Review: Dell Inspiron Mini 12

Dell's new Inspiron Mini 12 is something of an oddity in that it doesn't seem to quite know what it wants to be: it's the size of a notebook, designed like an ultra-portable and specced like a netbook.

The slim form factor makes it look very appealing, and it will slip easily into a normal briefcase or large handbag. Weighing just 1.25kg means that it shouldn't be a burden to carry around.

The glossy lid looks impressive but does pick up fingerprints and smudges very easily. The power adaptor weighs a respectable 150g, but the plug is built into the transformer which can make it tricky when trying to charge from a power strip or recessed socket.

The 12in screen is large by netbook standards, but under the hood the Mini 12 packs a pretty standard set of specifications including a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor, 1Gb of DDR2 RAM and a 40GB hard drive, which would be OK if it was solid state, but is somewhat on the small side for a traditional drive.

In terms of connectivity, the Dell Mini 12 provides three USB ports as well as a multi-card reader, and can connect to networks over 802.11g Wi-Fi or 10/100Mb LAN. There is also a space for a SIM card behind the battery, but our review unit didn't have a 3G modem installed. There is also a 1.3-megapixel webcam for video calls, and a VGA port for connecting to an external monitor or projector.

The review model provided runs the Ubuntu distribution of Linux. This poses an interesting conundrum for many people because, although Linux avoids the extra cost of a Windows licence, it can be a daunting prospect for those who have never used it before.

For those worried about using a Linux-based machine for the first time, this distribution has been created to make those familiar with Windows feel right at home. The main taskbar sits along the top of the screen rather than the bottom, but apart from that the two operating systems are very similar in most of the basic ways.

The only time a user may encounter some difficulties is if they need to dig around in the system settings or install a device that isn't supported on Linux.

Most of the time the Mini 12 performs adequately, but it does start to struggle if more than four or five applications are open at the same time.

For those who need to have Windows installed for one reason or another, or just those looking for a bit more power, there is another version of the Mini 12 coming out that uses a 1.6GHz Atom CPU, 80GB hard drive and runs Windows Vista Home edition.

While many users would prefer XP over Vista, the 12in screen means that Microsoft doesn't recognise the Mini 12 as a netbook and hence won't supply an XP licence for it.

Regardless of whether the large screen pushes the model into notebook territory or not, it is certainly impressive. The picture is crisp and the colours are vivid, so editing documents and checking emails is a breeze, as is watching video.

Another advantage with the big screen is the naturally larger chassis, allowing for what is essentially a full-sized keyboard.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 had to sacrifice the top row of function keys in order to fit the keyboard into the available space, and many netbook keyboards are simply too small to use for long periods, but the Mini 12 keyboard has no such problems. The one exception to this is the cursor keys, which are very thin and difficult to use when trying to navigate around a document.

Again, the added space provides ample room for the trackpad. This is responsive, but the left and right mouse buttons below the touchpad leave a lot to be desired, sinking deeply into the chassis with a soft marshmallow feel rather than a nice solid click.

The Mini 12's biggest shortcoming has to be the battery. There is always the trade-off between battery life and the added weight and size of a bigger battery, but we can't help feeling that two hours between charges is just too short. There is no point in having a slim and portable device if you have to remain tethered to a power socket to use it.

The unit we were reviewing was equipped with a three-cell battery, giving us just about two hours of life from a single charge under moderate usage conditions. According to Dell there will be a six-cell battery available, which should roughly double the life, but that will cost more and add extra weight to the netbook.

Overall, the Mini 12 seems best suited to the type of worker who may move around a lot, but usually works in an environment that has access to power, for instance a sales executive who visits a lot of client sites, or a manager who spends a lot of time at remote or branch offices.

The large screen and comfortable keyboard mean that doing an entire day's work won't cause any undue strain. But the poor battery life inhibits use while travelling, and the price tag is approaching that of an entry-level notebook, which would offer added features such as an optical drive.