David Flynn17 November 2008, 8:00 AM
Handed to us by Michael Dell himself, APC has the world’s first Inspiron Mini 12 netbook, so sit back and enjoy as we serve up the spy shots and dig deep into the tech.
Let’s set the scene. I’m in Shanghai attending a regional Dell event with selected media, analysts and partners. During a break between sessions I grab a much-needed coffee in the ante room. Also imbibing the juice of the bean is Michael Dell, who’s perhaps the most affable and genuinely down-to-earth technology uber-exec I’ve ever met. Especially for a zillionaire from Texas.
I compliment him on the company’s Inspiron Mini 9 netbook, which is a superb little machine. “Yeah, we’re real proud of that” he beams like an equally proud dad might. “Hey, have you seen this one, the 12 inch model?”
And with that, Michael Dell himself gives me a sneak peak at his namesake company’s latest show-stopper – the long-rumoured 12 inch version of the Mini 9. I’ve seen an early prototype model some months back but this is the real deal, all shiny and ready to roll. Dell’s Japanese customers will be first to get their gadget-loving mitts on the Mini 12 before it’s released in Australia, the US and Europe around the middle of November.
But you don’t need to wait another day to get up close and personal with this pint-sized 12 inch portable which blurs the lines between netbook and notebook. APC spent some quality time with the Inspiron Mini 12 to bring you an exclusive hands-on report of Dell’s $999 netbook!
Dell's anticipated Inspiron Mini 12: the little netbook with the big 12 inch screen goes on sale mid-November for $999
An end to MacBook Air envy?
The 12 inch screen officially makes this the world’s biggest netbook, but the word ‘big’ just doesn’t seem to suit the Inspiron Mini 12. Even when you know the stats – that the profile tapers from 24mm to 21mm, and when fitted with the three cell battery the netbook weighs in at 1.24kg – you can’t appreciate its sylph-like proportions until you hold this this featherweight flybook in your hand.
That said, it’s still not quite as anorexic as the ASUS
Eee PC S101, which uses a solid state drive and lithium polymer battery to enjoy a 1kg weight and a tapered waistline of 25mm down to 18mm at its thinnest point. But you have to wonder if this isn’t the closest thing yet to a $1,000 MacBook Air.
Design
Both the Mini 9 and Mini 12 were designed by Dell and manufactured by Taiwanese OEM/ODM Compal, which is the world’s second largest laptop maker (its fierce rival Quanta holds number one spot).
Brothers in arms: the Inspiron Mini 9 and Inspiron Mini 12 get in close for a family portrait
And here’s a bit of trivia we know you’ll enjoy: Dell’s internal codename for the Mini 12 was ‘Yao Ming’, in honour of the 2.29 metre (7 feet 6 inches) Chinese pro basketballer who shoots for the Houston Rockets. The Mini 9 was appropriately codenamed ‘Qiao Hong’ after the Chinese table tennis champ.
Anyway, there’s no mistaking the Inspiron Mini 9 and Mini 12 for siblings. They share an identical visual language and design DNA: the same glossy silvered top deck and display frame, dark charcoal top deck inserts (although there’s no thick black surround for the 12’s upsized screen display), a drop hinge melding the screen to the chassis, and a matte black keyboard with blue highlights.
Family resemblances: both the 9 inch and 12 inch netbooks share the same design DNA
The Mini 12 also feels to have inherited the same solid build quality as the Mini 9, which is vital when a netbook spends so much of its time not just on the move but being moved around – constantly in and out of carry cases, on and off desks and tables, the lid raised and shut a dozen of times