Review: New Dell Mini 10 Pine Trail
The new line of Dell Mini netbooks don’t just have improved processors, but a new sleek and useful re-design. The new line of Mini 10s come with Intel’s power efficient Pine Trail processor inside. On the outside, the lid of the netbook is attached not to the back edge of the netbook, but on top (see photo below) – aka, the netbook keyboard base is wider (bigger) than the lid. Looks weird when you see the netbook closed. Changes have been made to the keyboard and touchpad too – it’s really up to personal preference, and I quite like the new style. It separates the Dell – aesthetically – from other netbooks. Pricing starts at $300, knowing Dell, you’ll prob find your customization falls in the $400 – $500 range. All in all, the new Mini 10 is a good buy.
Rating: 
Dell Mini 10 Features & Drawbacks
- Bump up to Intel Pine Trail
- Better battery life – about 9-10 on low-medium usage
- NEW design - not only do both 3 and 6 cell batteries now fit into the netbook chassis without sticking out, but the lid is larger than the rest of the netbook’s chassis. The guys at Liliputing also point out that the re-designed chassis now allows you to hold on to the back base of the netbook even when the lid is up.
- New keyboard design- the new keys remind me of my old Sony Vaio laptop. The keys touch each other, but the but the main middle portion of each key is raise slightly , giving the netbook an island keyboard feel.
- Multicolored range – Available in red, blue, pink, purple, white, black and green
- Finger print unfriendly lid
- Single piece adapter – easier to travel with! But the bulk might mean the plug might not squeeze into tiny wall slots with multiple plugs around it.
- Different touchpad – Instead of sticking tot he conventional touch pad buttons at the base, the new Mini 10 incorporated the left and right click buttons into the entire touchpad itself. So, no separate buttons, you have to push down the bottom left and right corners of the entire touchpad to click. Sort of like the new MacBooks. Something new – it will definitely take getting used to.
- No multitouch gestures – Aww, no pinch zoom or two finger scrolling
- Not as sleek, looks odd (unfamiliar) when the lid is down
- No vents for easy upgrading
- Video performance - Soon available with Broadcom Crystal HD Visual Accelerator which will definitely help boost the video quality
Rating – 6/7
- Value for Money – 0.5
- Speed and Performance –1
- Screen – 0.5
- Keyboard – 1
- Portability & Battery Life – 1
- Looks and Design – 1
- Extensibility & connectivity –1
Dell Mini 10 Specs
- Processor – Intel Atom N450
- OS – Windows 7 Starter
- Memory – 1GB RAM
- Storage – 250GB HDD
- Display – 10.1″ (1024 x 600), glossy, optional 1366 x 768
- Connectivity – 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, and optional 3G HSPA modem
- Ports – 3 x USB, VGA, SD, MS cards
- Battery – 3 cell, and 6 cell (around 9 hours)
- Dimensions –10.5″ x 9.2″ x 1.4″
- Weight – 3lbs with 6 cell
Bottom line – A+, Go for it!
The new Dell Mini 10 has a lot of changes, an increase in performance power and some cool looking design changes that really make your netbook feel more personal. As far as value for money – it really depends on your configuration. As with all Dell computers, you get a broad range of customization. A definite go-ahead from us on buying on of these.
[Via Liliputing]
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Filed under: Dell Mini
[...] The new Dell Mini 10 has undergone quite a re-design with it’s lid attached the netbook in a different way. It comes with the latest specs – Intel’s N450 processor, Windows 7 Starter, 250GB HD, optional 1366 x 768 resolution, and if you get the hi cap battery 9 hours of juice. Read our full review of the new Dell Mini 10 [...]