Rise of the (mini) machines - Dell Inspiron Mini, Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind
Monday, November 24 2008 @ 06:08 PM EST Contributed by: sde
Even though shrunken notebooks have been kicking around for years, it’s only recently that they seem to have come of age thanks to enough consumer interest to generate some serious sales.
ASUS can probably be thanked for igniting things with its cheap, tiny (and awkwardly named) Eee PC with its minimalist features, basic Linux operating system and, above all, low price. Intel has come to the party too with the ultra-low voltage Atom processor providing the grunt behind all three mini notebooks – Dell Inspiron Mini, Acer Aspire One and MSI Wind – we’re looking at here.
The first thing worth noting about this line up is that there’s not a Linux-powered machine to be found, or Vista-powered for that matter, and all three vendors have chosen instead to equip their mini-notes with Microsoft’s ancient Windows XP operating system. This does provide some benefits in that compatibility with the vast catalogue of Windows software is virtually guaranteed, as is user familiarity with the interface. So, given the fact all three provide an all but identical user experience, it’s going to be the physical differences between these machines that will likely decide which manufacturer gets your money.
