Dell Netbooks Reviews

Review by S. Showalter:

I’ve not been a fan of that many netbooks out there, but this little guy really blew me away. I got to compare this netbook up against netbooks from ASUS, Acer, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and Gateway (a pretty exhaustive line-up). There was a sharp contrast between Dell’s Mini 10 series and netbooks made by the other companies. To me, the buying decision really came down to comfort and ingenuity of its design. I find others choosing this model mostly for the same reasons.

===== It’s Comfortable =====

This thing is a dream to use. Most netbooks are unusable to me. What stings me most with netbooks is the keyboard. I’m used to the low-profile, “chiclet-style” scissor-switch keyboards that are (or at least used to be) most common in laptops, and in fact I love them. I’m referring to the type of keys that are flat and flush with the palm rest, and have a little flange or lip on the edges (where the space is between the keys). To see exactly what I mean, check out the close ups here on the right (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00361G10S?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8#productDescription). These types of keyboards make typing a breeze, as they won’t inflict wrist strain due to tall keys or keys that require more force to press.

===== It’s Innovative =====

The touch pad is small, yet clever, allowing you to press down on the bottom-left/bottom-right corners of the pad to left-click/right-click (respectively), rather than wasting space by implementing separate buttons. The touch pad is also very touchable, as its texture and finish is matte, rather than glossy, making it much more conducive to swiping your fingers across than most of the other netbooks I laid fingers on. Most netbooks’ touch pads were glossy, making your skin shear and resist the dragging gestures. I find such a feeling to be nearly as annoying as fingernails on a chalkboard! The other netbooks were also noticeably covered in oily smudges and finger grease, both inside the track pad and also on the wrist rest. Instant turn off for me on anything but the Dell! The Mini 10 on the other hand was smudge free, thanks to their use of an oil-resistant softly-textured palm-rest.

===== It’s Brilliant =====

The display is crisp and bright, and it isn’t too shabby outside either, though I recommend using full brightness when being used outdoors. My only complaint about the screen is its native resolution is a bit low for my tastes, which I hope isn’t just a personal preference. I’d rather see more on the screen than to see things big and close up. However, this is par for netbooks anyway. You should look into this Sony (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PII4HW?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8) if you absolutely must have a higher definition display while maintaining the small form factor of a netbook.

===== It’s Media Friendly =====

The built in HD media excellerator and the 9:16 ratio widescreen 10.1″ display is great for watching hi-def movies on the go, with one very important exception: you must have an external DVD (or Blu-Ray) drive. I recommend this Samsung (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C1BBU8?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8) which sports a sexy look, on par with the Dell ’s own appeal, without sacrificing functionality. Video playback is generally smooth and very few hiccups in playback have been experienced.

===== It’s Stylish =====

You wont mind being seen with one of these, especially given the choice of colors, you can’t go wrong in customizing. Dell really puts their feet forward in coming through on their philosophy of customization. Some people buy netbooks for the look. If you’re one of these vain PC users, you’ll rest easy knowing you’ve got one sexy looking netbook! I chose the white, personally.

===== It’s Capable =====

The Dell Mini isn’t exactly your run of the mill netbook. Sure, it can do what the others do, and I’ve typically used it for writing and surfing the Web (after all, surfing was the original presmise of the netbook, hense the name). Just be sure to keep your browser tabs to a minimum and not install too many Firefox extensions, and you’ll be fine. But it plays media, including Web videos, Flash sites and Flash games, at a decent pace. As long as you aren’t trying to multi-task by running several other programs at once, you should be just fine.

Windows 7 starters is an ideal OS for the netbook, and it even outperforms XP in several areas, so you can’t go wrong in using it. The memory card reader is an added bonus. I didn’t think it would be all that useful, but it is a life-saver when traveling.

===== Processor and Battery =====

The Dell Mini 1012 features the Intel Atom N450, a 64-bit-capable single-core processor supporting 2GB max ram. It supports Hyper Threading, so mild (but not wild) multi-tasking is possible, within reason. Try not to run more than two apps simultaneously for best performance and battery life. Intel Speedstep Technology is also built in, helping you save battery life. We averaged about 7-8 hours compared to the boasted 9.5 using the 60WHr 6 cell battery.

===== What I Loved =====

* Keyboard design – 92% full-size!

* Touch pad design – genius usability features

* Wrist rest – comfortable, remains clean/streak-free

* 3 USB ports – 2-left/1-right is dandy for using a USB mouse

* Windows 7 – Vista isn’t optimized for netbooks, 7 is

* 9:16 ratio display – great for movies (see above for DVD solution)

* Keyboard + Touch pad design – seriously! It hits the mark spot-on!

===== Dissapointments =====

The things we would have liked to see were:

* 802.11n support – the future is here!

* 1024×600 resolution – would have preferred at least 1280×720

* 5400 RPM hard drive -would have liked a faster SSD (even if smaller)

I hope you’ve found this review to be helpful!

Review by Andrea L. Polk:

Why 4 stars versus 5? The difference between ‘I like it’ and ‘I love it’. I do like it! I like netbooks for web surfing and emailing, video chat via Skype and little else. Ideally the mini would have a DVD drive, more storage space, a better webcam and THEN I’d love it, but then it would probably be a notebook.

I purchased this item for my 12 year old daughter to access the internet to play online games (Disney’s Club Penguin and Neopets), do basic research for reports and access her email. I wanted something that was ultra-portable, the right size for her small hands, possessing a brilliant display and a good battery life. I went to Dell first because I trust the brand. The Dell Inspiron Mini… did not disappoint.

What I like about it…

1. Great battery life with the 6-cell battery. Averages about 6 hours of solid use with the 6-cell. It does add to the thickness of the back of the unit, but it still fits easily into the case I purchased for it. Targus CityGear Netbook Case for up to 10.2 Inch Netbooks- Black and Grey TSM097US

2. The display is bright and clear.

3. The keyboard, while smaller than the full-sized one, is adequate and responsive.

4. The wireless connection is quick despite not being ‘n-network’ capable.

5. Trend Internet Security USB installed easily and uses very few resources, not bogging down the netbook.

What I wish was better…

1. Less heat! The bottom of the unit gets quite hot. I have to say this worries me. Longevity may be an issue.

2. The finish on the netbook is shiny. I wish it was more fingerprint resistant. I love the glossy black finish, but it does show every smudge.

What I’d love to see in the next generation of netbooks…

DVD drive, n-network ready and HDMI capabilities…with the same price point, battery life and mobility. Yes, I’m really talking about an ideal ‘notebook’ now, but can you blame me? I love the idea of a full-service mini notebook, and I’m sure we’re headed in that direction with the Dell Inspiron Minis.

Mine came with Windows XP, not Windows 7, but I’ve used both and they seem equally zippy to me when accessing the Net. I am pleased with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone who would wants portability, speed and quality to access the internet, at a low price point.

I would not recommend purchasing this product if you have large hands, want to watch movies on your laptop (this could be done by purchasing this item: Samsung USB 2.0 8x DVD Writer External Optical Drive for Mac and PC SE-S084C/RSBN (Gloss Black), or wish to do video or photo editing; requiring more computing power – even with a proper amount of storage provided by a Patriot Memory Extreme Performance Xporter Magnum – USB flash drive – 64 GB – 210x – Hi-Speed USB or a Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1 TB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive WDBABM0010BBK-NESN (Midnight Black).

However, if you know that you want a ‘netbook’ and not a ‘notebook’… and understand its limitations…the Dell Inspiron Mini is a good choice!

Review by DDT:

I have had my Dell mini 10v for 3 weeks now. I have downloaded the necessary programs off the internet, open office and Firefox, and loaded my music and pictures using my external hard drive, so I have not needed an external DVD drive. I am very happy with the keyboard (it is much nicer than the Acer I tried). It is an adequate size and I quickly became accustomed to using it. All of the buttons are in the right places and I am able to type almost as well as I can on my 15 inch laptop. The touch-pad is different than most of the netbooks out there but that is part of what attracted me to the Dell. I read many reviews that questioned the touch-pad but when I tried all the different brands(Acer, HP, Asus) in person I found that it was one of the biggest and that I didn’t mind the integrated buttons and liked it better than the hp option of putting the buttons on the sides. Sometimes it does think I am trying to scroll when I click but I very rarely want to scroll so I will likely turn the scroll function off. So far the battery life of the 6 cell battery has been adequate. When running on battery with the screen turned all the way down I am getting about 6.5 hours which is less than advertised but is more than enough for me. I also like the power adapter. It is one piece and is able to plug into a surge protector and only takes up one spot which is nice. The only real negative right now is that it gets hot, hotter than my laptop and that upgrading the ram is not a task that I will be able to do on my own because I do not feel comfortable taking apart the entire computer and there is no access panel. Windows 7 starter is working well so far and I am planning on upgrading eventually. Overall I would purchase this netbook again but I do recommend that you go to a few stores and try all of the brands to determine if the keyboard and touch-pad are right for you.

Review by I. Gorlach:

I’ve been eyeing netbooks ever since my fiance got one. After working on it for a little while, I learned that certain features are more important for me than others. First, I needed a large keyboard, and second, I needed a long battery life.

In addition, I had a chance to mess around on my friends’ Apple laptops, which are superior to Windows when it comes to operating systems. But since Apple doesn’t make netbooks, I gave Windows 7 a shot and was blown away by a product that felt like it was made right after a decade of messy messy upgrades to Windows 95. Windows 7 became the third important consideration.

This laptop has it all for me. Love the keyboard (great for a touch-typist like me); the battery is long and sticks DOWN (can’t believe it took years for laptop firms to figure out a way to fit a larger battery in while helping cool down the processor); and Windows 7 works like a charm.

I considered upgrading from the starter version, but after some research, I realized that there really is no reason for me. Upgrading provides features I would never use. Plus, the Starter version works faster and seems to really be designed for netbooks. It’s an eye-candy; the battery delivers (feels good to see “75% left (5hr 45m)” or around there); and I did not need to relearn typing.

The drawbacks compared to other netbooks: the larger battery also makes it a bit heavier; some software is incompatible with Windows 7; and the ac adapter is larger on the end rather than having a hub in the middle of the wire (this might get in the way when plugging it in in class); finally, I’ve dealt with Dell on the phone before, and it can be hit or miss. The communication is not easy, since all of the customer service is abroad.

Still, I love this laptop, which is reflected in the 5 stars I give it.

update: I’ve had the netbook for about 3 full months now. An issue that I noticed, which might be present in other netbooks as well, is that some graphics applications and newer games do not launch properly or just quit mid-progress. I looked all over the internet trying to find a solution and finally figured it out after installing an Adobe product that complained about the screen resolution. Turns out that the physical size of the screen limits the resolution to 1024×600, which is not enough for these programs. I went on Craigslist, got a 15″ flat screen monitor for and plugged it in — voila. Everything that requires graphic power works great. Hope this is helpful.

Review by Westley:

Note: I use computers for my work but don’t pay much attention to details about them. I’m sometimes willfully ignorant of the details of my work computers, so this review (for better or worse) will not be a super technical one focusing on specifications and related details. I wanted a simple computer to use outside of work, and that’s what I got here. I received this Dell Netbook a few days ago and wanted to share my initial impressions of it.

I do a great deal of writing for my job and need to have frequent email access. I have a Dell Notebook but find that it’s a bit of a hassle hauling it around anywhere, so it ends up staying at home most of the time. When I saw this Dell’s Netbook on sale, I thought it might be ideal for my needs. In particular, I wanted something very lightweight that would allow me to access the web, answer email, access PDF documents, and edit documents. This Dell does all that and much more.

My job buys all my computers (the last computer I purchased myself was a Commodore 64 when I was a kid!), so I was a bit nervous purchasing it. I checked out reviews here and elsewhere and they seemed to indicate that the Dell Netbook would work well for my needs. However, I was concerned by some accounts of netbooks being slower than laptops and having many of other deficits. Fortunately, my concerns were unfounded (it isn`t slow and I have low needs for extensive computer memory anyway). I’ve never had to unpack a computer before (the IT people at my job have that honor), but it couldn’t have been easier. I was literally using my new Netbook within minutes. Everything was preloaded and ready for use.

I was hoping that it would come with Microsoft Word, but it instead includes Microsoft Works Word Processor, which I`d never used before. When I tried to open a Word document from my email, I was prompted to download Word Viewer. The two programs are compatible, but it is a bit of a hassle converting documents back and forth. Otherwise, I’m extremely pleased with my purchase. The Netbook is not slow in accessing the net even with numerous programs open at the same time. It is super lightweight — not much bigger or heavier than a large hardback book. The battery in the back does stick out a bit, although that actually helps make it more stable on a flat surface. Even straight out of the box, the battery lasted well over 5 hours. Other features include a webcam, adobe, media player, explorer — all the standard items you’d expect. As I mentioned, I don’t pay much attention to computer specifications and whether it has this feature or not. I simply don’t use my computers for anything too complicated. However, for what I need, this Dell Netbook more than exceeds my expectations. The Netbook’s portability make it ideal for carrying it around and travel. I think it would also be a great starter computer for kids and teens.

Review by NotClaudeBrown:

GREAT UNIT FOR GREAT PRICE

This is Dell Mini-10(Model 1010) – with TV tuner

(The lower model is 10v(Model 1011) (no TV tuner)

* HDTV internal Digital TV Receiver (ATSC)

* Mini TV Antenna * HDMI (out)

* 10.1″ Widescreen * 1024×600 Display

* 1.3M Pixel Webcam

* 6 Cell Battery (8.3 Hours)

* Wireless 1397 WLAN Mini-Card (802.11g)

* No Bluetooth (Goog for Super Mini Bluetooth 2.0 Dongle)

* Windows 7 Starter

* Processor: Atom 1.6GHz Intel Z530 (512K Cache)

* 1GB DDR2 SDRAM Memory – Increase with ReadyBoost (Goog)

* 160GB 5400RPM Hard Drive

* Integrated Intel 500 Media Accelerator

* Electric Adapter

* McAfee Security Center-30 day trial(Get AVG Free)

[Inside the box: Dell Mini 10, Electric Adapter, TV Antenna, 2 Antenna mounts (suction cup and top mount), Inspiron Setup Guide, Four (4) DISKS (already installed on computer): (1) Windows 7 Starter Operation System, (2) Application, (3) Drivers and utilities (4) Dell Disk.]

My Dell Mini 10 (Model 1010) arrived today and I love it already. When I took the Mini 10 out of the box, the first thing I noticed was the bulge under the bottom rear of the unit (the six (6) cell battery). I spotted a funny object in the box that turned out to be a tiny little antenna. This confirmed the HDTV Tuner inside. I turned Mini 10 on and went through the brief setup. The keyboard feels good. Fascinated by the built-in HDTV, I affixed the tiny antenna next to the camera with the supplied mount, turned it on and waited while it scanned the available digital channels. It found all the local channels. The reception is great. I forgot about my new computer and admired the great TV reception for the next three hours.

After playing with the touch pad for a few minutes, I realized that a brief tap served as the mouse double-click (nice). HDMI, HDTV Tuner, Windows 7, 6-cell battery. This is a great little computer and a great deal.

Same configuration sells for 4.00 on the manufacturer’s website[...] . At 9, you save 5 (4 – 9 = 5)

I plan to uninstall the free MacAfee antivirus trial and replace it with the excellent free AVG Free Edition Antivirus ([..]). The included Microsoft Works word processor program is better than my old version of Microsoft Word 2000. More than adequate for my needs. Windows 7 Starter is lite, fast and great for my needs. Great Cyber Monday deal. Thanks Amazon for putting together a great unit for a great price!

————————–

Review by kristabell:

I used this product for a netbook. Was very easy to use and was able to install a printer on the netbook. I would definitely recommend this to anyone.

Review by Bucyrusboy:

Easy install and functioned perfectly right out of the box. Has a bit of

a “flimsy feel” to it(why I gave it 4 stars not 5) but for my occasional use

it’s perfect especially when one considers the low price. A must for Dell mini.

Review by Always Samsung:

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R251TRX4J3U5CG I just purchased my Dell Mini 10 (Blue Cover) and I have to say that this was one of the best investments I ever made. If you think you are getting a high end laptop for the price of three-hundred bucks, then you are sorely mistaken. This is basically a smart phone PDA increased to the size of a ten inch screen with a keyboard attached. Most of the bells & whistles are intact.

At first it took me some time to get use to the screen. Websites are slightly altered due to the 10 inch screen, so and with the tool bar on top that includes (File, Refresh, etc) it can seem like there’s hardly any room to view webpage’s, but you’ll get use to it. Viewing any site that you would on a regular desktop will have certain parts of the page moved around when viewing it on your netbook & this is to be expected because of the size.

I know everyone is complaining about the keypad, but it’s really not that bad. It does take a few tries before you realized what works best for you. I’ve learned from having a Dell Studio Laptop that the best thing to do is just utilize the free space as a mouse and click. Don’t bother trying to hit down on the key, but just double tap on the keypad to pick a selection. If you don’t, you will find the experience of navigating through websites, typing a document on word, etc to be a horrendous experience.

Otherwise, if you are looking for a great small compact netbook to stay connected to the web, check email, browse a few sites – then this is the netbook for you. There isn’t much customization due to the small size of the netbook that feels very light just a little under three pounds and practically smaller and skinnier then the new Twilight book. I would have it ordered it on amazon, but it was cheaper through Dell.

Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase because it’s a great investment for anyone who needs internet access on the go. The only complaint I have is the price. I know its three-hundred, but I own a regular laptop with a 15 inch screen & that HP was only three-hundred. Sure, it was not a high end groundbreaking laptop, but it does the trick & power wise, it’s stronger than the mini. I really feel the price point should drop by hundred bucks. Otherwise, this is still a great PC tool to have.

Pros:

Light weight (Less then three pounds)

Customizable Cover with different colors

Windows XP (Thank GOD – Vista is so WHACK)

Keyboard is 90% size of a real keyboard

Wi-Fi

3 USB slots

160GB Memory

1.66 GHZ

1GB RAM

Cons:

A bit pricey IMO – It really should be two hundred & under

No DVD Slot

Review by Dodger Of Zion:

Pros:

- More memory than my previous, larger laptop computer. I work in photography and document design, so I need to have Photoshop and similar software to do my job right. There’s enough memory on here for all of your necessary work software, and then some.

- Can’t beat the price for the memory and speed that you’re getting.

- Very pretty color certainly doesn’t hurt. My first choice was Ice Blue, but red is nice as well-at least you can skin it.

- WINDOWS XP! Most computers are shipping with Vista, but not this one; software compatibility is no issue here.

- Integrated webcam at the top of the monitor. Microphone sold separately.

CONS:

- The @#$%ing touchpad! You can’t turn it off, and you can’t turn off tapping (MAJOR pain) either. You need to learn how to type very carefully on this computer, because the Touchpad will make the act of typing an art of surgical precision, lest you upset the sensitive, cheap Taiwanese device. Check the control panel for the touchpad for a lesson in Engrish. Does anyone proofread anymore?

- No CD drive. I understand this is for cost issues, but if there’s no CD drive, why do you pack CDs with the laptop? This doesn’t make a lick of sense.

- HORRIBLE with a lot of non-Youtube FLVs. YouTube works fine, but other video sites may look choppy, skip, or may not play at all. Even with Firefox!

- Getting things back to Windows settings is a test of patience. The wireless card defaults to the Dell Wireless Utility. When it comes to stuff like this, I don’t change what isn’t broken. Getting Windows to handle the wireless card and telling Dell to bugger off is a royal pain and you may have to do it more than once.

- Comes pre-loaded with McAfee and Norton. If you don’t ever open it, however, (I sure didn’t) then you can easily get rid of those hogs through Add/Remove programs.

- This is NOT a very good gaming computer. You can play your Farmville and your other silly Facebook games on it, but good luck getting the next installment of Dream Day Wedding to work-the monitor flickers and flashes when a game is not compatible; this is NOT a computer for those with epilepsy.

- Two forces are at war to control the graphics-the system and the graphics card itself. Don’t bother fumbling around with the resolution in the Windows Display settings. Do it directly through the graphics card-it will look nice and won’t stretch out text.

- If you, like many other techies, use your laptop as an alarm clock, I suggest you invest in speakers. The speaker in this computer (which I have yet to locate) isn’t very loud, so you won’t hear your alarm unless you plug third party speakers into the headphone jack.

- Comes loaded with Viewpoint Media Player-known spyware that plays those noisy, annoying video ads in instant messaging programs. Fortunately, it’s easily removed.

Maybe most of my cons are more along the lines of pet peeves instead of actual bad things, but for someone not as nuanced with these computers, they could be horrible pitfalls that lead to unnecessary stress, drama, and threats of a computer replacement.

Know what you’re getting into before you buy this. If you don’t, you’ll instantly regret it.

Review by Dave:

I want to add one thing that is perhaps easy to overlook with this laptop: it has the best CPU in it’s class and price range. Most notebooks with an 11.6 inch screen have a Celeron CPU (such as the new Acer 1410 series). This means less cache and no “Intel Speedstep” which is an important power saving feature (mostly used when in battery mode). Celeron laptops will drain your battery quickly when you use any compute heavy task. The other common CPU is a single core “Core Solo”. The single core CPUs have the bad habit of slowing to a crawl whenever the anti-virus kicks in (because it can’t offload that task to the second core) and being generally slow if you run any internet security software(which any sane person would today but adds a lot of background CPU tasks that can run on a second core if you have one). You can step up to a full Core2 Duo, but that can add 20%-30% onto the cost (see the Acer Timeline series).

Dell did the right thing here when they used the 1.3GHz Intel Pentium SU4100 Processor. It has two cores, 2MB cache (twice the Celeron but 2/3 the more expensive Core2 Duo), and a 800MHz memory bus (vs. the Celeron’s 667Mhz). And it has the all important SpeedStep technology found in the more expensive Core2 Duo. The only major feature it lacks is Virtualization, which is mostly a server technology which no home application to speak of. It uses the same core as the more expensive Core2 Duo so aside from the smaller cache the basic performance is the same (though some Core2 Duos have faster memory bus). It’s the best fit price/performance wise but lately it’s been passed over for the cheaper Celeron but vendors who count on consumers not knowing any better.

Review by NJ Traveler:

Very nice computer but I want to share a couple of specifics that others have questioned.

1. This comes with a 6 cell battery so it sticks out on the bottom in back. Very good battery life- about 7 hours yesterday.

2. Windows 7 is the 64-bit version.

3. There is 4 GB Ram.

Much faster than my Dell mini 9 and only slightly larger. So far, I love it.