Speaking of Dell laptops, if you couldn’t care less about the company discontuing the Dell Inspiron Mini because you don’t believe in netbooks, then you might be interested in the Dell Inspiron 15RM i15RM-7412DBK 15-Inch Laptop which Amazon placed on sale for $519.99. They slashed $50 from its original price of $569.99.

For that price, you get a laptop with the following specs:

• AMD Quad-Core A6-3400M Accelerated Processor (1.4GHz to 2.3Ghz, 4MB Cache)
• 4GB RAM, DDR3, 1333MHz, 1 DIMM (Max Memory – 2 DIMM, up to 8GB)
• 640GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• 8X CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) Tray-Load
• 15.6″ High Definition (720p) WLED Display with TrueLife
• AMD Radeon HD 6520G Discrete-Class Graphics
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

It’s a decent choice for a new laptop, although not the latest and greatest model. It’s speedy, with good graphic quality, decent looks and long-lasting battery life. And the 15.6″ monitor is a huge plus although it’s size and bulk makes less portable. But still, it’s a good choice you might want to check out.

When you go to Dell’s website, you’ll find out that the company has pulled out all of their 10″ (or smaller) netbook computers. When you search for one of their 10″ models, nothing will come up. If you look for a Dell Inspiron 910, you’ll be told that their “mini netbooks are no longer available”. They will, however, suggest the Inspiron 14R which is a 14-inch laptop, not as light or as inexpensive as the Minis. Even the Dell Inspiron Duo convertible tablet/netbook is unavailable.

Now, The Verge has received confirmation that Dell will no longer be making netbooks. They’ve shelved anything and everything with smaller than 11.6″.

Is this the fate of netbooks? How many other comapnies will be quitting the netbook market soon and concentrate on tablets and what else? Ultrabooks?

Anyhow, if you’re still interested in the Dell mini computer line, I’m listing down a few models that are still available from Amazon.

Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 4034CLB Netbook (Clear Black)
$389.00

• Intel Atom N455 Processor (1.66GHz, 512KB Cache)
• 1GB DDR3 Memory at 667MHz (1x1GB)
• 250GB Hard Drive
• Wireless-N Mini-Card
• 10.1″ Widescreen Display
• Intel GMA 3150 Graphics
• Genuine Windows 7 Starter
• 6-Cell Lithium Ion Battery

Dell Inspiron Mini Duo 3487FNT Convertible Laptop/Tablet (Foggy Night)
$599.99 $429.99

• Intel Atom N550 Processor (1.5GHz, 1M Cache)
• 2GB, DDR3, 800MHz, 1 DIMM
• 320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
• Wireless 802.11n / Bluetooth Combo Card
• 10.1″ Widescreen HD (1366X768) Multi-Touch Display
• Integrated Intel NM10 Express graphics
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Dell 10.1″ 1GB 250GB im1018-4033PPU Netbook Purple

• Intel Atom N455 processor
• 1.66GHz, 512KB Cache
• 1GB DDR3 SDRAM system
• 250 SATA hard drive

Dell recently and quietly launched the 11.6″ Dell Inspiron M102z which pretty much is the same as… you guessed it, the Dell Inspiron M101z but they chucked out the Nile for AMD Fusion.

You can also choose between a dual-core Zacate E-350 and Radeon HD 6310 graphics combo or the Ontario C-50 processors with Radeon HD 6250 graphics. It also comes with the following specs:

• 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 display (glossy)
• 2GB | 4GB of DDR3 RAM
• up to 320GB HDD (7200RPM)
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• 6-cell 56Whr (9 hours) | 9-cell 90Whr (14 hours) battery options

The M102z is available in Australia, Singapore and New Zealand, and is expected to arrive in the US soon after. Base unit is currently at $599 AUD ($622). No word yet as to how much it will cost when it finally makes it to America.

SOURCE: Dell Australia

[Rating: 4.5/7]

Features and Drawbacks

• Interesting flip design which makes it bulkier than usual – The touchscreen swivels horizontally which is something new and unique. Let’s face it, that’s something you don’t see everyday. It has an attractive chassis. It’s also sturdy because the top of the lid as well as the sides are made of rubberized material. The back of the screen also has an attractive glossy paisley design and the Dell logo. What’s practical about the design is that the hinges are more likely to stay firm without the constant swiveling. The downside is that there’s more than an inch of bezel around the display.

• Flat keys, responsive keyboard – I’m not a big fan of flat keys, but the Dell Inspiron Duo’s keyboard looks really good. The thing is there isn’t a lot of tactile feedback so while it’s easy to come right up to your normal typing speed, you’re more likely to commit errors if you’re a touch typist. The touchpad is responsive though and supports multi-touch gesture. There’s this sort of annoying space between the mouse buttons and the end of the device though, but since I hardly use the touchpad, it doesn’t really bother me (thank you, mouse).

• Clear sound, but nothing extraordinary – But then again, you’d expect that from an average netbook. The volume is rather weak even at max but nothing decent external speakers can’t cure. It’s not that bad, really. It’s just not that good either.

• Viewing angles are a hit-or-miss – It has a 1366 x 768 resolution display (glossy) that shows bright, sharp colors but you have to find the perfect viewing angle to be able to watch a video clearly. One angle which would be perfect for one video might not work for another, darker or lighter, video. You’d also need to hold the netbook at an angle to see the screen clearly because watching a video with the device flat on its back is not a very pleasant experience.

• Responsive Touchscreen, Slow-loading Apps – The capacitive touchscreen is responsive and easy to use. Pinch-to-zoom works like a charm in most cases. The netbook also comes with the Dell Stage, a custom user interface which works on top of Windows 7. It’s attractive and helpful, but there’s no way for you to add your own shortcuts. It’s also a bit sluggish at times and honestly, needs as much work as Windows 7′s touchscreen capabilities. The idea is good though. Over-all performance is actually good, not counting the slow-loading apps. If you discount the Dell Stage, it’s actually a decent enough netbook. Again, decent, but you won’t get a glowing review from me.

• Weak, short battery life – Three hours definitely counts as short. Netbook average is at 6+ hours and this barely reaches half of that. And mind you, the three hours only consist of surfing over WiFi. No games or videos. What’s worse, the battery can neither be removed nor upgraded so it’s not at all a recommendable mobile device unless you plan to bring the adapter brick and stick close to a power outlet.

Rating – 4.5/7

Value for Money – 0.5
Speed and Performance – 1
Screen – 0.5
Keyboard – 0.5
Portability & Battery Life – 0.5
Looks and Design – 1
Extensibility & connectivity – 0.5

Technical Specifications

• 1.5-GHz Dual-Core Atom N550
• 2 GB RAM
• 320GB SATA Hard Drive
• 10.1 1366×768 resolution display
• Intel NM10 with Broadcom CrystalHD Accelerator
• 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 + EDR
• Windows 7 Home Premium

Bottomline
Bottomline is that the design may be cool, but with the threat of too much frustration with the Dell Inspiron Duo pains me to say that I can’t exactly say go forth and get one because there are a lot, and I mean A LOT of better netbooks/convertibles out there. It’s short battery life, sluggish performance and not at all a good media netbook paired up with it’s $549.99 price tag makes this machine a questionable choice. For that kind of money, you can get a decent netbook or a tried and tested iPad if you really want a tablet. But Dell’s got something right with the design as well as the responsive screen. I’d love to see one running Google Android. Then, maybe, we’ll talk.

Dell has announced the shipment date for the Dell Inspiron Duo, on the first week of December, priced at $549. We can expect it to be available for pre-order from Dell.com before that.

If you ask me, it looks kinda like a little rack where my mom puts the salt and pepper shakers in the kitchen… Kinda reminds me of that. But really, the Inspiron Duo is a convertible tablet-slash-netbook unlike any other. The screen does not twist 380 degrees horizontally. It’s like a sliding door.

Here are the specs:

• 10.1″ 1366 x 768 pixel HD display
• 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core processor
• 2GB of RAM
• 250GB hard drive
• Windows 7 Home Premium

You can find Dell’s teaser video for the Dell Inspiron Duo here.

Amazon is having a sale on Intel Core-powered machines where you can save as much as up to $175 on a new machine.

Dell Inspiron i14R-1761MRB (Mars Black)
$739.99 $607.68
You save: $132.31

• 2.13GHz Intel Pentium Core i3-330M processor with 3MB cache
• 4GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz
• 500GB, 5400 RPM hard drive; 8x Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW Drive
• Integrated Intel HD Graphics and 14-inch High-Definition WLED
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit) operating system

Dell Inspiron i15R-1974MRB (Mars Black)
$749.99 $649.99
You save: $100.00

• 2.40GHz Intel Core i5-450M Processor with 3MB cache and turbo boost up to 3.06GHz
• 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz (two DIMMs)
• 320GB, 5400 RPM SATA hard drive; 8x CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW Drive)
• 15.6-inch high-definition WLED display with 1366 x 768 resolution; HDMI output
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit) operating system

Dell Studio XPS sx8100-850NBC Desktop (Piano Black with Chrome Trim)
$829.99 $654.54
You save: $175.45

• 3.20GHz Intel Core i5-650 with 4MB cache
• 6GB Dual Channel 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
• 1TB, 7200 RPM hard drive; 16x DVD+/-RW Drive
• NVIDIA GeForce G310M (512MB); HDMI and DVI outputs
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit) operating system

The Dell Inspiron Mini 1018, the new budget netbook from Dell, has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 processor and a 10.1″ 1024 x 600 pixel display. No, it won’t have a high res display or a Broadcom video accelerator like that of the Dell Inspiron Mini 1012, but it will come with 1GB of DDR3 RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Windows 7 Starter.

It also went on sale in the US for the budget price of $299.99. The Mini 1012 starts at $319.99, going up when you slap on more choice upgrades. The 1012 also comes with a 6-cell, 56Whr battery while the Mini 1018 comes with a choice between a 3-cell, 24Whr or a 6-cell, 48Whr battery.

Dell isn’t a wrong choice when it comes to netbooks so I’m pretty sure that even if the you choose the cheaper one, you wouldn’t really go wrong… that depends on what you want and need though. For me, I’d definitely go for the Mini 1012. Hi res display and video accelerator? Worth the extra.

Dell recently started offering the Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 to the European market, and will soon be available in other regions in the Fall.

It will not have a high res 1366 x 768 pixel display nor will it have a Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator. You will have to stick with a Mini 1012 for those options, but what it will have are the following specs:

• 1.66GHz Atom N455 (with support for DDR3 memory)
• 10.1″ 1024 x 600 pixel display
• 1GB of memory
• 160GB | 250GB hard drive
• Windows 7 Starter Edition

Dell is claiming 7 hours of battery life on a single charge, and comes with Skype pre-installed.

It is selling for €279 for the 160GB version and €299 for the 250GB one. Pricing for the US version will probably come soon enough.

Check out the UK listing on Dell.com here.

SOURCE: Direct2Dell

Dell keep on adding and adding to their Mini 10. With the standard Intel Atom N450 machine has been shipping for quite some time now, but looks like Dell will be adding another improvement to the netbook with WiMax from Clear.com starting April 1st.

Here’s an excerpt from their press release:

“On April 1, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook featuring the Intel Atom processor N450 with embedded 4G technology will be available for customers through select CLEAR retail locations, telesales and http://www.clear.com.”

Price is said to be $249.99 after rebate which you will get instantly if you purchase it from Clear, though there’s no word on pricing with regard to the data plan. Rates start at $29.99 a month.

Read the full press release here.