Dell Inspiron Mini 12 muscles in on notebook turf

Dell's hybrid netbook-notebook, the Inspiron Mini 12 — just released in Japan — is set to reach the UK in November, offering buyers a halfway house between mini-laptops and larger portables.

Like the Inspiron Mini 9, the Mini 12 is powered by Intel's Atom, a CPU choice that helps justify Dell's designation of the machine as a netbook.

However, the Mini 12's 12.1-inch, WXGA 1,280-by-800-pixel screen is significantly larger than 10.2-inch or smaller displays usually found on netbooks, giving the new Inspiron the look of a full notebook.