Dell and GIGABYTE
A long-awaited netbook is Dell's Mini Inspiron 9. With so many challengers to the netbook throne, many had predicted that Dell would come along and show the lesser names exactly how it's done.
Sadly, that was far from the truth. Dell's Mini Inspiron 9 arrived earlier this month and rather than rip up the netbook rule book, it followed it to a tee.
There's the usual 8.9in 1,024 x 768 screen, Intel's 1.6GHz Atom processor and up to 1GB of RAM. Storage options come in a choice of 4GB, 8GB and 16GB solid-state drives, and the netbook features a four-cell battery.
You can usually expect good build quality from Dell, and the Mini Inspiron 9 weighs in at an impressively-low 2.27lbs. Unfortunately, priced at £299, the Mini Inspiron 9 is a hard sell. Unless you insist on Dell machines, you'll find near-identical netbooks elsewhere at a cheaper price.
Related reading: Dell Inspiron Mini 9 now available, priced at £299
Of all the netbooks we've seen thus far, we haven't really seen anything truly different. Well, that'll change with the GIGABYTE M912 - a netbook with a twist.
This strange-looking system features an 8.9in screen with a 1,280 x 768 resolution - and believe us, that small boost in pixel count makes a world of difference. What's more impressive, though, is the fact that the screen is touch-sensitive and can be swivelled to turn the netbook into a touch-screen tablet. You don't see a netbook do that everyday.
The M912 also has a little extra oomph under its hood. GIGABYTE has opted to offer Windows Vista Home Basic as a choice of operating system, and the system can be configured with up to 2GB of RAM. Weight remains at a reasonable 2.87lbs, and there's a four-cell battery included.
We can't vouch for Windows Vista performance on a 1.6GHz Atom processor, but if you're looking for something different, the M912 is it. However, thanks to the extra functionality, the M912 netbook will set you back some £425. It's just starting to make its way to UK shores, but the pricing, we feel, is far too high. At that cost, you can find cheaper, more powerful, full-sized notebooks.
Related reading: GIGABYTE's M912 to freshen up the netbook space
So, we've seen two relatively new notebooks, now how about a pair that'll arrive next month?