News.blog: Dell confirms low-cost minilaptop

You didn't expect Dell to sit idly by while Asus, Intel and now HP went flitting about town with their trendy low-cost, low-power minilaptops, did you? According to Taiwanese manufacturer Compal Electronics, Dell will soon enter the minilaptop fray. The company is lining up 200,000 to 300,000 units per month for Dell, according to Compal, which it says could start shipping as early as June.

Dell CEO and namesake Michael Dell lent credence to Compal's statement yesterday when he said, in response to HP's 2133 Mini-Note PC, "We will introduce a similar laptop." Don't hold him to a June release, however. "Stay tuned," he said. "We will have some interesting products coming in that space over the next two quarters."

Product details aren't known at this point, but a summer release might mean Dell's minilaptop will pack an Intel Atom processor, which is expected to start appearing in products this summer. (Our biggest complaint with the otherwise excellent HP 2133 is its poky Via C7-M processor.) Engadget reports that Dell's minilaptop will feature an 8.9-inch screen -- like the updated Eee PC -- and will go for less than $499 (£250).