DELL INTRODUCES LINE OF BUSINESS COMPUTERS

New York
The Economic TimesDell Inc introduced a line of portable computers on Tuesday, hoping that lighter-weight machines with longer-lasting batteries will drive sales to business customers. The new line of Latitude PCs, which the company said represented a "significant investment" in research, features more than five new products, including what Dell called its "lightest ultra-portable" computer in its history.

Some of the new Latitude systems, dubbed the "E-family" of products, also include backlit keyboards, a battery that last up to 19 hours, and stronger data protection. During an Internet press event, Dell also mentioned "Latitude On", a system that will allow remote computer users to synchronize personal data such as contacts and appointment, much like Research in Motion's Blackberry system.

Dell said it would reveal more about the service "in coming months." The product rollout is the largest for Dell since it posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit in May, which was driven by cost cuts and strong demand from consumers and foreign markets.

At that time, the world's second-largest personal computer maker pointed to the strong performance as evidence that a year-long turnaround led by founder Michael Dell, who returned to the chief executive post in January 2007, was working. Dell shares slipped 8 cents to $25.11, in early afternoon trade on Nasdaq.