Dell Mini 9 with Ubuntu - feedback pls?

[niw_uk1964]

I'm toying with buying one as they're now available at less than £200. What's the general opinion?

I reviewed one with XP Home on it and thought it ran like a bit of a dog, but would probably be a lot better with some tweeking. What's the user experience with Ubuntu on it?

TIA.

[bd_thompson]

I'm toying with buying one as they're now available at less than £200. What's the general opinion?

I reviewed one with XP Home on it and thought it ran like a bit of a dog, but would probably be a lot better with some tweeking. What's the user experience with Ubuntu on it?

TIA.

It's a great machine as long as the buyer understands what they are getting.

1. It is a netbook, NOT a desktop replacement laptop.
2. It was designed to be as small and light as possible and still offer email and web surfing with occasional other use like word processing, spread sheet, etc.
3. Because of size and screen real estate, it is offered with a custom version of Ubuntu to insure Unix virgins get a machine that just works.
4. Yes, standard Canonical Ubuntu can be made to work, but it requires one to be VERY comfortable with managing and customizing Ubuntu.

I've had mine since October and have had zero issues with it. It boots faster than my desktop and other laptops. It has no issues with mounting network shares on my other machines and NAS.

Dave Thompson

[armandh]

16 gig flash drive 1 gig ram

I replaced the dell remix with 8.10 as I needed to dual boot with xp. [so I may take Quickbooks to meetings] no AV slow down as XP is not used on line.

I added a 4 gig flash card for extra [removable] storage.
I put in the one command line to get sound enabled

I am very happy with Ubuntu 8.10 on the dell netbook. my wireless runs flawlessly. I did not get the webcam. while 8.10 may take 10 seconds longer to load it has ALL the features I missed in the dell remix [compiz glitz, medibuntu.org codex etc] save one and I understand one can add the full screen feature.

plug in a big monitor and usb keyboard/wireless mouse/cd-dvd/hdd
and it could be a replacement for my desktop, but I bought it for the extreme portability.

useful link
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DellMini9

.

[elwin_windleaf]

I'm very happy with mine so far - for such a tiny machine, it performs just fine.* I'm still using the Dell Ubuntu 8.04 that came installed, so I wouldn't know much about customizing it.

I am a little unhappy with the keyboard layout, though. Awkward at best, it moves/hides some of the most useful keys, like the hyphen and the pipe.

What are you planning on using it for?

*I should probably mention that I upgraded to the 8GB SSD, and 1GB of RAM. That could definitely impact performance!

[niw_uk1964]

I'm very happy with mine so far - for such a tiny machine, it performs just fine.* I'm still using the Dell Ubuntu 8.04 that came installed, so I wouldn't know much about customizing it.

I am a little unhappy with the keyboard layout, though. Awkward at best, it moves/hides some of the most useful keys, like the hyphen and the pipe.

What are you planning on using it for?

*I should probably mention that I upgraded to the 8GB SSD, and 1GB of RAM. That could definitely impact performance!

Mail, instant messaging, browsing, listening to music, watching divx/xvid videos, bit of YouTube both at home and away.

My dual core laptop is just to bulky to be carried regularly.

[elwin_windleaf]

Mail, instant messaging, browsing, listening to music, watching divx/xvid videos, bit of YouTube both at home and away.

My dual core laptop is just to bulky to be carried regularly.

I use mine for just about the same, and it works great. I was able to watch a DVD that I had ripped as a full quality Ogg/Theora file without any problems. I had to keep it on a USB drive due to the space concerns, but again, it worked wonderfully.

The speakers are really cheesey, and sound very tin-ey, but it does have a headphone jack built into the side. The music files themselves might be a little large for the hard drive, but it has a SD card reader and plenty of USB ports (3 in all). I stream my music over my network at home using the DAAP plugin in Rhythmbox without any problems.

For light network tasks like you described, I think it's pretty well suited. I would see if you could try typing on the keyboard before buying one, though - it's quite different from the standard.

[niw_uk1964]

As I said...I reviewed one running Windows XP. I found typing took a bit of getting used to, but overall I was impressed with the build quality. I was not so impressed with the performance though as it regularly just sat there doing nothing before springing into life. I am hoping the Ubuntu loaded version is better.

I would probably use it for writing articles for publication just using a text editor before finishing off on my main machine.

As I would be buying it from a retail outlet I guess I could always take it back and reject it if the thing performed badly.

At less than £200 it's worth a go and it's a damn sight cheaper than most pdas.

[emale07]

Freaking love it! Using it right now...

True - you can't do processor heavy tasks like AV editing, etc. But I can do everything I have done with a Core Duo MacBook and it is a much more enjoyable experience.

I installed a vanilla image of 8.10 and it runs like a champ.

Upgraded to 8GB SSD and 1GB RAM. Thought I'd need more, but I don't.

I've actually gotten so used to the keyboard (in one week) that full size keyboards seem unnecessarily big to me.

Rock it out and by one of these bad muthas.

[jrusso2]

I don't have one but from reading the posts seems like some Linux experience is needed as people cannot get suspend or wireless to work.

[elwin_windleaf]

I don't have one but from reading the posts seems like some Linux experience is needed as people cannot get suspend or wireless to work.

Using the stock system (Dell put on a modified 8.04 Netbook Remix) I didn't have any problem with the wireless and suspend works fine. Maybe people who have tried upgrading to Intrepid have run into problems?

[emale07]

I don't have one but from reading the posts seems like some Linux experience is needed as people cannot get suspend or wireless to work.

Only experience enough to find the place to indicate to the system that that's what you want it to do. I have had zero probs with either the Dell remix and the vanilla 8.10.

Nope - no major skillz required.

[ArKay]

Only experience enough to find the place to indicate to the system that that's what you want it to do. I have had zero probs with either the Dell remix and the vanilla 8.10.

Nope - no major skillz required.

Can't say that I had any wireless or suspend issues with either the Dell 8.04LTS or the 8.10/netbook remix.
Preferences > Power Management
choose the tab you are looking for 'On AC Power' 'On Battery' or 'General' and pick what you want.
Takes a second, but over all it's easy.

[jsonder]

I like my mini 9 (16 gig SSD; 2 gig RAM; 8.10+remix). So far it is a vast improvement over its predecessor.

It replaces an OLPC notebook that was quite comfortable in the tailbag of my motorcycle.

[Talon2]

Here are the notes from my experience so far:

Mini 9 needed improvements:

- The keyboard: The location of the apostrophe key is poor and the Pageup and PageDown keys need to work without the need to use the Function key.

- The wireless controller: I will not buy another Dell product that includes Broadcom parts. Intel supplies wireless controllers that are very well supported. Wireless operation has been fairly good but not great.

- Updates: The lack of updates (security and otherwise) is a concern. I support machines that run Ubuntu 8.10 so I know that many updates are available that are not being provided via the Dell repositories.

- The screen: I would prefer a matte screen option.

- Reinstallation support: I would appreciate the Ubuntu DVD that was included but my Mini 9 didn't ship with a DVD drive. I don't own an external DVD drive. I don't even know anyone who does owns an external DVD drive. Would it not make more sense to provide reinstallation capability via flash drive or SD card?

- BIOS update capability: Where is the BIOS update capability?

- System lockup: I've had rare but annoying system lockups which require full power down and reboot.

- LPIA designation: Try installing the deb's of Skype or Realplayer 11 and tell me what happens. This is very uncool. How on earth will non-technical users figure this out?




What I like:

- No fans. This keeps operation quiet and should contribute to long term durability.

- Small and light.

- Ubuntu preloaded.




Overall: After using the Mini 9 for a couple of months, I've come to the conclusion that a 10 inch screen with 1280x800 resolution is probably the minimum acceptable size both due to screen resolution needs and the need to increase the size of the keyboard.

[jrusso2]

Can't say that I had any wireless or suspend issues with either the Dell 8.04LTS or the 8.10/netbook remix.
Preferences > Power Management
choose the tab you are looking for 'On AC Power' 'On Battery' or 'General' and pick what you want.
Takes a second, but over all it's easy.


Just because one person doesn't have wireless issues does not mean they do not exist. One user was about to throw hers out the Window.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1027450

[sirebral]

I get mine in a few days, likely Wed.

I have not user based opinion as of yet. Just wanted to post that I will have one soon.

[joshmuffin]

Please Click the link in my signature: it is a thread about this computer and how horrible you will find it.

If I were you: EeePC - it will work unlike the Dell.

[ArKay]

Just because one person doesn't have wireless issues does not mean they do not exist. One user was about to throw hers out the Window.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1027450
Quite true. And conversely just because a few users have wireless issues doesn't mean everyone will. ;)

In no way was I attempting to trivialize anyone else's problems. I just wished to point out that I hadn't - and finding the suspend /power options under Dell's Ubuntu and 8.10 was fairly easy once you knew where to look.

I'm not disputing that other people _have_ had problems. That, as they say, is what this forum is all about.

[ninotob]

... If I were you: EeePC - it will work unlike the Dell.

Don't be so sure about that. I received an eee 1000 on Christmas Eve, had an RMA number for it the day after Christmas. Sometimes it would start up and boot, but mostly, it wouldn't start. Wouldn't even get to the BIOS screen. The blue LED for the power button and the green LEDs on the front always worked great but the computer itself wouldn't. No fan. No BIOS. No nothing. It ran real sweet for the 2-3% of the time it would boot up, the keyboard was nice and it comes with a free 60gb of network storage. But having a black screen of death almost everytime I hit the power button, and then spending 1-2 hours trying to make it start was sort of a buzz kill.

Anyway, I'm here thinking about the Dell Mini 9 because Newegg has decided to refund my purchase instead of replace it like I requested (perhaps because I paid $400 and they now have the price at $500). At least they didn't charge a restocking fee.

As for a netbook, I want bluetooth to work for input devices, wifi of course, skype with webcam, and long battery life. Just started my googling on these issues, but in echo of the original poster, I too am interested in users' experiences on the Mini 9. Particularly with regular version of ubuntu as opposed to the Dell version.

[ugm6hr]

Please Click the link in my signature: it is a thread about this computer and how horrible you will find it.

That thread has nothing to do with using the Dell Mini at all; it is your personal view on marketing of Dell's custom Ubuntu remix.

I got mine yesterday, and have only played with it briefly. I have found it to be quite good. I did intend to replace the Dell OS (with something LXDE or XFCE-based), but don't see the point at the moment, since it is essentially Ubuntu 8.04.1 with a few KDE educational titles and the netbook launcher. Gnome is pretty speedy on it too.

The only nuisance is the Yahoo toolbar in "Web Browser", which just takes up screen space. I'll be removing that, or installing a fresh copy of Firefox if necessary.

PS: I got mine for £185 from Tesco - google for Tesco vouchers - they had a £9 off if you spend £90 before.

[niw_uk1964]

Well, I bought one. What a brilliant piece kit. It works right out of the box with no issues noted so far. It's much more responsive than the XP version too.

Impressed.

[Ancalagon82]

The only nuisance is the Yahoo toolbar in "Web Browser", which just takes up screen space. I'll be removing that, or installing a fresh copy of Firefox if necessary.


Have you done this yet? If so, how?

[ugm6hr]

Have you done this yet? If so, how?

Easy.

In "Web Browser" (aka Firefox), go to Tools -> Addons and disable the Yahoo bar. Close and re-open the browser and it's gone.

[ugm6hr]

Impressed.

Me too.

[Ancalagon82]

Easy.

In "Web Browser" (aka Firefox), go to Tools -> Addons and disable the Yahoo bar. Close and re-open the browser and it's gone.

Thanks! I'm making a list of what I need to do and how to do it for when mine arrives!

[anjilslaire]

I like my mini 9 (16 gig SSD; 2 gig RAM; 8.10+remix).

Agreed. I installed 2gigs of ram in mine today, and it just flies.

32 gig SSD; 2 gig RAM; 8.10+remix

[niw_uk1964]

Me too.


£194 from Tesco Direct! How good is that? :-)

Cheaper than my Nokia n800 are much more capable too!

[Zard0z]

Just got my Mini 9 today! Right out of the box it has enough power for you get get all your stuff taken care of!

My specs are 1gb ram and 32gb flash HD w/webcam etc.
Ubuntu (Hardy)

Plays movies very well (iron man was my test). The onboard speakers are crap but you would take that for granted.
My headphones sounded well with the 24bit realtek.

It is a great little machine that will be able to keep you
fully connected on the go.

No problems at startup everything worked. One issue was sound volume but that was my inexperance with Ubuntu.
Had to double click on the sound icon so I could acess the other 'mixer' settings! ;)

Ac adapter was smaller than expected!

Multi-card reader-3 usb ports one on left two on right-vga out-ethernet out-mic in headph out etc etc etc !!

Space of a WWan card inside (future cell connection)
Easy to buy and add new flash when you can (when 64gb is avaiable) :P

:KS:KS:KS:KS out of five ;)

Z

[sirebral]

I just got mine today!! Fed Ex wants to say it was the weather that caused it to be delivered so late, but I think if they would have worked just a little harder in TN then they would not have had the weather excuse.

Right out of the box I loved it. The resolution is great on this little thing. I have not had the problems with the updates other people have been having. It took some time to update but everything was updated.

Typing on the little computer is a lot easier then I thought it would be. the bigger keys provide a nice feel, though I do need to get acquainted with it some more I can type about as fast as I could on a bigger keyboard.

I am still planning on getting Xubuntu installed on this device. I can tell you right away I am not a big fan of the little fluff wares that are added. I am going to run with it for now, but definitely not forever.

The little device has some zip to it, but as another poster mentioned it does seem to lag between tasks. I don't think it is the specs on the device right now, i think it is the LPIA. This device has the same specs as my Studio Hybrid and this one operates between tasks much slower for some reason. It just kinda hangs, like that other poster said.

I am pretty happy with it so far. I also like the extra pressure needed to press on the keys. I like that!

I do plan on Modding mine some. Later on I qill probably get the extra RAM and the touch screen. I need $$ before I do that though.

[Mig Daddy]

I've had mine for about a week now (32gb, 1gb, webcam, bt, dell os, A01 bios). This is my first Linux machine, besides short stints with Mandrake and Redhat several years ago while I was still in high school. It's a pretty easy transition from WinXP. No issues, except it froze up during shutdown once. The machine underwent an automatic update last week. I believe it is an update from Dell to fix their known bugs, including highmem support (Correct me if I am wrong). I personally don't think 2gb ram is necessary. I've never even seen the system monitor register anything greater than 400mb used. I should mention that I use it pretty lightly (docs, spreadsheets, web browsing, etc.).

Just a couple of questions. What does lpia provide that the i386 architecture does not (I've heard that battery life is about the same)? Is there a way to stream flash videos more smoothly, say like on hulu?

[sirebral]

Just a couple of questions. What does lpia provide that the i386 architecture does not (I've heard that battery life is about the same)? Is there a way to stream flash videos more smoothly, say like on hulu?

LPIA is an acronym for Low Power on Intel Architecture. I believe it is i386 only. The LPIA architecture changes how data is read and written, from what I understand, to increase the length of low power devices' battery life.

I so far have had no problems with the LPIA. I even installed Skype straight from the website and it was working just great.

[stopie]

Purchased mine back in December. I bought the 16G SSD with XP and was very impressed. Comically, after finding this (http://www.ubuntumini.com/) helpful site, I made my first ever switch to Linux (naturally choosing Ubuntu). Bottom line is that I love it; and its performance on the mini is great. I have a hard time seeing myself return to MS, and I now use my mini more than my 15.4" Gateway even when I'm not out and about.

[Denimwizard]

I have had my mini-9 for a couple months and for a while it was my only computer, since my other lappy bit the dust (Video Card Fried).

Anyways I have honestly had some issues with mine. Particularly when running pidgin it likes to crash frequently. There are times it has problems booting and shutting down. In fact on Monday as it was booting up something went wrong with the video and the log in screen and the desktop looked psychodelic. I just had to restart it . I am not sure this is a Hard Ware issue or not.

I am a novice Ubuntu user at best so my Knowledge is limited.

I do enjoy the little computer though. It is very light and easy to travel with.

BTW if anyone reading this actually has a solution to what could be causing my problems, drop me an email.

Denimwizard@gmail.com

Thanks

[timcredible]

the co-worker that sits next to me has one, she bought it with ubuntu pre-installed, but we installed 8.10 on it first day, it was a breeze, works great. screen is small compared to my normal sized laptop, and keys are not where they normally are (like the shift, tab, arrows, etc.). but, it's light and really easy to carry around.