This new Dell Mini 10 SKU comes as part of a Mini 10 bundle that you can check out here. It also includes a 6-cell 56WHr battery, 250GB HDD and SRS audio. The Broadcom chip supports a number of different media players with hardware acceleration. Check out a list after the break.

Hardware Acceleration Video Player Support:

Windows Media Player
Arcsoft TMT (version 2 and 3)
Cyberlink PowerDVD
Corel WinDVD
Media player classic
Media player classic – Home cinema edition
Gom player
Kmplayer
Potplayer
XBMC
Purecodec Player
Nero ShowTime

Via Dell Blog.

The guys over at Laptop Mag did some tests comparing a Dell Mini 10 netbook with Broadcom Crystal HD card against the HP Mini 311 armed with the Nvidia ION chipset.

Video and game content was compared between both devices and the frame rate was measured. The Broadcom-enabled Mini 10 had significantly better performance over its vanilla version, but both still lost out to ION when it came to HD video. As you would expect, this was also the case with games.

It is interesting that the maximum frame rate on the videos tested was 48fps, even at various resolutions. Could this be a mini PCI-E bandwidth limit? The bandwidth for gaming is even greater and highlights that Nvidia have got their work cut out in trying to make ION 2 a viable solution on Pine Trail netbooks.

Flash performance wasn’t compared as Adobe Flash 10.1 does not currently support the Broadcom BCM70015 chip. This is strange as Broadcom confirms compatibility in its press release. Hopefully the third beta of Flash Player 10.1 should work with the BCM70015 chip, due in mid-February.

Other positives include loud speakers, a fast hard drive and better performance when streaming web content compared to other netbooks. One frustration is that Dell has kept faith with its integrated mouse buttons on the touchpad that are tricky to use.

Another point worth considering is this fanless model can get quite hot. At one point the underside reached 49 degrees Celsius. Overall, it’s a netbook worth considering, especially at its $369 price-point. You can check out the full review here.

Update: Engadget has a review of the Mini 10 with Broadcom Crystal HD media accelerator that is worth checking out.

Brad from Liliputing has unboxed the Mini 10 to give us a closer look at the design. Check out his video unboxing after the jump.

Three battery options are available including two 6-cell options (8.5hrs and 9.5hrs) as well as a 3-cell battery good for 4 hours. The amazing thing is that all batteries are the same size, for the first time you don’t have to worry about the extra bulk a larger capacity battery will bring.

Other features include Wi-Fi, webcam, and various operating systems including Windows 7 Starter, XP and Ubuntu. A number of optional extra will be available for the Mini 10 including HD display, Broadcom’s Crystal HD media accelerator, SRS audio, built-in GPS or a built-in HDTV receiver. As with other Dell Mini netbooks, six colour options are available along with over 200 customised lids.

Other changes include a textured palm rest and an integrated battery compartment. Two 6-cell batteries will be offered: the 56Whr battery should last for 8 hours and 44 minutes, whilst the 60WHr battery should last for 9 hours and 34 minutes. The integrated buttons within the touch pad remains and Dell has also has decided to remove multi-touch gesture support.

The new Mini 10 will offer a number of optional upgrades including high-resolution (1366 x 768) display, built-in TV Tuner, integrated GPS, and a Broadcom Crystal HD Media accelerator. Prices for the new model will start at $299 and it is expected to go on sale on 5th January in the US and internationally on 7th January. Seven colours (black, white, blue, purple, red, green, and pink) will be available to choose from as well as the usual custom lids on offer.

The new Mini 10 will also be fanless in design as confirmed in the video below. Check out the Mini 10 action from 47 seconds to 1 minute 5 seconds.

Dell Inspiron Mini 10 (N450 Atom) specifications:

• 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor
• 10.1-inch display with standard (1024×600) or High Definition (1366×768) display options
• 1GB DDR2 memory at 800MHz
• 160GB or 250GB hard disk drive storage
• Built-in 802.11 b/g wireless with available Bluetooth and Mobile Broadband
• Built-in speakers with available SRS Surround sound
• Choice of 3-cell (28Whr) or 6-cell integrated battery with up to 9.5 hours of battery life (Inspiron Mini 10 mobility bundle only)
• Choice of Windows 7 ($79.95) Starter or Windows XP Home and Ubuntu 9.04 operating system
• Dimensions: 10.5″ x 7.8″ x 1.3″
• Weight: Starting at about 2.7-3.0 pounds with a 3-cell battery. 3.1 pounds with 6-cell battery
• HDTV tuner and location-aware GPS configurations options
• Bundles with Broadcom Crystal HD for smooth HD playback coming in Q1

Via Laptop Mag & Liliputing.

What this means is that you can order a Dell Inspiron Mini netbook with one of 200 original works of art for an $85 fee. The collection includes everything from sports to RED (which donates $20 to fight AIDS in Africa). As well as these designs, Dell will also be launching more colours for its netbook range including colours such as “Dear Santa”, “Smitten with Mittens” and “Pompeii Purple”. There’s no word when/if these options will hit the UK.

The reason why this uses Vista, rather than XP, is down to the restrictions that Microsoft places on cheap XP licences i.e. no more than 1GB RAM. As this RAM is soldered on, if you do want 2GB this will be the only method, unless you fancy the challenge with the soldering iron! Dell is so far not offering the 2GB option with Linux. The 2GB RAM option is likely to turn up in other regions soon and we’ll let you know when it comes through.

Via Direct2Dell.

This may seem a bit pricey, but is still cheaper than compared to standalone units. Personally, I’m trying to understand how useful GPS on a relatively bulky netbook really makes sense. Dedicated units and mobile handsets I can understand, especially as most have touchscreens and you can fit in your pocket.

For those that are interested, you can find this now on the Dell site under the ‘Mobile Connectivity’ section. It is only available on the Mini 10 netbooks, not the Mini 10v.

Via Portable Monkey.

The software side is catered by CoPilot navigation software that can offer turn-by-turn directions. The software allows for 2D and 3D map views, offers you the most efficient route as well as providing detour information. They also plan to include a location aware portal called Loki which provides details of local restaurants and friends by tapping into social media sites like Flickr, Loopt and BrightKite.

Right now, pricing for the Dell 700 Wireless location system hasn’t been outlined. It will launch in the United States next week and a release in other regions are planned thereafter. This system is planned to come to other devices too at some point in the future.