If compared with other netbook such as MSI Wind U100, for example, Dell Inspiron mini 12 really looks thin. The thick is less than 1 inch, precisely 0.9 inches. In fact, the size of screen and all of the body is about 2 inches more wide than Wind U100.

Yes, Dell Inspiron mini 12 showcase is 12-inch display screen, which is still rare compared with others netbook carried by other brands.

Despite similar body-thin like Apple MacBook Air, Dell Inspiron Mini 12 does feel strong. It feels comfortable. Indeed, Dell Inspiron Mini 12 have more wider size in average compared with others netbook and can causing not being easily inserted in the handbag.

From the completeness of the features, in fact mini-12 not far differents from others netbook by other brands. Like a modern netbook, 802.11g wireless functionality is supported, 12 inch display screen. RAM, for example, are still 1GB, but unfortunately you can not upgrading the RAM.

Display Screen

12-inch display screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, of course, is the specialty of Dell Dell Inspiron Mini 12. Wide screen resolution make the use of the netbook more fun when you surf in the virtual world. Two web pages side by side can be opened and read it with quite comfortably. However, the letters look smaller, less suitable for those who have started to crash because of the vision on the old age.

Views on the screen looks very bright (too bright even on the maximum setting), and horizontal perspectives are good enough. Views can still see quite comfortable with the direction of the side. However, there are good idea to push back the screen so that the rebound effect is not felt, too.

At the top of the LCD screen, as usual, presented with a 1.3 megapixel Webcam.

Keyboard

With a more physical width compared with another netbook, not strange when the keyboard on mini 12 is also more relieved (92 percent of normal keyboard). The distance the button are wide so that makes you comfortable when typing.

Dell includes six function keys which is F11, F12, Home, Del, Insert, End which are placed on the top right side. In addition, there are 10 other function keys (F1 – F10), which also have their own features, such as Bluetooth and contrast. The Fn button is placed on the left side of the bottom..

Under the keyboard panel there are square touchpad which is also quite wide field, complete with left and right click. Touchpad is quite responsive. However, perhaps because of the wide size and the location that fit under the keyboard plus the wide of palmrest, sometimes we do not get the desired response from the touchpad which have quite fibrous surface because the cursor can move suddenly if you have small wrist.

The other different from the other vendors, Dell chose to put a speaker on the top of keyboard panel. Unfortunately, the quality of the sound is less strong despite already set up to maximum volume. However, for a netbook that is used personally and private, may have sufficient volume.

Another panel at a different location is the on / off. key When most vendors of netbook putting it on the right top side, not so with Dell. Dell prefer to put this very small on / off button on the left top side, abreast with speakers panel.

The Body

On the right side appears 3-in-1 card reader, a headphone jack, microphone jack, one USB port, and one LAN port.

The placement of the USB port are on the way back, this make less fun when you use the netbook on the knees (although this is usually not recommended because the netbook radiate enough heat) than if it is on the way forward as in most of other netbook.

On the left side there are two USB ports, VGA-out port, and for security lock (Kensington lock). Two USB ports are located in the middle of the unit, with the initial keyboard.

When you use the netbook the back of the bottom display which is close to the battery felt a bit hot. However, the keyboard and the touchpad are not affected and still comfortable to use. The bottom of the netbook was only slightly warm. Maybe because of the wide surface from this netbook plus the combination of low power processors successfully influence the spread of heat.

Processor

Mini 12 is not using the processor Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz like the others.

This netbook packaged with the Intel Atom 1.6 GHz clock speed, but in different type, that is, the Z530 (Silverthorne). This processor is designed for the smaller size devices depend with N270, the size of Silverthorne CPU nearly half (13 x 14 mm) and charged a lower consumption (2 watts vs. 2.5 watt owned N270).

Processor is a bit saggy used with Microsoft Vista as the bundle from Dell. Booting takes 1.5 – 2 seconds. The Intel GMA 500 chipset seems less suitable for gaming, including lightweight games. From the benchmark result of 3DMark 2003, the score is only 382 and failed to run 3DMark06.

The Battery

Mini 12 comes with a standard battery pack of Li-Ion 3-cell. Not included in the battery the capacity rating. However, according to Dell, the battery is able to stand up to 3 hours of use.

The claims may be true, but there are conditions that must be fulfilled. Netbook must be set first to lower the performance. This can be done easily arranged through the property of the Windows Power Options (Current Power Plan). If you want to survive your battery, you need to lower the performance by choosing Power Saver mode. However, if you need the performance you can choose High Performance that will drain the battery power more quickly or you can choose Balanced mode to balance the power of the battery and the performance.

Weight Despite come with 12 inches wide-screen, this Mini 12 was not heavy. By default (plus 3-cell battery), the weight is only 1.268 kg. When the battery removed, the weight will be 1.1 kg.

Dell appears mature enough to prepare this netbook so comfortable and convenient to carry anywhere. For other than mild, the adapter that integrates with the cable was also light and pretty. This adapter looks similar to the phone adapter although quite large. Unfortunately only two legs, so you have to bring converter if you don’t have 2 legs.

The weight of the adapter are 178 grams. If you take all, (netbook + 3-cell battery + adapter + converter), Dell Inspiron Mini 12 was still light enough with a total weight of 1.862 kg.

The advantages Dell Inspire Mini 12 is Wide screen and keyboard; thin physical; SIMcard slot; light

The disadvantages Dell Inspire Mini 12 is Mono speaker; price; SIMcard slot on the back of the battery; minimal LED indicators; RAM can not be upgraded.

Dell Inspiron Mini 12 Specification

This Dell Inspiron Price Range is USD$ 699

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Some ideas are so obvious that when announced, one’s first reaction is to ask, “Wait, weren’t we already doing it that way?” Such is the case with laptops featuring both integrated and discrete graphics processors, and Nvidia’s new system for juggling them, called Optimus.

Common sense dictates that laptops with both a discrete GPU and standard integrated graphics should be able to switch between the two at will. After all, why waste battery life powering a GeForce card when you’re just surfing the Web or sending an e-mail? Many laptops currently offer this option, commonly called switchable graphics, including select MacBook Pro models and systems from Asus, Sony, and others.

Unfortunately, until now, this required one to manually flip a switch to turn the discrete GPU off or on. Sometimes this was a software switch, sometimes an actual physical switch on the laptop. This kludgey system presents many problems. First, one has to remember to activate the GPU before launching a game or other graphics-intensive task, and then turn it off after (or risk killing your battery). Second, many mainstream users may not even know they have switchable graphics, and will simply leave the GPU permanently off or on, defeating the purpose altogether.

Some laptops label the two modes with unclear names such as “high performance” or “better battery life,” which doesn’t really spell out exactly what you’re doing when you activate the mode. Even worse, some laptops require you to close all your apps and log out to switch modes (we’re looking at you, MacBook Pro).

With Nvidia’s new Optimus technology, that basic task of turning the discrete GPU on and off when appropriate has been automated. The company describes the process, saying, “Users can now experience the full performance benefits of a discrete GPU with the battery life of an integrated graphics solution. Nvidia Optimus automatically, instantaneously, and seamlessly optimizes the notebook to offer the best performance or best battery life depending on the application.”

The concept is simple, the system uses its integrated graphics, and when an app launches that requires the discrete GPU, it seamlessly switches over to that, then turns it off when no longer required.

This seems like such an obvious thing, one might wonder why we ever had to manually switch graphics modes in the first place. Nvidia claims it was an issue with both the integrated and discrete graphics sharing a multiplexer (or mux) connection to the monitor, which made it impossible to switch on the fly. The Optimus solution is to route the dedicated graphics GPU output through the IGP integrated graphics chip, so there’s only a single point of connection between both graphics systems and the display.

Our test system, an Asus UL50, included a test tool in the form of a pop-up window that indicated when the discrete GeForce G210M graphics were on or off. When launching a game or playing an HD video file, we could see the GPU indicator turn on, showing us that the system had switched into the more powerful, but more power-hungry, graphics mode. In real-world terms, that means we could get 70-plus frames-per-second in our Unreal Toumament III test at 1,366×768, while also getting nearly six hours of battery life in our video playback battery drain test.

The Optimus system will control its own switching by default, and the Nvidia drivers will maintain an updated list of preferred settings for apps and games–but you can also set your own preferences to override the defaults if needed, or set preferences for a program the Nvidia control panel doesn’t recognize.

In using an Optimus-powered laptop, the technology worked as advertised, which is to say you’d never notice it in action if you weren’t looking for it. That’s exactly the point, so we look forward to seeing it in upcoming laptops from several PC makers, although the Asus UL50, and a handful of other Asus models, are the only confirmed systems right now.

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