Dell Inspiron Duo Hybrid Netbook Review

Dell inspiron Duo is an impressive vision. it is not often that we are this enamored by a unit of physical design, but Dell Inspiron Duo simply do it for us. The machine is a feat of engineering, and it really redefines convertible notebook segment. This 10.1 5? is part machine, part tablet netbook, but unlike many rivals, the compromise is not much in the terms or portability and form factor for both be. When you open the package, it looks like a Mini 10 or any other 10 5? netbook.
But when the lid is open, a single tap on the LCD allows it to tilt around and lock into place in reverse order. Close the lid back down on top of the keyboard, and you see now on a tablet pc. It is one of the more innovative notebook design, as we have seen in recent memory, and we cannot applaud Dell's engineering team enough to both think of this implementation and nailing it with such precision.
The machine is outside of the crazy design, a pretty standard netbook on the inside. There is an Atom CPU, a chiclet keyboard and a 32-bit copy of Windows 7 Home Premium. The duo starting at $ 549.99, making it one of the more affordable convertible tablets out there. Let us take a closer look at the specifications:
# Intel atom N550 (1.5 GHz, dual core, 1 MB cache)
# 2 GB DDR3 RAM
# 10.1 5? multi-touch LCD (1366 × 768 resolution)
# Intel HD Integrated GPU NM10
# 320 GB Hitachi Travel star Z7K320 7200RPM HDD
# 802 .11b/g/n Wi-Fi
# No optical drive
# 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
# Bluetooth 3.0
# No video connector
# USB 2.0 x 2
# RJ-45 (Ethernet 10/100)-Via the Dock
# Headset Port
# SD/MMC/SDHC multimedia chip card reader (Via Dock)
# Stereo Speakers
# Chiclet keyboard
# Gesture-enabled trackpad
# 3.39 Pounds (with 4-cell battery installed)
# Removable 4-cell Li-ion battery (29Whr; up to 3 hours, 57 minutes of alleged life)
# 11.22? (W) 66 x 7.5? (D) x 1.03 – 1.5? (H) 13 (dimensions)
# Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit)
# 1-year warranty
In 3.39 pounds, it is hardly all heavier than your standard netbook and 1 screen 10.5? contains a standard 1366 × 768 screen resolution and enough space for a nice medium-sized chiclet keyboard. Dell has also made good keep thin bezel and the line between swiveling LCD and remarkably thin plastic. You can hardly say it is there. Textured lid was nice in our discretion, and the trackpad was nice size for a netbook. We had seen that it was texture-less; completely smooth and easy to navigate. Left/right mouse buttons separately was also very much appreciated, and then click travel was ideal. It is rare that we get to say both of these things in a netbook review.
Dell also held the palm rest stickers to a minimum (only 3!), and there is also very little going on around the edges. While the machine is very similar to a netbook, similar to port selection of a tablet. There are no ports on the front and back edges, and the left edge is only home to a headphone jack and two USB 2.0 ports (all of which are covered by a plastic shield, which can be popped up when you need access).

There is absolutely no ports on the right edge, only a power button. Saved just below the edge, is a speaker. At the bottom there is a subtle docking connector, which allows the machine to sit upright in the JBL speaker dock (a $ 50 option). This means that you can dock your machine for use with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard since a BT module is included and to anchor also provides an Ethernet port, SD card slot, two more USB 2.0 ports and a second audio jack. There is a separate AC input on the device itself and in the dock, and AC updater for each size differently. So forget transporting only one cable, when you travel; You must use both.
There is no optical drive, and surprisingly, no media card slot on the Duo themselves. There is also no video output. We cannot recall another 10.1 5? netbook, which lacks a video output port a sort of; even optional JBL dock does not have a video output. This fact alone leads us to believe that Dell intends for this is a tablet netbook first and a second.
However, there is a full copy (32-bit) of Windows 7 Home Premium, so you don't worry about limited functionality from the software page. Keyboard and mouse pad was both very rigid and solid and overall, we felt that this was one of the more solid netbooks on the market. At $ 550, we expect nothing less, but it's always good to see a company that lives up to expectations.
If there is one thing a netbook (or a graphics tablet) must be really competitive, is the great battery life. Regardless of how large the software or hardware, an ultra-portable machine must great battery life to be truly useful in the field. 4-cell battery in Inspiron Duo is unfortunately not quite potent enough to pass muster. It could not even last three hours on a full charge in our testing, which is low for a netbook and very low for a tablet. Many of Asus ' netbooks last well over 4 hours, and iPad can easily last 8, just for comparison.