Netbook Madness Game 12: Dell Inspiron Mini 10 vs. Asus N10J-A2

Yesterday saw some heated action between the Asus EeePC 1000HE and the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, with the 1000HE pulling ahead at the last minute. In response to some comments sent to us and what can only be ballot-stuffing (c’mon – did 42,000 people really vote in this game?), starting tomorrow, we’re instituting some new security measures to prevent, as one reader put it, shenanigans. And we’re not talking about the restaurant with all the stuff on the walls. While we like the enthusiasm, we like honesty even better. One more update: Tomorrow will feature a doubleheader, between the Samsung NC10 and the Asus EeePC S101, and the Asus 1000HE vs. the winner of today’s game. To fill out the fourth and final netbook in our tournament, we have the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 and the Asus N10J-A2. Unlike other netbooks, the N10J-A2 has switchable graphics, giving it performance more in line with ultraportables. Of course, its $799 price tag also puts it in the company of its more expensive bretheren, too. The Dell Inspiron Mini 10, which starts at $399, unseated the Editor’s Choice-winning HP Mini 2140 in the first round. It features a 10-inch screen (natch), a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom Z530 CPU, 1GB of RAM. Despite being one of the most compact 10-inch netbooks on the market, it also has one of the largest and most comfortable keyboards. When it comes to endurance, the Mini 10′s three-cell battery lasted 2:43, and the N10J lasted 4:11 (with discrete graphics) and 4:36 (with integrated graphics). While it will cause the Mini 10 to be a bit bulkier, we still think that a six-cell option will make it a more compelling buy. So which notebook would you rather have? Update: And the Asus N10J-A2 makes it to the semifinals!