The sleek, aluminum-encased notebook is 0.65-inches thick and comes with a 13.4-inch screen and a 128 GB solid-state drive. Shipping begins on Tuesday.

Starting at $1,999, the Adamo is positioned as Dell’s new high-end brand. Another configuration will sell for $2,699.

The device comes packed in a clear case along with an optional branded sleeve or tote bag from designer luggage and handbag label Tumi.

The Adamo is meant “to make a design statement, to surprise people that this is a Dell,” said marketing executive John New. “This is for the customer that has that discerning taste, and is willing to pay a little more for that.”

Dell has been working to generate buzz for Adamo, Latin for “to fall in love with.” Word of the PC began to leak late last year, and the company hosted an event in January in Las Vegas where it provided a fleeting glimpse of the laptop as it was held aloft by a model.

Apple helped launch the so-called ultra-portable category last year with MacBook Air which, at 0.76 inches, previously laid claim to the title of world’s thinnest.

The Adamo at 4 pounds is heavier than the Air, which weighs 3 pounds and is priced from $1,799. Most PC makers, including Lenovo Group, Hewlett Packard Co and Sony Corp also sell ultra-portables.

Dell has been trying to reinvigorate its consumer brand amid efforts to diversify its revenue base. Business customers make up around 80 per cent of Dell’s revenue, while PCs account for roughly 60 per cent.

Last week, Dell launched the $799 Studio One 19, a touchscreen all-in-one PC meant for family use in the kitchen or the living room. The Studio One 19 will be available first in Japan and then in other countries later in the spring.

Dell shares have slid 13 per cent since the start of 2009, while Apple’s have jumped 12 per cent. Dell, however, has outperformed Hewlett-Packard, whose stock has dropped 20 per cent since the year began.

Multi-touch capabilities allow users to use natural gestures like a pinch or tap for scrolling, panning, rotating and zooming that work with productivity applications they use every day.

Other features include:

• Up to 11 hours 28 minutes of battery life.
• Daylight Viewable display.
• Full-size keyboard, touchpad, point stick and battery-free pen give users input flexibility.
• Improved connectivity with new LCD-based wireless antenna design.
• Enhanced hinge design for improved panel stability.
• SATA drive support providing updated storage technology and enhanced performance.
• Comprehensive security features adding Dell ControlVault and ControlPoint Security Manager.
• DDR3 RAM allows better performance and up to 5GB RAM.
• Manageability with integration of Intel vPro and DASH 1.0 compliance.

“As part of our commitment to deliver the best mobility experience, Dell revolutionized the tablet space with the first multi-touch capable product that allows customers to use the entire screen,” said Sameer Garde, Country GM, Dell India. “Today, we’re extending that leadership with the Latitude XT2 to deliver more performance, security and manageability.”

The system starts at Rs. 1, 25,000 and is available here www.dell.com/latitude.

Inspiron Mini 12 is powered by the 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530, and has a 533MHz FSB, a Intel US15W chipset, and a 1GB DDR2 533MHz and 80GB 4200RPM HDD.

Weighing 1.24 kg, other features include WiFi (802.11b/g), 1.3 megapixel webcam, and Bluetooth. Mini 12 runs on the Windows XP Home edition instead of Windows Vista offered in the US.

Announcing the launch, Girish Mehta, director of consumer marketing, Dell India said, “Mini 12 is designed specifically for mobile, hi-def lifestyles. With its slim lightweight design and 12″ widescreen display, it is the ideal for on-the-go generation.”

Netbook’s 3-cell battery lasts about 3 hours, while the 6-cell offers approximately 6.5 hours of battery life.

Dell Inspiron Mini 12 will be available through select Croma Stores in India before the end of January for Rs 31,000 approximately.