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Dell Mini 9 suffers meltdown, scorches owner's floor
While this isn't quite bad enough to merit a "dude, your Dell is on fire" part deux, it's a pretty frightful example of the hazard modern batteries (of any kind) represent. A Consumerist reader reports that her year-old Dell Mini 9 recently popped, "hissed and sizzled" as it filled her room with smoke and tarnished her fine wooden flooring. Judging from the fallout pictures (available after the break), we'd say the culprit for this Mini fire (oh!) was the battery pack, which again reminds us how badly we need to improve our energy storage technologies. Dell has been quick to remedy the situation with an upgraded laptop being sent over to the young lady and the melted machine packed off to the labs for inspection, though there's no mention of compensation for the owner's scarred floor and mind.
Modder creates dual-screen Courier from Dell Mini 9, calls it Harlequin, Joker unavailable for comment
Microsoft's Courier, the dual-touchscreen wunderbooklet, had plenty of gadget lovers in a tizzy in late September -- even though the company itself doesn't seem to know what to do with it. An eventual release of the thing seems unlikely, so user Pak-Kei Mak over at the My Dell Mini forums created his own. It's a Dell Mini 9, or was a Dell Mini 9 anyway, bisected and keyboard replaced by another nine-inch display. This pic and another were posted back around Halloween, showing the two halves loosely coupled together, but pakkei has indicated a laser-cut custom case is in the works to bring it all together in a much tidier package. We do love lasers. Update: Pak-Kei Mak commented to say he's still "steamrolling along" with this design and will have updates for us soon. As it turns out this is the very-same Pak-Kei Mak who was one of our Kindle engraving contest winners a few months back, which interestingly also featured the use of lasers. It's a small world, ain't it?
Dell Mini 9 modded into motion sensitive, touchscreen tablet (video)
True, this ain't the first Dell Mini tablet hack we've laid eyes on -- but what we do have here is a pretty sweet mod by MyDellMini forum member "rock99rock" (must be his confirmation name). In addition to replacing his Dell Mini 9 display with a touchscreen kit, our man re-jiggered an ActionXL motion sensing controller to allow the screen to rotate as you rotate the device. Not bad, eh? Hit that read link for some real radical instrucciones -- but not before checking out the enthralling video after the break.
Dell Mini 9 modded into an internet tablet
MyDellMini forum member Rob928, take a bow. This honorable gentleman has only gone and transformed an aging 9-inch netbook into a new-fashioned internet tablet. it might still be a chubby little thing, but there's no denying the usefulness of using the entire screen to navigate instead of the usually cramped netbook touchpad. With a 16GB SSD upgrade alongside the venerable Atom N270 and 1GB of RAM, this device will even boot faster into Windows than your run-of-the-mill netbook. The read link will reveal all, including more shots of the hardware laid bare. [Via SlashGear] %Gallery-75545%
Dell Mini 9 makes surprise reappearance on Dell's website
The official word from Dell may be that its Mini 9 netbook has hit "End of Life," but it looks like the company may have had a change of heart or (more likely) a surplus of excess stock, as the popular netbook has now made a surprise reappearance on its website. With a starting price of $299, however, it's not as cheap as some of the past deals we've seen, but you do still have your choice of quite a few configuration options, and a promised ship date of August 24th. So, if you've been holding off, you better get in now before they disappear, again.[Thanks, Rob and Nathan]
Dell's Mini 9 vanishes from retail site as red Studio XPS 16 returns (update: Mini 9 is on the outs)
We don't want to point fingers, but at the same time Dell's Studio XPS 16 red option suddenly returns -- now a "Merlot" instead of once-axed "Crimson" -- the Mini 9 conspicuously goes missing from the company's website. Coincidence? We think not. It's a regular murder mystery, and it looks like we have our prime suspect here, caught... erm, red-lidded. Catching the killer, though, won't bring it back, but at least its younger brother, the Vostro A90, still seems to alive and kicking. Update: We just got off the phone with a Dell customer service rep who told us the same thing a handful of our tipsters heard: the Mini 9's being phased out, with its official "End of Life" possibly as soon as Monday. Shed a tear for our 2008 netbook of the year. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!] Read - Merlot red Studio XPS 16 Read - Dell.com search for "Mini 9" Read - Refurbished Laptop stockroom
Is Dell cooking up an Android-powered netbook?
Um, okay? Straight out of the left-most corner of left field, software provider Bsquare has just outed Dell's newest netbook -- or so it seems. The same company that recently announced that it was bringing Adobe Flash to Android has just revealed that it'll be doing likewise for "Dell netbooks running Google's Android platform." Specifically, it'll be Flash Lite 3.17 making the leap onto these heretofore elusive machines (casually referred to as the Mini Inspiron 910, or Mini 9, in the release), but details outside of that are mum. Consider our interest piqued. Full release is after the break.Update: Dell just pinged us with an adorably terse response: "The Bsquared news release erroneously mentioned Dell and is being recalled. Dell does not offer an Android based netbook." Well then.
Dell Mini 9 hacked for 3G use with some difficulty
Folks discovered some time ago that Dell's stock Mini 9 just wasn't made for 3G, but that doesn't look to have stopped MyDellMini forum member Jingo5, who saw an opening on the netbook's motherboard and ran with it. As you might expect, however, that didn't exactly prove to be the easiest course of action to take, with it involving a modified 855u Sierra USB adapter, a good deal of soldering, and a fair measure of skill to ensure that the whole thing didn't backfire. He was also apparently able to pull an antenna off the LAN card to improve reception with little consequence, and even get it working under OS X using Sierra's own 3G app. Feeling brave enough to try it yourself? Then hit up the read link below for the complete details.[Via Hack a Day]
Video: 128GB SSD slotted into Dell's Inspiron Mini 9
Considering just how cheap Dell's Inspiron Mini 9 gets on occasion, there's practically no doubt that the SSD portion of this mod will run you more than the computer itself. For those wild and wacky DIYers who couldn't honestly care less, jkkmobile has put together a video (along with a gallery of images) showing exactly how the process works. For what it's worth, we're told that the whole ordeal was a simple matter, but you can judge for yourself after jumping past the break and mashing play.
AT&T kicks off $50 netbook-with-a-catch trial
We'd already had some indication that Dell's Mini 9 and Mini 12 netbooks were headed to AT&T stores, and it now looks like those and a few more are now finally available from the carrier -- in Atlanta and Philadelphia, at least. From the looks of it, Atlanta is the real test bed for the trial, with customers there now able to snag netbooks with built-in 3G at prices "starting at $49.99," assuming they also sign up for AT&T's "Internet at Home and On the Go" broadband bundle, of course, which itself starts at $60 a month for a 200 MB per month mobile data plan and basic DSL service. AT&T only goes so far as to say that it's offering "similar mini laptop promotional rates" at eight AT&T stores in the Philadelphia area. In addition to the Dell netbooks, you can also choose from an Acer Aspire One or the little known LG Xenia (apparently an MSI Wind rebadge), or even a full-fledged Lenovo X200 ultraportable, although the latter will set you back between $750 and $850 depending on your choice of plan.[Via GigaOM]Update: According to AT&T, that "similar" pricing for Philly actually starts at $99, with the premium apparently resulting from its lack of residential DSL in the area.
Dell's Inspiron Mini 9 drops to a delicious $199
Been brushing the idea of a netbook off for months now? Let's see you ignore this. Hot on the heels of the Inspiron Mini 10 going on sale, Dell has lowered the barrier to entry on its marginally smaller Mini 9 to a rather amazing $199. For under two bills, you can now grab yourself an Obsidian Black 8.9-inch netbook with a 1.6GHz Atom CPU, WiFi, a 4-cell battery, GMA950 graphics, 512MB of RAM, a 4GB SSD and a copy of Ubuntu Linux. Of course, that price heads up a hundred bucks if you just can't live without Windows XP, but if there's ever been a time for learning how to deal within an open source environment, we'd say this is it. Good luck with that whole "resisting the temptation" thing.[Via technabob]
Dell Mini 9 and 12 headed to AT&T stores?
You can already get an HP Mini netbook or a Sony VAIO P not-a-netbook up and running on AT&T's network with relative ease, but it looks like your options could be about to get more convenient still, at least if this seemingly authentic screen courtesy of The Boy Genius Report is any indication. Apparently, both Dell's Mini 9 and Mini 12 netbooks will be finding their way into AT&T stores at some point in the not too distant future, although there's unfortunately no indication of an exact date or price. As the Boy Genius speculates, however, it seems likely that they'll be at least somewhat competitive with the $99 that Verizon will be asking for the HP Mini 1000 on a two-year data card plan, which will apparently be available sometime in May.[Via Electronista]
Dell's Mini 9 selling for just $249 -- who needs a subsidy?
If you thought last month's $99 Mini 9 was just too cheap (unlikely), or were scared off by the two year contract that came along with the offer (rather more likely), check out Dell's latest deal. The company is selling its lowest-spec Mini 9n, offering 512MB of memory and Ubuntu installed on a 4GB SSD, for just $249. That's $100 less one went for for last September. Can't live without Windows? You'll still need to pony up another $50, but will at least get an extra 4GB of storage out of the deal. Surely one of these two bargain portables will fit into your budget and your lifestyle, but don't spend too long deciding which -- this deal expires on February 12. [Thanks, Justin R.]
Laptop display comparison awards top marks to Lenovo
It's not exactly the most extensive round-up, but photographers looking for suggestions on a laptop to pair up with their DSLR would do well to check out Rob Galgraith's latest comparison, which takes a look at the late-2008 MacBook Pro, the Dell Mini 9, and a pair of Lenovos (the W700 and T60). Not so surprisingly, he didn't have too much positive to say about the MacBook's switch to a glossy-only display, but other than that, he found that it mostly held up against its predecessor. It apparently wasn't able to match up against the two Lenovo offerings, however, which came in at number one and two in both color accuracy and viewing angle tests. The W700, in particular, proved to have color accuracy "on par with a fine desktop display," a feat enabled in no small part by its built-in calibrator. He was also especially impressed by the Dell Mini 9, which actually beat out the MacBook in terms of color accuracy, but fell a bit short in viewing angle tests. The fact that it also fits nicely in a DSLR bag certainly doesn't hurt things either. Hit up the link below for the complete breakdown.[Via thegadgetsite]
Tesco's 349 Mini 10 actually a 349 Mini 9
Can you say "oops?" That so-called Mini 10, which curiously emerged at Tesco before anywhere else, is actually not a Mini 10. As the story goes, folks across the pond who plunked down £349 for their very own 10-inch Dell netbook have started receiving shipments only to find a perfectly average Mini 9 within. Furthermore, Tesco's Mini 10 order page is now completely nonexistent, further signaling that a serious mishap occurred somewhere along the line. Hate to burst your bubble, but if you ordered one of these pups from this vendor, you should probably expect to hit the return to sender option and eagerly await a refund.[Via PortableMonkey, thanks Peter]
Dell's Mini 9 gets the subsidy treatment
We all love netbooks, and we also love things costing less than $100. However, since we're not exactly fond of lengthy contracts, it was with mixed feelings that we reported on Acer's Aspire One being available in the US for a penny under a Benjamin -- plus 24 month's worth of your soul. Dell is joining in on the fun now, making its own deal with AT&T to enable the purchase of a hot little Mini 9, valued at $449, for $99 after a $350 rebate and a (qualifying) two year contract. The deal is offered exclusively through Dell, but only until the end of the month. [Via jkOnTheRun]
Dell Mini 9 gets 64GB SSD option for Linux, same 'ol for Windows
Looking for a little more room to grow in a netbook yet still can't get over the fear of spinning platters that's plagued you for years? So long as your odd phobias don't also include open source software Dell has your fix with the Mini 9, now available with a $75 64GB SSD option when purchasing a model sporting Ubuntu. Why no big SSD love for XP? Apparently someone at Microsoft has some strange phobias, too. [Via jkkmobile]
Some Dell Mini 9s said to be shipping with smaller batteries
It's not clear exactly how widespread the problem is, but it looks like at least some Dell Mini 9s are shipping with smaller batteries than they should be -- a situation that, you may remember, also plagued some Eee PCs a little ways back. According to jkkmobile, while the all the batteries are labeled a 32Wh, 4 cell batteries, a quick software test of their own Mini 9 revealed that the battery was in fact only 24Wh, which certainly cuts into the promised four-hour runtime a bit. Apparently, the folks on the MyDellMini forums were able to surmise that batteries with labels beginning in "CN" are the proper 32Wh models, while those that begin with "KR" are the smaller ones. Of course, there's no way to check that until you actually get one in your hands, so we're hoping Dell steps in to clear things up a bit.[Via jkkmobile]Update: It looks like MyDellMini forum member that initially reported this issue has since run a few more tests and discovered that the two batteries aren't as different as it seems at first, and likely not different enough to worry about. That's further backed up by some rundown tests, which actually showed the supposedly smaller KR battery lasting a bit longer than the CN one.
Buffalo unveils 16GB and 32GB SSDs for Inspiron Mini 9
It looks like the kids at Buffalo are hard at work making sure that all of you netbook-lovin' Engadget readers aren't stuck with the minimal storage that has plagued early adopters of the solid state drive. In addition to their recent Eee PC-compatible SSDs, the company is now offering 16GB and 32GB drives for Dell's Inspiron Mini 9. Due out sometime this month, the 16GB should set you back ¥5,300 ($57), or you can shell out ¥9,400 ($101) for the 32GB.[Via Slashgear]
Dell Mini 9 gets built-in AT&T 3G option
It's never been much of a secret that the Dell Mini 9 has been 3G-ready from day one, and Vodafone customers have been able to get a 3G-equipped model direct from the carrier for a little while now, but it looks like folks in the US can now finally get in on the mobile broadband action as well, with a built-in 3G option now configurable on Dell's site. Unfortunately, anyone that already took the plunge on a Mini 9 is out of luck, as the $125 upgrade is only available new orders (and only available on Windows XP-equipped models). If that doesn't preclude you, however, you can also expect to get a $120 rebate if you're willing to sign a two-year contract for AT&T's DataConnect service, although it looks like you'll also have to put up with a delay in your ship date at the moment.[Via Mobility Site, thanks Chris]
