CIOZone.com - Professional Network for CIOs and IT Professionals

Dell announced a new addition to its Latitude Z business laptop lineup, a new machine that among other things features a wireless charging capability.

First, let’s get the humdrum business out of the way. The new device is being billed by Dell as the world’s thinnest, lightest 16-inch laptop, weighing in at 4.5 pounds with a four cell battery. It runs on Intel’s Core 2 Duo low-voltage chips at speeds of 1.4GHz to 1.6 GHz and supports up to 4GB of RAM. Pricing starts at $1,999.

OK, so now that that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at the Latitude Z’s other big new feature: wireless docking and inductive charging. Apparently, the laptop can be placed on a special stand that generates an electromagnetic field. The field charges a coil in the bottom of the laptop without any wires needing to be connected, and according to Dell, can charge the battery in about the same time as a traditional AC charger.

This is the first time I’ve heard of inductive charging being used in a laptop, so it caused me to do a little more digging. Not surprisingly inductive charging has been around for a while and a version of the technology was even used in General Motors’ electric car, the EV-1. More commonly, it is used to charge electric toothbrushes or waterproof razors, where water coming into contact with electricity is a danger. On the higher-end, the technology has been used to power up artificial hearts and other surgically implanted devices.

From the consumer’s point of view, here’s where inductive technology could be a big benefit. At the end of the day, many people do the plug-in dance. They run around plugging-in the cellphone, the iPod, the laptop and perhaps a portable game device for the next day. Some companies, like WildCharge and eCoupled (formerly SplashPower), are developing inductive charging pads, which would essentially allow you to lay your BlackBerry, iPhone, or netbook down on a charging pad at night and without plugging in a cord, charge the devices up for the next day.

It’s still early days for the technology, but now that mainstream manufacturers like Dell are making it a feature of their laptops, an inductive charging pad may soon be a common feature in homes and offices.
 

Comments (1)

	1. 10-01-2009 11:44
	This is certainly an interesting development, but with a 4 cell battery it seems this laptop is going to need frequent recharging, which means you'll need to carry the pad or an AC adapter around with you. Until inductive charging is more widespread, a more useful innovation for me would be if Dell could find a way to finally use an AC adapter cord that doesn't fall out of the back of the laptop at the slightest movement. Registered

Fred Kauber

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.