Dell today announced a new 4K (3,840-by-2,160) resolution screen option for its line of workhorse Precision M3800 mobile workstation laptops.

Built with indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO2) technology with Corning Gorilla Glass NBT protection, the 4K display is a plus for detail-oriented visual workers in architecture, engineering, and photography.

The last Precision M3800 had a 3,200-by-1,800 resolution screen, so the update is a subtle improvement. Still, as Dell points out, that gives the new system a much higher-resolution screen than the 2,880-by-1,800 display on the Retina Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch.

Other improvements include support for Thunderbolt 2 (using the familiar mini DisplayPort interface), 10-finger touch screens for 4K and full HD screens, up to 1TB SSD support for up to 2TB with two internal drives, and Ubuntu Linux support.

The system is ready for single and corporate customers in the architecture, engineering, manufacturing, media, music, and photography fields, as well as education for all of the above. We think that the new system may be attractive in mixed Apple OS X and Microsoft Windows offices, since Thunderbolt drives and other accessories can now be shared between Precision M3800 users and MacBook users. It has a system weight at about 4.5 pounds and is about 18mm (0.71 inches) thick, so it’s a system that can travel with mainline workers and execs.

The updated Dell Precision M3800 mobile workstation starts at $1,699 for the base model with Intel Core i7-4712HQ processor, Nvidia Quadro K1100M graphics, 8GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive, and a full HD (1080p) touch screen, but expect to add $70 for the 4K touch screen and more for additional storage, depending on your company’s needs. The system is available today; look for a review on PCMag.com soon.