Taiwan-based Asus is universally credited as the pioneer in the netbook market. The ASUS Eee PC broke grounds for this niche and today, sales of these light, inexpensive subnotebooks are growing by leaps and bounds. While Acer Inc. now leads that market, trailed only by Asus, the rest of the manufacturers are fast catching up with their own legion of netbook models.

There has been concern that the netbook market is but a fad and that in time consumers will see these devices as mere toys compared to their more full-featured kin. However, we see manufacturers churn out netbooks that come with performance and features that nearly parallel those of full-sized notebooks and laptops.

Today, we take a look at Dell’s fancied netbook – the Dell Inspiron 11z. The number eleven represents the device’s screen size. While Dell’s own site calls this a laptop and even slots this in its Inspiron laptop series, the 11z is definitely a netbook.

Instead of relying on the netbook favorite Intel Atom processor, Dell took a different route, opting to go with an Intel Celeron low-voltage processor. The Intel Atom has proven its processing prowess in many netbooks – the Asus Eee series, Acer’s Aspire One, HP’s Mini 1000 and Compaq Mini 700 among others. So, it is a surprise to us that Dell made a decision with to go with a Celeron 723. Honestly, we feel that Dell should have stuck with the Atom processor given the average netbook user’s penchant for watching online videos and fiddling with multimedia content. The Celeron 723 has limited capabilities in these areas.

The Dell Inspiron 11z sports a simple yet business-like design. A glossy cover and a matte black chassis give it a tasteful yet understated look. It is both lightweight and slim and its build quality is up to par with netbooks in its price range. But, like many users we single out its touchpad as its worst feature – unresponsive at times and it takes an effort to get used to.

The Inspiron 11z’s 11.6-inch screen sets it apart from its netbook competitors – it offers as much space as regular notebooks. Inside, it features a Windows Vista Home Premium OS. Port selection is just about the same with other netbooks. This one though has HDMI instead of a VGA port.

The average buyer will most likely use this device for browsing, keeping in touch with friends and families or checking one’s finances. Notably, multimedia use is limited.

PROS

First, we commend the excellent screen and graphics card combo. Second, we like the way it is put together – the clean layout and the comfortable keyboard.

CONS

Our biggest gripe, as with other users, is the dreadful erratic touchpad. Dell has to do something about it and do it fast. The Celeron 723 processor is not as capable as the Intel Atom – giving the Inspiron 11z limited multimedia capabilities.

CONCLUSION

Notebookreview.com says “The Dell Inspiron 11z was one of those notebooks that looks like it could be the perfect machine on paper, but once you get it in person you find out it has some fatal flaw.” Our verdict – buy this if you intend to use this when you need to have a light device for browsing, email checking and keeping in touch with your friends. If you want something that can do more, we suggest you get something else.

Best Places to Buy Dell Inspiron 11z – Review

	Store Rating	Store Name	Price	Visit Store
	2057 Store Reviews	Dell	$ 449.99
	2057 Store Reviews	Dell	$ 499.99

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1. Dell Inspiron Mini 10 – Review

If you’re looking for a laptop that offers great value for money and has adequate features to help you run your small or medium sized business while on the go, the Dell Vostro A860 is worth checking into. While Dell touts the A860 as a “mobile solution to everyday business computing,” we see it as a capable, entry-level laptop for entrepreneurs.

Handy tool for a business man on the move

Itinerant businessmen will find the A860 a handy little management tool with just the features they need at a cost their auditors won’t complain about. Business owners, too, would appreciate the availability of common business applications and straight out-of-the-box productivity. However, the A860, with its minimalist features, is definitely not suited for gamers.

Pros:

Value for money is definitely the number one compelling trait we see in this model. Its portability, mobility and the availability of core business applications are what make it attractive too. Not to be undervalued are its other features such as the excellent anti-glare matte screen which allows better visibility in outdoor situations and the availability of Celeron Dual Core technology which gives it a plus in terms of raw processing power.

Cons:

Its drawbacks include the following: short battery life, so-so speakers, limited USB ports (only 2) and the comparatively noisy cooling system. Although many users would be satisfied with the standard 1-gigabyte RAM, we would have preferred a higher configuration. Other users also wished that this laptop came with Windows XP instead of the preinstalled Windows Vista Home Basic.

We see the Vostro A860 as a good choice for business users who are making the transition from desktop to mobile computing. It offers a healthy marriage of price and useful features. However, as your business grows you may see yourself graduating to higher end models. Until then, the A860 will ably fit your needs.

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1. Dell Vostro A90 – Review

The Dell Vostro A90 is an ultra-mobile netbook marketed to appeal to frequent travelers and small businesses. With a weight that starts from 2.36lbs with 4-cell battery, the Dell Vostro A90 provides a super lightweight yet cheap portable thinking machine. The weight, however, may vary depending on configuration and manufacturing variability.

This small thinking machine may seem familiar to netbook users. This may be because the Vostro A90 is a Dell Mini 9 repackaged and repainted all black.

The Dell Vostro A90 comes with an Intel Atom processor. Although not the fastest processor around, its computing speed may be satisfactory to anyone looking for a portable thinking machine. The Dell Vostro A90 could run for over four hours, giving its users ample time to work while traveling.

Pros

One of the big advantages to the Dell Vostro A90 is that it is upgradeable, especially its solid state drive, RAM and Wi-Fi. Apart from Windows XP and Ubuntu, one can also install other operating systems like Vista, Windows 7 or Mac OS in Dell Vostro A90 without encountering problems due to the components used in manufacturing this netbook. The Dell Vostro is also noticeably quiet, since it has no fans and uses no hard drives. Despite having only 8.9” of screen, the Dell Vostro’s LCD is extremely sharp.

Cons

The Dell Vostro A90’s keyboard is quite small, making it unsuitable for persons with large fingers. However, touchtyping may be awkward at first and the user would have to be familiar with the button layout.

 
This netbook’s processing power is not something to boast about. Software installation is not fast and has difficulty in moving large chunks of data. The Dell Vostro A90 comes with at least 16GB of disk space, but it may not enough considering that some people use their netbooks as storage for files.

 
Just like any other netbook, the Dell Vostro A90 does not have an optical drive to play DVDs or install CD-based applications with. The Dell Vostro A90’s optional 0.3 megapixel camera is just not suitable for video teleconferencing needs.

Conclusion

The Dell Vostro A90 can perform several applications suitable for one’s business needs, thus making it one of those ideal machines that can be used for outfitting field personnel. One should not expect much from it though if the user wants to mix business with pleasure. One cannot play speed-greedy and memory-hungry 3D games with these netbook. The Dell Vostro A90 is purely designed for business needs for people who are always on the go.

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1. Dell Vostro A860 – Review

Many consider the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 a bit overpriced as this netbook belongs to the upper price bracket of more than $500. We agree that it maybe a little bit more expensive than its rivals but let us examine what it offers.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is the younger brother of the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 and one of the top 5 must have netbooks of 2009. They look practically the same, except that this 10-incher has a sleeker look that its predecessor. The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 has a box dimension of 10.3 x 7.2 x 1.3 inches, and weighs only 2.6 lbs. It is really amazing how Dell was able to pack a TV antenna and a tuner into this little box.

This netbook is not only sleek and light, but also sports a fabulous design. The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is very compact with rounded lids and black glossy finish. Its compact design allowed Dell to cast a roomy keyboard, with some important keys retaining their full sizes. This mobile thinking chic comes in four other colors – white, green, pink and blue.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 comes with a Z-series Intel Atom processor, which features a chipset that supports better video playback. Its Intel Atom Z530 processor is cloked at 1.6 GHz, which is good enough to handle average computing tasks. This processing power is supported by an installed memory of 1 GB DDR-800 and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500. With this, the Dell Inspiron Mini can handle normal office programs and even some very softcore games.

One can store up to 160 GB of digital files into the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 with it SATA hard drive. It is also installed with a GPS. 

Pros:

The Dell Inspiron Mini 10’s main strength lies in its upgradeability. Although its specs at a quick glance may seem weak, this could be boosted by some extra specs. Higher end units could carry a higher resolution display of 1333 x 768, which other average laptops don’t have. It may also be loaded with a HDMI port for high-definition content viewing. A buyer may choose to load an optional mobile broadband.

Another good thing about the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook is its well-spaced keyboard. Even though it is a 10-incher, this netbook has near full-sized keys, with some keys even at full sizes.

The Dell Inspiron Mini’s 10-inch display comes with a 16:9 aspect ratio, which would allow users to watch movies using external optical drives without the black lines.

Cons:

The Dell Inspiron Mini 10’s upgradeability comes with a price, that is, one has to pay more to upgrade this netbook. Its $500-plus tag is already pricey, and paying more for more options could put a strain on one’s pocket. It might be a better option to buy bigger laptops that sell at a few hundred dollars higher than the Dell Inspiron Mini 10.

This netbook has somewhat a weird touchpad. At first look, one may conclude that the right and mouse buttons are missing, but actually, they are meshed with the touchpad itself.

Conclusion:

The Dell Inspiron is a good mobile machine, but is really a bit pricey for its class. It is upgradeable for a price and has many options, also for a price.

Best Places to Buy Dell Inspiron Mini 10 – Review

	Store Rating	Store Name	Price	Visit Store
	1189 Store Reviews	eBay	$ 319.72
	1189 Store Reviews	eBay	$ 319.72

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1. Dell Inspiron 11z – Review