Reportedly the Inspiron Mini is not the only Eee PC-beater from the house of Dell; the company is also planning a new E-Series of laptops that can compete directly with Eee-type of machines. The E series is a 8.9" mini laptop that will take on Eee 900, while its bigger sibling E Slim (12.1") will take on the mightier Apple MacBook Air. Like Inspiron Mini, the E series is designed for emerging market, and will be good buy for youths and mobile professionals.

The E series is a kick-ass machine for travelers who are looking for "mini" companion. Its based on Intel's Diamondville processor (1.6GHz) and offers 1GB RAM, 16GB flash storage, and 0.3 megapixel webcam. As for connectivity, it supports 802.11g wireless, Bluetooth, WWAN, and WiMax. The laptop offers approx five hours of battery juice and comes pre-loaded with Windows XP / Linux operating system.

Its elder sibling, the 12.1-inch E Slim, is based on Intel Silverthorne (1.3-/1.6 GHz) processor. It offers 1GB RAM, 8GB flash storage, 40GB HDD, and same other specs as its younger sibling. On the upped-end, the firm approximates its battery life at 9 hours.

The E and E Slim will come in August with pricing for E starting at only $299, making it very attractive to potential mini-notebook buyers. So if you're planning to buy an Eee or MSI Wind, you better wait for sometime.

[Via Engadget]