Dell Android netbook: Software developer lets cat out of the bag?

Android software developer Bsquare announced on Wednesday that it'll port Adobe Flash Lite to Dell's Inspiron Mini 9 netbook. One problem: Dell has yet to announce any Android netbooks in its arsenal.

Apparently, what we have here is a little public relations mixup. The Bsquare press release trumpeted how Dell "Leverages Bsquare's Android competency to improve the Adobe Flash Lite experience on Dell's Mini Inspiron 910." But when contacted for more information about this Android-bearing Mini 9, a Dell representative said repeatedly that "Dell does not make an Android netbook". The Bsquare press release "erroneously mentioned Dell's name" and is being recalled, Dell said. The release has since been deleted from its Bsquare page.

There's obviously something more than random error involved here, though. It's not as though there was a list of companies Bsquare was bragging about working with. The subject of the press release was Dell.

So even though Dell doesn't want to talk about it, this is a pretty solid indication that an Android netbook is close to being announced. It has been rumoured for a few months that they've been testing Google's mobile operating system down there in Round Rock, Texas, for the oft-discussed-but-not-officially-announced smart phone. So while it wouldn't be surprising for Dell to make Android available as an option on a netbook, it would be surprising if they were first. Dell has a habit of sitting back and watching technology trends play out before embracing them.

Other major netbook makers have also been rumoured to be testing Android. HP is apparently looking at it, as are Asus and Acer. The first company officially linked to putting Android on a netbook is China's Guangzhou Skytone Transmission Technologies, which said last week it will release a product in the US for $250 (£165) in the next three months.