Dell Enterprise Tablet Plans

8 Classic Video Games Begging For Tablet Versions

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"Pick up your device," says Neil Hand, VP of Dell's tablet group. I do as instructed, removing my iPhone, which I've been using to record the conversation, from the tabletop.

Hand immediately hammers the tablet he's holding -- one of Dell's new Venue 11 Pro 7000 series two-in-ones -- against the table, striking with gusto that evokes the superhero Thor dispatching some villain in the movies. Heads turn as a succession of loud thwacks! cuts through the air in the Dell World press lounge.

"I knew that was you," one of the turned heads says to Hand.

"Can you guys keep it down?" another exec jokes.

"I have a passion for what I do!" Hand responds. This clearly isn't the first time today that he's subjected his Venue 11 to abuse.

[iPad users consume a lot of Web traffic. See Apple Dominates North American Tablet Market.]

Hand is describing the company's philosophy toward designing tablets. Like all OEMs that make Windows tablets, Dell lives in the iPad's shadow. But Hand says Dell is making a mark with smart decisions such as durable designs -- a point his tablet-banging is meant to demonstrate.

"I always ask if anyone has a personal tablet they'd like to run that same test with," he says after he finishes knocking the Venue 11 against the table. "Not a single person has ever said yes."

Windows OEMs have made this case before, that consumer-oriented devices such as iPads aren't built to withstand day-to-day use by professionals in the field. Apple's iPad sales have dropped the last few quarters, but the devices still constitute the single most popular and profitable line of tablets, so it's not clear if the durability sales pitch is more than a niche differentiator. But Hand is enthusiastic about many other qualities of his devices.

Hand promises that Dell's tablets will work as well after several years as they do on day one, for example. "Four years might be pushing it in some cases," he says, "But I say three years."

Dell's Venue 11 Pro 7000 is one of the first two-in-ones with Intel's new power-efficient Core M processors.

Why is four years pushing it? Because the latest Windows tablets are so thin and light, they're more likely than traditional laptops to be carried around, which means that daily wear could eventually add up, Hand says. His observation aligns with my anecdotal experience; I find Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 a bit cramped and ergonomically limited compared to my three-year-old Lenovo ThinkPad, for example, but because the Pro 3 is so much more portable, it's the device I usually grab for on-the-go work.

But Hand thinks Dell's devices have a leg up on Windows stablemates such as the Surface. He boasts that when Dell launched the original Venue 11 Pro last year, he told customers that the tablet's accessories, including various attachable keyboards and a docking station, would be compatible with at least the next two generations of devices. True to his word, this year's follow-up model -- the Venue 11 Pro 7000 Hand has just knocked against the table -- supports all of last year's gear. In comparison, you can use an older TypeCover keyboard on Microsoft's Surface Pro 3, but because the newest Surface is bigger than older models you'll have to buy a new keyboard to get an optimal experience.

Dell's efforts are a compelling value proposition for enterprises, Hand argues. The devices are cost-effective due not only to their durability, but also their modularity, given that replacing a keyboard doesn't require replacing the rest of the machine and vice versa. Moreover, it's not just that Dell's tablets are tough, he continues; they also hit the sweet spot between productivity and portability.

This smacks a bit of one of Windows OEMs' other favorite arguments: That because two-in-one devices such as the Venue 11 Pro combine laptop and tablet in one package, they can replace both a MacBook and an iPad. But surprisingly, Hand veers off this route.

In the commercial world, many employees will continue to rely on Windows 7 for the immediate future, he says, conceding that business customers have

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