Dell Inspiron Mini 10
I have suffered through countless hours of waiting for my computer to restart. I have suffered through numerous system freezes because my home system could not run more than two programs at once. I was fed up with the waiting, the frustration, and the random shouts at the computer screen. The wavesoftech crew convinced me the time was now to upgrade and the timing could not have been more perfect. What a machine!
What’s so great about the Dell Mini 10? First, a perfect portable system for under $400. Price is always a factor when you are on a tight budget and need a system asap. Second, the system is sleek looking. The Obsidian Black finish adds a certain charisma to the machine that I did not get from others I looked at. Beyond the looks and price (usually traits of a beautiful woman!), the system is fast. Applications load quickly and programs download quickly. Some nice features that other users may find helpful is the “dock.” It is similar to quick launch but is located on the top of the screen. Windows Media, photo shortcuts, and IE are options for the dock. Furthermore, the built-in webcam and microphone produce quality picture and sound. Overall, a very usable and productive system that is portable, inexpensive, and beautiful.
The downsides of the Mini 10…there are a few. The keyboard is a perfect fit for me. But, a word of caution to others. If you have slightly larger than average hand size, you may find the keyboard burdensome and painful to use. This may be an acceptable tradeoff if you are looking not to spent over $1000 for a laptop. Next, the built in SmartPad is extremely sensitive. With a slight movement on the pad, the contents and text size of the screen increases, decreases, and increases again. I am continually having to adjust the text size. Finally, no built in CD-ROM drive. You will need to buy an external component to load programs such as Office 07 or anti-virus software.
In the spirit of brevity, that about sums up the Dell Mini 10. If you have the chance, visit a local electronic dealer and toy with the system a little bit. Make some comparisons to other netbooks – you will find better specifications and a better quality machine with the Dell.
Product Specs as tested
Intel Atom Z520 (1.33GHz/533MHz FSB/512K Cache)
Genuine Windows® XP Home with SP3
1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 500 integrated graphics
160GB Hard Drive
3-in-1 Media Card Reader
Wide Screen 10.1″ display (1024×576)
10/100 Ethernet
Wireless Mini-Card (802.11g)
Integrated Audio
Built-in 1.3MP webcam
3-Cell Lithium Ion Battery (24 WHr)
