NetbookTech

Those of you waiting for the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook will be happy to hear that the system is finally here .. sort of. Starting today, Dell will be taking pre-orders from customers in the U.S. through QVC. That’s right. QVC. Availability on Dell.com for U.S. customers will then begin on February 26th with units shipping in March.

Having said that, here’s what you need to know about the new Mini 10:

• Color wise, the Mini 10 will come standard in Obsidian Black but will also be available in Alpine White, Promise Pink, Cherry Red, Ice Blue and Jade Green
• Starting price for the Mini 10 will be $399 (which also explains why the Mini 9 has been undergoing price cuts recently)
• The 10 will utilize Atom Z processors – you can pick either the Atom Z520 or Atom Z530
• 92 percent keyboard
• 10.1 inch edge to edge glass LED display
• Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Built-in HDMI port (Yes.. an HDMI port!)
• 3 USB ports, Ethernet jack
• 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
• 3 cell 24Whr battery
• 160GB 5400 HDD
• 4 in 1 memory card reader
• 1 line out, 1 mic-in

According to this blog post on Direct2Dell, the Inspiron Mini 10 will initially be available with 1GB fixed RAM (this means it’s NOT upgradeable unfortunately), Windows XP, and a 10.1 inch 16:9 display with a max of 1024 x 768 resolution (though the default resolution is 1024 x 576).

Coming down the line, Dell will be offering options such as Ubuntu 8.04, a higher resolution 720p panel, a built-in digital TV tuner, Bluetooth, integrated GPS, and mobile broadband.

The model available for pre-order at QVC is selling for $559 and features the 1.6GHz Z530 processor, 10.1 display 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, Intel GMA 500, and 3 cell battery.

In many ways, Dell is a bit late to the game with the Mini 10 when it comes to the 10 inch netbook market (although you could argue Acer was also late to release a 10 inch netbook).  While I appreciate an HDMI output, I’d gladly trade that up for a higher capacity battery (the Dell post claims the 3 cell battery provides 3 hours of battery life), a higher resolution panel, and support for more than 1GB of memory.

[Check it out via CNET]