Dell has proven adept at watching a new technology or market segment evolve and mature before launching products to try to capture market share. So it comes as no great surprise that the company has dipped its toes into the cut-throat world of the netbook with the launch of the Inspiron Mini 9, which tries to blend the portability of, say, Asus's original Eee PC 701 with the easy to use keyboard of MSI's Wind. And on the whole it has to be said that Dell has made a pretty good job of it.

As you might expect from a Dell system the build quality is good and the Mini 9's compact (27 x 232 x 172mm), rounded styling makes it a pleasure to carry around, even though it is a little heavier than some of its competitors at 1.08kg. For the moment the Mini 9 doesn't carry on with Dell's current penchant for either artist inspired lids or funky colours like pink or Lime green, but is much more sedate in its glossy black lid, set off by the silver chassis and matt black screen bezel.

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Powering the Mini 9 is one of Intel's Atom processors with a 1.6GHz clock speed and a 533MHz FSB, backed by 1GB of DDR2 memory and Intel's 945PM chipset. The processor is passively cooled so together with the SSD drive it makes the Mini 9 silent.

The screen is an 8.9-inch WSVGA (1,024 by 600-pixel) LED backlit panel with Dell's Truelife glossy coating; this is a lot better than most glossy screens found on larger notebooks, with sharp text and good colour. Built into the top bezel of the screen is a 1.3-megapixel webcam.

As with most netbooks you have a choice of either Microsoft or Linux operating systems. The XP Home model we reviewed costs £299 inc. VAT while the Linux (Ubuntu 8.04) version is £269 inc. VAT. But you also get a third choice and that is to buy the Mini 9 direct from Vodafone.

The Vodafone model comes with Windows XP, but more importantly for the mobile user it has integrated HSDPA with the choice of two subsidised Vodaphone contracts. Both last for 24 months and you get the Mini 9 for free. The 1GB usage limit contract costs £25 a month while the 3GB usage limit version costs £30 a month (both including VAT).

Battery power comes from a 4-cell battery and, while the battery life of just less than three hours is pretty good in notebook terms, it pales in comparison to the Eee PC 901's five hours or more. And that is just for the standard models: if you choose the HSDPA-equipped Mini 9 then you will be lucky to see two hours of battery life. Interestingly the power adaptor is built into the plug, so making life a bit easier if you are constantly on the move.

Storage-wise all the models use SSDs (Solid State Drives). The Vodafone model comes with an 8GB drive as does the Linux version, while the XP-based machines come with 16GB drives. There is also a memory card reader which supports HDSC cards so that's one way you can up the storage capacity, and it also supports standard SD, MMC, MS and MS Pro cards.

Dell has paid particular attention to the keyboard, which is good news as the keyboard has been the make or break of many a netbook, but Dell has got it just about right. Despite the small footprint of the Mini 9, the keyboard seems easier to use than many of its competitors, even if you have large-ish fingers. Although the layout may take a little getting used to, the feel and action of the keys themselves is good and responsive, as is the touchpad and its two mouse buttons.

Apart from the 802.11b/g WiFi (unfortunately not Wireless N) you get Bluetooth and 10/100Mbps Ethernet, so communicating with the outside world and other devices should be straightforward.

So has it been worth the wait? By and large yes: Dell's first foray into the world of the netbook, the Inspiron Mini 9, is a well built, nicely styled, well priced system that offers a real challenge to some of the other netbooks in the market. Only the battery life is a bit of a disappointment.