Dell Announces Mini 10v Netbook (Updated)

Dell today announced the availability of the new Inspiron Mini 10v netbook along with six new color options for the Inspiron 15 notebook and new Inspiron Slim and Mini-Tower Desktops.

The big news, obviously, is the launch of the Inspiron Mini 10v. Dell's Inspiron Mini series of netbooks has been largely popular thanks to the balance of mobility and affordability ... with several Dell Inspiron Mini netbooks priced below $300. The new Mini 10v will be available just in time for summer travel and lets students get an early jump on their back-to-school efforts.

Dell intends the Inspiron Mini 10v to be a lower-cost configuration of the original Mini 10. Like the rest of the Inspiron Mini family, this budget-priced ultra-portable laptop makes a great Internet companion to help keep students, bloggers or adult travelers connected in a more convenient form than a smartphone. Available in seven color options, the $299 Mini 10v will likely prove to be a popular netbook in the current economic environment.

Here are the key features and specs for the new Inspiron Mini 10v:

• New, larger keyboard – 92 percent of a standard full-size keyboard for comfort and ease of use
• Your choice of one of seven colors: Obsidian Black, Alpine White, New Cherry Red, Promise Pink (US), Ice Blue, Jade Green and new Passion Purple
• 120GB, 160GB hard drives and 16GB solid state drive (XP and Ubuntu); 8GB SSD (Ubuntu)
• 1GB RAM
• Availability of Ubuntu Linux or Windows XP operating systems
• Built-in webcam to stay in touch with family and friends
• Multiple connectivity options
• Optional built in Bluetooth connectivity
• Starting at $299 US

Stay tuned to NotebookReview.com for a full review of the Dell Inspiron Mini 10v coming soon.

UPDATE:

We spent some hands-on time with the new budget-friendly Inspiron Mini 10v yesterday and took a few photos to hold you over until our full review. The build quality is still pretty solid despite the use of more plastic rather than the alloy used in the standard Mini 10. The keyboard is certainly one of the better ones we've seen on a 10-inch netbook and rivals the excellent keyboard used on the HP Mini 1000 and HP Mini 2140. This may prove to be a popular netbook for Dell this year.