New Dell Inspiron Mini 10 debuts, features Atom N450

Looks like Dell's trying to jump out ahead of the CES Atom N450 netbook rush by announcing a new version of the Inspiron Mini 10 a couple weeks before we all head to Vegas -- and we can't say we blame them, since there's a lot here to like. The newly streamlined case can accommodate a six-cell battery good for nine and half hours of use without the usual netbook bulge, and inside that next-gen Atom can be paired with an optional Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator for HD video playback. Also on the options list: four case colors, Bluetooth, WWAN, GPS, a TV tuner, and a 1366 x 768 display, in case you actually want to see some of those accelerated video pixels. Prices will start at $299 when this guy hits in early January, but we'll see how much all these options add to the final pricetag. Press release after the break.

New Dell Inspiron Mini 10 debuts, features Atom N450

Show full PR text

DELL MAKES INSPIRON MINI 10 EVEN BETTER WITH NEW DESIGN AND LONG BATTERY LIFE

• Entertainment Netbook Offers Go-Anywhere Fun for Everyone
• Great Battery Life Keeps People Online for Hours
• Optional High Definition Display, Surround Sound Enrich Media Experience

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Dec. 21, 2009 - Dell's hot-selling Inspiron Mini 10 netbook is getting better with a fresh new look and longer battery life to go along with technology enhancements and easy connectivity capabilities that make it a fashionable and functional must-have for on-the-go people. Updates to the Mini 10 include optional high definition entertainment bundles that deliver rich, smooth playback of streaming HD video in addition to Web surfing, email, listening to music and sharing user-generated content in real time. Dell expects the redesigned Inspiron Mini 10 to be available the first part of January 2010.

The new design with 10.1-inch display includes a textured, smudge-resistant palm rest, sculpted keys and, for the Inspiron Mini 10 mobility bundle, extended-life battery offering up to 9.5 hours of operation. The Mini 10 can be personalized with a broad range of optional colors or hundreds of optional custom artwork designs available in the Dell Design Studio.

The Inspiron Mini 10 will be offered in the coming weeks in a selection of bundles with distinct features like an HD display, Broadcom Crystal HD media accelerator, surround sound capability, built in HDTV tuner for over-the-air local HD broadcasts, or built-in Wi-Fi location enabled GPS that provides people with real time information to nearby restaurants, landmarks, maps and entertainment.

Built-in wireless connectivity Connectivity: Where wireless access is available. Additional access charges apply in some locations. provides easy, quick access to the Internet and e-mail. Some models feature Bluetooth and Mobile Broadband communications Mobile Broadband: Subject to wireless provider's broadband subscription and coverage area; additional charges apply., too.

Highlights:

• New Intel Atom N450 processor at 1.66 GHz
• 10.1-inch display with standard (1024x600) or High Definition (1366x768) display available in coming weeks
• Built-in speakers with available SRS Surround sound
• HDTV tuner and location-aware GPS configurations available in coming weeks
• Bundles with Broadcom Crystal HD for smooth HD playback coming in Q1
• Built-in 802.11 b/g wireless with available Bluetooth and Mobile Broadband
• 1GB Memory: Significant system memory may be used to support graphics, depending on system memory size and other factors. DDR2 memory at 800MHz
• 160GB Hard Drive: GB means 1 billion bytes and TB equals 1 trillion bytes; actual capacity varies with preloaded material and operating environment and will be less. or 250GB hard disk drive storage
• Choice of 3 or 6-cell integrated battery with up to 9.5 hours of battery life (Inspiron Mini 10 mobility bundle only).
• Choice of Windows 7 Starter or Windows XP Home, Ubuntu operating system option available in the coming weeks
• Lightweight: Starting at about 2.75 – 3.1 pounds Starting at Weight: Weights vary depending on configuration and manufacturing variability. with a 3-cell battery Battery Life: Based on preliminary lab testing. Varies by configuration, operating conditions and other factors. Maximum battery capacity decreases with time and use. Battery life of 9 hours and 34 minutes for the Mini 10 Mobility bundle is achieved using Mobilemark2007 battery life testing benchmark with a system configuration that includes 60WHr 6 cell battery, Windows 7 Starter Operating system and 250GB Hard Drive.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is expected to be available in early January from Dell and select configurations will be available in retail outlets worldwide in the coming weeks. Prices start at $299.

Quote:
"The Inspiron Mini 10 continues to offer some of the best mobile entertainment options available in a great-looking, compact and lightweight design," said Brian Pitstick, general manager of Dell's mobile products. "With an even better look and great battery life, we think Mini 10 is the perfect companion PC for anyone who wants to be entertained and connected wherever they go."

[Bash23 Posted Dec 22nd 2009 11:09AM]

@Fanfoot http://www.netbookchoice.com/2009/06/17/nvidia-ion-outperforms-intel’s-pine-trail-platform-by-5-10x/

[Fanfoot Posted Dec 21st 2009 1:49PM]

Still not liking these. Hard to tell, but it looks really thick. Bluetooth optional? No 802.11n? Don't know if we can upgrade RAM? The GPS option is a fine one, but nothing can distract me from the lousy trackpad all of these things have. Small too. At least the keyboard layout looks okay.

[vicdezen Posted Dec 21st 2009 2:29PM]

Sweet. Right when I'm back in the market for a new notebook!

[Jofuleous Posted Dec 21st 2009 2:46PM]

And my parents just bought me what is now the "old" Mini 10 for Christmas. I'm already behind the times...

[j2daake Posted Dec 21st 2009 3:28PM]

@Jofuleous Me too, just ordered the 10v on Saturday. I don't even have it yet and its obselete. Lets just hope Dell's return policy is good (if this is hackintoshible that is... or just a good deal).

[Ducman69 Posted Dec 21st 2009 11:15PM]

@j2daake - If you purchase a different computer as a replacement (or there was an error on the order or problem with the computer), they waive the 15% restocking fee. At least they did for me twice. =)

[lazylazyjoe Posted Dec 21st 2009 3:35PM]

So the old 280 supports h.264 acceleration, but this new chip doesn't? Why would they remove such a feature?

[comments Posted Dec 21st 2009 4:56PM]

@lazylazyjoe
The old Mini 10 with the Z series Atom can accelerate H.264/VC-1. Dell should have just upgraded the Mini 10 to a 2 GHz Z550 Atom. I would rather have that.

[andreab Posted Dec 21st 2009 4:17PM]

Did you notice that Dell changed the function-keys on the keyboard?No more FN-combinations to F5-refresh the Engadget homepage!

[Tes Posted Dec 21st 2009 5:06PM]

@andreab

Looks exactly the same in the pictures as my Dell mini 10...no change as I can see. FN key is where it is now and the special keys sharing the function keys space

[woozy Posted Dec 21st 2009 4:41PM]

No SSD option available? Or will that be coming with the Ubuntu version? Wonder what it will cost.
I was planning to buy a SSD-10v for christmas, but now I'll probably wait :)

[louden Posted Dec 22nd 2009 3:46AM]

Are these fanless? I saw a video on a mydellmini forum that had an Intel flak saying the lower TDP allowed for fanless netbooks, and held up what looked like this to prove the point!

[z1977 Posted Dec 28th 2009 3:11PM]

i hope this one will have HDMI and can be osx ed
also we need more ram
120gb ssd
smooth touch-pad is a must i have hard time with 10v
if i can get more time with this then mac i will gladly pay $800 for it but its
got to be with hdmi
Pleeesse dell