Dell Inspiron Mini 12 gets more netbook-y with Ubuntu, XP options

Dell's Inspiron Mini 12 was already blurring the lines between netbooks and traditional laptop when it was shipping with Vista and Vista only, but it looks like Dell is intent on breaking down the walls between the two categories, with it now offering both Ubuntu and Windows XP on the, er... system. Expectedly, there's no changes to be found on the hardware side of things, and you can get either of the new operating systems installed on both the 1.33GHz and 1.6GHz models, the former of which now starts at $499 with Ubuntu pre-installed. And, yes, you can still get Vista if you like -- at no extra cost, no less.

[Thanks, TxdoHawk]

[Patrone @ Dec 16th 2008 3:34PM]

I love how Engadget has become Dell happy land. I've emailed this story to Engadget a couple of times - it's been reported by CNET and The Washington Post - but apparently Edgadget doesn't want to upset Dell.

Dell Charges to Speak with a US Customer Service Rep
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10121992-17.html?tag=rtcol;relnews

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/10/AR2008121003574.html?hpid=topnews

Engadget editors - how is this not news?

[LauraJune @ Dec 16th 2008 3:54PM]

We try to stick to gadgets, that's all! That's one we haven't heard though: Dell bias.

[Kris120890 @ Dec 16th 2008 3:58PM]

Although I totally disagree to what Laura June just said. No one would care that much about what dell are charging outside of gadgets. Being biased to dell though, You must be an apple fanboy trying to hit back.

[tom @ Dec 16th 2008 4:08PM]

@Patrone 1

I tipped engadget about M$'s Internet Explorer's *SERIOUS* zero day flaw.

Nothing came up

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 16th 2008 4:11PM]

It's just Engadget bringing you happy news in this time of economic doom and gloom. :)

[1234321 @ Dec 16th 2008 4:55PM]

not true Mobius, I tipped engadget about a funny cat picture, but they didn't post that either

[LauraJune @ Dec 16th 2008 4:57PM]

Where!? I love funny cat pictures!

[Eddie W @ Dec 16th 2008 5:09PM]

Engadget did cover the Moster Cables vs Monster Golf... not really a gadget issue. I tend to actually prefer some of the stories like that.

I do think tech support is an important issue, too. And, I don't think that it matters all that much whether the person you speak to is in the US or elsewhere - the issue is whether or not the person on the other end is just running a script on whether they have real knowledge of the product and how to fix it. I always cringe when I get someone in another country, not because I can't understand the accent, but because they're apparently trained not to listen to what the problem is and really diagnose anything. Call centers in the states often do the same thing, however. I had this issue with Verzion DSL not long ago... after multiple call ins with the same problem I kept getting the same script. I didn't get it resolved until I talked to a sales agent saying that I would be canceling my service. I wonder how Dell's new US service compares.

[Kris120890 @ Dec 16th 2008 5:25PM]

If you're really bothered about internet explorer there is a patch tomorrow.

[drewdoog @ Dec 16th 2008 10:02PM]

That is news. However, im unsure of how many people who visit tech blogs daily really ever use call in customer support. Perhaps thats weighing in on making a blurb about it.

[Oli D @ Dec 16th 2008 3:35PM]

Thats appalling! Ubuntu should take a good £50 off the price.

This is punishment surely?

[Jorvay @ Dec 16th 2008 4:01PM]

you gotta factor in the increased costs due to help-desk calls and product returns caused by the "duhh....i can't install my internet cd rom..." effect.

[lu1de @ Dec 16th 2008 4:10PM]

convert it to dollars please. so other people could understand it as well.

thank you.

[Jorvay @ Dec 16th 2008 4:22PM]

I'll convert for you:
$113.72 Australian Dollars
$93.42 Canadian Dollars
$136.34 New Zealand Dollars
$2521.88 Taiwan Dollars

If you want the American conversion, you can do it yourself like the rest of us usually have to.

[AVG @ Dec 16th 2008 4:23PM]

@lu1de

You're an idiot.

[Patriks7 @ Dec 16th 2008 4:35PM]

@Jorvay
Haha nice one! +1 for you!

[Félix @ Dec 16th 2008 5:07PM]

LOL convert it to dollars ?
it's really funny to read this precisely the day that the FED just set the interest rates between 0 and 0,25%...
in other words the dollar is actually dying.
The US$ has just stopped being a currency and turn in monopoly money.

[Oli D @ Dec 16th 2008 5:22PM]

Don't worry Felix, its happening to the pound too.
What can be our new super currency?

I say Prostitute Tokens.

[money @ Dec 16th 2008 9:59PM]

Uhh, Félix, the US dollar has been gaining value on most every currency (some exceptions) since the global economic downturn...

[stephen @ Dec 16th 2008 3:36PM]

What booky as in Russel Brand's My Booky-Wook?!


Back to serious stuff who is this aimed at?

It has the processor of a netbook but the size of a laptop.

Does anyone agree?

[crawdad689 @ Dec 16th 2008 3:55PM]

I think that a THIN laptop witha 12" screen is the perfect size for a laptop that you're going to take with you EVERY day, and use for hours on end EVERY day, but that's just me.

[L @ Dec 16th 2008 4:03PM]

Somebody who's perfectly happy with the horsepower of an Atom, but wants a proper keyboards and bigger screen than usual netbooks offer? I think there is a market for this as it is...

...and, offered for a hundred bucks less, and there would be a HUGE market for this imho.

[Brian @ Dec 16th 2008 4:51PM]

The 1.6ghz atom actually has plenty of grunt to get stuff done. I recently replaced my Samsung Q1Ultra with an Acer Aspire One.

The Aspire One plays 720p HD videos, the Q1 can't.
The Aspire can play WoW, not well, but just as well as my crappy work laptop with a core duo. ~14-24fps
The Aspire can stream videos a lot smoother.
I've done light photo editing with a mouse, the track pad is appalling on the Aspire. Data recovery, etc. Basically anything I would need to do with a laptop.

As long as these things have over 1gb of ram they're actually pretty great. I wish my netbook had bluetooth integrated, even though i have no bt hardware I like to keep my options available. And a larger battery would be great. I'll probably get myself one for Christmas. Honestly the keyboard is pretty good, it's about the same size as the keyboard off the Dell Latitude x300, anyone remember those? 12" screen, 1.3? ghz p4 ULV.

[Jason @ Jan 2nd 2009 4:38PM]

People with big hands who want a cheap laptop.

[paul eastwood @ Dec 16th 2008 3:43PM]

Vista "at no extra cost" just means you're paying as much for Ubuntu as you are for Vista, which means Dell is making more money on Ubuntu systems. Lame.

[Ashwin @ Dec 16th 2008 4:30PM]

I would think that XP or Ubuntu is preferable, because running Vista on a netbook is slow as molasses.

[Oli D @ Dec 16th 2008 4:43PM]

Simile of the century,

[pJo @ Dec 16th 2008 4:40PM]

WTF? The Dell website claims the Ubuntu 3-cell will go "up to 6 hours" ? I'm pro-linux and all, but isn't that poppycock?

[pJo @ Dec 16th 2008 4:45PM]

(Surely an HTML typo and not the technological miracle I'm hoping it is.)

[Félix @ Dec 16th 2008 5:19PM]

it's a typo
the 6cell ubuntu version has no autonomy at all :)
so : "up to 6 hours" applies to the 6-cells battery whatever the OS of course.

[oh4real @ Dec 16th 2008 5:35PM]

I am sold. Been waiting for this for a couple weeks now - even considered getting Vista version, installing Ubuntu and taking it to Sushi restaurant for drivers off dell.co.jp as Google Translate struggles through all of Dell's javascript.

Huh!?!?! No $99 discount for no Vista? I got Vostro 200N for dev server without OS and saved $99. This kinda sucks. I was expecting $399 version sans Vista. But, I guess they do need to support some driver development, assuming there is anything the Ubuntu community doesn't already have.

oh4real

[vansmack @ Dec 16th 2008 6:05PM]

The real story here is Dell is giving up on running Vista with only 1GB of RAM. What took them so long?

Vista runs fine on my Dell Mini 9 after I plug 2GB of RAM in it, but not that's not an option on the Mini 12.

Short sighted, very short sighted.

[jayatdell @ Dec 16th 2008 11:55PM]

Until shortly before the Mini 12 launched, Microsoft would not allow XP on systems over 10", so we launched with Vista and added XP as soon as it was qualified on the hardware.

[Zephyr @ Dec 16th 2008 6:39PM]

If Dell changes the HDD to an SSD, I'm sold.

[Victor @ Dec 16th 2008 8:58PM]

What video card is in this? The Dell site says the Intel GMA 500 but the support site has the driver for the GMA 945...

[Fr0 @ Dec 16th 2008 10:43PM]

it's too bad that they crippled the mini 12 by using the MID Atom chip/chipset instead of the Netbook chip/chipset...

If this had a 945GSE chipset with GMA950 (and the ability to bump it up to 2 gigs of RAM), I would have bought one months ago.

[jayatdell @ Dec 17th 2008 12:05AM]

Microsoft will not allow XP on devices over 1GB of RAM, and 1GB is enough for surfing and Web apps -- it's intended usage model. It's not a laptop.

[vansmack @ Dec 17th 2008 12:38PM]

Thanks Jay, but it doesn't change the fact that nearly every other netbook out there allows for a user-generated 2GB RAM upgrade except Dell, and even then the limitation exists only on the Mini 12 model.

[Weet @ Dec 18th 2008 10:11AM]

I was quite interested in this netbook until I saw the non-LED backlit display and the crappy keyboard with half size keys. I thought the whole point of a 12" was to have a GOOD keyboard? Very disappointing.

[Qrk @ Dec 18th 2008 2:55PM]

If you look on Dell's website, the Windows version is more expensive. The $499 Ubuntu version has the same specs as the $549 XP version, and the $549 Ubuntu version has the same specs as the 599 XP version. The "no extra cost" refers to the price premium of Vista over XP.

[Félix @ Dec 16th 2008 5:12PM]

Yeah ans the engadget review isn't very clear about this...
Please rephrase it.