Dell Latitude D420 Ultraportable Laptop Announced

Dell today announced the Dell Latitude D420 ultraportable 12.1-inch laptop with a starting weight of three pounds and the potential to deliver more than seven hours of battery life.

The Latitude D420 features a 12.1-inch wide-aspect display, full-sized keyboard and dual pointing capability. Customers can configure systems with choice of Wi-Fi 802.11g or 802.11a/g, as well as optional integrated mobile broadband connections from Cingular or Verizon Wireless in the United States, and Vodafone in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is 802.11n-ready, and features the Wi-Fi Catcher, a switch that can help find wireless connections without turning on or booting up, or turn all wireless devices off.

While systems come standard with Smart Card readers and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security technology, customers can add biometric fingerprint readers at time of purchase. Mobile users will appreciate the more than seven hours of battery life (based on preliminary benchmarks) supplied by the nine-cell extended life battery.

Starting at $1,379, the Latitude D420 is powered by Intel Core Solo processors Ultra Low Voltage. Single-core configurations are available immediately. Dual-core configurations are scheduled to be available later this summer.

The Latitude D420 includes three USB ports, an IEEE 1394 port and a Secure Digital (SD) card slot.