Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Reviews

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 was launched recently as the company's step into the netbook market. Soon after the released of the Inspiron Mini 9, it has been reviewed quite a number of times on various websites on the Internet. Overall, the rating given to this 8.9-inch Dell netbook is above average.


Specification
Before going through the reviews, let's look at the specification for the Dell Inspiron Mini 9:

• 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor
• Up to 1GB DDR2 533MHz RAM
• Glossy 8.9 inch LED display (1024X600)
• Up to 16GB Solid State Drive
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
• Wireless 802.11g Mini Card
• 1.3 Megapixel webcam (optional)
• Bluetooth 2.1 capability (optional)
• 4-Cell 32Wh Li-ion battery (4 hours battery life)
• Size: 9.2" x 6.8"x 1.3"
• Weight: 2lb 5.5oz (include battery)
• OS: Ubuntu / Windows XP

The Ubuntu version of Inspiron Mini 9 has a starting price of $349 while the Windows version start from $399.

The overview video of the Inspiron Mini 9 from Dell:


Reviews Round Up

1. Laptop Magazine reviews the Linux version of the Inspiron Mini 9, and given a rating of 3.5 out of 5. Here are the pros and cons given by Laptop Magazine:

   Pros
   * Sleek, simple Linux OS
   * Compact, sturdy design
   * Decent battery life
   * Configurable online
   
   Cons
   * Awkward keyboard
   * Solid state storage only
   * Extended battery not yet available



2. Notebook Review gets their hands on the Linux version as well. While there's no rating given, they have concluded that although the Mini 9 is a great netbook with reasonable price, it does have a few problems that are commonly seen in other netbooks such as heat, annoying glossy plastics, bad keyboard, etc. Here's the pros and cons concluded by Notebook Review:
   

   Pros
   * Small and light
   * Easy to use
   * Very well built and durable
   * Responsive Synaptics touchpad
   * Easy to upgrade RAM, SSD, and wireless cards
   * No noisy cooling fan
   * Low price for an ultraportable
   
   Cons
   * Gets a little hot
   * Glossy plastic lid is a magnet for fingerprints
   * No F11 or F12 keys, other function keys in strange location
   * 4-cell battery is nice, 6-cell battery would be better



3. Cnet has reviewed the Windows XP version and given it a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. Here's the summary of their review:
   

   The good: More configurable than other Netbooks; good battery life; XP and Linux OS options.
   
   The bad: Some awkward keyboard compromises; no SSD options larger than 16GB.
   
   The bottom line: Dell's entry into the Netbook market means it's time to take these low-cost, low-power PCs seriously. The Inspiron Mini 9 is an excellent example of the form, if not radically different from the competition.

Conclusion
From the reviews that we have seen, the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is an above average netbook, with reasonable price. But it does have some flaws such as the awkward keyboard design, and larger size HDD & extended battery being unavailable. While these are acceptable, Dell should definitely fix those issues/complains in the next release in order to stay competitive in the netbook market.