Dell Inspiron Mini 9

Looks like the specs for this long awaited netbook has been released and it looks to take a back seat in value compared to the currently available Acer Aspire One. Disappointing that they didn't go for the rumoured $299 price point but that's life.

Assuming that the prices for the Dell will be the same here in Canada: All things being equal (CPU, OS: Windows XP, RAM, Webcam) it'll be about $50 more expensive than the Acer and then there's an optional extra cost if you want to choose a different colour. One notable difference is the hard drive...The Acer comes with a 120GB hardrive, while the Dell comes with the 4GB SSD (Solid State Drive), and a slightly better battery (I believe).

But for a $50 price difference right now the answer is clear in Canada...Acer Aspire One(At least until something better comes along, or a price drop by someone).

Note: As of this post the Acer is sold out at Bestbuy.ca, but there's still some at Futureshop in limited quantities...I wonder if they have different colours in stock...

Note 2: There was a price drop in the US for the Acer, but it doesn't appear to have reached us here in Canada...$50 more expensive in rip-off Canada...

Update: I spoke too soon, today the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 appears on the Canadian web site...Looks to be $20-40 more expensive depending which webcam you want...And you get 8GB SSD and not 4GB as previously mentioned. So in Canada right now the choice is not so clear cut...If you can settle for a low res webcam (or don't need one at all) you can pick up a Inspiron Mini 9 for the same price as the Aspire One.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9