Review: Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook
Dell tries bringing netbooks upscale and succeeds in some ways. (March 8th, 2009)
The Good
- Excellent keyboard and trackpad.
- Pleasing visual design and display.
- HDMi video output.
- Great Wi-Fi reception (at least on 802.11n).
- 160GB hard drive standard.
- 2GB RAM and HD screen options coming.
- Lid personalization a nice touch.
The Bad
- Short 2.5-hour battery life; no 6-cell option yet.
- Trackpad doesn't work perfectly for multi-touch.
- Hampered by typical netbook specs; rivals have an edge.
- No accessible RAM slot or option for 2GB on initial models.
wrapping up
Coming to a conclusion the Inspiron Mini 10 has been unusually difficult. In day-to-day use, the computer is actually very enjoyable, which can't always be said for netbooks; it's an excellent system to always have within reach, and importantly is built to last both in terms of durability as well as in how comfortable it is to type and mouse through the interfaces of most programs. It also has to be confessed that the personalization for the lid color is appreciated as it helps make such a personal system one's own.
The price is also right: at $399, it's just inexpensive enough to fulfill the duty of a second or even third computer. Having a 160GB hard drive and Bluetooth at this price means you're unlikely to ever run out of hard drive space or worry about wireless peripherals before the system's useful lifespan is up. We'd have little problems recommending the system under many circumstances.
Still, it's hard to pass Dell with perfect flying colors, and for one main reason: the Eee PC 1000HE. While it doesn't have a trackpad or industrial design as nice as what Dell provides, it also runs for an exceptional 7 hours of real-world use without a recharge. Furthermore, it uses Intel's slightly faster 1.66GHz Atom N280 and should be just that much more usable in the process. All this comes with the same $399 price tag as its Dell rival. We'd advise Dell to move to GN40 or, even better, NVIDIA's Ion platform as soon as possible.
That's not to say that prospective buyers should avoid the Mini 10, but as was likely made evident in the review, the PC will only truly gain distinct advantages once Dell starts adding the expandability it promised for later. Once 2GB of RAM is an option, performance in some areas should improve significantly. We additionally hear that the much sharper 1366x768 screen is due by the end of April, and this too will give it an advantage by producing screen resolution more like that of a full-size notebook.
Until then, the Mini 10 is best mainly if you like the design and aren't worried about requiring more battery life or speed than what's included in the box.