Dell's 32GB Inspiron Mini 9 netbook blushes pink and red in Japan

What's black and white and now red in Japan? Why Dell's Inspiron Mini 9 of course -- who reads newspapers? Starting tomorrow, Dell's little netbook will finally be available in red to match the initial teaser shots that had the entire laptop world looking Dell's way back in May. Pink too, to offset the decidedly more staid, obsidian black and alpine white versions available elsewhere. Japan also nabbed an Inspiron Mini 9 Platinum Package that features a relative biggie 32GB SSD for a tax inclusive price of ¥54,980 or about $565. No word on a rest of world release date for these Mini 9 updates but we expect them go Stateside in time for Cindy-Lou Who. Mini 9 in pink after the break.

[Via Impress]

[joshc @ Nov 17th 2008 5:16AM]

Pink? but red seems to be a good colour though. for that price though I think I will stick to my eee pc.

[YoYoYo @ Nov 17th 2008 7:47AM]

Either my monitor's broken, or that's "fire engine red." T'ain't pink.

[OneLove @ Nov 17th 2008 12:14PM]

netbooks are so 6 months ago!

[Ayman @ Nov 17th 2008 5:16AM]

$565!! i would have gotten this, if it wasn't nearly $200 over the Acer Aspire one

[AVG @ Nov 17th 2008 7:01AM]

So... you would get a better product if it were about the same price as an inferior one?

Interesting!

[Boards of Canada @ Nov 17th 2008 7:10AM]

The Acer is 500$ here... (in Osaka).

[YoYoYo @ Nov 17th 2008 7:50AM]

"So... you would get a better product if it were about the same price as an inferior one?"

Says a man with "AVG" as his avatar and title. *cough* Kaspersky's *cough*

That said, I'd say that wanting this product at a competitive price to Acer's is far from unreasonable. It's got specs that are so similar that a ~50% price difference is all but certainly unwarranted.

[Ayman @ Nov 17th 2008 9:33AM]

@AVG
inferior product...look up the reviews, on the acer... this is the category of a NETBOOK not NOTEBOOK, price range are 400
so if you are gonna spend approax $600, then go get a notebook book it has better features for the price.

Unless you like to burn money.... then recommend get the RED Dell... you would benefit more people

[AVG @ Nov 17th 2008 11:12AM]

@Ayman

No idea what in the world you're talking about anymore. Victory is yours.

[kyle allen @ Nov 17th 2008 5:17AM]

what makes obsidion black plastic better than just regular black plastic? i mean its not like they used actual volcanic glass. if they did tho, that would be epic

[Oscarv77 @ Nov 17th 2008 5:53AM]

No, they didn't use volcanic glass, but I heard that they did melt a whole mountain to get Alpine White...

*facepalm*

[Emor @ Nov 17th 2008 5:17AM]

Has DELL got a new design team?
And an even newer marketing team? I don't understand why the DELL Inspirons with all their awesome art work look better than the high end models. GAMERS LIKE SLEEK AND SHINY STUFF TOO! :D.
EMZ=]

[kyle allen @ Nov 17th 2008 5:25AM]

i honestly preferr the ol grey toshibas maself.... than again, i still think pentium 3s are awesome

[eggothewaffle @ Nov 17th 2008 5:29AM]

"What's black and white and now red in Japan?"

I was expecting pictures of cybernetic Neo Tokyo tentacle rape after the break.

:'(

[NoAndThen @ Nov 17th 2008 11:32AM]

@eggo: really? I was thinking more like sunburned skunk.

But I guess tentacle rape over there is about as common as skunks here, right?

[BluVoodo @ Nov 17th 2008 5:31AM]

Dell continues to amaze me with their ugly taste.. but then I just realize Dell has become another emachines..

[Boards of Canada @ Nov 17th 2008 7:13AM]

You are so wrong! Dell was like emachine long time ago but now they offer really neat and durable solution for an emachine price. That mini 9 is really cool, no kidding. (at least the black model!). Its quite the best netbook you can find.

[ITRanger @ Nov 17th 2008 5:38AM]

I really like the idea of 32GB SSD, although maybe a bit expensive. I know most people probably aren't bothered by 4,8 or even 16GB SSDs in a netbook, but I think those quantities are a real joke especially as I treat my netbook as practically a 'first' machine when I am away.

Good stuff Dell. A 64GB SSD though, would be my real satisfaction point with XP.

[ran @ Nov 17th 2008 9:43AM]

64GB, so the SSD costs the same as the computer? That would be a smart move.

[Loonyx @ Nov 17th 2008 6:54AM]

um it has a 32gb SSD vs your 8gb ssd on the AA1 or eeepc...so yeah its worth every nickel and my two cents :)

[strider_mt2k @ Nov 17th 2008 7:07AM]

I was recently made a Moderator over where I hang out on the mydellmini forums and larger, faster drives are always popular topics.

A few Mini 9 owners are going out and getting their own 32gb SSD to upgrade their own systems, so it isn't that surprising that they're being offered now.

As it is I'm only using half of my Mini 9's 16GB SSD, and use a 16gb SDHC card for media storage, so I'm in no big rush to expand...yet.

Modifications exist to expand on board storage using other methods as well, so there is no lack of drive/storage options for this system! :D

[Fanfoot @ Nov 17th 2008 3:30PM]

Agreed. STEC even has the part number for the 32GB version of the SSD used in the Mini 9 on their website, though I can't seem to find anybody selling it...

[vēer @ Nov 19th 2008 7:48AM]

Yes, yes, yes! Hopefully somewhere next year netbooks with 32Gb SSD will be common :)!

[mostlyharmless22 @ Nov 17th 2008 8:44AM]

If these are really coming out, why aren't the pictures real? They are definitely doctored.

[bob sakamano @ Nov 17th 2008 9:01AM]

agreed.. .the colors look too perfect to be actual photos

[mostlyharmless22 @ Nov 17th 2008 8:50AM]

Japanese Dell website is still only showing black and white as configuration options.

[Patriks7 @ Nov 17th 2008 10:01AM]

And I thought that it was Japan that had a Dell netbook couple weeks ago with triple the price of the US one?

[Netbook Magnifier @ Nov 18th 2008 5:52PM]

I own a Dell Mini 9 and find it extremely hard to see the screen with my 46 year old eyes.

I found this full screen magnifier which helps out tremendously http://www.getzoomware.com/umpc.