You may begin to think that people are obsessed with netbooks recently, but the facts cannot be denied that every other day, it seems, a new netbook comes out to join the rumble. And most of these models are very competent, too. As almost all of them are priced in the same range and have more or less the same specifications, it becomes continuously harder to choose. This time, we’ll review the Dell Inspiron Mini 12, a bigger, twelve-inch version of the earlier Mini 9.
Compare the two Dell netbooks
As we’ve seen from the Samsung NC20, the Mini 12 may actually be categorized as both a notebook and a netbook; it is already a notebook by size, but a netbook in terms of price and capabilities. So don’t go about expecting that this monster of a portable is more powerful than your standard netbook.
At first glance, you’ll think, as I have, that the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 is essentially a larger Mini 9. The body is a stylish combination of black and silver, metal and plastic. It is one of the slimmest 12-inch laptops around, and definitely the cheapest, too. So, even at this size, it’s ultra-portability rightly defines the Mini 12 as a netbook.
So, let’s go on to the primary things that you may be concerned about when purchasing a netbook. Firstly, there is the almost full-sized keyboard. You’ll have a nice time typing with the good key-spacing; they’re simply perfect for touch typists; you’ll definitely get used to the keyboard in minutes flat.
The touchpad has also been enlarged from the Mini 9; it now measures 45mmx77mm. It is very responsive, and it has just the right amount of sensitivity. The buttons sit comfortably just below the touchpad; no opposite-side buttons here.
The Dell Inspiron Mini 12 runs on the newer Intel Atom 530; it is essentially more power-efficient N270. The graphics card is an Intel GMA 500 instead of the usual GMA 950. All in all, this adds up to a slightly lower performance, but also uses energy more efficiently. Combined with its 6-cell battery, you get a total of more than 5 hours with this unit.
To summarize, the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 is stylish, portable, and has a large display. It is on the more expensive side of the netbook market, but is still essentially cheaper than notebooks of the same size. It fails on performance, though; it’s not bad, but we’ve seen better from lower-priced units.
