Dell Inspiron Mini 10v

You can buy an extended battery for £99 inc VAT, but note this will materially affect the Mini 10v's shape. The battery is cylindrical and slots into the rear of the chassis. An extended battery can't just stick out the end, because the lid curves around the cylinder, and instead it adds a centimetre or so to the bottom of the laptop.

One factor that does go in the Mini 10v's favour, though, is its tiny power supply - it's more akin to the adapters that come with old mobile phones than modern laptops. The Mini 10v weighs 1.15kg on its own, and 1.36kg with the supply, which is an incredibly low travelling weight.

Software bundle

If there are signs that the chassis isn't the most thought-out, take some consolation in the software packages. Dell doesn't just stick with the ageing Windows XP interface, but adds its own Apple-style dock - or, to be more precise, a customised version of Stardock.

This sits at the top of the screen and allows you to jump more quickly to your chosen tasks. For example, it automatically detects when Microsoft Office is installed and will add a shortcut to it from the Office graphic.

Microsoft Works 9 (which includes a basic word processor, spreadsheet, database and calendar application) comes as standard with all Windows XP-based versions of the Mini 10v, but you can choose what else to include.

In fact, as ever, customisation is one of Dell's biggest strengths. You can change pretty much every aspect of the Mini 10v, from the lid colour to the warranty package to the battery provided to which wireless standards supported (upgrading to 802.11n adds £14.99 inc VAT).

If you want quick delivery, however, your choice is much more limited: a black lid, Windows XP, a 15-month subscription to McAfee Internet Security, the normal core specifications (1.6GHz Atom, 160GB hard disk) plus Bluetooth. Wireless is the standard 802.11bg affair.

You also get a handy 2GB of online backup for free, for a year, courtesy of Dell's SataSafe Online service. Dell makes this easy to set up, with a shortcut again sitting in the dock, but note that services such as Mozy offer a similar amount of online backup for free as well - and your subscription won't run out after a year.

Conclusion

Nevertheless, we can't fault Dell for the value it packs in. If you opt for the quick delivery version, you're getting a lot of hardware for the money, and one of the best screens we've seen in a sub-£300 netbook.

But we also can't conclude without reiterating those frustrations: the Mini 10v's below-par battery life and terrible trackpad are unnecessary in a modern netbook, and if you're willing to spend another £20 inc VAT on the N110 then we urge you to do so.

Author: Tim Danton