With Windows 8 almost here, Dell has finally unveiled its expected business-friendly tablet, the Latitude 10. Packing a full-fledged version of Windows 8 Pro and Intel's Clover Trail Atom processor, this 10.1-inch tablet promises to offer a viable solution for business users.

Today's tablet market is already crowded, but Dell touts one significant advantage. While ARM-based Windows tablets cannot run old-school Windows programs, Intel-based devices such as the Latitude 10 tablet will. This aspect weighs significantly in the business world, where users need custom in-house applications and programs designed around Microsoft's Windows; it eliminates the need to re-write company programs for Android or iOS.

While some were hoping to see the futuristic design of Dell's XPS 10 in the business models as well, the Latitude 10 is designed to be more practical. The tablet comes finished all in black, clad in a soft-touch finish that offers a good grip. The sturdy body seems capable of surviving the hassle of a corporate environment. The Latitude 10, however, is heavier than the average Windows RT or Android slate, weighing in at 725g with the standard two-cell battery.

The Dell Latitude 10 is driven by Intel's Atom Z2670 CPU and packs 2GB of RAM, while eMMC solid-state drives offer up to 128GB of storage. Basic models will include 802.11n and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, but Dell also offers mobile broadband-enabled versions, with the SIM slot hidden beneath the tablet's removable battery. Dell will offer the Latitude 10 with both two- and four-cell batteries, but the company did not provide any battery life estimates. This option does, however, make it possible to carry a spare battery for emergencies.

Because the tablet is designed for business users, security is one of the top priorities. The Latitude 10 has TPM built in as standard, and Dell will also be offering optional fingerprint and smartcard readers, as well as other configurable options such as five-level encryption.

The range of ports and connectors for the Latitude 10 includes a single full-sized USB 2.0 port, a full-sized SD card reader, miniHDMI, and a microUSB charging port alongside the docking connector. The tablet also packs a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera equipped with LED flash.

One notable feature the Latitude 10 lacks is a keyboard dock, but Dell is touting an optional productivity dock which includes four USB 2 ports, HDMI and audio output, as well as Gigabit Ethernet.

The business-friendly Dell Latitude 10 tablet will launch alongside Windows 8 on Oct. 26, but Dell offered no pricing details yet.