October 24th, 2008
Dell readies 'Mini' Vostro netbook for small business
Dell is preparing an all-black version of its Inspiron Mini 9 netbook, this one aimed at small businesses and set to ship as the Vostro A90, according to a report by Register Hardware.
Dell reportedly launched the machine in Japan today, and though the A90 is not yet available in the U.K. or U.S., Dell has already posted support documents for the “new” model.
“New,” of course, because the A90 is just a Mini 9 in all but color and name. The A90 and Mini 9 share the same 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270, 8.9in, 1024 x 600 display, 1GB of memory, 8GB solid-state drive, etc.
Dell, meet Dell.
No word on pricing on these shores, but the Windows XP-only A90 will retail in Japan for ¥92,830 ($972/£606/€761), according to RegHardware. (Which, if you’ll note, is far more than the Mini 9’s $349 price tag here and certainly beyond reason for Dell’s budget Vostro line.
It should also be noted that orders for the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 have been progressively pushed back for the last few weeks, according to reports from around the web.
Dell’s Vostro A90:
Would you buy this for your small business? Or is an Asus Eee PC more your style? Tell us in TalkBack.
Andrew J. Nusca is an associate editor for ZDNet and SmartPlanet.
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