Dell has today announced its second netbook offering in the form of the Inspiron Mini 12, successor to the underwhelming Inspiron Mini 9.
The larger-than-usual netbook offers a 12in screen and a resolution of 1,280 x 800. The screen size is almost stepping into notebook territory, but despite straying away from the ultra-portable trend it could attract users who simply find netbooks too small.
Inspiron Mini 12's innards, too, have been given a slight overhaul. Instead of the usual Diamondville-based 1.6GHz Atom N270, Dell is giving buyers a choice of two processors; the Silverthorne-based 1.33GHz Atom Z520 or 1.6GHz Atom Z530. Both provide the usual 512K of L2 cache and 533MHz FSB, but the lower TDP of 2.0W could result in slightly improved battery life.
Accompanying the processor is a choice of hard-disk drives up to 80GB, 1GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Microsoft's Windows Vista Home Basic operating system. We'd expect Vista performance to be average, but Dell will add Windows XP and Linux options at a later date.
One of the system's most appealing features is its size. Measuring in at under one inch thick and weighing only 2.7lbs, it's a well-sized system that won't be a chore to carry. At present, the Inspiron Mini 12 is available only in Japan but should appear in the U.S. sometime next month with a starting price of around $600.
Is there a market for 12in netbooks? Or has the line between netbook and notebook all but disappeared? Share your thoughts in the HEXUS.community forums.
