Is This Really Dell's Netbook Road Map?

Potential customers may not want to start lining up for the new netbooks yet, however, as the information at this point may best be described as rumor.

"Dell does not comment on speculation around future road map investigations," said a Dell spokesperson.

The German Web site NetbookNews obtained what appear to be slides from a PowerPoint presentation detailing the netbook moves Dell plans to make over the course of the next year. Three of the products mentioned in the netbook space are the Mini 1011 Bear, Mini 1010 Tiger and Mini 1110 Argos.

According to the Web site, the Bear netbook will be equipped with an Intel Atom N270 processor, 512 MB or 1 GB of memory and 120 or 160 GB of storage. There is also an option for a solid state hard drive. According to the NetbookNews slides, the Mini 10 Bear will retail starting around $299. The rumored release date for this model is February 2010.

The Mini 10 Tiger netbook appears set for release at the same time as the Bear, and is pegged to start at around $349. The outlined use on the Dell road map has the Tiger billed as a "media-centric 2nd PC and companion device." The rumored specs on the Tiger are generally in line with the netbook category: 10.1-inch edge-to-edge screen, 1 GB to 2 GB of memory and options for Linux or Windows XP or Vista. The netbook processor is the choice of an Intel Atom Z series 1.3GHz, 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz, according to the Web site.

One feature that does pop out on the Tiger netbook is the option to include a 720p HD display. If true, the HD display could mark a significant jump in clarity and resolution for the netbook market.

Finally, the 1110 Argos netbook might be the most compelling offer of any of the products outlined on the Web site, in which Dell bills the Argos' intended use as "small screen, ultramobile"—which, at first blush, would appear to fit into the standard netbook category. But the Dell 1110 is a touch bigger than a standard netbook with an 11.6-inch screen, as well as optional HD capabilities, 250 GB of storage, 2 GB of RAM and will only support Windows Vista as an operating system, according to NetbookNews.

According to the leaked slide, the Argos is "very thin and light" and provides "laptop-like performance and keyboard." Availability for the Dell 1110 starts in July 2010 and the netbook will retail starting at $499, the site said.

While the potential specs and release dates outlined in the leaked presentation may eventually be validated, Dell isn't currently providing any further details around its netbook plans. With release dates on Bear and Tiger netbooks nearly a year away, time will tell whether or not the leak was accurate or not. For now it's probably best to proceed with a grain of salt and keep an ear to the ground.