Dell’s latest netbook, the Inspiron Mini 10, is a definite step up from their previous two releases, the Mini 9 and the Mini 12, which received much criticism despite posting decent sales. For once, Dell seems to have hit the ideal netbook size, while packing just enough goods at an affordable price.
As with all netbooks, portability is a key feature in the Mini 10. Weighing just 1.3 kg, it’s a convenient device to bring along. Form features a glossy finish, with a slim frame and curved edges, making it one of the more stylish devices in its range.
As the name suggests, the Mini 10 sports a 10-inch Super-TFT screen. It features an acceptable 1024 x 600 resolution and offers good visibility under sunlight. Display quality is excellent, with great lines and colors.
The netbook boasts one of the best keyboards you can find from today’s 10-inch machines. Keys are implemented as sufficiently large squares, with a slight indent in the center to minimize typing errors. Like almost all netbooks, though, the touchpad remains a concern, too limited to provide any decent usability.
CPU is where the Mini 10 really suffers. While every cheap netbook in the market runs on a 1.6GHz N260 or N270, Dell chose to outfit their machine with a Z520 processor – which performs at a considerably slower 1.33 GHz. You won’t notice the difference too much when doing usual netbook stuff – try stretching it a little, though (such as running some intensive programs) and you’ll feel the pinch.
Dell, for some reason, included an HDMI out with the Inspiron Mini 10. While they’re not the first netbook manufacturer to do that, it just highlighted the inherent weakness of both its processor and GPU (compared to similar 10-inch laptops). Suffice to say that it can’t play 1080p in any decent manner.
The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is a decent package. While the weaker internals may render it less appealing than similar 10-inchers, the wonderful keyboard makes a strong case for it. The only other 10-inch netbooks that with keyboards as good the Mini 10 are HP devices which cost way more than what Dell is asking for.
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
