The Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 4034 is the successor to the Inspirion Mini 1011, which was extremely popular, due in part to its low price and the ease that it could be transformed into a hackintosh (who doesn't like a less than 300 USD Mac netbook?!).  So the Dell Inspirion has some pretty big shoes to fill.  Read on, to learn if the Dell Inspirion improves on the excellent Dell Mini 1011.

Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 4034 Review

The Dell Inspirion Mini 1018 4034 is Dell's new entry level netbook.   It measures 10.5 inches, 7.8 inches, 1 inch (widening to 1.3 inches in the back) and weighs a nimble 2.66 pounds and is available in black.  The netbook has a glossy exterior with a small and tasteful Dell logo.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 4034 comes equipped with an Intel Atom N455 processor running at 1.66 GHz, an integrated Intel GMA 3150 video processor,  and 1 GB of RAM.  The Atom N455 and integrated GPU are up to handle most everyday tasks, streams high definition 720P video, and can play games, such as Plants versus Zombies or Angry Birds.  What's surprising is that it can even play older, but more graphically demanding games smoothly, like Half Life 2 and Doom 3, on lower settings

The netbook comes equipped with the now standard 10.1 inch 1024 X 600 LED backlit screen.  Besides the low resolution, the screen garners no complaints from most users.  It is bright and produces vivid images.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 4034 keyboard is 92% standard sized.  So people with large hands will have to get used to touch typing on this netbook before they can type at a reasonable speed.

An unusual feature, that users will either love or hate, is that the keyboard has a very slight upward slant from front to back (to accommodate the beefy battery found in the netbook).  We actually prefer the raised keyboard, because it offers the same typing experience that we are used to on our desktop keyboards.  Some users may disagree.

Netbook Review

The Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 4034 comes with two USB 2.0 ports, one VGA output port, Fast Ethernet (10/100) port,  one headphone output port, one microphone input port, a 3-in-1 card reader (compatible with SD/SDHC, MMC, and MS/MS Pro cards), a single 2 watt speaker(that you won't be bringing down the house with), and 0.3 megapixel camera.

We can't say we are pleased with the inclusion of only two USB ports, which is a step down from the Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 4034's predessor, the Dell Mini 1011, which had three USB 2.0 ports.  Although this is a step down, 95% of users will never miss the extra USB port.

To cut costs Dell decided to preinstall Windows 7 Home Starter on the Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 4034.  We can't say we are pleased with this move, but we don't think too many users will miss the added functionality of the full version of WIndows 7 and if they do, the netbook can easily be upgraded to the full version of Windows 7 Home.

It would seem that the Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 4034 does not live up to its glorious processor.  And we aren't too jazzed about only having two USB 2.0 ports and Windows 7 Home Starter.  That being said, the netbook offers great value in this price range and it is obvious that Dell was forced to lower costs to sell this netbook at such a low price.  You will be hard pressed to find cheaper netbooks with comparable performance.  The Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 4034 offers a strong value at less than 300 USD.

Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 4034 Review