In an effort to stay ahead of the netbook curve, Dell is now providing a small-but-significant upgrade to its well-received Inspiron Mini line with the release of the Mini 1018.
The new netbook makes use of Intel's Atom N455 CPU, clocked at 1.66GHz. While this is the same speed as the older Mini 1012, the newer processor supports lower-voltage DDR3 memory. The memory on both systems is capped at a lowly 667MHz, but the lower-voltage DDR3 should provide a slightly longer battery life.
The chassis of the 1018 features the same forward-hinge design seen on the 1012 - as well as some of the company's higher-end laptops - but comes in an all new colour which Dell is calling Obsidian Black. The high-gloss finish should manage to add a certain touch of professionalism to the diminutive system.
The other important change to the chassis is the inclusion of discrete left- and right-click buttons instead of the ‘click-bar' found on many other models.
Unfortunately, unlike the older Mini, the 1018 doesn't have many customisation options. That means that if you're looking for a resolution above 1,024x600 or a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator, you'll have to stick to the incumbent model. However, upgrades to a 250GB HDD, 6-cell battery and Bluetooth 3.0 are available.
For those looking for a basic netbook with few bells or whistles, Dell is shipping the Mini 1018 now starting at £279 for the base model, or £299 for a model with a larger hard drive and higher-capacity battery.
