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Dell introduces $499.99 XPS 10 Windows RT, $649 Latitude 10 Windows 8 tablets

The XPS 10 will compete against Microsoft's Surface RT, while the Latitude 10 joins what's quickly becoming a crowded Windows 8 tablet PC market.
Written by Sean Portnoy, Contributor
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Dell hasn't had the best luck with tablets in the past, but that hasn't stopped it from joining the fray for new Windows slates. It's just announced pricing for a pair of new models, one running Windows RT and one Windows 8, that are now available for order on the Dell website.

The XPS 10 (pictured above) will have to compete against Microsoft's own Surface RT, as well as the Asus Vivo Tab RT, Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11, and Samsung Ativ Tab. It uses the 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and features a 10.1-inch 1,366x768 multi-touch display protected by Asahi Dragontrail high-strength glass. At the base $499.99 price, you get 32GB of flash storage, or you can pony up another $100 to get a version with double the storage capacity. You also get the usual tablet specs like front- and rear-facing cameras and microSDXC memory-card slot, but no cellular data option appears available.

The usual keyboard/docking station is available as an option, adding $180 to the price. It includes a touchpad, stereo speakers, additional battery, and more connectivity options. The base pricing for the XPS 10 is similar to the Surface RT, and less than some RT competitors, though Microsoft's Type Cover costs less Dell's keyboard dock (albeit without the extra battery).

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The Latitude 10 will also be competing with Microsoft's Surface with Windows 8 Pro, and a slew of other enterprise-friendly Windows 8 tablets. Again, it's priced aggressively at $649 for a base configuration of 2GB of RAM, 64GB solid-state storage, Intel Atom Z2760 dual-core processor, and 10.1-inch, 1,366x768 IPS display with Gorilla Glass. For an extra $100 you can order a productivity dock with four USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet jack, and HDMI output, but no keyboard. For $849, the Latitude comes with both the dock and built-in 3G capability.

There are a number of options to jack up the pricing, including a $49 stylus, $79 extra battery, Dell Data Protection and Encryption support, and, in 2013, fingerprint and smart card reader. As with all Windows 8 tablets, you get a "trial" version of Microsoft Office, while all Windows RT tablets get a more cut-down version of Office.

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