Product Review: Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Ultra-Portable Netbook Laptop

Netbooks were made popular in 2007 by Asus with the release of their famous Eee PC. The Eee PC and it's massive popularity just-started the market for small, ultra-portable, ultra-cheap UMPCs. One of the newest players to the game is Dell, with the release of their first netbook - the Dell Inspiron Mini 9.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is a sleek, small laptop, the smallest available in the catalog, and is falls into their popular consumer Inspiron line of laptops. This machine is marketed at consumers as a cheap laptop option, as well as being the ideal notebook for frequent travelers, students, and anyone who needs a lightweight Internet cafe notebook.

If you're looking for the perfect ultra-portable laptop, you are likely considering the Dell Inspiron. Read on to find out if this book is the best for you, as well as info on any issues current users are experiencing.

Body

The body of the Inspiron Mini 9 is quite possibly the most of attractive of all available netbooks. With a black, white, and candy apple read lid, the unit is smooth, sleek, and thin. The screen has a small bezel, while the palm rest of the laptop is the same color and style as the motherboard chassis. The keyboard is flat and smooth, very similar to the keyboard found on Dell's new Studio line of laptops.

The ports are evenly spaced on the sides of the body, and easy to use with a wide array of doggles. The USB ports are easily accessible, so any USB thumb drive should be able to fit.

Features

This laptop's most appealing feature is it's portability - it weighs only 2.28lbs, which is lighter than most laptops available from any manufacturer. The goal of this machine is to stay connected no matter where you are. The features concentrate on connectivity.

The system has a an optical webcam, internal wifi, a USB port, VGA out for external monitors, Ethernet if you don't have access to wireless Internet, a microphone jack and headphone jack, all mounted evenly on the sides of the system.

Cons

The system lacks Bluetooth, which is pretty standard now. This means you won't be able to sync your cell phone while out, or transfer files from Bluetooth equipped players, such as the iPod Touch. You can purchase a small Bluetooth USB adapter, but that will require you to sacrifice a USB port.

In addition, the system only gets four hours of battery life, which isn't all that great. This is mostly because of the battery size - a large battery would mean a higher weight and larger unit. Four hours is decent, and long enough to enjoy a trip to the library without a cord, but isn't as great as it could be.

Conclusion

This device is an excellent laptop for anyone who needs a very portable, light, and small laptop to take with them around the globe, the city, or even to the backyard. It has a sleek design that is sure to turn heads, as well as all the necessary ports you will need to stay connected.

Despite it's lack of Bluetooth and average battery life, the system is very nice, and would be a wonderful tool for any computer users.