Dell Inspiron Mini 9

Summary: My configuration is the 16GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP, and 1.3 Megapixel webcam. I refused the bluetooth option because I knew I would never use it.

What I noticed right away when I turned it on was that it didn't make any noise whatsoever.

The keyboard: When I began typing, I immediately took notice of the Shift key on the right side of the keyboard being very small and this slowed me down a bit because I had to watch where my pinky was going at first. Also, the apostrophe/quotation key is in the same row as the space bar, which is very weird for me. Then I noticed that the 'Ctrl' and 'Alt' keys have been removed from the right side (they're still on the left). I also hit the 'S' key a few times when I meant to hit the 'A' key because of the compact placement of the keys. I remember thinking "uh oh" when I first saw the keyboard, but it's really not that bad. It's a little weird at first, but you get used to it quickly. However, I'm still trying to get used to the apostrophe being in the row of the space bar.

The webcam: When the webcam is turned on, a small white light illuminates to the left of it. Really, it's more of an indicator light than a flash. It's only there to let you know that it's on. I got the 1.3 Megapixel option and it works great. It even comes with some fun software that allows you to switch the background, put on a hat, sunglasses, etc... I thought that was pretty cool.

The speakers: Dell says it only comes with one, but there are actually two...weird. As you would expect with such a small space to work with, the sound isn't spectacular but it definitely does the job. There's not very much bass. This also came with some cool software that has an equalizer with some presets built in (pop, live, club, rock, jazz, etc...). You can also change the pitch of what you're listening to (plus or minus 4). There are also different effects you can choose (as if you're playing your music in a bathroom, hallway, stone room, auditorium, etc...). Lastly, I wish there was an indicator on the screen that would show up when you change the volume with the keyboard, but sadly, there isn't.

The indicator lights: Aside from the small white one next to the webcam, there are only two to the left of the track pad. The one on the left is for power. It lights up (white) when the computer is on (or charging, if the computer is off. If the computer is off and plugged in, the light will turn off when the charge reaches 90%). The indicator light right next to it is for low battery, which will light up (orange) when your battery reaches 10% (or whichever percent you decide to set yours to -- 10% is default). There are no other indicator lights like on traditional computers (such as the Caps lock, Number lock, and Scroll lock). However, if you turn Caps lock on, a small message on the screen will tell you (mine only did it the first few times, then it stopped showing up...I don't know why).

Well, I think that's pretty much it. There's no latch for the lid, like on some other models. It holds itself closed through the force of the hinges. I would recommend putting your finger in the way so it doesn't slam down on itself (no, it doesn't hurt) and try to close it gently.

I would NOT recommend anything less than the 16GB model, even if you THINK you won't have a lot of files on it. You have to consider all of the pre-loaded software that comes with it -- you only have about 9 or 10 USABLE gigabytes when you first turn it on. I recommend removing some of the pre-loaded software that you don't use to free up some space, but only if you really know what you're doing. Also, don't get anything less than the 1GB of RAM (unless you have a LOT of patience).

One more thing I forgot to mention earlier: Beware if you have something to install through a CD ROM. It has no CD ROM drive with it and it will cost you over 80 dollars to add that option on, according to the Dell website. That price may go down, but still, it's not worth it to me (I almost NEVER use CD ROMs).