If you’re the sort of person who cares more about what a PC looks like on the inside than the outside, you typically have to wait for some eager hacker to buy one and rip it apart (or if you’re lucky, the FCC will publish some photos before the computer is even released). But while the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 isn’t expected to ship for a few more weeks, Dell has published a few photos of the device’s insides in its online service manual.

It looks like it should be pretty easy to upgrade the RAM, swap out the Intel SSD for a faster module, and switch out the SIM card if you get a model with a 3G modem. The manual also includes handy instructions for flashing the system BIOS, replacing the system coin-cell battery, and even replacing a bad power button board.

[via jkkmobile]

Dell isn’t making a big deal out of the fact that the newly launched Inspiron Mini 9 laptop will support 3G wireless networks. But it will. Dell Senior Product Line Manager John New tells Laptop Magazine that by the end of the year the company will launch a version of the Inspiron Mini with a 3G modem. It’s possible this device could be sold by US mobile carriers who may even subsidize the price of the device by locking customers into wireless contract.

While I’d read early reports saying the Inspiron Mini would support WiMax, New says Dell has no plans to add WiMax support at the moment.

One other interesting revelation is that Dell currently has no plans to release a higher capacity battery for the Inspiron Mini 9. The included 4 cell battery is a bit more powerful than the 3 cell batteries shipping with most netbooks. And it appears that you can get a good 3 to 3.5 hours of battery life out of it. So while Dell may eventually produce a 6 cell or larger battery, right now the company plans to stick with the cheaper 4 cell model.

While Laptop Magazine was busy reviewing the Linux version of the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, PC World got to spend some time with a Windows XP model. While the 8GB SSD wasn’t large enough to hold the magazine’s benchmarking tools, the review states that the machine was able to boot Windows in 30 seconds, load Microsoft Works in 8 seconds, and copy 77MB of data in about 7 seconds.

The battery also lasted about 3 and a half hours, which is about twenty minutes longer than the Linux model got in Laptop Magazine’s tests. It’s not clear if the difference is solely due to the operating systems or if the two magazines stressed the battery in different ways.

Dell has begun taking orders for the Inspiron Mini 9 mini-laptop. While the Direct2Dell blog says the Windows XP version will sell for as little as $399 US, the product page shows a $449 price tag. You can knock off about $20 by removing the integrated Bluetooth, but that’s as low as it goes — for now. Dell is also selling a model running Ubuntu 8.04 Linux with a starting price of $349.The computers will be available in the US, Japan, and “some European countries.”

The Windows XP version will begin shipping on September 18th, while you’ll have to wait until October 9th for the Linux versions to ship. But here’s the kicker, if you wait until Friday, September 5th to place your order, Dell is offering a promotion. You can get an Inspiron 9 for $99 with the purchase of a more expensive computer (specifically a Studio 15, XPS M1530 or XPS M1330 laptop). The promotion runs through 6am central time on Tuesday September 9th and demonstrates the fact that Dell, like everyone else, is trying to grow the market for laptops with mini-notebooks by trying to convince you that you need two laptops, a full sized one that rarely leaves the house and a mini one that’s ideal for traveling or giving to the kids to play with.

As previously noted, Dell has partnered with Box.net to provide free online storage to customers who buy the Inspiron 9. Box provides anyone with 1GB of online storage, but the company has worked with Dell to offer Inspiron 9 users 2GB. There will also be a special Dell landing page on Box.net.

Customers can customize their orders to a limited degree, which is exciting. You can opt for a larger solid state disk (up to 16GB), eliminate Bluetooth, or add additional Dell products to your order. The Inspiron 9 comes in black and white, but you have to pay an extra $25 for the white version. There aren’t a ton of options, but there are a lot more than you get when ordering an Asus Eee PC or Acer Aspire One.

Update: It looks like the starting price for the Windows XP version will be £299 in the UK, but it magically changes to £279 by the time you reach checkout. In Germany, the base price is 369 €.

Here are a few more stats about the base level system:

Dell Inspiron Mini (Linux)

• CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Atom
• Display: 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixels
• Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator GMA 950
• RAM: 512MB
• Storage: 4GB SSD
• OS: Ubuntu 8.04 Linux
• Connectivity: 802.11g
• Battery: 32WHr 4 cell
• Webcam: No
• Dimensions:  9.1″ x 6.7″ x 1.25″
• Weight: 2.28 pounds
• Price: $349

Dell Inspiron Mini (Windows XP)

• CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Atom
• Display: 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixels
• Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator GMA 950
• RAM: 1GB
• Storage: 8GB SSD
• OS: Windows XP
• Connectivity: 802.11g, Bluetooth
• Battery: 32WHr 4 cell
• Webcam: 1.3MP
• Dimensions: 9.1″ x 6.7″ x 1.25″
• Weight: 2.28 pounds
• Price: $449

[via Liliputing Forums and Eee PC.net and Engadget]

Dell is expected to launch it new mini-laptop tomorrow, and Chippy at UMPC Portal has gotten his hands on what appears to be a product sheet for the new computer. It holds a few surprises:

1. The laptop will be known as the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, not the Inspiron Mini or the Inspiron 910 as previously reported
2. There will be three versions, but the cheapest model will be $349, not $299 as previously reported

Otherwise, it looks like all three versions will come with solid state memory, an Intel Atom CPU and an 8.9 inch screen, which I assume will display 1024 x 600 pixels. The lightest will weigh in at 2.28 pounds.

The $349 and $399 versions will run Ubuntu 8.04 Linux and will have 512MB of RAM, while the $449 model will have twice the RAM and will run Windows XP SP3.

The cheapest model lacks a webcam and has a 4GB solid state disk, which is half the size of the SSD in the other two units.

So what do you think? At $349, are you still excited about the Dell Inspiron 9? Or would you rather buy a $329 Acer Aspire One?

The Wall Street Journal confirms that Dell is set to announce its entry into the netbook market “soon.” Not much news there. I’ve already heard from multiple sources that the announcement will come tomorrow or Friday. But there is one interesting tidbit in the WSJ article: Representatives from Dell and Box.net are saying that Box service will come “pre-installed” on the Inspiron Mini.

That’s a tiny bit baffling since Box.net offers a web-based file storage and sharing service. A while back I remember reading something about a desktop client for Box.net but I’m not sure that ever materialized. So perhaps by “pre-installed,” Box.net means “there’ll be a shortcut to our web site on the desktop.”

It’s also possible that Dell customers will be able to sign up for premium Box.net accounts for a reduced fee. The service normally provies free account holders with 1GB of free storage while you have to pay if you need additional storage space. Asus has begun offering up to 20GB of free online storage to Eee PC customers. Perhaps this is Dell’s answer.

Well it’s official. Dell has confirmed that the Inspiron 910, formerly known as the Inspiron Mini or the Dell E will be unveiled this week, possibly as soon as Friday. The company hasn’t confirmed the specs, price, or any other details. But if the rumors and leaks are true, we could be looking at a $299 laptop with an 8.9 inch display, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, and up to 16GB of solid state storage (with the cheapest models probably sporting far less than that).

[via Engadget]

Look, we’ve all been down this road before, and I don’t want to get your hopes up. But I think there’s a pretty good chance the Dell Inspiron Mini is coming sometime in the next week or so. Gizmodo is reporting that Dell will launch the laptop on September 5th. Blogeee says it will be available September 7th in France. And Eee PC News.de says it could be be out in Germany on September 9th.

I have no idea if any of these dates are accurate. In fact, I’ve been hearing from a source that Dell could make an announcement even before the end of the week. But for all we know it could be another few weeks. Dell has alrady pretty much missed the back to school rush, so if the company hasn’t released the computer yet there’s no reason to think they’ll do so before it’s absolutely ready. And that means working out any last minute kinks and making sure the company can produce enough laptops to meet demand. At least that’s what I hope it means.

No, Dell still hasn’t officially launched its upcoming Inspiron 910 mini-laptop. But the company has added a few technical support documents to its web site. So if you want to know more about the keyboard, status LEDs, or USB optical disc drive, just hit up the Dell web site.

There are also a few interesting details. For example, if you’ve been annoyed at Dell’s decision to eliminate the Fn keys, it looks like you can emulate them by hitting Fn+A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, and ;. In other words, the middle row of keys on your keyboard replaces the top row found on most people’s keyboards. There is, however, no F11 so good luck maximizing your browser window.

The other technical documents are a pretty dry read. The status LED is solid white when the computer is on, flashes when it’s in standby, and off when the computer is off or in hibernate mode. Nothing surprising there.

The external optical drive can handle DVD+R(DL), DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R, CD-R, and CD-RW discs. I assume this drive is an optional accessory, not something that comes standard with every unit.

thanks Arman!

Sascha at Eee PC News.de managed to get his hands on a few more photos of the upcoming Dell Inspiron 910 netbook. These look like publicity shots, and while Gizmodo already posted a few of these images yesterday, it looks like Sascha’s anonymous tipster had a few more images up his sleeve.

So if you want a closer look at hte keyboard, the left, right, back and bottom of the computer, head on over to Eee PC News.de. The site is in German, but a picture is worth a thousand words no matter what language you speak.

Gizmodo got their hands on some official looking spec sheets for the upcoming Dell Inspiron 910. There’s some shiny new pictures and a whole lot of info about the components. And Gizmodo’s source says the laptop will be released on August 22nd. My sources are telling me not to hold my breath and that we won’t see this the Inspiron 910 until the first week of September, but I’d love to be wrong.

Here’s a rundown of the specs. Take everything with a grain of salt, since this info is coming from a leaked document, not an official product page:

• CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
• Chipset: Intel 945GSE UMA
• RAM: 512MB/1GB DDR2 800MHz
• Display: 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel screen
• Video memory: Up to 8MB shared
• Audio: ALC268
• USB: 3 USB 2.0 ports
• Storage: 4GB/8GB/16GB SSD
• Connectivity: WLAN/WWAN, Mini card support for Bluetooth
• Camera: 0.3 & 1.3 MP
• Connectors: 2 full sized minicard slots accessible from bottom of system, VGA port, Ethernet port, headphone, microphone jacks, 3 USB ports, SD-HC/MMC/MS reader
• OS: Ubuntu 8.04 or Windows XP SP2
• Battery: 4-cell, 2.2Ahr, 31Whr or 4-cell 2.6Ahr, 37Whr battery
• Weight: 2.2 pounds with the 31Whr battery

If the product sheets are to be believed, there are definitely some things to look forward to here. For example, while there are no specifics on exactly what type of SSD Dell is using, the solid state disk is described as having “much faster access times” than convention disks on “some tests.” That doesn’t sound too exciting until you read the next part that says Windows XP “loads almost twice as fast.”

Another picture after the jump, because I know you just can’t get enough.

Read the rest of this entry »

Let me start off by making something clear: I actually have no idea when Dell is going to announce or make available its new netbook. But since it didn’t happen earlier this week, I figured I’d pass along the latest rumors.

As I mentioned yesterday, a Brazilian blogger I’ve never heard of claims to have the inside scoop, saying that the Dell Inspiron 910 (which may or may not be the netbook’s official name) will be out on August 22nd.

Meanwhile, a Liliputing read from New Zealand says he’s hearing from representatives at Dell that the company will launch the computer in early September. It’s possible that one or both of these people are getting misinformation. Or it’s possible that they’re both right. Maybe the laptop will be released in Brazil before it’s released in New Zealand.

Time to pull out the salt shaker. A Brazilian blog is claiming that it has the official specifications for Dell’s upcoming netbook. But the blog doesn’t really cite any sources and doesn’t explain why it’s the only web site reporting on the news.

That said, if you’re willing to delve into the world of unsubstantiated rumor, here’s what we’ve got: The Dell E Dell Inspiron Mini will actually be called the Dell Inspiron 910 when it’s released. And it will be launched on August 22nd.

The report also suggests that the machine will support 802.11n and Bluetooth. but something tells me you won’t find these features on the $299 base unit. If at all.

[via Eee PC News.de]

Unless you’re living under a rock, (or new to the netbook space), you know that Dell is expected to announce a low cost ultraportable laptop any day now. Many folks expected the company to to launch the Inspiron Mini yesterday, but instead Dell announced a business-class laptop that it claims can get up to 19 hours of battery life. Pretty cool, but not the $299 laptop I was hoping to see.

I’m still hopeful that Dell will announce something in the next few days. It’s in the company’s best interest to release a product in time for the back to school shopping rush. But it’s already getting a little late to cater to the college-bound crowd. My guess is that the Intel Atom shortage and/or other technical issues may have caused Dell to miss its intended ship date. I hope I’m wrong, but several sources have indicated that Dell planned to ship its netbook in August, and the month is already nearly half over.

With so many other ultraportables flooding the market, why does anyone care about Dell’s entry? There are at least two reasons. The first is that Dell could charge as little as $299 for the Inspiron Mini, making it the cheapest laptop around with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU. And shoppers love a bargain. But I’m hoping Dell will bring something else to the table that’s been sorely missing from the current netbook lineup: customization.

At $299, I don’t expect the basic configuration of the Inspiron Mini to be powerful. It will likely sport 512MB of RAM and the same slow SSD that you find in the Acer Aspire One, which makes Windows XP run pretty slowly. It might give the Aspire One a run for the money in the low-end space. But this version won’t hold a candle to the MSI Wind or Eee PC 901 in terms of performance.

But unlike Acer, MSI, and most other computer makers in this space, Dell typically lets users customize their orders. Want more RAM? Just check a box on the website and pay a few more bucks. Want to upgrade your SSD or swap it out for a hard drive? Check another box. I’m guessing that for $100 - $200, you can trick out your Inspiron Mini to make it a true Eee PC killer.

Right now, Acer, Asus, MSI, and even HP (a company that typically does allow users to customize their orders) are offering only preconfigured netbooks. If you want an Eee PC with a 7 inch screen and a 40GB SSD, you’re out of luck. Dell could be the first mini-notebook maker to offer the chance to mix and match netbook parts to your heart’s content. You know, if the company ever gets around to releasing the thing.

Looks like we had a false alarm. Dell is indeed announcing 10 laptops today. But as far as I can tell, none of them is the Dell Inspiron Mini. Rather, the company is rolling out a new line of business-focused Latitude laptops.

There are a few exciting things here. Dell is promising battery life of up to19 hours. You get 9 hours from a standard 9 cell battery, and a “battery slice” add-on that gives you another 10 hours. Batteries can be charged to 80% in as little as an hour.

Interestingly, these laptops do carry the Dell E series name, which is the label we had earlier heard applied to the Inspiron Mini.

One of the laptops is a 12.1 inch ultramobile PC that weighs less than 1 kilogram and includes solid state memory. This may be the product that was once known as a “Dell E Slim.”

I’ll keep monitoring the press event to see if there’s any word about the Inspiron Mini, but I’m not holding my breath right now.

Update: It’s official. No netbooks today.