I've used this computer for over three years. I love it, and a used one would be a great value, but keep in mind that it is fairly old and outdated by today's standards. If you just need a lightweight, inexpensive computer, this can work for you. Ease of Use The function keys are easy to identify, the design is great, and it runs Windows just fine. Battery Life Three to four hours on the standard battery isn't bad, but I would definitely prefer more now that tablets get more than ten hours on one charge and are more portable. Still, it's better than other netbooks its size and age. Support & Service Dell maintains a great support website, and my experiences with customer support, although limited, have been great as well. I guess the main take-away here is that I haven't needed to contact support for anything serious, and the help I have received was more than adequate. Speed/Performance It isn't very fast, but that isn't the point in a product like this. It gets me through the day just fine for a few tabs in a web browser and some like writing, but it won't get too far with games or flash videos. Design I prefer the keys on the keyboard over the standard chiclet-style keys found on most laptops and netbooks. They are much easier to travel over, and the keyboard is just the right size. Durability I used mine for three years before cracking the plastic. The white color of the underbody does make scratches and smudges appear more prominently.

mec05005

USA

I got this machine after using a Dell Mini 9 for almonst 2 years. See [my review here][1] . My biggest problem the Mini 9 was the keyboard size so I decided to slightly bigger machine to see if that worked better for me. I'm, overall, very happy with this machine. However, I had to do a little big a work to get it there: It came with Windows 7 installed which was too slow for the 1GB of RAM this machine had. The first thing I did was remove Windows and put [Jolicloud][2] on it. It's a very snappy Linux based OS. The keyboard is ***much*** better than the Mini 9. It's nearly full size and I only find myself tripped up every so often. On an unlimited budget, I would get a MacBook Air as its keyboard is 100% the size of the MacBook Pros keyboard but this The trackpad needs work. The Mini 9's trackpad was better so I'm not sure why they took a step backwords. Luckily, I spend most of my time using the keyboard so it's not that bad for me. I think I'll want to put an SSD drive in this machine and upgrade it to 2GB of RAM but overall I'm happy with it. [1]: http://www.viewpoints.com/Dell-Mini-Inspiron-9-Netbook-PC-review-a0fe10 [2]: http://www.jolicloud.com/ Support & Service My biggest complaint here is that the computer doesn't come with a Windows install disc. Speed/Performance Would be much faster with an SSD drive. Design It's no MacBook Air. Durability Feels solid.

ejfinneran

Chicago, IL

i got this from staples on clearance for a good price. i considered selling it for profit, but decided to keep it for myself instead. i'm glad i did. it came with windows 7 starter out of the box. that worked, but i immedately installed linux mint on it as i am not much of a windows user. this thing has very good battery life. i am able to connect to networks quickly. the keyboard is a little small, but expected for a netbook. it's easy to configure, and it's cute :P i am very comfortable going around with this in public. i just throw it (place it) in my backseat and go wherever. then if i want to get online, i boot it up. very convenient. i also use this as my main machine. i am able to stream videos to my xbox 360 easily, as well as download content. it's all good.

morecowbell

Ambler, PA

My husband gave me a Mini for Christmas and I absolutely love it!!!! I took it with me when I visited my daughter the end of January. I was able to keep up with all my e-mails and it comes with a built in camera so I could Skype my hubby every night and visit with him. Seeing him was just fantastic. I am having so much fun with this little toy on mine. I have small hands so the keyboard fits me perfectly. And it was small enough to carry on boad the plane easily. This netbook is perfect for traveling and/or using anywhere away from home. Thank you Dell for the perfect Christmas present.

ladychodan

Rio Rancho, NM

I have very mixed feelings about the Dell Inspiron Mini 1012 (IM1012-799OBK) PC Notebook. I absolutely love the size and weight**, **but it's a little too slow for me. When watching Netflix movies there is some lagging, which is very annoying. I should have upgraded the memory, so if you buy one I do recommend that you do that. Other than that I have no complaints. ****

mawgaw

Tillamook, OR

I got my Dell Inspiron Mini 1012 this past spring and love it! I knew going into this purchase that it wouldn't have the memory of capabilities of my desktop or a normal laptop, so I would not recommend this as a primary computer, but we use this as a secondary computer that we can use anywhere in the house and can take with us when we travel. It is lightweight and does have a decent amount of memory for its size and price, and I haven't had any problems with it. For the price, I think netbooks are great! One downfall is that it doesn't have a DVD drive in it which I realize now could have been awesome because it could then also act as a portable DVD player when we travel, but I'm not sure that was even an option given its size and memory, or at least I would have had to add more memory which means more money and wanted to keep this as cheap as possible. I am happy it has a slot for memory cards for pictures so I can upload them, but I am being very cautious as to how much I save on the computer because I don't want to slow the whole thing down. The battery life isn't bad either, I wasn't expecting the battery to last as long as it does. Overall, for basic functions, I think this is a great computer. I have the entire MS Office Suite loaded onto this and it still performs efficiently, so I highly recommend this cute little comp!

laurenkj

Augusta, NJ

I bought this device with the specific goal of installing an alternate OS (Operating System) on it and using it to carry around.  The installation was risky (and will possibly void your warranty!) but worth doing.  This thing works well, with a bright screen, decent audio for a Netbook, and even has a built-in webcam.  The extended (six-cell) battery will last for five hours if you're not doing processor-intensive work and sleep the display quickly when idle.  However, it doesn't come without faults.  The keyboard is typeable, but I find myself making errors occasionally.  I have somewhat small, very nimble fingers, and have to be careful when I'm typing.  Also, the trackpad is without a shred of a doubt the worst part about this product.  It uses a single contact area including both right- and left-click buttons.  However, it will also try to read both fingers when you click one of the buttons.  For example, when you try to click and drag, the computer has a tendency to "jump" the cursor to another point on the screen.  Easily solved by using a USB or Bluetooth mouse.  The processor can handle most basic netbook tasks, and this works great, for example, to watch videos on a plane or take notes in a class.  I used it for awhile as a large MP3 player, taking it to the library to stream media while I studied.  I would recommend this device (or newer versions) to those interested in netbooks, even despite the relatively high price.

karlev

Oviedo, FL