Video: Dell's Mini 9 hacked with touchscreen

Add another trick to Dell's Mini 9. The mod-happy netbook has already been seen hanging out with GPS and OSX and now the inevitable: a touchscreen. Fitted with one of those ubiquitous eBay touch panels, user Deldotb of the myDellMini forums loaded up the appropriate Ubuntu drivers and kicked the rather unresponsive USB 1.1 panel to life. Unfortunately, he had to sacrifice a USB port for the privilege. See the Tux Paint "hello world works" video after the break.

[Via Jkkmobile]

[PyRo1509 @ Nov 24th 2008 4:46AM]

When I was young I was told to look and not touch

This is why all things touch make me happy

:)

now y doesnt dell do it... can't cost much more...

[Patriks7 @ Nov 24th 2008 5:01AM]

Even though such a touch screen is awesome if you need something that you cant draw with a computer, but it still is quite unnatural drawing or writing something like that.. so they would have to make it convertible, which would cost some $$.. but yes I do agree with you, companies should start putting touch screens into their laptops.. it gets annoying in my biology class when I have drawings on separate sheets and notes on my laptop.. it gets confuzing after a while :|

[Jeff @ Nov 24th 2008 5:42AM]

lenovo x60 for the difficult classes, dell mini 9 for the boring classes, and alienware area-51 FTW

keep the mini 9 mods comin everyone! next week I plan to integrate a touch panel into mine too! i hope some wacom drivers will work in OSX when im not on the ubuntu side.

[OneLove @ Nov 24th 2008 10:48AM]

women always tell me, "Hey, instead of grabbing my ass, Hello! works".

[Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Proffessional @ Nov 24th 2008 5:08AM]

one word FUGLY

dell should make this easier by including touch screen version with xp versions,

and dell need to get rid of ubuntu, ubuntu is for preschool its not useful enough, i know i hacked on to two of my computer and if i dont like ubuntu then knowon else will


Mr Preffesional
fusion fuzo

[ed. @ Nov 24th 2008 5:16AM]

because you represent everyone in the world's opinion of ubuntu...yea...

[Boards of Canada @ Nov 24th 2008 5:34AM]

I guess Fusion is a mac fanboy in disguise... posting crap for give microsoft a bad name. Or at least it look like it!

[Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Proffessional @ Nov 24th 2008 5:40AM]

ed
NICE to see people WORLD WIDE agree with me, the world is a better place without ubuntu

[RX3115 @ Nov 30th 2008 3:27PM]

So the world is better without humanity? Maybe but i rather do not like to think so.

[Vianon @ Nov 24th 2008 5:22AM]

I do believe the usual expression is "Hello World", but people don't respect anything these days! Sweet video though.

[mike @ Nov 24th 2008 5:55AM]

He/She spelled "world" wrong...
It's W-O-R-L-D... not W-O-R-K-S....

hahahah.... first message fail.

- m

[Jash Sayani @ Nov 24th 2008 6:08AM]

Waiting for ASUS EeePC 1002HA.......

[domoPod @ Nov 24th 2008 6:27AM]

whats up with those sounds? what app is that? its so childish me likey.

[Deldotb @ Nov 24th 2008 8:09AM]

TuxPaint. My son loves it.

[Oli D @ Nov 24th 2008 10:43AM]

haha i was just thinking that...

i want one that sounds like a drill when you touch

[Peter Petrovski @ Nov 24th 2008 6:33AM]

Legitimate question.. what's the actual point of this other than 'cool- touchscreen!'? Is there a functional use of this type of touchscreen on a small netbook?

[strider_mt2k @ Nov 24th 2008 7:09AM]

The mydellmini site is crammed with great info, hints, tips, and modifications -all about the Dell Minis.

I'm a moderator, modifier, and daffy enthusiast over there, and it's the place to go to get your Mini on. :)

[Deldotb @ Nov 24th 2008 8:03AM]

To strider_mt2k: I'd like to talk to you about posting a writeup on your site, if you'd like. Please e-mail me... I have an account and have a thread going.

[Deldotb @ Nov 24th 2008 8:03AM]

Yeah, I thought about it ("Hello world"). You can actually see me pause, but since I program for a living, I'm kind of tired of that cliche.
One of the guys from mydellmini.com posted this for me, but I have more videos up now on Youtube. Try http://www.youtube.com/user/deldotb or just search for me.

[ug @ Nov 24th 2008 9:36AM]

Hack F11 and F12 into it and I'll be impressed.

[Deldotb @ Nov 24th 2008 10:07AM]

Dell already has a BIOS upgrade for it, supposedly.

[strider_mt2k @ Nov 24th 2008 12:39PM]

Bios update A02 fixed it.

[Brandon @ Nov 24th 2008 12:50PM]

I never understood why 3D never took off. I don't watch sports, but I could probably sit through a few 3D games!
http://www.woopid.com

[Brandon @ Nov 24th 2008 12:52PM]

Sorry for the above irrelevant posting. My "1Password" app automatically entered my email/password, a comment from another story and then submitted me. I meant to say...

Is that Kid Pix I see? It at least sounds like it! While a cool hack I'm sure, it seems like a novelty that would run off pretty quickly.

[anon @ Nov 24th 2008 3:23PM]

Deldotb is a big fat zero! :)

[Deldotb @ Nov 25th 2008 6:08AM]

Well, you got the big and fat part right...

[Deldotb @ Nov 26th 2008 11:40AM]

I have updated instructions at http://dellmini.restmass.net. I also managed to incorporate the "GPS" hack to connect to the internal USB bus now. Got my third USB port back.

[Cjay @ Dec 30th 2008 10:04AM]

Engadget, owned by AOL has screwed with the back button of my browser, YOU KNOW WHAT I SAY TO THAT---> SCREW YOU.
trying to keep me at the engadget website using sleezy tactics like this, anything or anyone that has anything to do with AOL is just SLEEZY. IM NEVER COMING TO ENGADGET AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO YOU HEAR THAT YOU SLEEZY SLIME BALL MARKETING FREAKS. ENGADGET CAN SUCK MY BALLS, AND AOL CAN BURN IN HELL. SURE AND DO A WHOIS on ENGADGETS WEBSITE AND YOU GET SOME NUMBER FOR SOME SECURITY CRAP AT AOL, A VIOLATION OF ICANN REG INFO, THAT DROVE THE NAIL INTO THE COFFIN..........