Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook review

Dell entered the netbook market last year with the 8.9-inch Inspiron Mini 9 and has since released a range of increasingly larger models. The Inspiron Mini 10 (£300 inc. VAT) is its 10.1-inch system and strikes a great balance between mobility and usability.

The Inspiron Mini 10’s stylish black chassis is one of slimmest we’ve seen and weighs just 1.2kg. Its sleek dimensions make it easy to slip into hand luggage and excellent build quality ensures resilience on the move.  The glossy lid is frequently prone to scratches and smudges, however, so you’ll want to invest in a protective sleeve.

The use of a 3-cell battery allows only basic travel use, and many netbooks use more powerful 6-cell batteries. In daily use, we managed to work for 190 minutes on the move, so if you require optimum mobility, you may need to look elsewhere.

The excellent keyboard is more impressive. While the Mini 9 featured a cramped user interface, the larger size of the Mini 10 allows keys which are more easily accessible. The touchpad and buttons are less usable though. The touchpad is very wide, but it’s also extremely thin, so it can be awkward to access. The touchpad buttons are also cut from the same piece of plastic, so it is easy to accidentally click them when scrolling on the touchpad.

The stand-out feature is the vibrant 10.1-inch screen. Encased beneath a sheet of glossy plastic, colour reproduction is stunning. The surrounding black bezel contrasts nicely with the bright panel, ensuring colours leap off the screen, so photographs and movies look great. As with so many glossy panels, it’s highly reflective in bright conditions, so bear this in mind if you plan to use it outdoors, such as on a train.

Performance is where this machine stumbles slightly. The 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor is a less powerful variant than the N270 chip used in most netbooks, and it’s only suitable for basic use. That said, as long as we stuck to one application at a time, running standard office tasks and web browsing was a smooth experience. The 160GB hard drive can easily hold your work files, alongside large collections of music, photographs and films.

The Inspiron Mini 10’s flash storage card reader provides an easy way to add storage, as well as share files with digital cameras and smartphones. A trio of USB ports make it easy to add peripherals, but the inclusion of an HDMI-out port, rather than a VGA-out, seems a strange choice, as it means those wanting to connect older analogue displays or projectors will have to invest in an adapter.

The excellent keyboard and screen of the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 provide strong selling points, but at this price it’s let down by the lower than average specification. That said, it still remains an attractive proposition.

For more information, visit Dell.