Dell Mini-9 PDA Win XP 1GB Memory 8GB Solid State Drive w/Webcam, WiFi and Bluetooth, White Edition
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Customer Reviews
Nice little computer
I ordered one of these from Dell sight unseen. I ordered the Ubuntu Linux version customized with an 8gb SSD, 1gb of RAM, no Bluetooth and no Webcam. it's a great little computer. I mostly got it for checking email, surfing the web and making Skype calls while I'm traveling. Small size and light weight were the main features I was looking for. The Mini 9 is half the size and weight of my full size laptop.
I chose Dell over Asus and Acer because I think Dell makes better quality products. The Asus eeePC looks kind of cheaply made. I didn't order the Acer, because I've had hardware problems with Acers in the past and Acer tech support pissed me off. The HP netbooks look good, but I've been a bid Dell fan for years. Dell is also the only manufacturer that ships netbook computers with Ubuntu, the most popular Linux operating system. I am switching to Linux because Microsoft pissed me off with Windows Vista. I switched to Ubuntu Linux on my full size old Dell laptop as well.
So here is my review. This little computer is very solid and well built. I think it will last for years, like the other Dell products I've owned in the past. The battery life is good. It's rated at 4 hrs, but other reviewers claim 3 1/2 hours. That's still pretty good. The card reader slot is a nice feature. I picked up a 4gb SD card from Amazon for $10 for extra storage. Some XP users even get a 16gb SD card and move their My Documents folder to it do save hard drive space. The 8.9 inch 1024x600 screen is very sharp. It's a great quality screen, but it is kind of small. Oldsters will need to get out their reading glasses to use it. I think any computer this small would have the same problem though. I would give this computer 5 stars, but the keyboard takes some getting used to. Some of the keys like ' are hard to find and the shift key is small. I find myself hitting the touchpad while typing and it makes the cursor jump all around. Now I use a USB mouse instead of the touchpad. It works a lot better that way. I can live with the small keyboard. It's just a compromise for the small size, weight and portability.
Take it everywhere!
When I saw the Eee PC's, I knew I would eventually get one, or some other kind of netbook. This Dell is a dream, and it does the basic stuff I want-- email, web, video playback, iTunes, and word processing. This is not a gaming PC, something for graphics or modeling software, not for any kind of software that takes up a lot of RAM and processing power, and it's probably not suitable as a main PC for most people. It's a glorified PDA for people who want something more than a PDA, but love the portability. That said, if this is making your mouth water and doesn't sound like a step backward in technology, you've come to the right place.
I looked into the Dell Mini 12s, but decided against one because they're simply not as portable. The Mini 12 has a bigger screen, keyboard and hard drive space, but that also makes the PC bigger and less portable. The Mini 9's smaller keyboard will require a bit of adjustment, epecially if you use the F keys very much since they're integrated with the second row of letter keys. I don't have a problem with the size of the screen, but I can see how some might. Try to look at one of these in person before you buy if you think it might be an issue.
The Mini 9 will handle 2GB of RAM, but it can only be shipped with up to 1GB because of the software license with Windows XP. Thank you Miscrosoft for another slap in the face! I mean, anything's better than getting a machine with Vista on it, but REALLY. Dell also put the RAM cap on the Mini9s with Ubuntu, which really makes no sense... Anyway, it's nothing to pop open the cover, put in your extra GB of RAM, close it, and have the zippiest little netbook around. (I think it will handle a 4GB stick, but then you're looking at power and heat issues.) When you turn it on, it's ready to go in no time, even without a memory upgrade! Also, decompress the drive. Compression doesn't save that much space and it runs better. If hard drive space is an issue, add an external drive, thumb drive or SD card.
It doesn't come with a DVD drive, but how often do you really use one? I only use mine to install software and to rip my CDs to iTunes. I don't do either of those things when I'm out and about, and remember, it's all about that portability! Eventually you will need to buy a DVD drive, but you might not need one right away. Also plan on investing in an external mouse if you don't like touchpads. This one is particularly irritating because it's so small. I can't really comment on how this or anything else affects battery life, since I rarely run on the battery. The speakers are really small, so have some headphones on hand if sound is a problem for you.
I got it and immediately covered it with one of those sticker skins later to keep it from getting scratched. It's a glossy finish that you just know is going to get sandpapered if you carry other stuff in your bag. (And who doesn't?) I also got the webcam and bluetooth options, even though I have no use for either of them. That was because hubby will eventually inherit this when I buy something else, so I wanted him to be able to expand this however he would need.
My only other gripe is that when you use this in public, you get a lot of people coming up to interrupt you to talk about it. It's not Dell's fault, but if you need to get something done, don't do it in Starbucks where you'll be interrupted about every 30 seconds. Come on, it's the 21st century! It's difficult to accomplish anything in an environment like that. I had the same problem with my PDA and folding keyboard, and when it started to happen again, I wanted to cry... but my Mini won't let me.
Overall, this is 4 1/2 stars, but the drawbacks are nothing when I can put this in my purse, go to Borders, do my thing, and get out without the achy shoulder. I always wanted a small laptop like this, light enough to carry around, small, with PC power and feel. Now that I have one, the sky is clear, birds are singing and velvet ropes have parted-- well, not really, but this is about as close as I can get.
Battery failed
I ordered my Dell Mini 9 on 9/20/08. The battery has failed and won't charge. I wish I had checked other brands before I ordered this one. The hard drive is small and there is no CD/DVD drive. I purchased an external drive (Targus) and found that I had to purchase software to support the DVD drive. Very disappointed.
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