Dell to kill-off 12 inch netbooks

published 10 August 2009

Dell plans to stop making 12-inch netbooks so that it can focus on its smaller-screened products, the company has announced.

In an official post on the direct2dell blog, head blogger Lionel Menchaca confirmed the move that will bring more attention to its Inspiron Mini-10 and Mini-9 models.

Menchaca said: "It's true. Dell recently decided that it's time for the Mini 12 to ride off into the sunset."

He also answered fears about what this meant for the future.

"So, should you read anything into this as far as Dell's commitment to the netbook space? Nope," he said. "It really boils down to this: for a lot of customers, 10-inch displays are the sweet spot for netbooks."

Menchaca went on to say that portability is one of the most important things when it comes to netbooks and larger netbooks use larger quantities of power, so the smaller the better.

The Mini-12 model is still available though Dell outlets in the US at present but prepare to wave them goodbye when the stocks run out.

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.