Dell launches long-awaited netbook

Dell has launched an inexpensive laptop with a small keyboard and screen, dubbed a netbook, four months after it was originally anticipated that Dell would enter the netbook market.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 has a 8.9-inch LED display (1,024x600) and weighs 1.035kg, the company said in its launch announcement on Thursday. It is available in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany and Austria immediately via Dell online and will be available in Spain and Italy starting in October.

Standard Wi-Fi is built in, and the Mini 9 can also be customised with the addition of Bluetooth or a webcam.

For the price of £299, the version comes pre-installed with Microsoft Windows XP. An open-source version, loaded with Ubuntu 8.04, will arrive in the next few weeks for £269, Dell said.

There has been speculation about whether the introduction of Mini 9 has been delayed from an earlier date. Back in May, Dell's chief executive, Michael Dell, was spotted with a version of the system, and it was believed that its launch was imminent.