ESSENTIAL SPECS
Price: Approximately £300
Size: 10.1 inches
Weight: 1.3 kg
Battery Life: 4 Hours
Processor Speed: 1.3 GHz
Hard Drive: 120 GB / 160 GB
RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM.

REVIEW
Dell has hit its stride with the Inspiron Mini 10 – it takes the basic design of the smaller Inspiron Mini 9 and adds a larger 10.1-inch screen. This results is a larger, more comfortable netbook to use. What’s more, it even manages to offer more in the way of battery life.

We took the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 for a spin, see how we got on with our review…

One of the problems we had with the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 was its size – Dell simply tried to cram too much I to too little space. So, the arrival of the Inspiron Mini 10 resolves most of this problem. You’ll find the build quality is still has high but the larger screen means that everything has more space.

It has the same design look as the smaller version but with a 10.1-inch screen that delivers a 1024 x 600-pixel resolution, you feel as though you are getting more for your money.

The larger screen allows for a more comfortable keyboard, which is a great choice if you plan to write long documents on your netbook. The keys have a great feel and are firmly mounted on the chassis. It’s a close call as to whether the keyboard is as good as the Asus Eee PC 1000HE, and also matches that of the Samsung NC10.

When it comes to performance, you’ll find this machine chugging along with the same spec of most other netbooks. So, the processor is an Intel Atom Z520, which runs at 1.33GHz and with 1024MB of memory you’ll find the Windows XP operating system runs reasonably well. The hard drive on our review unit packed in 160GB of storage space.

We found that we could run a couple of apps on the Mini 10 quite successfully but things start to slow down if you try to do anything too number-crunchy.

Extra features remain the same, so you’ll find three USB ports, 802,11g Wi-Fi, SD card slot and a 1.3-megapixel webcam. All of which add up to a decent, all round netbook.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is a cracking little netbook. This has been made possible due to the range of colours on offer. We like the newly tweaked design and with a larger keyboard than the Mini 9, this is certainly the best Dell Mini we’ve seen.

SPECIFICATIONS

Processor: Intel  Atom  Z520 (1.33GHz/533MHz FSB/512K L2Cache)
Operation System: Windows XP Service Pack 3
Screen Size: Glossy 10.1 inch LED display (1024×576) WSVGA
RAM memory standard: 1GB5 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM. 2GB available
Hard disk Capacity: 120GB or 160GB SATA HDD 2.5 inch 5400RPM
Graphics: Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 500
Colours Available: Red, Pink, Blue, White, Black, Green
Audio: Stereo speakers
Camera: Standard 1.3MP webcams
Weight: 1.3 kg
Wireless: WiFi802.11g or a/g/n Mini Cards
Bluetooth: Bluetooth  Internal (2.1+EDR) mini-card
Ports / Slots:
Kensington lock
AC Power-in
3-in-1 Card Reader (SD/SDHC/MMC/MS)
Integrated network connector 10/100 LAN (RJ45),
HDMI connector
(2 )USB and (1) Power USB
Audio jacks (1 line-out, 1 Mic-in)
Dimensions:
Height
28.5-31.7mm (Front-Back)
1.12-1.25 inches (Front-Back)
Width: 261mm, 10.28 inches
Depth: 182.5mm, 7.19 inches
Starting weight:
1.3kg / 2. 86 lbs with 3 Cell battery
Pointing Device Type: Touch Pad
Battery Technology: Lithium-ion
Maximum Battery Life: up to 3h50min

PRICE

Approximately £300

ESSENTIAL SPECS

Price: Approximately £300
Size: 10.2 inches
Weight: 1.02 kg
Battery Life: Approx 3 Hours
Processor Speed: 1.8 GHz
Hard Drive: 60 GB
RAM: 1GB DDR2

REVIEW

HP’s Compaq Mini 702EA is the company’s latest netbook and follows in the footsteps of the impressive Mini-Note 2133, offering the same excellent keyboard and rounded design, but this time with Intel components.
The design of this small laptop has changed slightly, with black and glossy patterned plastics that replace the brushed aluminium finish of its predecessor. The shiny lid attracts fingerprints, but it’s still sturdier and more attractive than most netbooks.

Along with the excellent quality, it also boasts a light weight of 1.2kg, so you’ll be able to take it with you wherever you go.

The 10.2-inch screen features the same 1024 x 600-pixel resolution as most of its rivals. The bezel around the screen is slightly smaller, however, which gives this small laptop a more compact appearance.

The display has a glossy coating, and colours are brilliantly vivid. Unfortunately, the effect is less impressive when on the move, as it’s one of the most reflective panels we’ve seen. This can be countered by turning the brightness up, although battery life is affected as a result.

The keyboard is one of the best we’ve seen on any of the latest small laptops, with keys that are larger than many full-sized laptops and all of which are responsive and firmly attached, which makes typing a pleasure.

Unfortunately, the touchpad lets the design down, proving shallow and featuring buttons on either side rather than below. It’s usable, but is awkward and takes some getting used to.

Where HP’s first netbook featured a low-powered Via processor, this machine features an Intel Atom chip. Rather than Windows Vista, it also uses the less resource-heavy Windows XP. This allows the 702EA to boot and shut down rapidly, and it only suffers from lag when running several applications simultaneously.

We also managed to get just over three hours of use from a single charge – a reasonable result for the slimline 3-cell battery.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Product Description: Compaq 702 Intel Atom Processor 1.6GHZ 10.2″
• Screen: 10.2-inch WSVGA High Definition HP LED BrightView display
• CPU: Intel Atom processor N270, 1.60 GHz, Level 2 cache 512 KB
• Graphics: Intel GMA950, up to 128 MB total available graphics memory
• Memory: 1024 MB (1 x 1024 MB). Supports up to 1GB DDR2 memory
• Storage: 60GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 4200 rpm (up to 9GB partition for system recovery), 2-in-1 card reader for SD/MMC support
• Webcam: Webcam with integrated microphone
• Communication: Ethernet 10/100BT integrated network interface, 802.11b/g WLAN, Bluetooth wireless networking
• Sound: 3D Sound Blaster Pro compatible sound, 16 bit integrated Altec Lansing speakers
• Keyboard: 92% full size keyboard, Touch Pad with vertical scroll up/down pad, left and right clicks
• Ports: 2 USB 2.0, 1 RJ45 ethernet connector, headphones-out + mic-in combo jack, expansion port
• Power: 30 W AC power adapter, 3-cell Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery
• Software: Microsoft Works, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Windows Mail, Adobe Reader, Windows Media Player, Cyberlink PowerDVD SE DVD Codec, Macromedia Flash Player, Windows Internet Explorer
• Service and Support: Recovery CD/DVD, Symantec Norton Internet Security 2009 (60 days live update), Notebook Help and Support
• Weight: 1.02 kg, packed: 2.45 kg
• Dimensions: 16.67 cm (L) x 26.17 cm (W) x 2.52 cm (H), packed: 33.5 x 11.0 x 29.5 cm

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Small Laptops Guide Shop

Now that you have bought your latest small laptop, it’s important to think about how you are going to carry it. Small Laptops Guide has put together some information on buying the best small laptop bag.

When buying a small laptop bag it’s important to think about where you will be carrying the computer and how easy will it be to carry. There is no point in getting a small netbook and then carrying it around in a large, heavy bag – it defeats the purpose. Small laptops are portable and their bag needs to be the same.

Below are some common types of small laptops bags:

1) Briefcase Small Laptop Bags
This type of bag provides good protection for all machines and also allows a user the opportunity to carry a few other items in its side pockets etc. These bags usually come with a strap and are often used by executives to carry their laptops. There is less chance of damage with this type of bag in comparison to sleeves and their professional, stylish look is appealing to the young business type of consumer. You can expect to pay between £15 -£20 for a decent briefcase type laptop bag.

2) Backpack Small Laptop Bags
Backpack Laptop Bags prove to be useful for people travelling on longer journeys or people who do a lot of walking. As well as being able to carry your small laptop, there is also room for other items. Backpacks can usually hold more items than briefcase bags. Again they are able to protect your laptop computer well and avoid picking up bumps and scratches. You can expect to pay £25 -£35 for a small laptop backpack.

3) Sleeve Small Laptop Bags
These type of bag tend to be the most stylish of the bags available, but offer less protection than other bags. These type of bags don’t offer a strap and rely on being held by hand. Sleeve Laptop bags are more like a protective cover and are ideal for putting into a larger bag. Some sleeves are designed to be worn by your netbook all the time and can be kept on your computer during use. Females often use a sleeve on their small laptop as an accessory and carry it like a handbag. You can expect to pay £10 -£20 for a sleeve laptop bag.

4) Messenger Small Laptop Bags
Messenger bags allow a user to have a shoulder strap and are stylish looking. Thinner material than a briefcase bag means that there is less protection, but they are light and ultimately prove to be extremely portable. They offer more storage than a sleeve and are lighter than the briefcase bags. For the young student or light computer user, the messenger bag offers a great way to carry your machine in style! Messenger bags are typically between £15 -£30.

Laptop bags have been made with users in mind, so try and think about how you will be using your bag, where it will be carried on a daily basis and whether to sacrifice weight for protection. Why not visit our Shop and buy your own small laptop. Simply visit our shop and click on Small Laptop Bags on the right menu.