We already knew Dell was "secretly" working on their own answer to the Asus Eee PC, Gizmodo ran into someone from Dell who gave them a sneak peek at the machine. But it’s Engadget who got the real scoop, with some real info.

Dell will be releasing not one, but 3 different versions of a netbook (yeah, that’s apparently the new name for these machines); The E Classic, E Video and E Video+.

They will all run on a 1.6GHz Intel CPU and come with Wi-Fi and an 8.9" widescreen display. The different versions will come with either 4, 8 or 12GB of storage and options for Linux or XP. The high end machine will also come with Bluetooth.

Then, later in the year they’ll be releasing an ultrathin machine called the E Slim. It’s a .8" thin notebook with a 1.3 or 1.6GHz CPU, 40 or 60Gb storage, webcam and once again the choice of Linux or XP.

Both machines can be equipped with WWAN (wireless broadband) as well as WiMax!

But the best part is the price; the Dell E will start at $299, which is without a doubt the pricepoint it takes to kick Asus out of this market, since their similar specced machine (with an 8.9" screen) starts at $600.

The E should be out in September along with a long list of optional accessories (batteries, carrying case, auto/air adapter, Bluetooth headset, Bluetooth mouse and a USB TV dongle).

Source: Engadget