Dell Inspiron Mini iM1012-738IBU Review

There are a lot of different types of netbooks out there. Some of them are meant to be strictly for work. Some of them are made to be specifically for play. Others are made to be a middle of the road option. They are not designed only with work in mind, but they are also not the media monsters that hardcore fans of the film will crave. The Dell Inspiron Mini iM1012 is one of those solid middle of the road options. If you are looking for a machine that will let you deal with your work documents and enjoy your streaming media then this is the machine for you. It will not be a powerhouse for either, but for the vast majority of users you will be satisfied with what you get for the cash.

The system comes equipped with a Intel Atom N450. It runs at 1.66GHz and has 512KB of cache and 1GB of standard memory to back it up. For most of us that will be more than sufficient for someone who is in search of a machine that will give you processing power for most applications. Just do not expect to be able to install and work with high memory applications such as Adobe Photoshop, on this machine. Then again, a program that large is not really a solid option for most netbooks. This one has a base hard drive of 250GB, which is enough to store your documents. Just be sure to clean it out every few months or you will experience a decline in performance.

The screen of the Dell Inspiron Mini iM1012 is 10.1", which is standard, but has a resolution of 1024 x 600 which is not quite high definition but it is good enough to enjoy the majority of the streaming media that you will get from the web. On the whole, unless you are working on a high bandwidth network, you probably will not be streaming a lot of truly HD media anyway.

The operating system is Windows 7 Starter, which is a solid choice for users who do not want to have a to learn a new operating system in order to be up and running with their netbook. The keyboard, which is 92% of the standard size, is a great choice for users who are going to spend a lot of time typing on their machine, instead of playing with their media, which makes it ideal for both professionals and students who want to finish their tasks on the go.

Other hardware of note includes a built-in 1.3MP webcam, and a solid microphone, that users report gives a decent sound quality. The 6-cell lithium ion battery gives a decent battery life, though users have been reporting some vastly different numbers on how long the battery on the Dell Inspiron Mini iM1012 will last. It seems to vary with the manner of usage. So be aware that media will consume more battery than other options.

If this is not the netbook for you then check out our netbook comparisons page to find the one that meets your needs.