Dell has introduced a new low-cost ultrathin notebook, the Vostro V13. The system closely resembles Dell's recently released flagship Adamo, except it's lighter and a grand cheaper. The Vostro V13 is about 0.65in thin, weighs 3.5lbs and starts at $449 with Ubuntu 9.04 or $599 with Windows 7 Home Premium.

Specifications are very fair for the price, with the base Linux model featuring a Celeron M ULV 743, 2GB of DDR3 1066MHz RAM, Intel GMA 4500MHD, a 250GB 5400RPM HDD, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and a six-cell battery. The $599 Windows 7 configuration upgrades that to a Core 2 Solo SU3500, a 320GB 7200RPM HDD, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam with digital mic.


An extra $50 will net you a Core 2 Duo SU7300-powered system. Other upgrades include 4GB of RAM, a 500GB HDD, and a USB DVD drive. All of the systems are available for purchase now, but have a preliminary ship date of January 12 – over a month away.