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Published in Reviews

Dell's Inspiron Mini 12 outgrows netbook siblings

by on11 June 2009

Index



Keyboard and Trackpad

Obviously designers made use of the extra room, and fitted the Mini 12 with a spacious, well laid out keyboard.

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It's by no means spectacular, it's 92 percent standard size, just like the one used on the Mini 10, but it's a far cry from most netbook keyboards. There's not much to complain about, although it feels a bit soft, it's still somewhat better than the keyboard used on the Mini 10. The plastic used on the keys is a bit too rough for our taste.

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The trackpad is pretty bit and comfy. Almost nothing to complain about here either, although it lacks multi-touch, which is featured on the Mini 10.

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The keys could have been a bit better, they are pretty soft, and have a bit too much travel.

Ergonomics, Everyday Use

Obviously the Mini 12 is a bit easier to live with than 10-inch netbooks. Not only does it offer 2 more inches of screen acreage, but it's also got quite a bit more pixels to boot too, 1280x800, like most 12-inchers. You won't scroll much, and some applications which are next to useless on netbooks will be a lot more enjoyable. Also, the extra resolution allows for hassle free browsing and text editing with much less scrolling and straining.

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Don't get us wrong, we like 10-inch netbooks as well, but a 1280x800 panel makes a world of difference. You can use it for hours without straining your eyes, and more importantly getting annoyed. Sadly, the Mini 12 is the only 12-inch netbook on the market, and it won't stick around for much longer, as it seems dell will focus on the 10-inch Mini 10 and Mini 10v.

The connector layout is straightforward.

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Two USBs, VGA and DC-in on the left...

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Another USB, along with a memory card reader and LAN connector on the right.

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Nothing at the front or back.

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We got a 3-cell sample, and obviously battery life wasn't too impressive. We were getting under 3 hours of endurance, and depending on the workload and wireless use, it could even run out of steam after about 2 hours flat.


Last modified on 11 June 2009
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