Dell officially unveils Adamo, Mini 10

A model shows off Dell's new luxury notebook called Adamo.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET Networks)

LAS VEGAS--Dell trotted out a fashion model to show off the newest addition to its notebook lineup, but beyond explaining the name of Adamo, gave no further details.

Though rumors about Adamo circulated in December, Dell wouldn't confirm its existence. At its press conference here on the second day of CES, the PC maker did that--and only that.

Here's what we know: Adamo is sleek, thin, and black. And it's not a Netbook, meaning there's no Atom processor inside. But which processor is inside, company officials wouldn't say. And it will be for sale at retail locations sometime in the first half of the year.

A close-up of the Adamo shown off at a CES press conference Friday.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET Networks)

Dell will say that it focused heavily on the industrial design of the notebook, using top-of-the-line materials. Based on what's outside, we can assume it's at the higher end of the spectrum, performance-wise. "It will have the better capabilities you'd expect," Senior Vice President of Consumer Products Alex Gruzen offered.

Oh, and Adamo is pronounced "A-dahm-o." It means "to fall in love with" in Latin, said Michael Tatelman, vice president of consumer sales and marketing for Dell. "It started off as a project code name and then we fell in love with it too."

But Adamo wasn't the only news of the day. Dell also announced a new Netbook, the Inspiron Mini 10, a 10-inch Netbook that falls right between the Mini 9 and Mini 12.

For those keeping count, that's three Netbooks from Dell in four months. The biggest question when it comes to this form factor is whether the cheaper, Atom-powered devices will draw consumers away from Dell's traditional--and pricier--notebooks.

Dell says it's still to early to tell if that's occurring. "The numbers are all over the map," said Tatelman. "It's safe to say in some ways (a Netbook) is analogous to a smartphone as a companion product."

And, he pointed out, their utility will vary from region to region. "In some places it's a way to acquire new customers faster, in some places it's a companion device, and in some places it's a primary computer."

Either way, Dell will take it, especially if it continues to add customers. "If you can get to the next billion (computer) users faster, you can get the replacement cycle going that much faster," Tatelman said.

Along with its trifecta of Netbooks, there will also be new accessories for them. A $50 USB digital tuner that plugs into notebooks to catch free over-the-air TV broadcasts will be available in the U.S. later this year, and the new Wasabi handheld printer offers the ability to print quickly while on the go. The printer will be available "very soon," Tatelman said.