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Dell Mini roadmap for 2009 leaks

by on06 April 2009

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Budget model in May, ULVPC model in Q2?

Netbooknews.de has scored a roadmap which details some of Dell's future Inspiron Mini plans and it seems like the company is going to stick its ULVPC products into the Mini family. Dell will also be launching a new budget model next month which will carry the Mini 10 branding.

The new Mini 10 which currently goes under the code name of "Bear" is similar in terms of specifications to the Mini 9, albeit with a 16:9 10.1-inch display with a native resolution of 1,024x576. It has an Atom N270 processor, the Intel 945GSE chipset, 512MB or 1GB of memory for Windows XP, or up to 2GB of memory for Ubuntu. It will also feature either a 120 or 160GB SATA hard drive, or alternatively an 8 or 16GB SSD drive.

Other features depending on model include 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR and a 1.3 Megapixel webcam. The budget Mini 10 will come with either a 3 or a 6-cell battery and it'll also be available in seven colour options. The budget Mini 10 should be available from May with a starting price of US$349 (€258/£234).

The model that looks set to be a lot more exciting, despite the basic details listed in the roadmap leak is the "Argos" (no, not the UK catalogue shop) which might be known as the Mini 11, as it'll feature an 11.6-inch display with HD resolution (our guess is 1,366x768) and an Intel ULVPC processor. It should ship with a 250GB hard drive, up to 2GB of memory and Windows Vista. Dell claims it'll be "very thin and light" in the presentation, but that doesn't really say a lot. The "Argos" should launch sometime in Q2/Q3 with a starting price of US$499 (€369/£334)

Dell is also working on two Pinetrail models which should launch in Q3/Q4 known as "Samos" and "Samos+". There are no details for these models apart from the fact that both will use a 10.1-inch display.

The current Dell Mini 10 should see some new upgrade options over the next couple of months with a 250GB hard drive option, an internal TV-tuner, a 6-cell battery, possibly a 1.86GHz Atom Z540 processor option, new lid covers and Ubuntu instead of Windows, all coming on the 17th of this month. The 23rd of May should bring with it a 2GB RAM model which many have been waiting for, as well as a Product (RED) model.

You can find more details and pictures here
Last modified on 06 April 2009
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