More Dell E-series Netbook details leak

We first started hearing about Dell's under-development 9-inch Netbook-style laptop after a prototype was spotted under founder Michael Dell's arm last month. Now the guys at Engadget have turned up a slew of leaked docs describing what the company is calling the Dell E and the Dell E Slim. No relation to the similar ASUS Eee PC, naturally.

It looks like the Dell E will have an 8.9-inch 1,024 x 600 display, a 1.6GHz Intel Diamondville CPU (part of the Atom family), and have either a 4, 8, or 16GB SSD hard drive. RAM options are 512MB or 1GB, and the OS choices are Linux and Windows XP.

Dell estimates it'll weigh about 2.2 pounds, with an initial rollout in August, and new features, including WiMax and WWAN support sometime after October. Purported starting price? A mere US$299 (but that's obviously just for the 512MB version with a 4GB flash hard drive and Linux).
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Dell E Slim takes on ultraportables

Since the beginning, ultraportables have commanded a premium for portability. Some claimed this was due to the engineering and miniaturization required to fit components in a 12.1-inch chassis or smaller. However, Dell's E Slim may change all that.

For those who feel the 8.9-inch display on the Dell E is too small for comfort, the Dell E Slim offers almost the same portability and low price as the former, but comes with a much larger 12.1-inch screen. It offers two models: The Dell E Slim puts in a 1.3GHz Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 40GB HDD, 802.11b/g and a Webcam, while its more expensive sibling, the Dell E Slim+, bumps up the processor to 1.6GHz, memory to 2GB, 60GB HDD and adds Bluetooth. Both models run on Linux OS, though Windows XP can also be installed.

One of the most interesting features of this 1.2kg device is its battery life. The three-cell already has an impressive uptime of 4.5 hours, but put in the optional six-cell and the Dell E Slim should go for up to 9 hours. Other features include a 0.3-megapixel Webcam, optional WiMAX and WWAN, three USB ports, VGA output and an SD card reader.

No pricing details are available, but the report claims that the Dell E Slim should be released sometime in August. Dell does not have any comments regarding the accuracy of this rumor.

Picture credit: Engadget

Dell UMPC gets details

Dell refuses to confirm it, but Engadget somehow managed to get what looks like presentation slides on the upcoming Dell UMPC.

The Dell E targets the same 8.9-inch segment as the Eee PC 900 and HP Mini-Note, with three configurations available. The entry-level Dell E classic is mainly for Internet usage, with an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB flash storage and Linux OS. It does have 802.11b/g compatibility, but like the ASUS Eee PC, does not include Bluetooth in the mix. The Dell E Video bumps up the specs to 1GB RAM, 8GB storage and a built-in 0.3-megapixel camera, while the high-end Dell E Video+ adds Bluetooth along with a 12GB flash drive.

Common features include a 1,024 x 600-pixel resolution display, three USB ports, VGA output, SD card reader and a four-cell battery claiming to have a 5-hour uptime. WiMAX and WWAN are optional extras, and there seems to be a choice of up to five colors. Linux is the default OS, though Windows XP can also be installed.

The slides claim the Dell E should be available from August with a starting price of US$299. This puts it in the same price bracket as the Eee PC 900. Though Dell confirms it has a UMPC in the roadmap, it did not comment on these rumored specifications for the Dell E.

Picture credit: Engadget

Toshiba's smallest, fastest hard drive is now bigger

Toshiba has announced a 1.8-inch hard drive that combines high capacity with high performance. The drive (model MK617GSG) gives you 160GB of storage spinning at 5,400rpm. Other 160GB 1.8-inch drives have been chugging along at 4,200rpm, until now. Expect to see this drive--and the single platter 80GB version of it--in mininotebooks in August. No details yet on how much of a discount these drives will offer over similarly sized solid-state drives.

Via CNET Crave

HP: Yes, we are looking to bring Voodoo to Asia

BERLIN, GERMANY--The headline says it all.

Although nothing is concrete at the moment, HP representatives have said the company is considering bringing the Voodoo brand to Asia. Voodoo products are sold primarily in the US and via online retailers. The premium computer brand has no distributors or channel partners in Asia.

The company's intention was made known to a group of Asia Pacific and Japan media in a breakout session on the second day of the Connecting Your World event. More details will be made available before the end of the year. Issues such as aftersales service and delivering the customer experience are being discussed internally.

In an aside with CNET Asia, we were told the company has no immediate plans to bring the high-end Voodoo Omen desktop that was announced yesterday to Asia. If anything, the likelihood is higher of the ultraslim Envy 133 (and it's really just a possibility) landing in our region.

For now, it's back to more thumb-twiddling waiting.

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