Dell M101Z Inspiron – solid machine, but bulky and pricey

There’s an infusion of 11.6 inch mini laptops these days. In fact, these machines are only slightly than the mainstream 10 netbooks, but pack a lot more power, with dual-core processors and way better graphics. Prices are bigger, but if you want a snappy computer that is still light and small enough to easily get around with you, these 11.6 inchers are the best option. I for one own one too and I can say I’m more than satisfied with it.

One of the new exponents in this class is the Dell M101Z. Part of the Inspiron series, it will for sure get lots of fans, as it is a decent machine. The guys at laptopmag.com actually gave it a test and they enjoyed performance, construction and keyboard/trackpad (chiclet type and proper sized multitouch trackpad with two individual click buttons). Looks ain’t that bad either, although I for one am not a fan of that glossy finish used for the entire casing. But at least Dell offers this mini laptop with a wide variety of colors for you to choose from, with options like Clear Black, Peacock Blue, Tomato Red and Promise Pink (the last ones come with patterns as well). And definitely not glad of the bulky body, up to 1.4 inches in its thickest point. For more info see the review on laptopmag.com (link at the bottom of the post) .

Now, I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the specs for the Dell M101Z series, so here are the main characteristics below:

• AMD processors (single or dual-core options)
• up to 8 GB of DDR3 memory
• ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics (integrated)
• up to 500 GB storage hard-drives (7200 rpm versions available as options)
• 11.6 inc 1366 x 768 px display
• Wireless N, Bluetooth 2.1 (3.0 as extra-option), Fast Ethernet, 3G (as an option)
• HDMI, 3xUSB 2.0 ports, card-reader, 1.3 MPX Webcam

Dell Inspiron M101Z - solid built, powerful, but more expensive than its fancier looking competition

So there’s actually not more you could ask for. Having the AMD platform inside means a better price/performances rapport, especially in terms of graphics, than on Intel powered devices. Still,  in terms of pure performance, those Intel ix Arrandale equipped machines are the thing to desire. Also, having AMD inside means the computer will run slightly hot and battery life will only be average (around 5 hours with a 6 Cell battery).

Dell’s M101Z is available in UK for the equivalent of $580 (that’s a starting price) but i reckon it will probably be slightly cheaper in the States, once it crosses the pond. All in all, based on current reviews, it is a solid and powerful mini laptop, but pretty bulky and power hungry (AMD inside, doh ).

This Inspiron does have some competition, between AMD powered machines (Acer Aspire One 721 or the HP DM1z), which are all slimmer and better balanced than this one (at least on a first look), not to mention better priced… And there’s also the competition built on Intel’s ULV platform (like the Core i7 equipped Lenovo U160)!

Via Laptopmag and Engadget

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Tags: 11.6" netbooks, AMD, AMD Neo processor, Dell, powerful netbooks

Last updated: August 9, 2010 | Published: August 9th, 2010 | Add the first comment!