Netbook Choice » mini 9

Harlequin dual-screen ‘Courier’ tablet created from Dell Mini 9

Jet Sun — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:16:47 +0000

Now this is a mod we’ve not come across before. MyDellMini member pakkei decided to embark on the Harlequin project, which was to create something similar to the Microsoft Courier. For those that don’t know, the fabled Microsoft Courier has dual-screen multi-touch panels and is designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers.

The Harlequin is pakkei’s take on the project, where he has modded his Dell Mini 9 netbook to form a slate and then added another 9-inch USB touchscreen. The left panel will be used for reading content and the right panel will be used for taking notes. The orientation of the displays can also be reversed to be used in a more normal netbook form-factor too.

As the device uses Windows 7 it features both handwriting and voice recognition. The Harlequin is mostly working although it does need a dual-hinged chassis. Seems like some good handy work from pakkei.

Via Netbooked.

Dell demos Chromium OS on the Mini 9, Mini 10v & Latitude 2100 netbooks [Video]

Jet Sun — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:45:26 +0000

Dell’s Doug Anson has given his impressions of Google’s Chromium OS as well as demonstrating it in action on a number of Dell netbooks including the Mini 9, Mini 10v and Latitude 2100. With the latter, he even times how long it takes to boot to the login screen (15 seconds). It looks very quick and that’s just using a standard 250GB hard-disk drive rather than SSD.

His impressions so far are mixed. On the one hand it feels nimble and fast and uses new web technologies, but on the other hand, it is only really useful when connected to a strong fast network. Without a continuous network connection it’s pretty redundant.

If you want to try it out for yourself, the image has been recut and now comes in a 302MB download (rather than several GB). You can download it here, where you’ll find both the image and ReadMe text instruction files. I have also included Doug’s installation instructions after the break along with the video.

Chromium OS installation instructions onto a Dell Mini 10v netbook

Below are the instructions to transfer your Chromium OS onto your Mini 10v HDD from your USB flash key.

You will need a USB-connected CD/DVD player to do this.

!!!!WARNING!!!! THIS WILL *COMPLETELY* ERASE YOUR HARDDRIVE – SO, DON’T PROCEED UNLESS YOUR ARE OK DOING THIS.

These instructions & actions come with ABSOLUTELY NO SUPPORT from DELL of ANY kind and are for SERIOUS TECHNICAL users ONLY – IF UNSURE, DON’T DO IT.

IT WOULD BE WISE TO ENSURE YOU KNOW HOW TO RECOVER YOUR EXISTING OS & DATA BEFORE CONTEMPLATING THIS.

PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.

1). Download and install onto a suitably sized USB flash key an image of Chromium OS

2). Verify that your USB key is functional by booting your Mini 10v with the USB key – ensure it boots OK and functions as expected.

3). Procure a LiveCD image from http://www.ubuntu.com for Desktop Ubuntu – create a bootable CD/DVD with this image.

4). Reboot your Mini 10v via the LiveCD image created in step 3). Choose the “try Ubuntu before installing it” option at the Ubuntu boot prompt 5). Once the desktop is up, Insert your USB flash key. Unmount any partitions that may be mounted from the USB key 6). Open up a terminal window 7). Type: “sudo fdisk -l” and note which device is your HDD/SSD and which is your USB key. For sake of example, my HDD is “/dev/sda” and my USB key is “/dev/sdc”

8). (!!!THIS STEP WIPES YOUR HDD!!!) Type “sudo dd if=/dev/sdc of=/dev/sda” – BE CAREFUL THAT the “if=/dev/sdc” references your USB KEY and “of=/dev/sda” references your HDD.

9). Once the command in 8 ) has completed, you can shutdown the Mini 10v, disconnect the USB key and CD/DVD drive.

10). Power on your Mini 10v – your Chromium OS image should now be on your HDD/SSD.

Via Dell Blog.

Confirmed: Atom support missing from latest Mac OS X update

Jet Sun — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:24:13 +0000

After recent reports suggested that Intel Atom support for the latest Mac OS X 10.6.2 update was terminated and then reinstated again, it seems that the official release does not contain Intel Atom support. What this means is that those running Hackintosh netbooks will not be able to install the new update.

At this point, there is no word from Apple on whether this has been intentionally removed or whether support will be written back in a future update. However, as Apple does not manufacture any devices using the Atom CPU, it’s not likely to be in the company’s interests to do this any time soon.

Reports from the MyDellMini forum suggests that users trying to install the update will see an endless reboot cycle. You can see a video of this after the break. However, it can’t be too long before savvy modders will come up with a workaround, but until then it’s best to sit tight.

Dell Mini 9 slate tablet mod now gets accelerometer

Jet Sun — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:10:15 +0000

We previously reported on a mod that enabled you to convert your Dell Mini 9 netbook into a slate tablet. For those of you that actually went through the effort then you’ll be glad to hear that another mod exists that puts accelerometer functionality into the tablet.

You can check out the results after the jump, but it seems pretty good and much cheaper than pre-packaged alternatives. The full guide on how to do this can be checked over on the MyDellMini forums.

Via GadgetMix.

Dell Mini 9 mod converts netbook to slate tablet

Jet Sun — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:23:40 +0000

Windows 7 is expected to herald a new dawn for touchscreen PC devices, mainly due to its in-built touch functionality (as long as you’re running Home Premium or higher). MyDellMini member Rob928 wanted to join in on the action and decided to mod his Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook to convert it into a touchscreen slate tablet.

This certainly looks like a complex mod involving removing the lid and trimming the hinges. A solder-less touchscreen kit was used for the finished result. Whilst the modder got the tablet to work with Windows 7, it is subject to heat build-up (40-50 degrees) as much of the heat is normally vented through the keyboard. Some pictures of his work in progress can be found here.

Via GadgetMix.

Dell Mini 9 back on sale for just $199

Jet Sun — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:39:20 +0000

Dell officially retired their popular Hackintosh Mini 9 netbook at the beginning of June. However, they must have some extra stock, as its back on offer on a limited four-day deal (US-only I’m afraid).

Dell is selling the Mini 9 with Ubuntu 8.04.1 from just $199. It’s also available with Windows XP from $269. The specs of the base version includes a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB SSD, 4-cell battery and Wi-Fi (b/g). If you want to run OS X, this is probably the most compatible netbook out there right now.

Via Gizmodo.

Dell Mini 9 gets fingerprint scanner mod

Jet Sun — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:35:39 +0000

For the security conscious Dell Inspiron Mini 9 users out there, this is a mod you may want to pay attention to. MyDellMini user Rich2871 modded his Dell Mini 9 netbook with a fingerprint scanner embedded to the palm rest. Be warned though, Rich2871 is quite experienced when it comes to mods. His Mini 9 already includes a 64GB SSD, an internal 4-port USB hub, and OS X.

He ended up taking an external USB fingerprint scanner, taking out the main components and connecting it with the internal USB headers of the Dell Mini 9. That’s even before you hack a hole in the case! Judging from the procedure it doesn’t like a particularly easy mod, however the finished result certainly looks impressive.

Via Portable Monkey.

Dell Inspiron Mini 12 netbook exits stage left

Jet Sun — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:33:53 +0000

Following on from Dell axing its Inspiron Mini 9 range netbooks, it appears to have done the same for its Mini 12 line-up. As things stand, the 12.1-inch Mini 12 has been removed from Dell’s UK, Australian, Hong Kong and Singaporean pages, although it still remains on the US site for now.

This seems broadly in line with the leaked Dell roadmap that appeared a while back. However, whilst the Mini 9 netbook was cancelled with no obvious replacement, the Mini 12 may get replaced with an 11.6-inch ultra-thin CULV-based model according to the internal roadmap.

This rumoured 11.6-inch model, codenamed ‘Argos’, will use Intel’s Celeron ULV platform, have 2GB RAM and hard drive storage between 160GB and 250GB. It will come with a 1366 x 768 resolution display and will be priced from $499 according to the leak.

Via APC.

Official: Dell terminates the Inspiron Mini 9 netbook

Jet Sun — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:49:33 +0000

It looked like the writing was on the wall for the Dell Mini 9, when at the weekend all listings for the popular 9-inch netbook vanished. Unfortunately, this has now been confirmed on the Dell Blog. Yesterday marked the official retirement of the Mini 9 and from the sounds of things there will be no 9-inch replacement.

The Dell Mini 9 was a big favourite with modders and those who looked to hackintosh their netbooks. Dell is touting the Mini 10v as a capable netbook to fill its modding shoes. It offers the same spec as the Mini 9 but with a bigger screen and keyboard, and a 160GB hard drive. However, according to Boing Boing’s guide to netbook hackintosh compatibility, the 10v isn’t as Mac OS X friendly as the Mini 9 was.

However, if you really want to get the Inspiron Mini 9, you might want to go for the business-targeted Dell Vostro A90 (a rebranded Inspiron Mini 9) which is still being sold (for the time being).

Dell Mini 9 netbooks reach end-of-life

Jet Sun — Sat, 30 May 2009 20:06:31 +0000

Dell is phasing out its popular 9-inch Inspiron Mini 9 line of netbooks. The listing for the Mini 9 vanished earlier this morning, with the only listings under Dells Mini range being the Mini 10 and Mini 10v. This is still the case across the US and UK Dell sites.

Engadget spoke to a Dell customer service rep and confirmed the bad news: “the Mini 9’s being phased out, with its official “End of Life” possibly as soon as Monday.”

Whilst I can understand that 10-inch netbook models have grown in popularity, there is still a market for nine-inch models. The Dell Mini 9 is one of the best in its class, plus it’s one of the best Hackintosh netbooks around. Whether the Mini 9 is being removed altogether or newer 9-inch models are on the horizon is still an unknown right now. The business version of the Mini 9, the Vostro A90 is still listed.