Dell Inspiron Mini IM12-2868 12.1-Inch Obsidian Black Netbook Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)PROS: big, vivid screen; nearly full-sized keyboard AND trackpad; very slim and light despite the 12.1" screen; works great with XP

CONS: glossy case is print-prone; some shrunken buttons on keyboard; 3-cell battery life is low, need the 6-cell; RAM not upgradeable
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Are you looking for a light, slim laptop that mimics the Macbook Air at a fraction of the price?Then the Dell Mini 12 would be a great choice for you!

I wanted the readable/usable screen size of 12.1 (10 might be the sweet spot for some people, but not for me -- see for yourself firsthand) with a good keyboard, large trackpad, and light weight.Another important consideration was battery life of at least 5+ hrs (more on that later).

The Dell Mini 12 hits all of those points.The 12.1" screen causes some debate about its classification as a "netbook," but its Atom processor and low price definitely puts it in netbook territory.The screen is lovely, with true colors, no blotches or dead pixels, and decent viewing angles.The Atom processor (mine is 1.6 GHZ) is more than capable for basic web surfing, light typing, and reading PDFs in a Windows XP environment.And the price (I got it for under $400 at the brand name's Outlet store) is superb, if you shop around.

The one featured on Amazon is decent, though it has the slightly slower chip; however, most online reviews downplay the effect of this clock speed decrease.Realize that it has 1GB of RAM, which is suitable for basic netbook applications on XP.But no expandability exists with this current setup -- that may be a downer for those looking to soup up their netbook into performance ranges of a normal laptop or desktop.

Another knock against the Amazon one -- it comes with only the 3-cell battery.That's good for 2-3 hrs with some serious power conservation (Bluetooth off, screen brightness at maximum low), but the 6-cell gives you 5-6hrs easy.It adds a little bulk to the rear end, but this baby's back is still appealing and makes it easier to hold, if you know what I mean...

Another unexpected but appealing feature to the Dell Mini 12: it is completely fanless.Somehow it manages to stay cool to the touch!Over time, I have found the silence and relative coolness to be big pluses.

In the end, the key thing for me is usability.I found the 12.1" screen to be kind to my eyes and the trackpad/keyboard combo to be virtually normal-sized.The engineers at Dell were still able to package the Mini 12 into a ridiculously slim, light case.The closest competitor here would be the Samsung NC20, which is chunkier, louder, warmer, and more expensive, albeit with a much bigger hard drive and RAM expandability.For my purposes, the Dell Mini 12 is perfect.It just might be the same for you.

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Product Description:
A larger sibling to Dell's Inspiron Mini 9, the Inspiron Mini 12 (model IM12-2869) in obsidian black features a larger 12.1-inch screen with a 1280 x 800-pixel high-definition resolution. It's ideal for teens, tweens, travelers and "Tweeters" to surf the Web, chat with friends (both via text and using the integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam), stream video and audiocontent, and upload on-the-go photos to blogs or social networking sites. Standard built-in Wi-Fi means quick and easy wireless internet access to hotspots in the home, on campus, in a local coffee shop, in the office or at a conference.


Super thin and ultra-portable. The Inspiron Mini 12 features an intuitive Dell-developed custom home screen interface that is designed to make it easy to find what you're looking for. Intuitive icons link directly to groups of similar applications, like games, Web and entertainment, and favorite web links for quick access. Plus, the home screen can be personalized, putting your favorites front and center.


A bright 12.1-inch glossy display is designed to be able to present web sites without a lot of left-right scrolling, and the keyboard is large and easy to navigate. Other features include a 80 GB hard drive (capacity before OS is installed), 1 GB of RAM (533 MHz; maximum capacity), integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, three USB ports, 3-in-1 memory card reader, and up to 3 hours of battery life.


It comes preinstalled with the Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system, which offers more experienced users an enhanced and innovative experience that incorporates Windows Live features like Windows Live Messenger for instant messaging and Windows Live Mail for consolidated email accounts on your desktop.




The Dell Inspiron Mini 12 weighs in at just 2.72 pounds. Even More Storage and Access to Your Files
Dell has teamed up with Box.net to offer exclusive web-based file storage, access and sharing to Inspiron Mini users, including a free Basic plan with 2 GB of remote storage space that's expandable to 25 GB. The Inspiron Mini 12 includes a direct link to a Dell-exclusive home page on Box.net (www.box.net/dell), providing you with an easy way to add incremental online storage space to easily manage your digital lives. Individuals can safely and securely upload files of any type to their Box, including photos, videos, music, documents and presentations, and then access those files from almost anywhere on any device.


Box.net's world-class service requires no software to download. With its OpenBox platform, Box.net enables people to edit documents and photos directly from their web-browser and post media to their blog or social networks, further enhancing the mobility and user experience on the Inspiron Mini.


Additionally, with Dell Remote Access you can find, use and share your digital world, even while away from home. Whether you use a mobile phone with a web browser, a computer outside your home, or share files and folders with a friend; you will have the ability to access files and devices in your home from anywhere with Internet access. Here are some examples on how you could use Dell Remote Access:

Remotely control any PC running Windows XP or Vista on your home network as if you were sitting in front of it.
If you have a smart phone with document viewers, you can open presentations, spreadsheets, and documents.
Take a picture on your phone and upload it to a folder on your computer... and then share the folder with a friend.
While on a vacation, transfer pictures from your camera (using an Internet connected PC) to a folder on your home computer, so your friends and family can see your vacation in real time.

Power-Sipping Processor
Newly designed from the ground up, the Intel Atom Z520 uses a brand new 45nm (nanometer) design structure with new hafnium-infused circuitry--which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors--to conserve even more energy and give you more time away from the wall outlet. The Intel Atom Z520 provides a 1.3 GHz CPU speed with a 533 MHz front-side bus (FSB) and 512 KB L2 cache--which uses just 2 watts of power. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.) It supports Intel's 64-bit computing architecture, which can allow the use of extended virtual and physical memory with compatible 64-bit software, as well as Intel's Hyper-Threading technology for speedier multitasking.


Display and Audio
The Inspiron Mini 12 has a 12.1-inch LCD screen with TrueLife high-gloss/anti-reflective technology, which features a sharp contrast finish that's well suited to immersive 3D games and watching videos. This notebook has a single speaker for mono audio playback.


Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
This notebook has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. With the integrated Bluetooth connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones as well as use Bluetooth-enabled headsets for handsfree video chats. It comes with the following external connectors:

3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
Analog video output: 1 VGA
10/100 Fast Ethernet networking
1 headphone (line-out) and 1 microphone (line-in)
3-in-1 memory card reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC), Multimedia Card (MMC), and Memory Stick

Dimensions
This laptop measures 11.77 x 9.02 x 0.92 inches and weighs 2.72 pounds.


What's in the Box
This package includes the Dell Inspiron Mini IM12-2869, 3-cell rechargeable battery, AC adapter, and printed documentation. It's backed by a 1-year limited warranty with mail-in service. Dell provides a variety of service offerings and add-on options to help ensure devices are easy to use and maintain optimal performance, including:

Dell Support Center: Quickly access Dell service and support from an icon on your desktop that provides automated fixes, software upgrades and tools to help keep your system up-to-date and running efficiently.
DellConnect Remote Assistance: Dell experts help diagnose and solve PC problems via an Internet connection (available only on Windows-based systems).

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