AT&T takes connected laptops to small businesses

In addition to netbooks, Dell has reportedly had a smartphone in the works for some time now, although the PC maker isn’t labeling it as such. According to a Wall Street Journal report yesterday, Dell is working on a pocket-size Internet-enabled device response to Apple’s iPod Touch. The report says the device will run Google’s Android operating system and launch sometime this summer, if at all. Nothing has been confirmed – only hinted at – by Dell.

Netbooks, smartphones and the range of devices in between have been gaining traction amongst the carriers in the past year as they look to drive data revenue streams and appeal to consumers’ changing usage needs. AT&T began pushing embedded wireless capabilities in emerging devices last year with the launch of a new initiative dedicated to the market. Verizon Wireless too is upping its broadband speeds and offering netbook promotions. As a result of these efforts and a slew of new models introduced, netbooks have become one of the hottest selling items for many computer manufacturers. Ericsson, which last month introduced a mobile broadband embedded radio module specifically for these mini-laptops, estimates that more than 300 million netbooks will be sold between 2009 and 2014, most with some kind of wireless broadband connectivity.