As widely expected, Dell finally formally announced its entry into the netbook market. It is called the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 rather than the Inspiron 910 as earlier rumours had suggested.
This small, easy-to-carry device stands ready to connect teens, tweens, travelers and “Tweeters” to their online world be it surfing the Web, chatting with friends, blogging, streaming content, uploading photos or enjoying favorite online videos, music and games.
Three models will be offered. The specifications pretty well match those that had been leaked earlier. All three will be powered by an Intel Atom processor with Intel GMA 950. They will come with a glossy 8.9-inch display (resolution of 1024 by 600).
The first configuration sells for USD$349 and comes with Ubuntu 8.04 (with an intuitive Dell-developed custom interface), 512MB RAM, a 4GB SSD and 2GB of online Box.net storage. The second configuration sells for USD$399 and comes with Windows XP Home Edition, 512MB RAM, and an 8GB SSD. The third configuration, selling for USD$449, comes with Windows XP Home Edition, 1GB RAM, and a 16GB SSD.
For all three, a Bluetooth will be an additional USD$20. Depending on the configuration you choose, a 0.3MP webcam could cost an additional USD$15 while a 1.3MP webcam could add USD$25 to the cost. All models come in Obsidian Black but are available in Alpine White for an additional USD$25.
The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is now available in the the U.S., Canada (although I could not find it on www.dell.ca), Japan and select countries in Europe. Availability elsewhere will be handled on a country -by-country basis.