Dell Inspiron Mini 10 – Entry-level Netbook with various configuration options
Thumbs Up:
Advanced new designed, better battery life and wide-range of configuration options.
Thumbs Down:
The display is small and has low-resolution. Configuring the options will increase the price quickly. Both keyboard and touchpad are small.
The Whiz Kid Speaks:
Intel Atom N450 (1.66 GHz) powers the Dell Inspiron Mini 10. It also has 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM and 250 GB hard drive having speed 5400 rpm. The onboard graphics card is Intel NM10 Express, whereas High Definition Audio 2.0 is available sound.
10.1-inch display has a resolution of 1024×600 pixel. The Bluetooth wireless interface can also be included on extra cost. Six-cell 60Wh battery has a life of 7 hours. The inbuilt operating system is Microsoft Windows 7 Starter 32 Bit.
Razzle Dazzle:
Dell has made improvements in the design of Inspiron Mini 10. It does not give toy-like feel while taking in hands. The display hinge is located in the rear and the entire chassis slopes forward gently. It looks quite thin in the front. The keyboard wrist rest and tray have a subtle raised texture that looks glossy and better than flat. Rounded corners provide good shape. Dell offers outer shell in different colors at extra cost of $40. The white body and lid of the test model, with black interiors, give the Netbook an attractive look.
Inside Dope:
Dell is a famous and strong name in the Netbook market. It has a revamped design and is powered by Intel Atom CPU. We thank the Dell’s work to offer various configuration options at reasonable price.
The Inspiron Mini 10 costs around $369 that is greater than the Z-series Intel Atom models. Mini 10 has small-sized 10-inch screen, Windows 7, Bluetooth and six-cell battery. Dell doesn’t offer HD display in the Mini 10.
Dell has announced to offer another Mini 10 series with inbuilt HD video accelerator, which could work similarly to Nvidia Ion graphics. Acer Ferrari and Asus 1201 Netbooks has HD Displays, it comes with dual-core processor which make the device run faster.
The Mini 10 has a cramped keyboard, SD display and the processor is sluggish, so there is not much in here to get excited about. But you can configure the system according to your needs.
Earlier, Netbook keyboards were designed badly and troublesome for small hands. We have seen a good range of these keyboards having wide edge-to-edge and island-style keys. Manufacturers emphasize the surface area for each key and the logical layout occasionally. Dell Mini 10 has general a general layout and important keys like Shift, Alt, Windows, Tab, and Caps Lock etc. have full size for comfortable usage. However, the other buttons are small and they don’t give a good typing experience.
The touchpad is tiny and the right and left mouse buttons are not tactile. The small height of touchpad also makes scrolling a tricky proposition.
10.1-inch display of the Mini10 has a resolution of 1024×600 pixels. There are manufacturers providing 1366×768-pixel resolution in 11-inch and 10-inch displays and they costs only about $30 more. This Netbook definitely lags behind its competitors when it comes to resolution.
Dell is offering various connections on its Inspiron Mini 10. However, there is no HD media accelerator. The Bluetooth wireless interface is available on extra cost of $20. Moreover, the addition of a mobile broadband antenna from services providers like Verizon, AT&T or Sprint will cost $125 extra, along with a monthly/yearly data plan.
We tested Dell Inspiron Mini 10 and other various Netbooks for performance. Dell Mini 10 is good for basic tasks, e-mail and web surfing. However, it is low in performance and is not good for multitasking. The Acer Aspire One, HP Mini and Toshiba Mini performed better than Dell Mini 10.
The annual power consumption cost is $3.09 for Dell Inspiron Mini 10, which is more than that of Toshiba Mini and HP Mini 5102. The six-cell battery gave us a battery life of 7 hours 30 minutes during video playback, which is better than earlier N270 Netbooks. We found that only Asus Eee PC 1005PE has more battery life of 8 hours 14 minutes.
Dell has one-year parts-and-labor warranty which is on par with other competitiors. We thank Dell to provide separate Service Tag number for each product including Netbook for contacting Dell easily. The company has already published the necessary drivers and utilities for Mini 10 on its support website. Free technical chat support is also available and the users can call Dell 24/7 on the toll free number given on the website.
Nitty Gritty:
Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is a basic entry-level Netbook with big battery life and latest Intel Atom Processor. Its wide-range of configuration options gives flexibility to choose a configuration set. The performance is acceptable considering that this is a Netbook, however if you need a HD display, we would advice you to look elsewhere.
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Seriously either the Author writing this article is dumb or has no knowledge about laptops. A mini laptop will obviously have small keyboard and touchpad.
Its Dell, whether its mini or normal notebook, it has to be the best!
A mini notebook with your own best config, this is possible only with Dell as it is the company which can customize the config as per the client’s preferences.
any one will be ready to pay $400 for Dell. On top you are also getting the latest config and software’s used and installed in thr latest laptops.
Mini are not to use as your home theatre, it is for office and study purpose. If you want HD then go and buy a Plasma or a LCD.
I have always preferred Dell whether laptops or notebooks or mini or wide. It has given the best service. I had ordered from its website and it was like I have ordered a Pizza for Delivery.
The best part is their way of reaching people. Today everywhere internet is common and you can order your laptops according to your usage, according to your budget dotting at home.
Many Laptops has got international warranty but Dell has got many service centers and if the problem is major than it goes to its Best Headquarters where your laptop will be new again.
Dell Inspiron, studio, xps and all other models have always rocked!