Dell's new notebooks and tablets showcase cutting edge design and features

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Dell recently showcased some of its latest tablets, 2-in-1 devices, notebooks and peripherals. Shaking off the old notion that Dell specializes in stodgy enterprise PCs, the new devices showed off exciting new designs, quality materials and premium features.

Dell had the popular XPS 13 with Infinity Display as well as some Alienware gaming notebooks to round out their laptop lines.

The most impressive devices shown off recently in Toronto included the new Dell Venue 10 7000 Android tablet which is designed for BYOD and is on of the first enterprise-facing Android For Work devices in the market.

The Venue 10 7000 is a bona fide 2-in-1, working primarily as a tablet but can convert into a capable and ultra-thin notebook when latched on to an accessory keyboard. The keyboard isn't flimsy and is quite solid with good tactile feedback and convenient backlit keys. Running Android, this tablet is geared towards business users but makes sense for anyone seeking a capable and lightweight device that can run Office 365 on Android or Google Docs.

Another standout is the Dell Venue 8 7000 which won accolades earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This incredibly thin tablet features an innovatiove 8.4" 2560 x 1600 OLED infinity display that's unlike any display on any competing device. The brightness and saturation of OLED puts the Venue 8 7000 in a unique position among premium tablets.

The Venue 8 7000 is well-designed and exquisitely built, it really sets the bar high for more premium tablets in this space. It is also only 6 mm thin. It’s easy to hold and lightweight enough to pop into your bag and get going.

Also shown off at the preview were new Alienware Alpha, which is a full-featured PC console that can also double as a standalone PC.

The Alienware Alpha, which starts at $499, is designed specifically for services like Steam but can also play standalone games.