Dell E will launch in August for $299


Dell will launch its E series in three flavors it seems, the E Classic, E Video and E Video+. Besides the particular characteristics of each model, Dell's E notebooks will feature a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, an 8.9 inch display with 1,024x600 resolution, 802.11b/g WiFi, Ethernet, an SD Card reader, three USB ports and a D-sub connector. As OS, the notebooks will feature either Linux or Windows XP.


The notebooks have different memory and storage characteristics. While E Classic will have 512MB memory and a 4GB SSD, the E Video model will get 1 GB of memory and an 8GB SSD. This model will also come with Bluetooth and a 0.3Megapixel WebCam. The 12GB SSD marks the only difference between E Video + and E Video.


The Compal manufactured Dell 8.9-inchers will launch in August for $299. For that price, assuming everything we've heard so far is correct, you'll get an instant-on Linux distro running atop Intel's 1.6GHz Atom processor, a 1,024 x 600 display, 3x USB, a wee SSD, integrated webcam, WiFi, and more in a 0.82-1.22-inch thick sled weighing about 2.2-pounds. With the netbook market now thoroughly saturated, we expect the Dell launch to mark the beginning of an industry shakeup.