back to article 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 …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Bassey
    Thumb Up

    Wow!

    An SCC that satisfies ALL the letters of it's acronym. I had started to wonder whether anyone other than Maplin would ever produce one of these. Well done Dell. That looks like a perfectly decent spec. It'll be interesting to see whether these sell.

  2. Steve

    Not all GMA950

    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.

  3. Rob Beard
    Linux

    Perfect for web browsing

    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

  4. Toastan Buttar
    Linux

    Very nice.

    Looks well tasty. It'll be interesting to see how well the Linux version sells, though. Hasn't that market already been saturated ?

  5. Roy Stilling
    Unhappy

    Buggrit

    Just bought a Mini 9 for my father for the same price. Always the way, something better comes out for the same price a couple of weeks later...

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Sexy

    I've been looking for a nice quiet system to use as tv top / server / netbook.. think i may have just found it.

  7. Richard Kay

    couple of weeks late for me

    As I just purchased an Acer Aspire One with very similar spec and price. Had to put Ubuntu Netbook Remix on it myself though, as the Linpus lite was a bit limited for my needs.

  8. Phil Endecott

    Fan?

    Does it have a fan?

  9. Anton Ivanov
    Jobs Horns

    Hm... Makes me think if I made the right decision

    I recently bought a Lenovo S10e which has a nearly identical spec (160G disk and XP which was promptly defenestrated in favour of Debian).

    The price/spec on this makes me think if I have indeed made the right choice.

  10. spegru
    Linux

    That's what i call a netbook

    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

  11. Outcast
    Thumb Up

    Not bad

    Seems to be on par with the Starling netbook if you were to drop the 160gb HD

    http://system76.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=92

  12. Arnold Lieberman
    Thumb Down

    1024x576

    That IS pants. I find 1024x600 on my daughter's MSI Wind-alike too poor to use. Stealing even more pixels from the bottom makes it next to useless, SD viewing excepted.

  13. Doug Southworth
    Thumb Down

    Screen size

    "Dell has...replace (sic) the 1024 x 600 display with a 1024 x 576 model"

    Seriously? How much could that really have saved? Why don't they just make the screen 1024x8 so I can read one line of text at a time. That ought to save some dough...

    Enough already. Give me a real screen!

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "replace the 1024 x 600 display with a 1024 x 576 model..."

    Grammar error notwithstanding, how much money can you save by lopping 24 rows of pixels off a screen? That's kind of bizarre.

  15. Mathew White

    HD

    " 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.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Heart

    Specs

    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.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    missed opportunity

    i would like to buy one of those with an upgraded screen to 1366 x 768 just as per option on the £299 one.

    I wonder why is it not possible to upgrade screen on the £199 mini 10? i recon that dell would have sold a lot of those

  18. Albert Gonzalez
    Coat

    Re: "replace the 1024 x 600 display with a 1024 x 576 model..."

    Perhaps by buying near to be discontinued LCD SD TV screens ?

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Use as a Digital Photo Frame

    Mr Dell demonstrates just how much of a rip-off those larger photo-frames are!

  20. Steven Knox
    IT Angle

    @Mathew White

    ' " 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.'

    Call me crazy, but I'd guess that's why they're shipping it with Linux.

  21. Michael Sheils
    Thumb Up

    Nice

    I'd grab myself one of these but I fear with my talent for accumulating random crap on my HDD I think perhaps I should go for the 160gb model.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Halo

    @Buck Futter

    Two finger scrolling does work on a Mini 9 with OSX - i've been using it for a couple of weeks now. Uses some clever coding to get around the lack of hardware support.

  23. Mad Hacker
    Coat

    You are all missing the point

    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.

  24. Martin Silver badge

    1024 x 576

    1024 x 576 is PAL 16:9 so probably a plant making these screens for TVs DVD players etc.

    The Dell mini 9 is $200 on Dell.com outlet site and I'm visiting the US, but they will only sell them to you if you have a US credit card as well.

  25. Kevin Bailey

    Ubuntu

    Ubuntu is a great OS for something like this.

    I've been really happy with my Mini 9 - and it runs Ubuntu really fast - as fast as a basic full size laptop.

  26. James Pickett
    Linux

    Good news

    The Windows tax revealed! Nice to see Dell standing up to the old furniture flinger...

  27. J
    Thumb Down

    Sorry...

    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. :-)

  28. Steven Raith

    @Buck Futter

    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

  29. leona
    Paris Hilton

    Does Dell know who makes Ubuntu?

    Check the specs on the site, it says.

    "Microsoft Operating System

    Ubuntu 8.04"

    So when did M$ star producing Ubuntu!

    Giggle!

  30. Cheap TV
    Thumb Up

    Dell

    Nice price point, hope it goes well.

  31. Albert

    Vert interesting but waiting

    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.

  32. Simon B
    Thumb Down

    £279 with XP and a PROPER HD? same as most others then!

    8G SSD is neither use nor ornament. If you'd rather have XP, you can select the next model up. It's priced at £279 and includes a 160GB HDD, making it cost pretty much the same as all other cheapy netbooks!

    Nothing to see here.

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like