TechSpot - PC Technology News and Analysis

As expected, Dell today officially unveiled its own netbook offering, the Dell Inspiron Mini 9. There aren't many surprises, as previous leaks have pretty much revealed all of the system’s features and design, but it’s still exciting to see a major player offer a decent alternative to the current crop of low-cost laptops.

The new device features an Intel Atom Diamondville processor with 512MB/1GB RAM, 4/8/16GB SSD options, webcam, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a bright 8.9-inch glossy LED display. In addition, Dell has teamed up with Box.net to offer web-based file storage and sharing to users of the Inspiron Mini 9, including a free Basic plan with 2GB of remote storage space.

Only the Windows XP version is available now for $399 (or $449 fully spec’d), but the $349 Ubuntu flavor should be just a few weeks away. Also, if you can wait until 6 a.m. tomorrow, you’ll be able to get a Mini for just $99 with the purchase of a Studio 15, XPS M1530 or XPS M1330 through 6 a.m. September 9.