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Given the tremendous amount of speculation surrounding the netbook there are few surprises in the official specifications, though Dell has confirmed that it will be shipping a version bundled with Ubuntu 8.04.

The Ubuntu version will be available in "a few weeks" for £269, while the XP version is available

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immediately for £299, putting it firmly in competition with the PC Pro recommended Advent 4211.

As expected, the XP-loaded machine comes with an 8.9in screen, Atom processor running at 1.6GHz, 1GB of RAM and 16GB solid state drive. There's also integrated Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel webcam and 802.11b/g wireless.

Ubuntu users can expect a bump in storage space, though Dell has yet to confirm the size.

Once again, however, UK customers are getting the rough end of the stick when it comes to pricing. US customers buying the top-of-the-line model, shipping for $449, will receive an extra 2GB of hosted storage space. They'll also have the option of picking up one of the netbooks for just $99 if purchased with a Studio 15, XPS M1530 or XPS M1330 laptop.