Dell refuses to call its Inspiron 2100 a netbook, but it uses the same format and technology. It does stand out by including a nice touch screen (optional), but we’ll still call it a netbook – even if it’s an unusually nice one.

Rough around the Edges

The Latitude 2100 is marketed towards school environments and other rough settings, and it feels durable enough to withstand a bit of careless handling.  A cool detail is that you can attach a carrying strap and wear it as is – why has no one thought of this before? It’s available in several different colors, including “chalkboard black” or “schoolhouse red” to further profile it towards schools.

It’s a 10-inch laptop but behaves like a bigger model; it has a sufficiently large and comfortable keyboard, and the whole thing is exceptionally sturdy, if a bit heavy at 3.5lbs. The angular plastic chassis doesn’t make it beautiful, but it helps make it much more stable and most likely durable than other ultraportable laptops. Both the bottom and the screen lid is covered with a rubbery surface that protects it from light bumps. It should also tolerate a small amount of moisture without exploding or melting.

Performance and Features

The Atom N270 processor is thoroughly tried and tested by now as it has been standard issue for netbooks for some time, and the same goes for the GMA950 integrated graphics. It doesn’t in anyway make the Latitude 2100 a high-end laptop, but it works fine for office apps, web browsing etc. In addition, this platform helps keep the price down to a very reasonable level. You can get it with Linux (Ubuntu), Windows XP, Vista or 7, which is a plus – I’d personally avoid Vista and go with one of the other options.

Despite the 10-inch display, the computer is rather wide, more like an 11 or 12-inch laptop, and Dell has used the extra space to mount stereo speakers on the sides of the screen. This means that there’s room for an excellent keyboard with near full-size buttons – it’s not like other netbooks this size at all, but more like sitting at a significantly larger notebook.

We tested the Latitude 2100 with a 6-cell battery that protruded somewhat on the rear. The battery life with the 6-cell is acceptable, if not spectacular. It runs for about two and a half hours at full load, and around six hours if you use it sparingly and with power saving settings

The Dell Latitude 2100 is neither great-looking nor glamorous, but it does what it sets out to do. It also has some added features for teachers to keep track of what the kids do, and some optional accessories such as a huge tray where you can load and update two dozen of these things simultaneously. Only available from Dell.

PC Mark 05 Score: 1 342

Specifications:

• CPU: Intel Atom N270
• Graphics: Intel GMA 950
• RAM: 2 GB DDR2
• Storage: 250GB
• Optical Drive: External, optional
• Display: 10-inch matte touch screen (1024 x 576)
• Connectivity: VGA, 3 USB, LAN, mic/headphones
• Wireless: 802.11a/g/n, Bluetooth
• Card reader: SD, MMC, xD
• Operating system: Ubuntu or Windows XP/7/Vista
• Weight: 3.5lbs