The Dell Inspiron Duo is leagues away from the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Apple iPad. Nevertheless, it works great as a netbook convertible tablet. It has a mechanism that shows and hides a physical keyboard which makes it look like a real tablet. One good thing about the Insipiron Duo is that it manages to run a Windows 7 OS while running on an Intel Atom processor.
The Dell Inspiron Duo is a bit pricey if you consider it mainly as a netbook. However, there is simply no price when it can double as a tablet. One good thing about this device is the design. Dell has designed it perfectly such it is easily unhinged from the netbook body. The screen can be easily rotated in order to switch from netbook mode to tablet mode.
This device lies on the average weight mark at 3 pounds. Tablets weigh only half as much but that is only because the Inspiron Duo has a physical keyboard.
One of the best things about this device is that it offers 1366×768 resolution on a 10-inch screen. This resolution is usually only available on screens that are 11-inch and higher. The screen is great because there is a glass layer which is almost identical to that of the iPad. The downside is that some glare is noticeable at times.
The keyboard is not at full size. Although it is only at 95%, typing does not seem to be hampered in any way. Aside from this, the touchpad and mouse buttons are designed perfectly. You will most likely forget that there is a touch screen due to the relative ease when using the mouse.
The downsides mostly come when the Inspiron Duo is switched to tablet mode. Since it runs Windows 7 Home Premium, expect that the touch screen sensitivity is not very good. The operating system itself is to blame due to lack of updates. When you change the orientation of the tablet, the screen will flicker a bit as it has to process for a while. Lastly, there is no virtual keyboard included in the OS. This makes typing a bit of a hassle.
One benefit of having a full-blown OS like Windows 7 installed is the ease of installing applications. You no longer need to visit an app store to get programs. You can easily download from the web or copy from other sources.
Lastly, the Dell Inspiron Duo does not have the best battery available. It only manages to carry a 30Wh battery which can power the device for up to 3 hours and 12 minutes. This is probably due to the manufacturers spending more on improving its look.