Dell's Mini 10 already offers GPS with an integrated 3G chip, but if you're not interested in mobile broadband, starting next week you can opt instead for a wireless 700 location solution, a hybrid of Broadcom's assisted GPS and Skyhook's WiFi positioning technologies. We had a chance to sit down with a few of the product managers working on the device, and even within a brick-laden office building it did a pretty fine job of finding us within 30 meters and integrating with Flickr, Loopt, and Yelp using the Loki plug-in for Internet Explorer / FireFox. Impact on battery life was said to be "immaterial" although a ballpark estimate was about a five percent hit when in use. For $70, it'll come bundled with CoPilot turn by turn navigation software. It requires the $30 HD display upgrade, but even then, an extra Benjamin total for a large-screen navigation device is hard to pass up if you're looking to get a netbook anyway. If you're still not sold, Dell promises it'll be available for other Mini options, with and without the HD upgrade, in the near future. Now how about a few words on the Mini 11, eh Dell?
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