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VIRTUALISATION Vodafone and Dell in $0 netbook broadband deal: cool
VIRTUALISATION Vodafone and Dell in $0 netbook broadband deal: cool | Vodafone and Dell in $0 netbook broadband deal: cool |
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| by Alex Zaharov-Reutt | |
| Friday, 28 November 2008 | |
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Dell and Vodafone are making it happen, with Dell finally including an internal 3.5G wireless broadband modem in its Mini 9 netbook computer as standard, rather than forcing consumers to buy an external 3.5G USB dongle or stick. Inbuilt 3.5G modems in notebooks aren’t new – they’ve been available for some time, and their appearance in netbooks has been promised for some time, so it’s great to see it finally happen, no doubt ensuring many more netbook models come so-equipped in the not too distant future. The Vodafone and Dell deal will see the Inspiron Mini 9 in Vodafone stores from “early December”, and both companies are promoting the deal as “letting users simply open the lid and start surfing in seconds,” with access to webmail, Facebook, Google, Skype and other apps simple, easy and instant – and in full “computer” versions, rather than cut-down or small screen versions as seen on many mobile phones. The Inspiron Mini 9 is certainly impressive, I’ve been testing one for a couple of weeks, and have even loaded the Windows 7 pre-beta onto it (taking only 8GB of the 16GB SSD) instead of Windows XP, the OS that it comes with as standard in Australia (although Ubuntu is also being offered in the US). The keyboard is small, as is the case on many netbooks with an 8.9-inch screen, but it’s still more than useable and for many two-fingered typists is a million times better than tiny mobile phone keypads, although proper touch typists will probably elect to use an external wired or wireless keyboard when sitting at a desk using it for lengthy periods of time. Beautifully designed and weighing a tiny 1.035kg, the Mini 9 is wonderfully portable, and at the current online price of AUD $548.90 (without the 3.5G inbuilt modem) is price competitive with models from Asus, Acer, MSI and others. That said, some of the slightly more expensive 10-inch netbooks from competitors do come with larger keyboards making typing easier especially for those can normally type fast or touch type on a regular keyboard, but they’re also often half a kilo heavier as well as being up to a couple of hundred dollars more expensive. The Mini 9 that Vodafone and Dell are co-promoting, with the built-in 3.5G modem, comes in an “alpine white design”, although the Mini 9 I’m currently testing comes in piano black, so it’s not clear as yet whether Vodafone Dells will also come in other colours in the future. Both companies are also promoting the fact that an inbuilt 3.5G modem “delivers increase battery life and network reception compared to using an [external] USB modem”. So, what are Dell and Vodafone executives saying about the deal, and how much will it cost on a monthly basis, given that the $0 offer means $0 upfront? Please read on to page 2. |
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