We managed to get our hands on a Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook with a data plan from Vodafone to take out for a spin. The package arrived this morning and I have to say my first impressions are that it is a top quality product. The Mini 9 has an 8.9 inch screen and weighs just 2.28lbs.
With the netbook being built small it makes it very easy to carry around. Rather then having a bulky laptop bag you will find a small case will hold it sufficiently. What makes the Dell Mini 9 Netbook stand out among others is that it has a SIM card slot just behind where the battery goes. What this does is allows you to do is hook it up to a 3G network while on the move and receive mobile broadband internet at speeds up to 7.2Mbps (downstream) and 2Mbps upload speed depending on your location. No extra mobile broadband dongle is needed as it’s all built in to the laptop. With it being on the Vodafone network I am assuming that coverage is good although I will be testing it in various locations and reporting on gadgetvenue my findings.
The Dell Mini 9 Netbook comes with Windows XP installed. It seems to run at a reasonable speed too as it has an Intel Atom Processor running at 1.6GHz as well as 1GB RAM. On the storage side it has an SSD built in which provides 8GB. Not the largest around, but for my purposes it is more then sufficient as I wont be using it to carry too much media around.
On the connectivity side you will find Mobile Broadband (if you have a dataplan), wireless and bluetooth. A memory card slot can be found on the left side which accepts SD, MemoryStick Pro and MMC cards. Three USB ports are also provided. Battery life is reportedly over 4 hours although I will run tests to confirm this.
More to come on this laptop over the coming weeks, but for now if you want to get your hands on one then you have a couple of options. The first option requires payment over on the Vodafone website where it comes free on the contracts of £25 and above. The other requires you to find LiveGuy who is in Liverpool today, Leeds tomorrow and then various places next week. If you find him then follow the instructions on the website (which I suggest you read first) and you could win one of 4 each day.
More details of the laptop to come later this week.
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