The individual configuration of the Dell Inspiron 10 also takes influence on its final look. At the moment, you can choose between 11 alternatives for the display lid covering. Aside from the classic black (basic configuration) and other unicolored display lid covers (for an additional 29.00 Euros), other patterned versions (for an additional 49.00 Euros) can be selected from. For those who find our test device especially appealing: It's the design labeled "The Muse in Orange". Apart from the possibility of personalizing the display lid, and exclusive of the silver wrist rests and touchpad, black has been chosen as the base color for the Dell Inspiron Mini 10.

At first sight, the base unit's stability seems to be quite alright. Lifting it on the front edge with one hand doesn't lead to any obvious twisting. However, it doesn't look as good with the pressure stability of the wrist rests. These give in visibly with an occasional loud creaking and clattering even under merely light point pressure. Cause for it is the component joint along the front edge, in which the cover of the wrist rest can be moved obviously under reduction of the gap against the base unit.

Torsional stiffness and pressure stability of the display lid are, in fact, okay. The device obeys almost twisting-free at picking it up one-handedly on a display corner. Point pressure against the lid also has to be executed strongly enough to provoke image distortion on an activated display. An "edge-to-edge" design with a glossy surface up to the edges has been chosen for the display. This proved to be very susceptible for smudge, such as from fingerprints, in the test. The pressure stability of this solution leaves a bit to be desired, too. Even light pressure on the edge causes image distortions on the activated display.

The opening angle is restricted to about 122 degrees with the 6 cell main battery, which could sometimes be too little for some applications. The 6 cell battery also brings the device into a slightly slanted position, which turns out to be quite pleasant at typing. The notebook can be opened a bit more without a battery. Around 129 degrees is possible.

But back to opening/closing the Mini 10 again. The hinges have an easy job with the small display and support every position without any problems. Even after adjusting the opening angle there is practically no flapping evident. Both hands are needed to open the device. However, closing works one-handedly. The mini-notebook is closed automatically below a certain opening angle and can thus do without a transport latch. However, precautions should be taken for transport so that no foreign objects penetrate the gap between display and keyboard.

Interestingly, Dell has omitted a VGA connection directly on the case of the Inspiron Mini 10 and provides a future-proof HDMI connection for the full digital picture and sound transmission. There are two possibilities to transmit video signals to a, for instance, projector or a display with VGA connection: The extension-docking station with VGA connection for notebooks from Kensington offered by Dell as accessory. For an additional 170.00 Euros it's possible to extend the interface range by 4xUSB 2.0, LAN (RJ 45), VGA, audio-in, stereo audio-out connection with the use of an USB connection and simplify the integration into an existing work environment.
Alternately, a DVI/HDMI (HDCP) to VGA signal converter and an HDMI to DVI-D cable or an HDMI-DVI adapter and an HDMI cable would be necessary. The converter itself, for instance the HDFury (about 80.00 Euros), is connected directly to the projector/VGA monitor and becomes, so to speak, a part of this peripheral device.

The Inspiron Dell 10 has 3 USB 2.0 connections. One of these is executed as a Powered-USB-2.0 port.

Principally, the port arrangement is by and large alright in view of the form factor for both lefties and righties. Lefties have a special advantage with the device, as there is only the cardreader built into the front left side. The left-sided USB 2.0 port is placed rather in the back area. After which only the power socket and a connection for a Kensington lock follow on this side.
In return, the audio ports have been placed in the far right front. This is quite beneficial for connecting the headphones and the microphone. Then on the right, placed almost centrally, the HDMI connection follows. A USB 2.0 port, the Powered-USB port and the LAN connection follow in the back area.
The back side has to be kept free from interfaces due to the battery. The convergent front edge can't bid any interfaces, either.

You can also choose among two variations for the built-in display. A 10.1 inch WSVGA TrueLife display is included at a base price of 349.00 Euros. This is a reflective LC-Display with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels, hence in a 16:10 format. The second available version was built into the test device, which is available for a surcharge of 20.00 Euros. This is, unfortunately, also a reflective display, and is a 10.1 inch HD screen with a resolution of 1366x768 pixels in a cinematic-friendly 16:9 format. Hence, movies can be rendered essentially more bar-free with the tested version. Although watching movies won't necessarily be the planned main application field of this mini-netbook, the HD display does offer a higher resolution than the WSVGA TrueLife screen in both dimensions, with which the work surface collectively is enlarged.

A further advantage of the built-in screen is definitely the LED backlight and the probably greater brightness. Our brightness measurements resulted in very good values, too. The maximum brightness was measured in the upper center sector and amounted to 239 cd/m². That is still a good average of 212 cd/m². Because the brightness decrease stayed within a limit, we could establish a good illumination value of 81%. Subjectively, there is no up to only little shadowing visible on a white background.

Even if more often than not Intel Atom N270, or rather N280 processors were implemented into previously tested models, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 isn't by far the only netbook in review using a hardware, which has actually been developed for "embedded computing".  The recently tested Sony Vaio VGN-P21Z uses the same platform, for example. The advantage of this solution is found less in the field of efficiency as in the low power consumption (merely 5 TDP) and quiet operating, because it can be used without a fan.  The test system is equipped with an Intel Atom Z530 processor (+30.00 Euros) based on the Intel System Controller Hub US15W. Principally, the SCH US15W is validated for Intel Atom processors of the Z5xx series. Thus, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is also available with the lower clocked Z520.

The Intel Atom Z530 processor is a single core processor with a 512K cache, a 1.6 GHz and a 533 MHz frontsidebus. Its maximum thermal design power (TDP) is 2 Watts - obviously performance wasn't the main focus.

The chip set also brings another integrated graphic chip set with it, an Intel GMA 500, which is, as expected, not designed for 3D intensive applications and also doesn't support DirectX10.

The overall system is sufficiently fitted for Windows XP with one gigabyte RAM. Principally, the chip set could support 2 gigabytes. However, Dell doesn't offer an upgrade possibility in the online-configurator.

The system memory also has a part in the overall performance. The notebook is well-equipped with an HDD from Seagate. The Inspiron Mini 10 has, in view of the categorization as a netbook, with the Seagate ST9250827AS with 250 gigabytes gross capacity vast space for user data. With an average transfer rate of 43.3 MB/s and an access time of 15.6 ms, it's also still well in the race in regards to performance data.

Because neither the PCMark05 nor most of the 3DMark benchmarks successfully run on this device, which means they don't deliver any results, we are primarily dependent on subjective impressions for estimating the performance. To objectify the processor performance, we drew on SuperPi and WPrime and could note that the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 fulfilled our expectations by and large and that its CPU performance is comparable to that of the Sony Vaio-VGN-P21Z, the Zepto Notus A12 or the MSI Wind U115.

In the practical test with a few applications, such as OpenOffice and internet tasks, the Inspiron Mini 10 presented itself as surprisingly well-tuned so that it reacted comparatively fast to the user's input. Extremely long waiting times, as it is observed often in other netbooks, were essentially omitted. Anyway, you should consider that the system is not made for demanding 3D applications. Even less demanding 3D intensive games such as World of Warcraft remained unplayable with 5-7 fps at a resolution of 800x600 and all graphic settings off or low. Hence, the US15W platform stays even more evidently far behind the netbook-common Intel Atom N280/GMA950 combination.

System noise

The Inspiron Mini 10 has it easy in this category without a fan. The hard disk also works very quietly with just 31.5 dB(A). Merely an SSD instead of a hard disk would be missing for the absolute silence.

Temperature

Unfortunately, it doesn't look quite as good with the temperature performance. A maximum of 38.7 degrees Celsius were measured in the upper side's right area, this is still an average of 33.4 degrees Celsius. Hence, the upper side partially warms up to more than body temperature. The bottom side heats up even more and reaches a maximum of 40.7 degrees Celsius and an average value of 37 degrees Celsius, measured on a solid surface in operating mode. At use on a soft surface, such as upholstery or on the thighs, even up to 46 degrees Celsius could be observed. This can already be called unpleasant.

Dell includes a 3 cell Lithium-Ion battery with a capacity of 28 Wh in the basic configuration. The 6 cell Lithium-Ion battery with 56 Wh included in the test device costs an additional 50.00 Euros. However, the larger battery protrudes beyond the base unit and brings the notebook into a slightly slanted position, which not only makes typing more ergonomical but provides for an increase of air access underneath the device.

Quite impressive battery runtimes are achieved together with the energy savings components. These are, measured with the BatteryEater tool, between a minimum of 287 minutes, which equals 4 hours and 47 minutes (Classic test, desktop profile, maximum brightness, WiFi on) and a maximum of 461 minutes that are 7 hours and 41 minutes (Reader's test, energy savings profile, minimum brightness and WiFi off). We can note 379 minutes for the practical WLAN test, hence 6 hours and 19 minutes. Even if the Mini 10 doesn't reach any new top values, especially in view of the tested larger version, an appealing battery life is provided for.