May 25 - 1:30pm EDT   PC, notebook, monitor and related hardware manufacturer Dell has recently began offering its Studio XPS 13 notebook PC preloaded with the Linux-based Ubuntu operating system. The 13.3-inch notebook otherwise has the same key specs as its Windows Vista-powered counterpart, including the same 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, though some of the available options between them differ. For example, users can upgrade to a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo on the Ubuntu XPS 13, while those who opt for the Vista system have a choice of a different 2.53GHz and a 2.66GHz CPU. [full story]

May 22 - 3:50pm EDT   Microsoft will drop the controversial three-app limit on Windows 7 Starter Edition by the time it reaches shelves, an apparent scoop by long-time Microsoft observer Paul Thurrott indicates. Although the restriction is often softened in practice, the approach would let owners use more than three full, active apps at a time. Microsoft previously instituted the limit both to accommodate the slower systems that would likely be used as well as to push customers towards the more lucrative Vista Home Basic. [full story]

May 20 - 9:30am EDT   Dell has quietly drawn attention to its netbook plans by demonstrating Google's Android 1.5 running on an Inspiron Mini 10v (video below). Company technology strategist Doug Anson describes the mobile OS as "small and snappy" on the Intel Atom-based portable but doesn't do more than show the operating system running on the 10v alongside another system using Ubuntu Netbook Remix. It continues to show the stock home screen and doesn't show signs of customization by Dell. [full story]

May 19 - 8:15am EDT   Dell on Tuesday kicked off the launch of its first netbook meant for schools or business-oriented users. Unlike the Inspiron Minis, the Latitude 2100 is toughened against the rougher use likely in a class and has a sturdier chassis as well as a rubberized surface, including a unique texture on the lid that's deemed easier to grip. In a first for Dell and most non-tablet netbooks, the 2100 has the option of a touchscreen that can be used for very visual educational apps or just as a simpler alternative to the trackpad. [full story]

May 12 - 10:45am EDT   Dell on Tuesday ended speculation and unveiled the Inspiron Mini 10v, a budget version of the regular model launched earlier in the year. The new version switches to the lower-priced 1.6GHz Atom N270 instead of the slower but more battery-friendly 1.33GHz Z520 and drops to a 120GB hard drive from the regular 160GB. As a result, the netbook also uses GMA 950 integrated video in place of the GMA 500 specific to the Z-series Atom chips. [full story]

May 6 - 12:05pm EDT   Mobile software developer Bsquare has potentially spoiled Dell's release plans by saying it was porting Adobe's Flash Lite animation plugin for Dell netbooks running Google's Android platform. The company specifically references the Inspiron Mini 9 and suggests that the 8.9-inch portable is the likely main target for the OS. Whether Flash Lite would appear in-browser, or when Bsquare expects the port to ship on a production netbook, isn't mentioned. [full story]

April 6 - 11:50am EDT   A new Dell roadmap leaked this weekend has at least partly confirmed plans by Dell to introduce one of the first systems based on Intel's CULV platform. Slotting in between netbooks and regular notebooks, the Inspiron Mini 11 discovered by NetbookNews would have an 11.6-inch display as well as "laptop like" performance and input, but in a design that would remain thin and light. It would also use Windows Vista and could potentially replace the Mini 12 as a result. [full story]

March 23 - 2:05pm EDT   AT&T has reportedly made statements supporting a new, faster iPhone in the June timeframe. Citing one or more unnamed executives at the provider as "100% confirmed" sources, BGR hears the new iPhone will be unveiled "around mid-June" and that speed should be a particular focus. It's suggested that this may include (but wouldn't be limited to) AT&T's planned 7.2Mbps 3G upgrades that should roughly double the theoretical peak download speed on AT&T's network. [full story]

March 2 - 12:25pm EST   Tech startup Always Innovating is using the start of the DEMO expo today to unveil the Touch Book, a system which its creator considers one of the first truly hybrid netbooks. The system can work both as a traditional notebook or as a convertible tablet but can also detach the keyboard entirely from the system to use it as a stand-alone touchscreen device. A set of magnets built into the back even lets users mount the screen on a refrigerator or elsewhere. [full story]

February 24 - 4:25pm EST   Dell has seen steady sales growth and low return rates with its Inspiron Mini 9 netbooks running Ubuntu, despite reports that MSI experienced substantially higher return rates with its Wind series running SuSE Linux compared to the XP platform, according to Laptop. A third of the Mini 9 devices are shipped with Linux. "We have done a very good job explaining to folks what Linux is,” says Jay Pinkert of Dell. [full story]

February 18 - 3:45pm EST   Dell this afternoon provided official details for the Inspiron Mini 10, including its final release details. The 10-inch netbook's trim levels mostly match those of earlier leaks and will carry a 1.3-megapixel webcam, 3-cell battery, a 160GB hard drive and HDMI output in all models. The system's 1GB of memory will be fixed in place, but users will have the pick of either Ubuntu Linux 8 or Windows XP Home as the operating system. [full story]

January 22 - 2:00pm EST   Microsoft has issued a survey to Windows 7 beta users that suggests the software developer may create a central repository for downloading and updating apps besides its own, Ars Technica notes. The questionnaire asks users to rank the importance of various features for a single location for "finding and managing updates" for programs, including the option of downloading, installing and updating non-Microsoft software. [full story]

January 19 - 8:45am EST   News site TechCrunch today revealed that it's much closer to launching a promised low-cost, touchscreen Internet tablet. Referred to now as the CrunchPad, the device has a 12-inch, 1024x768 touch display but includes netbook-grade components to keep the price and size down: the nearly button-free device will use a VIA Nano processor, 1GB of memory and a 4GB flash drive that are just enough to hold an interface that boots directly to a custom WebKit-based browser in Ubuntu Linux. [full story]

January 5 - 9:40am EST   Freescale began its year today by introducing a new i.MX chip it hopes will gain a foothold in netbooks. The i.MX515 is based on the same ARM architecture shared by many smartphones and set-top boxes but is tuned for the higher performance of the mini notebooks, with clock speeds ranging between 600MHz and 1GHz. It also touts rare support for DDR2 memory and an integrated OpenGL graphics core capable of both 3D as well as accelerated 2D, such as video in Adobe's Flash Lite. [full story]

December 16 - 4:10pm EST   Dell on Tuesday quietly expanded its options for the Inspiron Mini 12 with Linux and XP options. The new trim levels let the PC maker provide both an open-source alternative as well as offer a significantly better-performing alternative to the original, which was previously forced to use Windows Vista. The Linux version also lasts longer and runs for up to six hours despite using the same three-cell battery as the XP system. [full story]