How would you change Dell's Inspiron Mini 9?
By Darren Murph 
posted September 26th 2008 6:30PM
posted September 26th 2008 6:30PM
posted September 26th 2008 6:30PM
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dual core atom, 2gb ram, express card slot, and Ubuntu net book remix.
I have had my mini for a week, so unlike a lot of posters I have a real opinion
a matte case would have been nice, i feel like i should be wearing rubber gloves when i use it.
less crapware on the device (t trimmed 3 gb from the install)
the clam shell was really really reallly stiff at first.
the a/c adapter is a little awkward, but not as clunky as others i have seen
a few things of note for future buyers:
DONT do the 1gb upgrade, just order a 2gb module from newegg or someplace (the one i ordered was 32 bucks)
The timbuk2 sleeve on the website seems to be the best fit for it out there, if you want a nice sleeve, just pony up the 30 bucks (you should save it by not upgrading the ram at dell)
if you really really hate fingerprints like i do, pay for the white one (WTF DELL)
If you're interested in why I believe the Eee 901 is superior to the Dell, read my comment below this article:
http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2008/09/08/five-reasons-dell-inspiron-mini-9-will-crush-eee-pc/
I would change the price. It's too expensive for what it is. I'd pay $300 for a maxed out version. Not an base config.
I'm sure they can jam a DVD drive in there and a dual-core atom. basically I want a real notebook but at that form-factor.
I really like my Mini, but I would put the apostrophy ' where it belongs, and it needs a fix for keeing desktop icons where you put them after a reboot.
I received mine a couple of days ago and here's what could've been changed that has nothing to do with available technology.
The screen could tilt back more or maybe even all the way flat because when I have the Mini on my lap, I'm towering over the screen and it gets slightly washed out.
The speakers are not loud at all. Unless I'm in a quiet room all by myself, the speakers are completely useless.
The apostrophe buttons is in the most awkward location. It's just to the left of the left arrow button.
The power plug could have been on the magnetic although it maybe an Apple patent.
I wish the palm rest was larger or the keyboard was moved up towards the screen more.
Drop it to the $299 price Dell said 6 months ago, and with the 8GB SSD they said there would be too. Standard, not as an upgrade. And it would be nice to have an HDD option...
And where's the red? I don't want another black notebook, and I sure as hell don't want a white one.
Other than that, nothing. I'm not in a 3G area, so bitching about how a netbook doesn't have 3G wouldn't matter to me. I woulda bought it for $299 and an 8GB SSD, but that's obviously not what happened.
Kill the gloss all around...case and screen. I bought one (Ubuntu so not delivered yet) fully loaded but feel that it is about $100.00 too high. Maybe after I play with it I'll think the price was okay.
Why on earth would anyone buy this thing when you can get an MSI wind?
Integrated webcam and mic 2GBddr2, 120gb HD, wifi, bluetooth , XP etc. etc, etc. and if you too (just as Kilgore) can get the Wind's clone marketed as the "Medion miniAkoya" you get all of the above in a very stilish package,lots of good software ( including MS office ,works, ULEAD and the nero burning and back up suite), 100 dollars off the MSI price, with 3 YEARS full guarantee thrown in for good measure.
Oh and the best looking design of any netbook yet (alu & shiny black or all white)
Every time I see one of these Dells or Acers I just can't suppress the giggles.
Dual core Atom, Swivel display, and multi-touch LCD please.
Oh, and battery life to match the eee 1000.
IMHO, a "netbook" should have as many connectivity options as possible:
1. Internal modem (or optional USB modem).
2. Optional USB-DB9 adapter.
3. WiMAX/3G!
A few other improvements:
4. Fix the keyboard.
5. Beef it up a little (the FSB is a bit slow...the SSD is *really* slow).
6. I *really* like how the Aspire One has a "storage expansion" SSD slot, in addition to the multi-card reader.
7. Price: A maxed-out specimen should still be under $500.
Oh...multi-touch track pads FTW!
What is the return policy on this thing (US)? Is it starting form the time they left (shipped) the factory or the time you signed for it? What is the best alternative on dell site for =~500US$ with screen size 9 to 13.3 inches? The reason I am thinking of returning is Dell REP gave me a hardtime on cancelling my order. I called and asked if it is still cancellable and the rep said yes so they transferred me to the right dept to my disapponitment the call was dropped. Called again after a minute and same thing happen this time I warned the guy that the call is being recorded and he went ahead and transferred and got disconnected again. That was friday 10 minutes before their closing time (10min before 7:00 PM PST). I called first thing Monday morning (Sep22, 9:00AM) and the rep said that the order is already in production and cannot be cancelled she offered to just wait for it to be shipped and give it a try. I waited and waited it still not shipped yet. maybe I'll get this white lappy this week. I'll give feedback.
Is it worth the 500US? or just wait for the atom dual since Intel just release them.
I've been considering one of these for a little while now and what's stopping me is storage. I'm really interested in the SSD and Ubuntu, but the only option is the 16GB SSD or I would have to switch to Windows. Since I don't like messing with pre-installed operating systems I'm stuck for the moment. I've tried to get Dell to answer me as to what type of connection their SSD is using, but haven't received an answer.
So my "How would I change Dell's Inspiron Mini 9" is to have a 64GB SSD option that won't break the bank (which they could do given the decrease in price almost daily of flash memory).
cheaper.
Had mine for about a week, keyboards the only thing weird on it. its my first laptop, so im going from a keyboard thats larger than the entire mini 9 to that. i bought it for class, so the battery life is find for me, boots in seconds and runs anything i throw at it. i didnt buy it for games. the SD port makes the small HD bearable, but overall i would say its a bit overpriced. i know that what il be using this for (notes and online) it will last forever, and i thought its size made up for that
Ship on time. they just moved my order back ANOTHER week.
Better keyboard. I expected it to be small, but this is silly. There has to be a better, innovative way to demarcate keys. Even coloured keys might help!
And a nornal size right shift key please!!!! Move the arrow keys down out the way and get rid of the other obsolete key on the UK version.
I think Dell is right that this device is a secondary laptop and not to be use for heavy duty use. Like reading a 30 or more Meg PDF file. I am using the preinstalled Adobe reader reading a book and I've notice that when I use my right arrow key to go to the next page, sometimes it hesitates to go to the next page. Sometimes its OK sometime you have to hit the right arrow key 2 to 3 times. I am not bashing dell or this product I just want to know if it is the program (adobe reader) or the Mini that's making it sluggish. I don't have other laptop to compare.
I got a white Mini with 1Gig RAM and 16Gig of SSD PATA. Thanks for any comment
Again, the hard drive, at least as an option. 16gb of flash is pretty restrictive, and the 4gb afforded me by my first-gen Eee 701 even more so. The option to buy an Aspire One with a generous 2.5" hard drive for the same price as a Dell Mini was the deciding factor in a competition between products that are otherwise very similar. Flash is fine for a netbook if you are literally just going to use it for Internet things, but when it doesn't affect the price to allow the option to have a traditional hard drive and increase the utility while admittedly slightly increasing fragility (I don't plan on using my Aspire One as a doorstop) then it really should be there.
I've had my Mini 9 for a week or so.
Pluses: Its a good value. I have owned laptops for about 12 years, screen size ranging from 7in to 17in. Some, especially early ones, cost over 3k with none of the niceties of this little PC. It is lightweight, easy to grip and carry, fits in my purse, has a good clear and bright display, comfortable keyboard (despite a few weird key placements, I am adjusting). It is quiet, boots up fast and loads pages and apps quickly. It's responsive as long as you don't have too many things open at the same time. The power supply is lightweight and small. Even after adding a few apps I considered essential, I still have 9GB space available on the 16GD SSD. My OS is XP and it has been rock solid stable this week. I wanted to try Ubuntu but I have a couple of Windows apps I consider essential with no linux based alternative
Wish List: I wish it had 2 sd slots and/or had a option for a 32/64GB SSD. I ordered a 16GB SDHC so I will have 32GB total storage. I wish Dell offered a spare battery. I also wish for 2GB RAM
My little secret: I may switch to this as my primary PC for everyday use.
I'm going to get crazy here for a minute:
Ditch the keyboard entirely. Replace it with a digitizer/graphics tablet a la the Wacom Graphire.
This turns it into a really useful "sketchbook" for artists, designers, etc. A quality digitizer like that - high resolution and lots of pressure sensitivity - allows the precision necessary for artwork. It's already in a portable package, so as long as the battery life isn't suckably short, it should knock the socks off the creative class.
Include some quality handriting recognition software and you have a really handy steno pad. The writing surface would actually be big enough to use for real notetaking (unlike the PDAs of yesteryear and the all-in-ones of today).
With a real digitizer, users should be able to map the surface and custom-create interfaces for whatever programs they are using. This might be a one-hand/finger type interface (like Frogpad or FITALY) for holding the thing in one hand and typing with the other. It might be a calculator interface for statistics or financial software. Whatever. The user could define these, print templates and use them over the pad for better productivity.
An even crazier idea:
Put a second screen on the OUTSIDE of the device. Make this one an e-paper screen (like the Sony Reader or Amazon's Kindle). This would allow convenient reading of documents and e-books with much lower power consumption.
I couldn't stand the keyboard layout. I decided to remap the apostrophe keys and semicolon keys. This is how I did it:http://www.medicthree.com/2008/10/remapping-dell-mini-9-inspiron-910.html
A bigger SSD or a very silent hard drive, uncompressed startup pre-installed, Intel Duo Core, Built In optical drive or SD card (ROM) recovery disk, and a free optical mouse.
I had high hopes for this PC, buuuut....
I own a Dell Latitude D400 that I LOVE. It's got a 12.1" screen, a surprisingly speedy 1.4 Pentium M, and it's under 4 pounds. Great for what I need it for - much what you'd use a "netbook" for. And for like $200 with an 80GB drive from Ebay. Awesome. Resolution is my #1 complaint with "netbooks". Even if it's tough to read, make higher resolutions an option. Most are, what, 1024x800? Welcome to year 2000...
My 12.1" is a 1024x768 and it works, but higher resolution being available on it would be really nice. I considered buying the mini-Dell until I saw that the resolution was no better, really, than my D400, or the Fujitsu Lifebook P1120 I used to have.
I was kinda bummed out to see that the mini-Dell's adapter wasn't the same type as my Vostro 1500 and D400. Yeah, the adapter for the mini is tiiiny and that's cool, but I have a bunch of adapters, and a universal battery all with the same type plug that wouldn't work with the mini. Boo.
I got my mini because (just got it two days ago) I was looking at gps units for the car and it occured to me that a very good one of those costs as much as this guy and is really not very much smaller and this would have more functionality and be easier to see the maps etc. I saw all the reviews on it that were selling "cell modem" upgrade as a later option and if you didn't get the cell modem you would have a free pcie slot onboard and all the modders were salivating over what else could be done with that open slot...Well at least in the USA Dell screwed us, the open pcie slot on the preproduction models was removed from the motherboard completely, i.e. the traces are there and the mounting holes are there but the connector is not..........I for one feel a bit ripped off. If it weren't for the fact that it would cost me a hundred bucks to send it back and say stuff you I'd probably think harder about returning it. Considering that there are bigger drives available already I'm really surprised Dell didn't get with the reality and offer larger drive options right off...I paid all this for a 16 gb drive and already mydigitaldiscount.com has the 32 gb for 99 bucks and within this month will have a 64 gb for 159.00. Don't get me wrong for the size and weight this is a capable machine but there are several things I'd change about it:
1. put the stinking pcie connector back....I for one feel I've paid for it.............
2. put a lock on the closure, don't just depend on the hinge to hold it closed
3. Offer larger drive options at purchase time
4. Offer 2 gb memory option at purchase time
5. Put three antennas in the case so the wireless card can be upgraded to wireless N later
6. Include a stinking sock with it at least for this price you can toss in a 8 dollar neoprene sleeve
7. Offer XP pro, in case you don't know it HOME is a smorgasbourg for malware and viruses, Pro is a bit more secure in my experience.
8. Get rid of that awful mcaffee antivirus, I've had sooooo many issues with that package on my own and other folks computers I just think it's not good and you only get thirty days free anyway, it comes off when the free stuff expires and they're constantly spamming you to spend more money on their junk (my opinion I know but it's what it is)
And where is it written that you get a new machine and have to spend a solid day downloading 50 million updates from microsoft..... Yeah I know they clone the os blah blah blah but for all that money put the updates on a cd in the box and you can choose what you want to install and what you don't want to install.
I think that for what I got this for it will serve me well, running gps in the car and for keeping business sales records when I sell stuff where no ac is available to plug into. I do like the unit, I agree with gripes about the non standard screen resolution but I have no issues with the keyboard, I have barbie hands and have no problems typing on it but that's easy enough to fix with a plug in keyboard it's got three usb ports on it.
I also don't miss the onboard cd reader very much. I took an old laptop cd burner/dvd reader combo drive and got an external case for it that plugs in via usb, works perfectly.....had to clean the registry before it worked right but that is apparently standard had to do it on several of my machines. The machine has no problem powering the dvd device at least for reading and playing movies, haven't tried a burn yet but I'm really not too worried about that being an issue either. They could improve this by going back to the old docking system that you used to see everywhere in the past....I guess no one is really doing that anymore a specialized plug that let you plug in a box for your dvd, a bigger hard drive and whatever else you want would be an improvement as well. The reader on the unit is just SD/MMC or whatever will fit in adapter, I guess a lot of stuff is SD, mini SD or XD when you're thinking about cameras etc. but I would have preferred CF or just leave it off entirely in favor of another usb slot or something.
There are two indicator lights on the front, the power light and a battery light which apparently is supposed ot start blinking when it's almost dead. I'm thinking mine doesn't work, windows was telling me the battery was almost dead and beeping but the light wasn't blinking....so gotta ask about that one, if it's defective I'm asking for a replacement.
Don't get me wrong, this machine has it's nitch I just think Dell could have made some better decisions and emasculating the motherboard was just one of the dumber ones they made.