As Dell [DELL] continues its endeavor to radically change (and hopefully, improve) its image with the public, they’ve come through with a new competitor line to the HP 2133 Mini-Note line, which in turn is a formidable response to the ASUStek’s Eec PC.
I’ve discussed the recent issues with the mini-/sub-notebook arena that Apple used to range quite freely in; it seems evident that this new convergence segment is open enough to provide an opportunity that Dell needs to regain the leading mindshare it had lost to other vendors.
Inspiron 910
You’ll notice that the identifier used for your build configuration will change from Inspiron Mini 9 to its true name if you decide to accept the Windows XP Home Edition base. Also note the CPU and the storage used. Perhaps quite telling is the pricing for the computer. Although its price is touted as starting at USD $349, the truth is that you’re most likely going to use configure a build similar to the above screenshot to maximize the usefulness of the sub-notebook. Still, at $479, it’s not terrible. But also note the preliminary ship date listed.
Inspiron 910u
Now, in addition to offering Windows XP Home Edition, there is base using Ubuntu 8.04, which is significantly more interesting for non-Windows users or certain developer types. Note that, after a bit of configuring, the build configuration looks very similar to the 910, but price is higher at $494 (because there was a discount being offered on the Windows XP Home Edition base) and the preliminary ship date is much further out. 
The Verdict
Compared to the HP 2133, the Inspiron Mini 9 models are significantly less expensive, and the build quality does look better than the Eee PC’s (although it would require physical production model comparisons to confirm this). So, as a value proposition, the Inspiron Mini 9 looks very attractive.
What could be better are the usual suspects:
- More RAM
- Larger storage capacities
- Longer battery life
- 802.11n support
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There is a rumor that the Mini9 has built in support for wireless 3G data. This feature is not being touted yet because dell is still talking with the Wireless vendor. The idea is to have the mini9 treated much like a cell phone and sold to the public at a discount by the wireless vendor. We should all know in 2 weeks.
I heard something like this but for the U.K.
Vodafone has a deal already inked with Dell but the rollout is not for at least a week, maybe more.
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