Fully fledged ultra-portables had been around for sometime from the likes of Sony, Toshiba and Lenovo, but ever since Apple announced the MacBook Air earlier this year, the trend has gained more track and attention from manufacturers and consumers alike. Intel also deserves its share of credit since it has kept pushing for smaller and more efficient mobile processors that make improvements in this sector feasible.

Dell now plans to join the new ultra-portable wave with the Latitude E4300 and E4200. Latitudes have historically been aimed at the business type, but with the new E-series we see a marked shift of style compared to the D430 model these will replace. Specs for both look standard in the high-end sense: 12.1" and 13.3" LED backlit screens, Intel Montevina mobile CPUs, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, DisplayPort output, SATA and SSD drive options, option of an internal bay in the 13" model, 2x USB ports, and a target of 2.2 to 3 pounds depending on the screen size. On paper these look spectacular, at least on par with the Thinkpad X300, and way more practical than the Air. You may have to wait until September, however.