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Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | Netbook Obsidian Black: Review

Posted to Notebooks 2009-02-09

Review: Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | Netbook Obsidian Black

If you don't require all the tools and performance that a full functioned laptop can provide, and you want to be small enough to take anywhere, then you may want to check out the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | Netbook Obsidian Black. The Inspiron Mini 9 XP Netbook is a great go anywhere mini notebook or netbook for those who may not be technically savvy, but it also makes great companion for the computer geek on the go who wants the ability to access the web wherever they are without toting around a heavier, fully functioned counterpart.

Weighing in at 2.28 lbs, the Inspiron Mini 9 XP Netbook comes complete wsith the Intel Atom 1.66 GHz Processor , 512MB RAM, an 8GB solid state drive (SSD) and the Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950 all come standard in the Inspiron Mini 9 XP Netbook. The netbook also comes complete with a 4 cell battery and 802.11g Wi-Fi capabilities. The best part is Dell has made their Netbook easy to upgrade. All you need to do is remove a few screws with a Phillips head screwdriver on the back panel and you have easy access to the SSD, memory and mini-PCI card. All are located within easy reach which makes it simple to upgrade.

Rating:

3.4 out of 5

Features

The Inspiron Mini 9 XP Netbook features an 8.9 inch screen with a1024 x 600 resolution which is the perfect size for surfing the web or working on word documents. It is available with either Windows XP or Ubuntu Linux, which is a great option for those that don't necessarily like to be forced into having to use Windows.

It comes complete with 3 USB ports, a headphone jack, microphone jack, VGA out, an SD card slot and an Ethernet jack. With all these features, the Inspiron Mini 9 XP Netbook provides the adapter compatibility of a larger notebook, but with the portability you would expect in a netbook.

One of the most unique features that you may not expect in a portable notebook, or a netbook for that matter, is that it does not have an internal cooling fan. Instead Dell has installed a large heat sink which allows for silent operation. The Inspiron Mini 9 XP Netbook will still get warm without the use of a fan, but it will not reach temperatures that are too high that would prevent it from being used on your lap. The removal of the fan also eliminates any fan noises that could disturb your neighbors, which can come in quite handy, especially if you plan on using the Inspiron Mini 9 XP Netbook to watch movies while traveling.

Performance

The Inspiron Mini 9 XP Netbook performs quite well for a netbook. It boots fast and is resistant to getting bumped due to the fact that it contains a solid state drive, no moving parts, which makes it great for those who are always on the go. Battery life under normal usage conditions, with 100% screen brightness and web-surfing or movie watching, it will last about 3 hrs 38 minutes.

Performance of the LED display is quite good. It provides rich, vibrant colors with good contrast. Horizontal viewing angles perform well, which makes it great for sharing a movie with a friend. Vertical viewing is acceptable, but colors tend to appear washed out when viewed from above, and colors end up inverted when viewed from too far below.

One of the most frustrating performance issues does not have to do with how the Inspiron Mini 9 XP Netbook works, but with the finger gymnastics a user has to go through to use basic keyboard keys. Dell has done a good job arranging a keyboard in such a small footprint, but the backslash, curly brackets {}, square brackets [], insert, page up, page down, home, end, tilde ~ and ` have all been demoted, requiring the function key to create them. The double/single quote key has also been moved from its place of honor and has been placed next to the spacebar. While some users may hardly ever use these keys, it will make typing more difficult for those that may use these keys on more of a consistent basis than the average user.

Summary

Dell has also removed the function keys F1 through F10, and the actions they perform are now located on the home key row. F11 and F12 have been left off which makes screen changing impossible, but probably not as much of a priority in a netbook.

Pros

No internal fan
8.9 inch screen with 1024 x 600 resolution
Easy to upgrade
3 hrs 38 minute battery life at normal usage

Cons

Small keyboard causes need for finger gymnastics