Review In the 18 months since Asus rocked up with its Eee PC 701 and kicked off the whole netbook malarkey, we’ve seen the number and types of devices that are nominally included in the category expand almost exponentially. As Ms Streisand so appositely noted, it was all so simple then.
Dell’s Inspiron Mini 10v: a true Small, Cheap Computer
Of course, as with small hatchbacks and RAF fighter aircraft, as the breed has developed so it has become larger, heaver, more complex and more expensive. So whither the Small, Cheap Computer? Well, thanks to Dell, it’s alive and well, thank you very much.
Over the last few months, Dell has quietly taken the axe to its UK netbook range. Gone is the Inspiron Mini 9 – which is a shame – and ditto the Mini 12, though that’s less of a shame because it was cursed with a small and slow HDD, and Dell never saw fit to offer it with Linux or an SSD. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Fujitsu Siemens is no stranger to small laptops, but the Amilo Mini pushes it into the Small, Cheap Computer category along with the likes of the Asus Eee PC and that machine’s many, many competitors.
While most manufactures are opting for soft edges and smooth transitions, Fujitsu Siemens has gone distinctly hard edged with design of the Amilo Mini. It’s mostly made up of straight edges and 45° angles, with the only concession to curves made on the corners, presumably for safety reasons.
Not only is it a high contrast black and white design, but the white plastic parts extend a couple of millimetres further out than the black, extenuating its edges and making it look a bit like it was born in the 1980s and not the present day. Read the rest of this entry »
