Dell Inspiron 11z

We like categories at PC Site® – they make us feel better about the world. So imagine our shock when the Dell Inspiron 11z trots along, provoking more than a few questions; laptop or netbook? Is that distinction important when it’s such a good package at a reasonable price? Where did I leave my keys?

With a good top package at under £350 you would be almost right in thinking that it was a no frills laptop, when really it’s a more user friendly netbook.

It has 11.6″ 1366 x 768 HD TLF WLED screen, which would be great for streaming video (remember that there’s no optical drive). Using Intel integrated graphics means that it won’t cope with any graphically demanding games, but would be fine for editing images on Google Picasa for example.

In terms of software you wouldn’t want to try and fire up Adobe Creative Suite on it, but it would have no problem with any Office software, or handling multiple web based programs.

It’s worth paying the extra for the top packages as that will get you an Intel^® Pentium SU4100 (1.3GHz, 800MHz, 2MB cache). Ultra low voltage and better than the Atom, it’s surprisingly nippy – Dell claim“40 per cent faster and has up to a 39 per cent better CPU performance”.

Paired with 4Gb of RAM the Inspiron 11z has surprising power for its class and hard-drive options go up to a 5400rpm 500GB HDD.

If you stick to the netbook ideal and keep as much as possible in the cloud this would be more than enough storage, and you would easily get by with the 320Gb HDD included in the price.

There’s a 3-in-1 media card reader (SD, MS, SMMC) and 3 USBs which is average for netbooks, but somewhat limiting.

It comes with a Dell wireless card, but would be worth paying the £15 for an upgrade.

At 25.8mm thin and a starting weight of 1.385 kg, it’s the thinnest and lightest Inspiron; and as someone who lugs his laptop about a lot but gets frustrated (and a bit myopic) by tiny netbook screens, it’s the perfect trade off.

What I like

If you look at this machine as a larger netbook and use it as one, operating in the cloud, streaming music and videos etc, then it makes much more sense.

Powerful for its class, a pleasure to use, it’s an all round winner.

What I don’t like

Could have given us a 6-in-1 card reader and a few more USBs

Tech Specs

• Intel® Celeron® ULV Processor 743 (1.3GHz, 1MB, 800MHz) or Intel® Pentium® Dual Core Processor ULV SU4100 (1.30GHz, 2MB, 800MHz)
• Up to 5,400 RPM 500Gb HDD
• Up to 4Gb RAM
• Intel Integrated Graphics
• Windows Vista/Windows 7 64bit