Back in September of 2009 we started shipping Latitude ON. The original version is an OMAP-based add-in card that delivers instant access and all day battery life for business users of the Dell E4200, E4300 and most recently the Latitude Z.
Recently we rolled out Latitude ON | FLASH. This new addition to the Latitude ON family runs on a special flash memory module that snaps into an internal mini-card slot on supported systems. It fits in the middle of the Latitude ON options, in between the Latitude ON Reader and the full OMAP version that I blogged about in this earlier post.
By running on a low-cost memory card Latitude ON | FLASH delivers a broad level of functionality at a significantly lower price point than the original Latitude ON OMAP-based offering. However, that does also mean that you don't run the software on a dedicated processor that requires significantly less power, customers using the cheaper Latitude ON| FLASH will not get the benefit of potentially multi-day battery life.
But with a new Gen 2 interface and the addition of Skype, support for Flash and full web browsing functionality, thin client capabilities, and other types of media, Latitude ON | FLASH seems like it might be a good compromise for business users who still want instant on access to a lot of the productivity tools they use everyday without having to boot into the operating system.
We're currently offering Latitude |ON FLASH as an option on new Latitude E4200, E4300 and Z machines for a $50 upgrade. That will get you both the hardware and software. Click on the image below to see it in more detail.
I noticed a thread on Notebookreview.com where some users were asking questions about the hardware and the software. We'll be selling the Latitude ON | FLASH hardware on Dell.com soon. The software requires the hardware module to continue with the install. I'll be sure to add the Dell.com link to this post when we do start offering the hardware.
Key Features include:
- Fast boot in 8-10 seconds
- WiFi and LAN 10/100/1000 networking capabilities
- Secure environment with Multi-user login, strong password, and a locked-down environment that is tamper proof and malware/virus resistant
- Thin client capabilities with Web access or Citrix, VMware and RDP clients to access remote desktops.
- Chat and VoIP Chat capabilities supporting ICQ, MSN, Google Talk, AIM, Yahoo Messenger services.
- VoIP allows text, voice or video chat (using built-in webcam if present)
- Read Microsoft Office 2000, XP, 2000, 2003, 2007 and 2010 docs. Also, Adobe PDF 8.1 (requires internet connection)
- Edit Microsoft Office 2000, XP, 2000, 2003 and 2007 documents (requires internet connection)
- Supports IT pushed upgrades. User policies include Remote delete/wipe data, lock screen (after specified inactivity), force password change, delete accounts, failed password lockout
- Supports JAVA, Adobe Flash, Remote Desktop – Citrix, Remote Desktop – VMware, and Remote Desktop – RDP