Dell punts £199 10in netbook Dell is now offering a 10in netbook for a pound under 200 quid. The Inspiron Mini 10v lacks the internet tablet-oriented Intel Atom Z-series processor of the existing Mini 10, replacing it with the Atom N270. Dell Inspiron Mini 10v Dell Inspiron Mini 10v: N270 CPU but a more crammed display To get the price down under 200 …
The Mini 10 models with the Z530 processor use a different chipset with GMA500 graphics. I have read divergent views as to which is "better", but for the "Hackintosh" crowd who likes to load OS X on their netbooks, they'll want to give GMA500 a miss. Given that the 10v is very similar in component choices to the 9, other than a slightly different audio chip, it seems likely that it will run OS X also.
It looks to me as if the Mini 10v is Dell's intended successor to the wildly popular (at least among users, if not reviewers) Mini 9, which still has demand outstripping supply.
Nice little system. One of these would be perfect for web browsing. Actually if it has VGA out then couple it with a bigger external screen, USB keyboard and mouse and it would make a nice little replacement desktop for anyone upgrading from something really old (such as an old P3 for instance). Not sure though how reducing the screen resolution would make that much difference in price, I'd have said using a more un-common resolution screen would cost more.
Anyway, looks good.
Rob
with all honour to Psion of course - I'd given up expecting proper SCCs - they all seemed to be around 300 quid with windows: hardly the point. especially with Atom on board. i wonder what the battery life is?
Ubuntu is also brilliant so due credit to Canonical: (works easily with 3G dongles and or bluetooth mobiles)
I really dont need one - but I might get one anyway! consider it as an ipod with a keyboard
To think that you can add extra storage ad infinitum too - those flash cards are so cheap now
" Dell has dropped the 10's 160GB hard drive for an 8GB SSD"
Lord no, thats not enough for a decent windows (or mac os x) install.
Im yet to be sold on SSDs, especially the way that modern OS's use virtual memory - but on the other hand: I'm guessing that the product isn't meant to last more than a year.
A 10" display with a 1024x576 resolution? Are they completely bonkers or what? I love my OSX Mini 9 but with a 600 vertical res it is too small to browse through anything without scrolling, and unfortunately, two-finger scrolling is unavailable due to the hardware not supporting it. What they should do, and therefore probably won't, is release an update to the Mini 9 with the following:
- hardware support for two finger scrolling, or at the least a scroll wheel.
- a (way) better keyboard because the current one is a bit finicky
- make sure ALL the hardware is supported by OSX, and stop selling the higher-end laptops as Windows-only kit.
- improve the design. I like the way the current model looks, but the plastics are cheap and the whole machine is just un-exciting. Get your design dept. to give it a snazzy and rugged-ish look so that people feel they can just chuck it in a bag, and make sure they can do that.
In short, if Dell ensures that OSX can be loaded onto these machines with ease and full support (plant a few leaks on a forum or two about how to do it) so that if Apple decides it doesn't want to compete in the netbook space, all the OSX fans will rush out to get a Dell mini.
The people commenting about bigger screens, better build quality, etc.
You are missing the points of netbooks... they aren't supposed to be that useful. And VGA output? Seriously, I haven't purchased an analog/VGA monitor since 1998. In 2000 I bought my first DVI based monitor and they've all be DVI ever since. Even my rather old (2004) HDTV supports DVI and HDMI.
Netbooks are not meant to be desktop replacements or powerful. Stop asking for more from a netbook and buy a real computer.
Wow, you guys really get screwed over there in Blighty, eh? I wouldn't consider these machines cheap, considering I paid U$379 for an Eee 1000 HE: better screen, faster WiFi, N280 CPU, better keyboard(?), "big" battery, came with XP (promptly replaced by Easy Peasy and, later, Ubuntu NR)... £279 for a seemingly quite inferior machine? Sorry to hear they do that to you guys -- unless you are all swimming in money over there. :-)
Why on earth would Dell ensure that their product, using a Linux OS that they helped certify, runs an OS which doesn't get them any money, they don't support and that it is acually a breach of said OS suppliers EULA to install on anything othe than a Mac?
And I'm sure the thought of a couple of thousand of people putting OS X on it would really make them change their minds...
Talk about fanboy.
Anyway, that screen is crap, but as a simple home server.....well, interesting thought.
Steven R
I was really excited about the whole netbook thing when it started and still want one but I’m since I do not need one I’m going to with until the end of the year when the V.2 of the products are all out and there is proper competition. Also, some of the parts I desire (better resolution on screens) will actually be available to the manufacturers at a reasonable price.
Also, assuming it does what it says on the tin, once Ion is out there the gloves will be off on video performance. As I expect for me a netbook would be a web/email system, some simple web design and also a media client plugged into the TV, connecting to the server.
My max budget is £200 so this Mini 10 would be perfect except for the screen and video performance. Still for the £200 price it’s about the best out there.
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