Dell Netbook rumoured to appear this week

Dell is set to enter the emerging netbook market this week by announcing its take on the Asus Eee PC, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The source said the Dell "mini" would be a low-priced computer that is two-thirds the size of full-featured laptops, which will put it into competition with the Eee PC from Asus and other rivals in Taiwan and Japan.

The Journal cited "people familiar with the device" as saying the Dell mini notebook is likely to sell for under $400 (226), have a screen size less than nine inches, and run either Microsoft Windows or Linux operating system software.

Other details, such as the processor and memory complement have already been leaked online.

A Dell spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment. The source confirmed that the new Dell model would be revealed on Thursday as part of an announcement with partner Box.net, which supplies online data storage services to Dell.

Mini-notebooks have caught on with heavy computer users who want full-access not just to email but to web pages and business documents while on the go outside of their offices.