Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Review
I bought a Dell Mini 9 netbook from eBay about half a year ago and I’ve been using it since then. It’s been a good companion so I have decided to write a short review about it.
Dell mini netbooks (Dell Mini 9 and its newer siblings Mini 10v, Mini 10 and Mini 12) come in two versions:
- customized Ubuntu Linux
- Windows XP
I got the Windows XP version. I have divided this review into three sections: list if advantages, list of disadvantages and photos.
Advantages
- large and comfortable keyboard keys (taking into consideration how small the netbook is)
- fast boot up time (2os)
- great performance for basic tasks (office work, browsing the Web)
- very light - 2lb 5.5oz (adapter weights additional 6.1oz)
- solid chassis reinforced with magnesium alloy
- an SSD disk which is immune against concussions
- overall good display (1024×600 max resolution and acceptable viewing angles)
- great touchpad with dozens of configuration options
- great battery life (almost 4 hours)
- fast Wi-Fi
- 4-in-1 Media card reader
- 1.3 Megapixel webcam
- great amount of ports for such a tiny netbook (Security lock slot, power jack, 3 USB ports, 4-in-1 card reader, Headphone/Mic, VGA out, Ethernet)
- runs very silently – you won’t hear a thing
Disadvantages
- missing F11 and F12 keys, other function keys can be accessed with Fn +A-; combo (which is kind of strange)
- no CD/DVD drive built in, you must use an external one or install stuff from USB drive or from the Web
- only Windows XP Home Edition without Microsoft Office (I recommend OpenOffice as a free alternative)
- small SSD disk capacity (4-16GB, can be extended though)
- glossy LCD lid is a magnet for fingerprints
Photos
I tried to take some pictures with my phone but the picture quality was horrible so here are just some photos from Flickr.
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31403929@N08/2995736591/
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/junior02157/3314106173/in/photostream/
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronaldopace/2909971950/
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31828796@N04/2991002659/
