“You don’t need to invent anything, you just have to do traditional research where you look at history and then compliment that with scientific research where you’re trying to do something new. That can lead to a lot in the business and technology sectors these days” – Bill Buxton
A chat with Microsoft Principal Researcher Bill Buxton, Part I
There has been some buzz for quite long around the Dell mini netbooks. Even more now when Dell has launched the new Dell mini 10″ with tons of new features and at a decent price.
I had the chance to test one of these babies. Paid $289 for a Dell mini 8.9″ at BestBuy (Canada).
Quick Review:
Pros:
- Aesthetics: These “little creatures” are unbelievable nice. The finish and details are top notch
- The screen is one of the best. I could say that they are at an Apple level. No dead pixels or defects whatsoever. The view angles are really good.
- The netbook is super quiet. You cannot even tell if it’s on.
- The ones I got came with XP. They were white (only top cover)
- Boot up was super fast
- Wireless, SD and USB slots work flawless.
- VGA and Ethernet ports
- Everything works under OSX from the beginning.
- All packaging was perfectly designed.
- It is “really” a mini Dell (mini laptop from dell)
- Traditional Trackpad (buttons at the bottom)
Cons:
- No Webcam (these is supposed to be standard now)
- 8Gb SSD is insufficient. If you want to install Windows 7 or OSX, you will need to spent some time figuring it out. IT is not as straight forward as it should be.
- No HDD led. Sometimes, you don’t know if it is doing something
- Battery tops 3 hours max (4 cells)
- Keyboard is not as good as HP or Asus.
- Some glare outdoors – bearable.
That pretty much sums it all. Hope it helps on your decision.
Detailed Specs from Dell:
Processors
- Intel® AtomTM Processor (1.6GHz, 512KB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB)
Operating System
- Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition SP3
Memory
- Up to 1GB 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM.
Chipset
- Intel® 945PM / GS Express Chipset
Graphics
- Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950
LCD Display
- Glossy 8.9 inch LED display (1024X600)
Audio and Speakers
- One external speaker
Hard Drives
- Up to 16GB configured with a Solid State drive.
Optical Drives
- None
Ports
- USB 2.0 (3)
- Integrated 10/100 LAN (RJ45)
- 15-pin VGA video connector
- Audio jacks (1-line out, 1 mic-in)
- 4-in-1 Media Card Reader
- AC adapter connector
Power
- 4-cell 32WHr Li-Ion Battery
Camera
- Optional 0.3MP or 1.3MP webcams
Wireless
- 802.11g mini-card
Bluetooth Options:
- Bluetooth® Internal (2.0) mini-card
Ports, Slots, Chassis
- USB 2.0 (3)
- Integrated 10/100 LAN (RJ45)
- 15-pin VGA video connector
- Audio jacks (1-line out, 1 Mic-in)
- 3-in-1 Media Card Reader
- AC adapter connector Dimensions & Weight
- Width: 9.13″ (232mm)
- Height: 1.07″ (16.8mm) front / 1.25″ (31.7mm) back
- Depth: 6.77″ (172mm)
- Weight: Starting weight of 2.28 lbs. (1.035 kg)3(8.9″ display, 4 cell battery). Weights will vary depending on configurations and manufacturing variability.
Dell has just released its new line of slim-line/small factor desktops: Studio Hybrid. The Studio Hybrid starts at $549 (Canadians), but upgrades to the processor, memory, hard drive, and wireless networking adapter push our review configuration up to $959. This new desktop first appeared in April featuring a bamboo-made cover. It is not quite hard to feel the need to compare this new baby with the solid contender from Apple: The Mac Mini.
Some users have reviewed the new Dell Studio Hybrid giving mixed comments but one of the most prominent are the ones related to the old chipset. Actually, CNET has posted a review two days ago stating this:
“It’s hard for us to recommend the Dell Studio Hybrid desktop for any practical purpose. As a desktop for productivity, you can get more bang-for-your-buck from a typical budget-priced midtower PC. And if your goal is either space-saving or using this system as a media PC, we’d instead point you to a similarly priced laptop, which has an integrated display, will perform most of the same functions, and is also portable. Still, we imagine that for some of you, the Studio Hybrid’s unique design holds plenty of appeal. Compared with other desktops in its small-scale cohort, Dell’s entry is actually one of the best equipped. If aesthetics are your chief concern, the Studio Hybrid will reward you with its good looks and respectable computing power. “ (Cnet.com)
With this in mind, I think the only thing that could set the Studio Hybrid apart from the Mac Mini, is the HDMI connector. The Mac Mini features a DVI and VGA connector but no HDMI. Users will find this useful when using this baby as a Media Center and hooking it with your TV.
To put things on your side, I have put together all the specification side-by-side for you to make your final choice. My recommendation is to wait a couple months more and wait for the new Apple line-up (coming soon). Even the Mac Mini looks like a better package (except for the HDMI) than the Studio Hybrid but imagine future versions 
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Apple Mac Mini
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Dell Studio Hybrid |
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Processors * 1.83GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor * 2MB or 4MB on-chip L2 cache * 667MHz frontside bus * Mac OS X Leopard Memory * 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) on two SO-DIMMs; supports up to 2GB Storage * 80GB or 120GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive; optional 160GB drive(2) Peripheral connections * One FireWire 400 port (8 watts) * Four USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps) Optical Drives * Slot-load optical drive One of the following optical drives: o Slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW): reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed, reads CDs at up to 24x speed o Slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW): writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 2.4x speed, writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed, writes DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs at up to 4x speed, reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed, reads CDs at up to 24x speed Graphics and video support * Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory1 * DVI video output to support digital resolutions up to 1920 by 1200 pixels; supports 20-inch Apple Cinema Display and 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display; supports coherent digital displays up to 154MHz; supports noncoherent digital displays up to 135MHz * VGA video output (using included adapter) to support analog resolutions up to 1920 by 1080 pixels * S-video and composite video output to connect directly to a TV or projector (using Apple DVI to Video Adapter, sold separately) Audio * Built-in speaker * Combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack) * Combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack) Wireless and Wi-Fi Options * Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector) * Built-in 54-Mbps AirPort Extreme(3) wireless networking (based on 802.11g standard) * Built-in Bluetooth 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) up to 3 Mbps * Optional external Apple USB Modem External Accessible Ports * One FireWire 400 port (8 watts) * Four USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps) * DVI video output to support digital resolutions up to 1920 by 1200 pixels; supports 20-inch Apple Cinema Display and 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display; supports coherent digital displays up to 154MHz; supports noncoherent digital displays up to 135MHz * VGA video output (using included adapter) to support analog resolutions up to 1920 by 1080 pixels * S-video and composite video output to connect directly to a TV or projector (using Apple DVI to Video Adapter, sold separately) * Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector) * AC adapter connector * Combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack) * Combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack)
Size and weight * Height: 5.08 cm (2 inches) * Width: 16.51 cm (6.5 inches) * Depth: 16.51 cm (6.5 inches) * Weight: 1.31 kg (2.9 pounds) Software Included * Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger (includes Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat AV, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Xcode Developer Tools) * iLife ’08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand), Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive, iWork (30-day trial), and Apple Hardware Test * Front Row |
Processors
Operating System
Memory
Hard Drives
External Connections
Optical Drives
Graphics
Audio Intel High Definition Audio 2.0
Wireless
Wi-Fi Options
Externally Accessible Ports
Dimensions & Weight
Security Cable lock chassis security slot |
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Starting from $649 |
Starting from $559 |
Tags: AppleMacMini, Mac Mini, Apple, Dell, Dell Studio, Studio Hybrid
Looks like word got out early
on Dell’s Studio Hybrid small form factor system. Aside from the casing and the stand, both of which are removable, it’s roughly the same size as Apple’s Mac Mini. In addition to forgoing the eco-friendly wood for what appears to be a sleek, orange Plexiglas shell, the system boasts an Intel chipset, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, WiFi, a DVD+R drive, five USB ports, an HDMI port, S/PDIF, DVI, and a memory card reader. I’m not sure exactly when Dell plans to unleash these on consumers or what the final cost will be, though previously the company had stated plans to offer it later this year for between $500 and $700.
Tags: bamboo, Mac Mini, breaking news, BreakingNews, dell, eco, leak, leaked, mini pc, MiniPc, spy shots, SpyShots, studio hybrid, StudioHybrid
