The trick for Dell will be to develop a truly striking laptop that delivers on the company's traditional value proposition, King said. Ultraportable laptop owners expect others to drool over their laptops, so style and coolness are critical factors in addition to price.

Though Apple holds a clear advantage in laptop design, Dell is working to redefine its notebook family, as shown in the August refresh of its Latitude laptop line. The new Latitudes were impressive with new designs and form factors, so the company is serious about designing laptops that appeal to customers, King said.

However, how Dell came up with the name "Adamo" remains a mystery. Adamo in Latin means to find love or pleasure, which points to Dell trying to invoke the lust factor for the product.

The naming convention is interesting on another count, which is related to CEO Michael Dell, said Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates. Adamo is still a rumor, and one can't be sure about whether it is an ultraportable, Kay said.