The new wave of netbooks has been one of the more intriguing technology trends within the last few years. We have netbooks primarily because there is now a legitimate business sector to manufacture small, cheap processors that handle basic functionality (web browsing, word processing, etc.). Before the era of cell phones, there was no market for this type of thing which is why you can see how the tiny-sized laptops of old had a huge price premium with little performance to back it up (Dell Latitude and IBM Thinkpad X series anyone?). Now, there is a great incentive to research and manufacture processors that are both small and high performing while retaining a tiny footprint and operating size.
Intel had really done something like this on a grand scale by producing their Atom based processors specifically for the ultra mobile computing platform and the smartphone sector. Because of this, we have things like the Asus Eee PC. For the first time, you could get a legitimate laptop for cheap and not sacrifice a whole lot really.
Well Thursday, September 4, 2008 we witness computer hardware giant Dell releasing their own version of a UMPC dubbed the Inspiron Mini 9.
This very attractive looking laptop has very similar lines and stylings as most Dell laptops. It sports either a modified Ubuntu OS or your standard Windows XP Home OS. The keyboard is a departure from the Eee’s because it doesn’t try to fit a full-sized keyboard into a non-full-sized base but modifies the layout to utilize full-size keys (for all you with fat or clumsy fingers). The laptop is completely fanless so that it operates on a truly silent scale. It has a backlit LED 8.9″ screen, 3 USB ports, a 3-in-1 media card reader, and a nice touchpad.
Some early reviews of the Mini 9 have indicated that the laptop doesn’t feel cheap. That’s a good thing, but what does it cost? We’re looking at a $349 to $449 for the machine which is quite a bargain for what you’re getting in my opinion. No, it’s not going to replace your desktop or main laptop anytime soon but if you’re like me and looking for a supplementary machine for casual web browsing, chatting, and blogging on the go, this new Dell could just might be the thing you’re looking for.
To find out if it is indeed practical and useful to have a netbook like this or the Asus might be ambiguous at the moment. For some it is the perfect minimalistic machine. For others, it may lack in a few critical areas. However, I think it’s safe to say that by purchasing a Mini 9, you’re really admitting that it won’t be used for any more than simple web browsing, reading, and writing. With that in mind, I think this new Dell looks sweet, especially at this price point.
I’m putting a white one on order. It’s a bit more expensive but man does it look sweet. I’ll let you know how it goes.