Dell Inspiron Mini 1011 10.1-Inch Obsidian Black Netbook - Up to 8 Hours 8 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Starter)
I’ve been eyeing netbooks ever since my fiance got one. After working on it for a little while, I learned that certain features are more important for me than others. First, I needed a large keyboard, and second, I needed a long battery life.
In addition, I had a chance to mess around on my friends’ Apple laptops, which are superior to Windows when it comes to operating systems. But since Apple doesn’t make netbooks, I gave Windows 7 a shot and was blown away by a product that felt like it was made right after a decade of messy messy upgrades to Windows 95. Windows 7 became the third important consideration.
This laptop has it all for me. Love the keyboard (great for a touch-typist like me); the battery is long and sticks DOWN (can’t believe it took years for laptop firms to figure out a way to fit a larger battery in while helping cool down the processor); and Windows 7 works like a charm.
I considered upgrading from the starter version, but after some research, I realized that there really is no reason for me. Upgrading provides features I would never use. Plus, the Starter version works faster and seems to really be designed for netbooks. It’s an eye-candy; the battery delivers (feels good to see “75% left (5hr 45m)” or around there); and I did not need to relearn typing.
The drawbacks compared to other netbooks: the larger battery also makes it a bit heavier; some software is incompatible with Windows 7 (still working on getting Fifa 09 to work); and the ac adapter is larger on the end rather than having a hub in the middle of the wire (this might get in the way when plugging it in in class); finally, I dealt with Dell before, and had to talk to rude Indians (nothing against Indians, but you don’t get the same quality of customer service.. I’d much rather talk to folks from Dallas or Columbus).
