude XT.

HP's already jumped on board, and it looks like Qualcomm's now also managed to convince Dell of the merits of its Gobi dual-3G chipset, which will soon be finding its way into a variety of Latitude, Precision, and other unspecified consumer laptops. For those not up to speed, that welcome addition will let you connect to both EV-DO and HSPA networks the world over without having to carry two different mobile broadband cards with you, with switching between the two as easy as flipping a software switch. Unfortunately, there's no word on the exact models that'll be getting the upgrade, nor is there any word on how much extra it'll cost or exactly when it'll be available, with Dell only going so far as to say that they'll be available "later this year."

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.

Our week o' Dell scoops continues with what Dell calls its "mainstream" and "essential" series of Latitude E-series laptops. While the enterprise-ready, mainstream series packs just about everything (and more) that you could hope for in a balanced spec-for-size lappie, the essential series is only essential if you're on a tight budget and just can't live without the comparatively low-end chub. The 15.4-inch E6500 and 14.1-inch E6400 models will replace Dell's D830 and D630 whereas the "essential" 15.4-inch E5500 and 14.1-inch E5400 carry on the low-end tradition of Dell's D531 and D530. With any luck, these will be Dell's first Montevina / Centrino 2 class machines if they all hit the targeted June release date as planned. AMD fans will see the E5500a and E5400a configurations at about the same time. So what can you expect under the hood? Well, just look at the 5.1-pound E6500 which reads like a suit's, geek fantasy:

• UWB, Bluetooth 2.1, mobile broadband
  
• Integrated GPS, yes GPS
• New 84WHr slice batteries for "all day" computing
  
• LED backlighting, 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution, discrete nVIDIA graphics and DisplayPort out
  
• Hard, Hybrid, and Solid State disk drive options with eSATA jack for more
• Optional camera and mic
• Plenty of security options including contact-less smart cards and encrypted hard disks

Time to pad those budgets a bit, eh CIOs? Full low-down in the gallery below.

See that? That's Dell's Latitude roadmap stretching into Q1 of 2009. We already told you about Dell's XT2 tablet plans yesterday and gave you the initial peek at the E-series back in February. Details of each the new Es shortly as our week o' Dell scoops continues. Until then, kick back and soak it all in with the assurance that Dell's thinner, lighter Centrino 2-based E-series laptops with options for "all-day batteries" and an emphasis on design are on the way. Non-squinty version available below.

While Dell's tame Latitude D630 just got Penryn-ized, the XFR edition comes ready for operation in seriously extreme scenarios. Built to meet MIL-STD 810F standards from the Department of Defense, this beast not only handles just about anything you throw at it, on it or inside it, but it also promises to provide "23-percent better system performance than the Panasonic CF-30." Furthermore, it boasts a 14.1-inch outdoor readable display (with optional touchscreen technology), a 2.0GHz T7250 or 2.2GHz T7500 CPU, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a shock-mounted 80GB HDD (or a 32GB / 64GB SSD, if you prefer), integrated DVD burner, Intel's GMA X3100 graphics set, WiFi / Bluetooth and optional WWAN for good measure. You'll also find a 6-cell battery with ExpressCharge, a magnesium handle, a smorgasbord of ports and a starting weight of 8.9-pounds. Heck, Dell even gives you a choice of Black / Charcoal and Desert Tan color schemes, but you'll be handing over a minimum of $3,899 to pick up either.

Uh, we figured this whole Penryn update thing was all taken care of by now, but for whatever reason, Dell has found it quite pleasing to roll out said chips to its machines on a one (or two) at a time basis. Just a day after the new processors landed in the Precision M2300 and M4300 -- and merely two days since they crawled within the M6300 -- the Round Rock powerhouse has seen fit to hook up the all-business Latitude D630 and D830. Effective immediately, interested consumers can snatch up one (or both, we 'spose) of the aforementioned machines with a 2.5GHz T9300 or 2.6GHz T9500, both of which include 6MB of L2 cache. Meanwhile, prospective M1530 buyers are becoming increasingly incensed at Dell's apparent negligence of their favorite machine.

[Thanks, Juha]
Read - Latitude D630
Read - Latitude D830

We've got a bit of preliminary dirt on Dell's new, soon-to-be-announced Latitude E-series machines, and we're liking what we see. So far we know there will be a 4.25 pound / 14.1-inch and 5 pound / 15.4-inch version, both with WXGA and WXGA+ LED backlit displays, as well as a 12-inch (pictured above) and 13.3-inch version for road warrior types. Expect DisplayPort, eSATA, plenty of USB ports, and PC or ExpressCard slots in the larger models. More on these as we get it in.

Much like the long-awaited XPS m1330, Dell's fancy fresh Latitude XT didn't come quick nor cheap. Nevertheless, the previously mythical convertible tablet is finally here and shipping out to consumers -- or, ones that are willing to pay the premium, we suppose. Sure, the XT is packed with all sorts of simplistic sexiness, not to mention the mighty impressive list of specifications, but Dell didn't seem to mind much that bargain hunters would be looking elsewhere when it priced this thing to start at $2,499.

So, now that no one can jump on the Round Rock powerhouse for making a promise it couldn't keep, how's about keeping it honest with a few suggestions for the next iteration? Maybe toss in a little multi-touch action (as in, for realz)? Spice it up with a few color options? What about an optional panel with a resolution higher than WXGA? C'mon, with something this expensive, we're sure there's plenty of room for improvement -- after all, it's not like there's a price ceiling (glass or otherwise) that we've got to mind here. Oh, and for those who've actually had the pleasure of owning one, your input is particular coveted.

Dell's promised the Latitude XT will launch tomorrow, but apparently forgot to mention that to one particular web engineer who has "Latitude XT" up in lights with its other Latitude brethren. Unfortunately, as soon as you click through all mentions of the XT disappear. What a tease. We'll keep you posted, but we're guessing this is an error and Dell isn't going to start selling the XT today just for kicks.

[Thanks, Ryan L.]

Yeah, Seagate's uber-secure 2.5-inch Momentus 5400 FDE.2 hard drive has been available on the open market for some time, but Dell is looking to become to first big player to offer it up within its laptops. Starting "this week," the Latitude D630 and D830 will be available with the crypto drive as an option, and it will come bundled with the Embassy Trust Suite from software company Wave Systems. Officially, Dell has yet to reveal how much it'll cost to upgrade to the drive, but judging by the Higher Education order portal, swapping in a 120GB encrypted HDD will run you $152.10 more than the vanilla 60GB unit the D630 comes with.

If you're in the market for a ruggedized, kill-or-be-killed type of laptop, perhaps one which closely resembles a mutated Speak & Spell, then the Augmentix XTG630 might be right up your alley. The 14.1-inch laptop is based on the Dell Latitude architecture, and features a Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB of RAM, a removable 80GB hard drive plus a 32GB SSD, an Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics chipset, 802.11a/g/draft n, mobile broadband in EVDO or HSDPA flavors, Bluetooth 2.0, and a whole load of ports and jacks for your connectivity pleasure. Of course, the XTG630 has been tested to "Military Standards" for ruggedness, meaning you can operate the laptop in extremely low (minus 4 degrees) or extremely high (140 degrees) temperatures, drop it from a height of 3-feet, soak it in 4-inches of rain per hour, or run the system in an environment with 95 percent humidity. Additionally, the laptop says it will do "whatever it takes" to gather enemy intelligence, and will also "take a bullet for you."

While we patiently await Dell's highly-touted gift to the tablet PC universe, the marketing crew has apparently decided that obliterating yet another rival machine will keep the buzz alive until this thing actually launches. This go 'round, a team gathers around a blindfolded individual who takes his frustrations out on a piñata, er, tablet PC, and does a fine job of making sure it never boots up the same way again. Per usual, the video of the massacre is after the break, but we're still not sure what all it proves about Dell's forthcoming solution.

[Via GottaBeMobile]