Background and Identification
‘Netbook’ refers to a type of laptop that is very small and lightweight, with fewer features and less processing power than a standard laptop computer. Netbooks were only really popular from 2007 to 2009. As the netbook developed, they got larger, and eventually they were basically indistinguishable from the larger ‘notebook’ class. Manufacturers tried to put restrictions on the size and capabilities of netbooks to keep them from blending into other categories of computer, but with the rise of the tablet computer in the early 2010s, netbooks offered few advantages over other devices. While a few netbooks were still well-received, they were mostly out of production by 2012.
Dell was a major producer of netbooks while these small laptops were popular. They produced several series of netbooks, including some under the Inspiron brand. To find the model number of your computer, use this Dell Support page. Often, you will need to locate the service tag or express service code. These can usually be found on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop. Once you find these identifying numbers, you can put one of them into Dell’s support website to get more information as well as troubleshooting and support directly from the manufacturer. However, you should be aware when doing this that Dell does not have extensive support for laptops older than ten years, so an older laptop won’t have as much support from this website.