Dell Mini 12 Hits UK

Dell already announced the Mini 12 but only now is the 12.1in system available to buy.

Specs sit as such then:

• 12.1in 1,280 x 800 screen
• 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 CPU
• 1GB DDR2 RAM
• 80GB hard drive
• Windows Vista Home Basic Edition
• 25.5mm thick, 1.25Kg
• 3-cell 24WHr battery

The use of an Atom CPU with a mere 1GB of RAM to play with means I can't help but think Vista is going to struggle slightly. A Linux system is expected to come later, so it's not all bad news though.

The Mini 12 costs £429 which is a bit steep for a netbook especially with this spec. However, I'm inclined to agree with Asus President and CEO Jerry Shen and limit the netbook classification to sub-10.2in systems.

If considered as a small, low-powered and above all portable notebook, then, the Mini 12 could be a lot more attractive. I wouldn't want one myself, but I can definitely see the appeal and I don't doubt Dell will shift a fair few systems.