We wrote yesterday about Dell Precision notebooks in regular and 2-in-1 flavors, plus a host of new models in the company's 25th-anniversary Optiplex desktop lineup. Those articles still don't cover all of the Texas-based PC maker's business-focused machines for end users, though. Dell has also updated its Latitude 5000 line with a pair of new versions built around Intel's eighth-generation H-series vPro mobile processors. Buyers can pick out Latitude 5491 and Latitude 5591 notebooks in many configurations, with or without Nvidia GeForce MX 130 graphics and Thunderbolt 3 ports.
The most obvious difference between the Latitude 5491 and the 5591 is their screen size. The "4" in 5491 denotes a 14" panel, and the "5" in the hundreds place of 5591 tips off a 15.6" display. Poverty-spec models of either size get 1366×768 screens. Buyers looking for more resolution and wider viewing angles can drop extra coin for 1920×1080 "wide-view-angle" panels, and those that can't contain their urges to poke at things can opt for a touchscreen with that same resolution. All screens have a brightness specification of 220 cd/m².
Marching orders for those pixels come from either an Intel UHD Graphics 630 IGP or an Nvidia GeForce MX130 graphics card. Dell didn't say how much or what type of memory chips the MX130 gets to peek and poke. As a reminder, MX130s can get up to 4 GB of GDDR5 or plain old DDR3 RAM. As for system memory, two SO-DIMM slots can accomodate up to 32 GB of 2666 MT/s DDR4. Storage options include 2.5" hard drives up to 1 TB, M.2 SATA and NVMe SSDs as large as 512 GB, or combinations of both.
The sides of the ooh-ooh-ooh new Latitudes sport all the connectors one would expect from a hard-workin' business portable, including three USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet connector, an SD card reader, and an audio combo jack. Models with processor graphics get an HDMI 1.4 port, but buyers that opt for Nvidia discrete graphics option get an HDMI 2.0 jack. Plenty of companies still cling to older projectors, so these 2018 machines still pack old-school analog VGA outputs. Base machines also have a USB Type-C port that supports DisplayPort over USB, but some extra money can magically transform that reversible connector into a full-blown Thunderbolt 3 jack.
Users that don't want to tangle with wires can use 2×2 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 from the buyers' choice between Qualcomm and Intel wireless cards. Those that need to put distance between themselves and an access point can spring for an optional Qualcomm Snapdragon X7 LTE modems. Going the other way, the Wi-Fi card can be replaced by an M.2-2230 SSD if one is so inclined.
The theme of choice continues into the realm of authentication. A FIPS 201-compliant smart-card-and-fingerprint reader is optional. Buyers can also choose between no webcam, a regular snapper, or an IR-capable unit that works with Windows Hello. Keyboard backlighting is an extra-cost feature on both notebook sizes.
The Latitude 5491 and 5591 both measure 0.9" thick at their thickest point. The 5491 starts at 3.6 lbs (1.7 kg), but gains weight as buyers add amenities and an optional 68-WHr battery pack. The 5591 begins at a slightly-heavier 4.3 lbs (1.9 kg). Dell claims a whopping 19-hour battery life for the most efficient system bearing the optional four-cell, 68-WHr long-life battery pack.
Dell backs the Latitude 5491 and Latitude 5591 with a one-year warranty, but a variety of extended warranties and support contracts are available. Buyers can get their choice between Windows 10 or two Linux distros. Latitude 5491 models will start at $899 when they go on sale on May 17. Prices for the Latitude 5591 begin at $999.