Dell's Inspiron Mini 9 for $99 Until the End of January

As part of AT&T service contract

In an attempt to further boost the interest around its small-sized, low-power portable computer system, dubbed Inspiron Mini 9, the Round Rock, Texas-based Dell has announced that it will offer the aforementioned netbook for an impressive $99, as part of a package with AT&T. According to available details, the promotional package is going to become available for all customers in the United States of America, until the end of January.

Customers interested in acquiring one of Dell's small-sized Inspiron Mini 9 netbooks will be required to sign a two-year contract with AT&T, for the LaptopConnect wireless broadband. The package would normally cost a user $449, but it will be offered at a $350 mail-in rebate, as part of the agreement between the two companies. The promotional package is expected to boost consumer interest in netbooks.

“The Mini 9 is designed specifically for mobile hi-def lifestyles that require fast and reliable access to email, social networking and internet surfing, and this offer adds exceptional value to the equation,” said Dell global consumer sales and marketing vice president Michael Tatelman.

The deal isn't the first for AT&T, which last month offered a promotional package with electronics retailer Radio Shack. As part of the package, customers were being offered Acer netbooks with a service contract, for a price tag of $99. The announcement is a first for the PC vendor, which has recently updated its netbook portfolio with the addition of a new 10-inch model, the Inspiron Mini 10, showcased last week, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dell's Inspiron Mini 9 was launched as a response to the increasing number of netbooks released throughout 2008. As with most such systems, Dell's is featured with the highly successful Intel Atom platform, packing the necessary performance for basic computing tasks.