Follow us on TwitterI described in an earlier post how I dropped my netbook, leading to its demise. The good thing is: Now I get to buy a new netbook!
In Part 1of this series, I reviewed out the features that are important to me. Then I scanned the currently available netbooks and selected five that met my requirements.
The first on the list (in alphabetical order) is the Linux version of the Dell Inspiron Mini 9. I reviewed that netbook in depth in Part 2.
The next netbook on my list of potentials is the Dell Inspiron Mini 12.
| Dell Inspiron Mini 12 40GB 6-Cell Linux | |||
 | 12.1" Display (1280x800), 1.33 GHz Intel Atom Z520 Processor, Intel GMA500, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.1,6-cell battery, Ubuntu Linux | ||
Comes in:
| More Info | ||
Specifications:
Display: 12.1 inch LED with 1280×800 resolution
CPU: 1.33 GHz Intel Atom Z520 Processor (1.6 GHz Z530 [+$50])
Graphics: Intel GMA500
RAM: 1GB DDR2 at 533MHz (upgradeable to 2GB for $50)
Storage: 40GB Hard Drive (60GB [+25], 80GB [+$50])
Camera: None (0.3M pixel for $15, 1.3M pixel for $25)
Wireless: 802.11g
Bluetooth: 2.1
Battery: 3-cell (6-Cell [+$15]*)
OS: Ubuntu Linux version 8.04.1
Weight: 2.72 lbs. (3.2 lbs. w/6-cell battery)
Dimensions: 11.77 x 9.02 x 0.92 inches* Note: Interpreted based on cost delta between configurations.
Reviews:
Let’s start with a review by Alun Taylor at Register Hardware. Some important observations:
…we struggle to find a bad word to say about the Mini 12′s build quality.
While the keyboard has a nice enough action – and is perfectly usable – it does lack quite the final degree of firmness and solidity you will find on an AA1′s keyboard.
The Mini 12′s touchpad and button combo is one of the better to be found on any netbook…
As you can see from our PCMark05 bench tests a speed demon the Mini 12 is not, the HDD test result being particularly poor. The 1.6GHz Atom Z530 doesn’t deliver quite as much performance as the 1.6GHz Atom N270, but it’s not so very far behind.
Of course, what really separates the Mini 12 from the herd is that screen. At 12.1 inches corner to corner and with a netbook-beating resolution of 1280 x 800, the Mini 12 is a handy choice for anyone not wanting to make do with the usual 8.9in or 10.1in 1024 x 600 netbook-standard screen size and resolution.
The basic battery pack managed to play a standard-definition video at full screen – and full brightness and with the Wi-Fi radio switched on – for 139 minutes.
Lacking a cooling fan, the Mini 12 is virtually silent in operation. Thankfully, this doesn’t come at the expense of a toasted crotch – the 12 keeping its cool even after prolonged bouts of intensive use.
Joanna Stern at LaptopMag.com also reviewed the Dell Inspiron Mini 12. Some of her key comments:
The most striking aspect of the Mini 12′s design is its thin stature, making it reminiscent of slender – and expensive – ultraportables…
The extended battery protrudes from the bottom of the system… it sets the keyboard at a comfortable angle for typing.
Unconstrained by the smaller chassis inherent in mini-notebooks, one of the best features of the Mini 12 is its keyboard. The 92 percent–full-size layout is fine for touch typists and requires no accommodations in typing patterns.
The 12-inch, 1280 x 800-pixel resolution glossy screen makes all the difference to the netbook experience… the extra two inches allowed us to keep two Web pages open side by side and read them comfortably.
The screen has just the right amount of gloss, and horizontal viewing angles were good…
…the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 got a bit hot on the underside of the unit, measuring about 99 degrees. The rest of the system, including the keyboard and touchpad, were not noticeably warm.
We were impressed with the Mini 12’s six-cell battery, which lasted 5 hours and 20 minutes on the LAPTOP Battery Test… The fact that it beat out all other mini-notebooks—except the Samsung NC10—is all the more impressive considering that the Mini 12 has a larger screen than all the others.
I read a lot of other reviews, but I think the two above capture most of the important points.
My Thoughts
Advantages:
- Bigger display with 1280×800 is very attractive to me.
- 6-cell battery that lasts almost 5 1/2 hours (despite larger screen) is a big plus.
- Despite larger screen and chassis, still very lightweight.
- Less than an inch thick.
- Keyboard supports touch-typing without adjustment
Concerns:
- When the Inspiron Mini 12 was first introduced, I heard it was dog slow. But that appears to be a result of Vista and not the Z-series CPUs. Still, I would want the 1.6 GHz processor, but $50 seems like a lot.
- Lack of function keys.
- The standard glossy black finish is a fingerprint magnet. Paying $40 to get a white finish (or any other color) is a 10% increase in price. That fails my common sense test. But I don’t know that I’d be happy with the glossy black.
Conclusion:
I am surprised. The initial feedback when the Inspiron Mini 12 was introduced was that it was slow and expensive.
It appears that Dell was listening. You can now purchase it with XP or Linux (which both fix the speed issue) and the price now starts at $414 for the 6-Cell model.
The Dell Inspiron Mini 12 definitely makes it to the final round.
