Dell brings Athlon II Neo-packing M101z mini notebook to US
updated 04:10 pm EDT, Thu August 5, 2010
Dell M101z blurs line between netbooks, PCs
Dell today shipped the US version of the Inspiron M101z. It marks Dell's official leap into the crossover category between netbooks and notebooks with an 11.6-inch screen and a faster AMD Athlon II Neo processor. Making the switch in processors gives it faster RS880M graphics and opens the door to upgrades that aren't practical or possible on Atom netbooks, such as 4GB of RAM.
In spite of the extra size and speed upgrade, the system is closer to netbooks in some traits, such as a lighter weight of just over 3.4 pounds and a six-cell battery that can last for just over 6.5 hours.
The system starts at $450 with a 1.7GHz single-core Athlon II Neo, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. A $550 model doubles the RAM and adds a 320GB drive. Future options should bring dual-core chips, but these aren't yet available. New orders placed today should ship as soon as Friday.
