First look: Dell Inspiron Mini 10 (1018)

If you are thinking of buying a Netbook, perhaps the Dell mini 10 could be an option. The price is around US $ 400, much lower than the original Acer Aspire One at first. It's more or less (Less than more) Equivalent to an Acer D255-2DQkk, clarifying that this version (1018) no longer exists but the new call Inspiron mini 10 (1012); Unlike the Acer the diversity of models is so wide as to lose the judgment although many hardly vary the color.

Among the things that have caught my attention are:

• Keyboard.  It remains to be seen if the husks continue to give problems to this one, but I like that the keyboard does not include the functions of the keys as a first option. Somewhat late, but because someone's focus was turned on that we rarely use keys like F5, F7, F11; instead there are included sending to Datashow, wireless, brightness, audio volume, without having to use the Fn key. The configuration of the scroll arrows is also better, which are as we are used to, with the option of start, end, Repag and Avpag with function key. Acer's advertising causes a wave to fall on it or a few drops in the open, but I don't think that implies that it is waterproof, possibly the design withstands basic humidity from the high seas or co-workers who speak Wild Cat style; yet the keyboard seems more comfortable to the typist position.
• Design it's good, I like that the damping rubbers when closing are firm and long, away from the corners. This is a bad thing about the design of the Acer, which often causes them to be manipulated with the fingertips and they end up coming loose, especially if the rubber is wet from the heat.
• The touchpad  It has the buttons at the bottom, which is absurd that the Aspire One had when they were arranged on the side. In the new ones (1012), it is even integrated into a single tablet, with a soft relief.
• The battery, of the best. It comes predefined according to the Dell configuration, which barely lasts one hour, but choosing the saving option, the assumed performance is more than 8 hours.
• The capacity it is quite enough, it duplicates the original Acer Aspire One. It has an Intel Atom N455 processor, with 1.66 Ghz and 2 GB of RAM. The Intel 3150 graphics accelerator seems to give it robustness, although it will surely crash with programs that are too heavy, for which there are already DualCore equipment this small, but in my opinion this model is sufficient for CAD / GIS, if it is connected to a large monitor in sessions offensive to the eye.
• Storage, brings a hard disk of 250 GB, although near 20 GB do not come available, poro restore partition with what ever -Or almost never- we should format it but only recover an initial restoration.

Optionally, you can include a GPS reception card called DELL Wireless 700, with which you could use GIS for data capture and updating. Also, if requested they can ship it with Ubuntu, which seems like a great DELL gesture, although not yet for me.

In what I do not think there is improvement, it is the cable that seems just as vulnerable, so before it gets damaged I am going to splint the end that connects to the Netbook. As long as they don't do it at 90 degrees, it will still be disposable.

If there is something that I miss about the old one, maybe it will be that the card reader because it only recognizes three, instead of 5. Also this version only brings two USB devices, which I find poor; In this it is somewhat complex to know if these are characteristics of the Mini 1012, because in the catalog it appears that it has three ports and one for a microphone that I do not see -and do not use-. The rest, I think I will detect it over time.

For now, install Chrome, Google Earth, iTunes, Live Writer and sync Dropbox where everything else is. And above all ... remember the Same advices, That although this is another stanza, the choir is the same ... it is a Nebook, not an Anvil.