Netbook Crazy

Netbooks were primarily released as a low cost portable solution to travellers and mobile business. Since the first release of the Asus Eee PC, netbooks have gone from mainly using Linux, to the majority of netbooks using Microsoft Windows. Size has also increased and most netbooks now feature a 10 inch display, which also means the keyboard can be bigger, as well as other increased specifications.

Many netbooks are still cheaper than laptops though with their £200-£300 price tag. What happens though when you’re looking into the Dell Inspirion Mini 10? It features a 10 inch display, Intel Atom processor running at 1.33GHz, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. The low cost netbook is available from Dell and PC World for £299. But also available from Dell’s website, the Inspiron 15, which features a 15 inch display is also available for £299. The notebook doesn’t feature the portability aspect like a netbook, but the notebook is still reasonable portable with the added bonus of an easier to read display and easier to use keyboard. Not only that, the Inspiron 15, generally has better specifications than the Mini 10. The main differnce being the screen size and processor. The Inspiron 15 features an Intel Celeron processor which runs at 2.16GHz, with a dual core processor also being available for an additional cost. Both machines feature a 160GB hard drive, with the netbook having Windows XP installed and the notebook using Vista. Both machines feature 1GB of RAM and come in black. The netbook can also be purchased in white for no additional charge, while both models offer other colors for a nominal extra. The notebook will also last longer while on the road as it comes equipped with a 4 cell battery over the 3 cell of the Mini 10, but both can be upgraded to a 6 cell battery.