Dell Inspiron Mini IM10-2864 Netbook

Dell’s Inspiron Mini 9, the Inspiron Mini 10 in cherry red adds keyboard comfort and even more entertainment-friendly dimensions to the Inspiron Mini family. Like the Inspiron Mini 9 and Mini 12, the Mini 10 is a compact, easy-to-carry Internet companion that’s ideal for teens, twins, travelers and “Tweeters” to surf the Web, chat with friends (both via text and using the integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam), stream video and audio content, and upload on-the-go photos to blogs or social networking sites. Standard built-in WiFi means quick and easy wireless internet access to hotspots in the home, on campus, in a local coffee shop, in the office or at a conference Super thin and ultra-portable.

The Dell Mini 10 Netbook. This netbook cost me $399. There are less expensive netbooks, however, I chose to pay about $100 more for the exceptional quality and great features that are included with this netbook. The battery life is 2.5 hours.

Product Specifications:

• 3-cell battery, 2.5 hours run time - My netbook is my first laptop that has a battery life that is identical to the product specifications. With normal use, I get almost exactly 2.5 hours. I keep the screen dimmed, but can watch an entire movie online and surf around the internet. Dell is supposedly offering a 6 cell battery soon and I will definitely upgrade to that. Right now, 2.5 hours is plenty of time for me.
• 1GB installed memory
• 160GB hard drive - Since there is no DVD drive, this hard drive is coming in handy for transferring my DVDs to my hard drive and for my massive music collection. It'll be hard to use the entire 160 gigs, though!
• 10.1" Widescreen LCD (1024x576) display - I love this widescreen display. Even though the screen is small by typical standards, the widescreen feature really enhances web browsing and document editing.
• Intel® Atom™ Processor Z520 - I don't know much about this processor other than the commercial I've seen on TV. Apparently, the processor itself is the size of a pea. That's incredible. Watching HD video when running other applications (web browser, outlook) is not going to be possible to do in full screen. In order to watch HD video, I have to make sure nothing else is running. Sort of a pain, but I'm not going to be using other programs while watching a full screen video, anyways. Streaming video online is generally ok when viewed as a full-screen.
• Built-in 1.3MP webcam - I'm not really going to use this feature although it is pretty funny to play around with. The quality isn't grand and has a slow response rate on the screen. If you want to use it to take still pictures, it's ok. Just make sure you have ample lighting. The picture effects are really fun and there are more that you can download online. One funny effect enlarges your eyes and makes you look like an alien.
• Wireless 802.11g (1397) Mini Card - The wireless is super fast, making this a fantastic netbook to surf the web with.
• Media Card Reader - I love having a built in media card reader in my laptops, so this feature was very important to me. Very convenient.
• Microsoft Windows XP Home - I refuse to start trying Vista. I'm waiting for Windows 7. Windows XP is fine with me! I know how to use it well and it works great on this netbook.
• Dimensions 1.12"H x 10.28"W x 7.19"D (2.86lbs) - The keyboard on this netbook is almost full sized (I believe 92% of a regular keyboard). I have little hands and it'd even be fine for me if it was smaller. I can actually type faster on this netbook because of the size.
• 1 year warranty - I never purchase service agreements so while a 1 year warranty is pretty standard, I do appreciate it. My last laptop (a Toshiba) had the screen backlight go out in the first year and it's warranty saved me a lot of money.
• HDMI Outlet - This allows me to hook up my mini netbook to my big screen tv. I haven't tried it yet but am really excited to do so! I'm hoping that the resolution will be ok. I'll update once I purchase the cable and try it out.
• Other - In addition to everything else, the Dell Mini 10 has 3 USB ports (2 would be plenty!) & 1 microphone and 1 audio jack. The touchpad is superb, in my opinion and the hardware is extremely customizable for sensitivity. The left/right buttons are built in, so there are no extra crevices to allow dust and crumbs to accumulate.