Dell has launched the Inspiron Mini 9, as expected. Alas, it's not as cheap as previous rumours suggested.
The 1.04kg Mini 9 sports the 8.9in, 1024 x 600 display; 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor; 1GB of DDR 2 memory; Intel 945 chipset with GMA 950 graphics; trio of USB ports; VGA out; 802.11b/g Wi-Fi; Ethernet; and 1.3- …
...to release an expensive SCC. Maybe it should be called a SEC? Well at least you're paying for their rock-solid reliability, excellent customer service and legendary returns policy. Oh wait a minute...
Ones a phone and ones a computer, they do different jobs. The Dell is just another me too product. Acers new 6 cell aspire one is a much better option in my opinion.
Anyone know if the £269 Linux one comes with 16GB SSD?
If so, count me in. I'm happy to pay £40 more than a Aspire One for something with a bit better build quality, slightly better spec, and double the SSD. It will come with someless less "playtime" than Linpus Lite.
For the limited uses I have in mind for a device like this (something to sit on the couch/in bed with; browse the web and do a spot of typing on), it *has* to be cheap. Not interested in excess storage, a windows licence, designer looks or anything else that drives the price up. I only spent £220 on a recent major overhaul of my desktop and that machine is a hell of a lot more important to me, than one of these devices would be.
Decent battery, at least 8.9" screen and price around £200. Someone please get it right!
With the original EEE PC at almost half the price on Expansys (£159) and the aspire one available at around £240 I don't think this will be the success many had hoped.
That said it could compete with the XP aspire one and the EEE PC 901 which are both above £300 on the same site.
Shame about the delayed Ubuntu version, personally I feel that an XP license is not cost effective on that kind of machine. My wife bought an XP EEE 900 and I bought a Linux Wind (on which I put Ubuntu) and my machine performs much better than hers. Pretty much all the Linux apps run fine while many of the XP apps seem to struggle at times.
Dell have jumped on the bandwagon, but missed the point of middle C in SCC, as have so many others. But it will be interesting to see how many extra steps and hassle it takes to order the Linux version rather than XP.
"Ones a phone and ones a computer, they do different jobs. The Dell is just another me too product. Acers new 6 cell aspire one is a much better option in my opinion."
Spec the Acer up to a decent level and it costs around £300. Added to that, the build quality is rubbish, the user interface is uncomfortable, and the keyboard aint overly great either.
Have you seen any of these products before deciding which is best? Perhaps you should, you'd be surprised
Just checked with Dell, it will come with a UK keyboard layout but the 16GB seems a daft amount for me. If I got one I wouldn't be using it to store data on (16GB is too small to keep even all of my MP3s on), it would only be used to browse the web and maybe stream movies and music from my main PC which has big storage. I think I would be happy with 8, or probably even 4. So I am hoping when the Linux version comes out there will be an option to have it on a smaller drive and thus a cheaper price. I'm thinking £200 + delivery would be a good price.
Not much is going to run on this come the end of next year. 200pounds for an obsolete laptop seems a bit steep even if it is small, which is not always a good thing.
Always puzzles me why they don't put the processor behind the screen. Then you can put a decent processor in using the entire (wasted) area of the screen to dissipate thermal energy. Its also not going to be insulated from the air by someone's genitals, something laptop manufacturers have been accused of baking in the past.
Looks like dell website has it for £299 without Linux option :( Oh well i was thinking of getting this instead of the eeepc901. No Linux and not cheaper than eeepc901. I think i know what i will be getting now.
Lot's of people seem to think these SCCs should be a impulse purchase. Sub 200 would be nice but whay should they bother if they can get sales at 270 ish?
Consider the alternatives: Sony Viao etc are all way more than that and often more expensive than ordinary laptops
I'll be interested to see how well XP copes with the SSD in this. Hopefully it'll be a lot faster than either SSD that the Linux AA1 ships with, because there's noticable lag under XP on it unless you're running EWF or Supercache etc. Although I love my AA1, if this is noticably less "freezy" running XP, I might need to get one of these as a replacement.
Also considering phones range from £10-£600 and laptops will range from £160-£2500+
I think considering we are talking about a laptop at the low end of the price range vs a phone at the high end of the price range. The laptop obviously wins as it has more for its money.
But then again, these _are_ 2 different items aren't they?
Cracking thing, hooks up via my windows mobile to the 3g network over bluetooth or usb, fits in my satchel along with a book and other odds and sods and the battery.....
The battery can and does last up to about 6 hours, its like having a computer in your pocket with the battery life of a phone..
I can use rdp to hook through to work over a vpn, I can browse the internet or google earth and I can read my emails...
A small 2.5 external drive and I have all of the media I would ever need.... An 8gb SD card (I am cheap) and I have enough local storage to keep me happy..
This isn't about comparing it to a more powerful device, this is about portability and if that is what floats your boat then these devices are just what you need..
Personally I think £300 is cheap for what you get.. I have spent more on shoes, but if you think I am being flash I have also spent less on a car.
-ve: Needs to be £50 cheaper (but free delivery would put it in with a shout of the top spot). Battery of 4+ hours unlikely?
3/ 4211/Medion/Wind (£280, PCW):
+ve: Props for the keyboard. 10" screen.
-ve: Needs to be £30 cheaper, needs SSD instead of 80GB SSD. Needs better battery. Could end up with the dodgy newer touchpad.
NB: PCWB have put the price up from £235 but are still out of stock so that looks like a gone-er)
4/ Aspire One (£280, dabs):
+ve: 'Meldable SD' card slot (if you like that kind of thing). Decent-ish keyboard.
-ve: Needs to be £30 cheaper. Needs a better battery. Has 120GB HDD with no Windows SSD option. Touchpad is small and 'non-standard' (if that matters). No Bluetooth. Difficult to upgrade (apart from 'meldable SD').
5/ IBM ThinkPad X31 (<£250, ebay):
+ve: The price is right!!! Similarly specced. Has dvd. Has 12" screen. Chance of a decent battery.
-ve: Obviously bigger (so not strictly an SCC, if that matters). Chance of a crocked battery. No warranty.
NB: Wildcard entry for those who aren't yet convinced of the merits of an SCC.
"Not much is going to run on this come the end of next year. 200pounds for an obsolete laptop seems a bit steep even if it is small, which is not always a good thing."
The prices I quotted are all from Expansys.co.uk. with United Kingdom selected as my country (so I have UK prices). I looked there because it offers most of the currently available netbooks, so I Thought it would be a fair comparison.
Just bought an aspire one, and while pleased with it, it looks like I may prefer the look of the Dell. But then I needed something by next friday, and there's always a new kid on the block (I just wish they'd aimed for back to school).
Anyway, I've got the HDD version of my aspire for £230 from PC World, have put on Vista absolutely no probs from USB, and am tomorrow adding an extra 1GB of ram that cost £14 from Crucial.
I seem to remember an ElReg article from a week or two back talking about the new wave of 128 GB SSD devices that are just around the corner (October?).
My usage profile is perhaps a little different from others, I see this sort of device as a spare laptop to carry on the road (my existing machine is great - Toshiba M200 Tablet). Sometimes I dont have access to laptop power (on planes ... as I pay for the flight myself I dont do biz class). And my two batteries on the tosh are nearing the end of their useful life ... i.e. now down to around 2 hours on each. Which means on a trip to the West Coast I have 7 hours left to twiddle my thumbs.
A spare lappy like these mahines changes all of that.
So I bought an Asus 901 (£299 from e-buyer) before the current trip and loved it, although found the 12 GB a little restrictive. I dont want Unix (did that through the 80s and 90s), so to me an XP option makes a lot of sense coz I dont want to have to learn to administer another OS. But my 901 screen stopped working just as I upgraded the memory (probably something I did) and as I was leaving the country the next day for a month, I decided to send it back (thanks E-buyer for greate Cust Service). All my existing software worked ... I didnt need to learn Open Office, etc.
So on reflection (now that I have sent the 901 back), I can get by with another new battery for my Tosh (a new one gives me another 6 hours), and I will wait for something with a bigger internal form factor (128 GB SSD - yes please).
Register
Dell launches Inspiron 9 mini laptop
Dell has launched the Inspiron Mini 9, as expected. Alas, it's not as cheap as previous rumours suggested. The 1.04kg Mini 9 sports the 8.9in, 1024 x 600 display; 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor; 1GB of DDR 2 memory; Intel 945 chipset with GMA 950 graphics; trio of USB ports; VGA out; 802.11b/g Wi-Fi; Ethernet; and 1.3- …
This topic is closed for new posts.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 10:34 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Trust Dell... #
...to release an expensive SCC. Maybe it should be called a SEC? Well at least you're paying for their rock-solid reliability, excellent customer service and legendary returns policy. Oh wait a minute...
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 10:34 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Selling. #
Anyone wanna buy a slightly used EEE 701?
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 10:34 GMT
Bronek Kozicki
nice ... #
... but where is 3G HSDPA ? Without good connectivity on the road (and good battery life), this device is just a gadget.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 10:34 GMT
Samuel Deakin
iphone cost, dell costs #
Iphone 3g cos £400 this cost £300, I know where I'll stick my money
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 10:34 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Details #
Looks pretty, but what is the battery life like?
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 11:13 GMT
Will
Apple's and Oranges #
Ones a phone and ones a computer, they do different jobs. The Dell is just another me too product. Acers new 6 cell aspire one is a much better option in my opinion.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 11:13 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Still Questions... #
UK Keyboard?
BatteryLife and Power Brick?
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 11:13 GMT
Mark
Sounds Promising. #
Anyone know if the £269 Linux one comes with 16GB SSD?
If so, count me in. I'm happy to pay £40 more than a Aspire One for something with a bit better build quality, slightly better spec, and double the SSD. It will come with someless less "playtime" than Linpus Lite.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 11:14 GMT
Dave H
Bah... NEXT! #
For the limited uses I have in mind for a device like this (something to sit on the couch/in bed with; browse the web and do a spot of typing on), it *has* to be cheap. Not interested in excess storage, a windows licence, designer looks or anything else that drives the price up. I only spent £220 on a recent major overhaul of my desktop and that machine is a hell of a lot more important to me, than one of these devices would be.
Decent battery, at least 8.9" screen and price around £200. Someone please get it right!
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 11:22 GMT
David Hicks
So not much cheaper than a 901 #
And with slightly worse specs and battery life.
OK, I'm not so annoyed I jumped on the first linux/atom machine I could.
As for 3G, well, you've got a mobile phone haven't you? Bluetooth the two together et voila!
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 13:33 GMT
Eric Van Haesendonck
Too expensive. #
With the original EEE PC at almost half the price on Expansys (£159) and the aspire one available at around £240 I don't think this will be the success many had hoped.
That said it could compete with the XP aspire one and the EEE PC 901 which are both above £300 on the same site.
Shame about the delayed Ubuntu version, personally I feel that an XP license is not cost effective on that kind of machine. My wife bought an XP EEE 900 and I bought a Linux Wind (on which I put Ubuntu) and my machine performs much better than hers. Pretty much all the Linux apps run fine while many of the XP apps seem to struggle at times.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 13:33 GMT
druck
How many extra steps? #
Dell have jumped on the bandwagon, but missed the point of middle C in SCC, as have so many others. But it will be interesting to see how many extra steps and hassle it takes to order the Linux version rather than XP.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 13:33 GMT
Nigel Wright
Missed opportunity #
I can't see any reason to buy this over the ones that came before. A me2 product as someone mentioned earlier.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 13:35 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Re: Apples and Oranges #
"Ones a phone and ones a computer, they do different jobs. The Dell is just another me too product. Acers new 6 cell aspire one is a much better option in my opinion."
Spec the Acer up to a decent level and it costs around £300. Added to that, the build quality is rubbish, the user interface is uncomfortable, and the keyboard aint overly great either.
Have you seen any of these products before deciding which is best? Perhaps you should, you'd be surprised
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 13:35 GMT
Albert
So, it's an Acer Aspire One for me #
Too expensive for what it is.
I'm waiting until the Ubuntu distro supports the Acer fully then I'll buy.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 13:35 GMT
MrWeeble
Interesting #
Just checked with Dell, it will come with a UK keyboard layout but the 16GB seems a daft amount for me. If I got one I wouldn't be using it to store data on (16GB is too small to keep even all of my MP3s on), it would only be used to browse the web and maybe stream movies and music from my main PC which has big storage. I think I would be happy with 8, or probably even 4. So I am hoping when the Linux version comes out there will be an option to have it on a smaller drive and thus a cheaper price. I'm thinking £200 + delivery would be a good price.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 13:35 GMT
Jeckle
Lets face it.... #
Not much is going to run on this come the end of next year. 200pounds for an obsolete laptop seems a bit steep even if it is small, which is not always a good thing.
Always puzzles me why they don't put the processor behind the screen. Then you can put a decent processor in using the entire (wasted) area of the screen to dissipate thermal energy. Its also not going to be insulated from the air by someone's genitals, something laptop manufacturers have been accused of baking in the past.
Mine's the one with the asbestos apron...
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 13:35 GMT
Kenneth Chan
Too Much for Too Little #
for that kind of money, you are better off with a cheap or used lap.... Too bad, it cute. even with a wanky keyboard.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 13:35 GMT
Yasser Nabi
Pricing Error? #
Looks like dell website has it for £299 without Linux option :( Oh well i was thinking of getting this instead of the eeepc901. No Linux and not cheaper than eeepc901. I think i know what i will be getting now.
Tux all the way!
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 13:38 GMT
spegru
Price to market #
Lot's of people seem to think these SCCs should be a impulse purchase. Sub 200 would be nice but whay should they bother if they can get sales at 270 ish?
Consider the alternatives: Sony Viao etc are all way more than that and often more expensive than ordinary laptops
The way these are bing pushed in incredible.
Acer Aspire One at the front entrance of PC World
Elonex One 10" with Ubuntu from free at Carphone
amazing
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 14:03 GMT
Will Derrrick
XP + SSD #
I'll be interested to see how well XP copes with the SSD in this. Hopefully it'll be a lot faster than either SSD that the Linux AA1 ships with, because there's noticable lag under XP on it unless you're running EWF or Supercache etc. Although I love my AA1, if this is noticably less "freezy" running XP, I might need to get one of these as a replacement.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 14:35 GMT
Anonymous Coward
@Anonymous Coward #
But still, one is a phone and one is a computer.
Ok, lets compare.
Dell...
Can run multiple OS's
More software
USB ports for external hardware
External vga, network, etc
Larger screen/resolution
No activation needed
Wifi, Bluetooth
iPhone
Can make phone calls
Some software
Wifi, Bluetooth
Also considering phones range from £10-£600 and laptops will range from £160-£2500+
I think considering we are talking about a laptop at the low end of the price range vs a phone at the high end of the price range. The laptop obviously wins as it has more for its money.
But then again, these _are_ 2 different items aren't they?
(I hate Dell mind you)
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 15:34 GMT
Gildas
Excellent... #
no need to regret running out and buying an AA1 when I did. Good-oh.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 15:34 GMT
adrian
Superb Little Devices... #
I have the asus eeepc 901 with XP.
Cracking thing, hooks up via my windows mobile to the 3g network over bluetooth or usb, fits in my satchel along with a book and other odds and sods and the battery.....
The battery can and does last up to about 6 hours, its like having a computer in your pocket with the battery life of a phone..
I can use rdp to hook through to work over a vpn, I can browse the internet or google earth and I can read my emails...
A small 2.5 external drive and I have all of the media I would ever need.... An 8gb SD card (I am cheap) and I have enough local storage to keep me happy..
This isn't about comparing it to a more powerful device, this is about portability and if that is what floats your boat then these devices are just what you need..
Personally I think £300 is cheap for what you get.. I have spent more on shoes, but if you think I am being flash I have also spent less on a car.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 15:34 GMT
W
To summarise... #
...the various 1GB RAM / XP / Atom SCCs...
1/ EEE 901 (£280, ebuyer):
+ve: 6cell 6600mAh beats all comers. Has n Wi-fi. So, so nearly there (but somewhat obscured by the cheaper, inferior 900 range).
-ve: Needs to be £30 cheaper. Fiddly keyboard. 4GB less SSD than Mini 9.
2/ Mini 9 (£300, Dell):
+ve: Decent enough keyboard size. Nice looking (XPS M1330-esque?) touchpad.
-ve: Needs to be £50 cheaper (but free delivery would put it in with a shout of the top spot). Battery of 4+ hours unlikely?
3/ 4211/Medion/Wind (£280, PCW):
+ve: Props for the keyboard. 10" screen.
-ve: Needs to be £30 cheaper, needs SSD instead of 80GB SSD. Needs better battery. Could end up with the dodgy newer touchpad.
NB: PCWB have put the price up from £235 but are still out of stock so that looks like a gone-er)
4/ Aspire One (£280, dabs):
+ve: 'Meldable SD' card slot (if you like that kind of thing). Decent-ish keyboard.
-ve: Needs to be £30 cheaper. Needs a better battery. Has 120GB HDD with no Windows SSD option. Touchpad is small and 'non-standard' (if that matters). No Bluetooth. Difficult to upgrade (apart from 'meldable SD').
5/ IBM ThinkPad X31 (<£250, ebay):
+ve: The price is right!!! Similarly specced. Has dvd. Has 12" screen. Chance of a decent battery.
-ve: Obviously bigger (so not strictly an SCC, if that matters). Chance of a crocked battery. No warranty.
NB: Wildcard entry for those who aren't yet convinced of the merits of an SCC.
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 15:34 GMT
b
so close for me! #
ABOUT BLEEDING TIME!
3 usb ports, i think this is a first for the baby laptops..just what i need..it's got a reasonable 16gb SSD (but that should be bigger)...
...now if they could ONLY make the screen res 1024x768 that would be perfect, i'd buy one...so get to it Dell!
tracking this space here:
http://www.eupeople.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487
all welcome! ;)
fyi, here's Dell's page:
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-9?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 16:25 GMT
W
Obsolete? #
"Not much is going to run on this come the end of next year. 200pounds for an obsolete laptop seems a bit steep even if it is small, which is not always a good thing."
Er, at the end of 2009 it'll still run:
XP SP3
Firefox 3.x
OpenOffice 2.x
Paint.NET 3.x
Inkscape 0.4x
Photoshop / Elements 4.x
Blender 2.x
3DS Max 5
Sketchup 6.x
AutoCAD 2000/2002LT
Google Earth Offline 4.x
Apache2Triad
mplayer
VLC
Pidgin
Foxit
PDF Creator
doPDF
CCleaner
Avast!
S&D
AdAware
etc etc etc
What else would you plan on installing?
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 16:25 GMT
steven
for gawds sake!! #
Why no linux version?? I have been holding out for an SSC with ubutnu on it - why can't they just get on and do it!
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 16:25 GMT
Tall
to: Eric Van Haesendonck - Acer Aspire One for £240? Where??? #
Please tell me where can I buy Acer Aspire One with XP for £240????
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 16:25 GMT
Tall
@spegru "Elonex One 10" with Ubuntu from free at Carphone"??? #
Elonex makes chip 7 inch laptops for kids for 99 squid - what are you talking about???
Any URLs to support your statement?
Posted Thursday 4th September 2008 22:37 GMT
mj
Pricing query.... #
Maybe someone can explain the pricing on this...
US - $299
UK - £299
France - €369
Germany - €369
Ireland - €399
How the hell can dell charge €399 in Ireland for something that sells in the US for the equivalent of €210. Thats just taking the complete p*ss.
So Mr. Register, any chance you can follow that up with Dell?
Posted Friday 5th September 2008 07:22 GMT
Eric Van Haesendonck
@Tall #
The prices I quotted are all from Expansys.co.uk. with United Kingdom selected as my country (so I have UK prices). I looked there because it offers most of the currently available netbooks, so I Thought it would be a fair comparison.
The linux SSD version is actually £235
http://www.expansys.com/p.aspx?i=169960
The HDD version is around £245
http://www.expansys.com/p.aspx?i=169450
Posted Friday 5th September 2008 11:40 GMT
uhuznaa
Small and cheap #
HiVision MiniNote: Linux, MIPS CPU, 1GB Flash, 3xUSB, 800x480, SDHC-slot for $98.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKQbN6tpYXw
Posted Friday 5th September 2008 11:40 GMT
Ben
Balls #
Just bought an aspire one, and while pleased with it, it looks like I may prefer the look of the Dell. But then I needed something by next friday, and there's always a new kid on the block (I just wish they'd aimed for back to school).
Anyway, I've got the HDD version of my aspire for £230 from PC World, have put on Vista absolutely no probs from USB, and am tomorrow adding an extra 1GB of ram that cost £14 from Crucial.
Going to be reasonably spec'd.
Posted Friday 5th September 2008 13:40 GMT
W
@Ben #
Then there's that 6-cell battery you'll be needing....
£230 + £14 + Vista(!) + Cost of Battery = £300+ territory.
Posted Friday 5th September 2008 16:00 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Gonna Wait ... #
I seem to remember an ElReg article from a week or two back talking about the new wave of 128 GB SSD devices that are just around the corner (October?).
My usage profile is perhaps a little different from others, I see this sort of device as a spare laptop to carry on the road (my existing machine is great - Toshiba M200 Tablet). Sometimes I dont have access to laptop power (on planes ... as I pay for the flight myself I dont do biz class). And my two batteries on the tosh are nearing the end of their useful life ... i.e. now down to around 2 hours on each. Which means on a trip to the West Coast I have 7 hours left to twiddle my thumbs.
A spare lappy like these mahines changes all of that.
So I bought an Asus 901 (£299 from e-buyer) before the current trip and loved it, although found the 12 GB a little restrictive. I dont want Unix (did that through the 80s and 90s), so to me an XP option makes a lot of sense coz I dont want to have to learn to administer another OS. But my 901 screen stopped working just as I upgraded the memory (probably something I did) and as I was leaving the country the next day for a month, I decided to send it back (thanks E-buyer for greate Cust Service). All my existing software worked ... I didnt need to learn Open Office, etc.
So on reflection (now that I have sent the 901 back), I can get by with another new battery for my Tosh (a new one gives me another 6 hours), and I will wait for something with a bigger internal form factor (128 GB SSD - yes please).
Posted Thursday 11th September 2008 16:14 GMT
Solaris
Title #
I think some people are forgetting this is a netbook, noy a fully fledged laptop
Its also silly to suggest nothing will run on it by the end of next year. Its a netbook!
This topic is closed for new posts.