Vodafone grabs carrier exclusive on HSDPA Dell Netbook

[Guest WearTheFoxHat]

The recently launched Dell Inspiron 9 has now been tied in with a Vodafone mobile broadband contract.

The Dell Inspiron 9 features:

• 1.04kg weight
• 8.9in display
• 1024 x 600 resolution
• 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor
• 1GB of DDR 2 memory
• Intel 945 chipset with GMA 950 graphics
• Three USB ports
• VGA out
• 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
• Ethernet
• 1.3-megapixel webcam
  

Vodafone has become the first carrier to say that it'll sell Dell's newly announced Inspiron Mini 9 little laptop.

And it'll be the only carrier to do so. It has the European carrier exclusive on sales of the Small, Cheap(ish) Computer with a built-in HSDPA modem.

That's an accessory notably absent from Dell's own website this morning, despite the fact that the vendor's own support site reveals the SCC has a user-accessible slot for just such a device.

Dell said this afternoon that it too will sell the HSDPA-enabled Mini, presumably with Vodafone airtime.

Dell's been working with Vodafone for years to offer a range or regular laptops with integrated 3G and, later, HSDPA network connectivity.

Unfortunately, that long-running partnership hasn't enabled the two to work out yet what the carrier is going to charge for the 9 - if, indeed, it doesn't entirely subsidise the £299 the Dell wants punters to pay for the machine.

It's not hard to imagine the 9 being offered for free on top-of-the-range monthly airtime packages, for example.

Vodafone said it will spill the beans in the "coming weeks". It'll sell the HSDPA-equipped Mini from "late September".

Anyone tempted by this offer to get a device which is both part of the new trend in netbooks, but also with mobile broadband built in?

WTFH

[Via: The Register]

[Guest Dr Who]

I am going to buy a netbook and I was waiting for the Dell. That keyboard looks really small though. the presence of an inbuilt 3G modem is appealing though especially if its unlocked for use with my Three SIM.

[Guest jchamier]

I am going to buy a netbook and I was waiting for the Dell. That keyboard looks really small though. the presence of an inbuilt 3G modem is appealing though especially if its unlocked for use with my Three SIM.

Hmm, until someone reviews it, I will assume its locked to Voda.

Shame Dell don't sell it unconnected with the HSDPA built in.

[Guest Maddox.704]

The Dell Inspiron 9 is a really powerful netbook with its 1.6 GHz Intel processor. I think you get good value for the price, it's one of the cheaper netbooks. But it always depends on what you expect from a mini laptop. If you want to know more about the different netbook models, take a look at some netbook reviews and build your own opinion. The market is moving so fast, there are two or three new models released each month.