For those who couldn't tell if the Dell tablet netbook was real or destined to remain in perpetual beta, your question has been answered: The Inspiron Duo tablet is now available for pre-order from the seven Microsoft stores in the U.S. According to reps, the tablet will also be available for pre-order on Dell's site soon.
The design is unique for a convertible tablet in that the 10-inch display rotates vertically from within its enclosure, instead of horizontally with a swivel hinge—the kind used in most convertible tablets. Either way, the screen is laid face up against the keyboard so that it can be used like an iPad, or any slate that uses the touch model.
The Dell Inspiron Duo was unveiled at the Intel Developer Forum in September.
Aside from its tablet functions, the Inspiron Duo will be made up of netbook parts, namely the 1.5-GHz Intel Atom N550 dual-core CPU and 2 GB of DDR3 (800MHz) memory. The only other convertible netbook that runs on an Atom processor (and is sold in the U.S) is the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t. A 250GB, 5,400-RPM hard drive ships with the base configuration, and is upgradeable to a 320GB, 7,200-RPM option.
Dell will have an option for a Broadcom HD decoder card, so high-definition videos won't choke during playback. A Broadcom chip also means that the screen is paired with a 1,366-by-768 resolution, instead of the boilerplate 1,024-by-600. For those of us who yearn for better sound quality from a netbook, Dell will be offering a JBL speaker dock ($100 add-on). Aside from enhancing the sound experience, the tablet charges and can double as a digital photo frame or alarm clock while it's docked. The dock itself also expands your connectivity options, adding two USB ports, Ethernet, a 7-in-1 card reader, and line-out.
The price for the Inspiron Duo is said to start at $549.