Round Rock, Texas-based Dell, one of the world's leading vendors of portable and desktop computer systems, has announced the debut of its new line of business-oriented laptops, the much-anticipated Latitude Z-series. Boasting a thin and light design, the new laptop has been specifically designed for business consumers, featuring Intel's Core 2 Duo processor and a number of unique features that make the new Latitude Z 600 model a machine to keep an open eye for.

According to available specifications, the new Latitude Z-series combines an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 16-inch display that is capable of supporting a resolution of 1600 by 900 pixels. There's a large multitouch touchpad, a 2MP webcam, backlit keyboard and an interesting EdgeTouch sensor that has been integrated into the backlit screen bezel. This feature enables the end-user to browse through some of his favorite applications, which are displayed on a quick launch bar for apps.

However, for today's business users, who mostly rely on their Blackberry for checking mails and browsing the Internet, Dell has included another interesting feature, which it has dubbed Latitude ON. The technology is essentially based on a dedicated low-voltage ARM processor, the Texas Instruments' OMAP 3430, which enables users to boot to a slimmed-down version of a Linux operating system. A similar technology has been integrated into some of the most popular netbooks on the market and is called Instant-On. The Latitude ON makes little exception from the rule and will enable business users to check their emails, browse the Internet through a Firefox-based Internet browser (with no Flash support) and take advantage of a better battery life.

The Latitude Z 600 has also been featured with a UWB radio to support a wireless base dock (which is also an interesting accessory Dell will roll out in November), designed to provide a DVI and USB connectors, but also to allow users to wirelessly charge the laptop.

Unfortunately, all of the above haven't exactly been designed for the business-conscious user, as the price tag of the Latitude Z-series laptop is expected to start at around US$2,000+.