Should I just stop reading?

[Ancalagon82]

Okay, so I have a Dell Mini on order, and was given a link to this place by Evangelical Ubuntuist on one of my regular forums.

I've been reading the threads here trying to get a handle on this newfangled thing, but it seems the more I read the more discouraged I get.

I was pretty excited, but now I'm worried that since I'll only have a day or two after it arrives until I leave for a month to Airborne School that I'll get there and have no way to communicate with my wife.



Please tell me it is much easier than these forums make it out to be!!!!

[howefield]

Presumably it is the Dell Mini with Ubuntu 8.04.1 pre loaded ?

In that case, since it is preloaded on hardware which is pretty much guaranteed to work with the system, you should have zero problems, hopefully ;)

How is it you want to communicate ?

[Ancalagon82]

Presumably it is the Dell Mini with Ubuntu 8.04.1 pre loaded ?

Yes.

In that case, since it is preloaded on hardware which is pretty much guaranteed to work with the system, you should have zero problems, hopefully ;)

I would hope so, but I thought from reading here there were some problems with sound, and something about only being able to use 4GB of diskspace.

How is it you want to communicate ?

Webcam and chat. It's how we did it in Iraq, but unfortantly that laptop is no longer with us. :(

[Talon2]

Keep in mind that unhappy folks are the ones likely to post. It is likely that there are many happy users out there.

I've been using my Mini 9 for a couple of months. Am I totally happy? No, but the problems are not grave and should be fixed with either software or firmware updates.

[ugm6hr]

I only picked up my Mini 9 today, and sound worked fine.

Was online within seconds of turning it on.

Haven't tried the chat function, but don't foresee any problems.

Webcam - will probably never use it, and have never had one before, so can't help there.

[ByteJuggler]

I would hope so, but I thought from reading here there were some problems with sound, and something about only being able to use 4GB of diskspace.

All fixed by now. Have a Mini, pretty much no problems. :)

[armandh]

I am almost totally happy
but my needs were a bit unusual
I ordered ubuntu but also needed xp to take quickbooks to meetings.
I now have xp and non dell ubuntu [8.10] it works great.
in the beginning I had very few problems.
first using wired lan for all the updates.
the wireless was a matter of making it active and entering the wireless password.
then I got adventurous but eventually got just what I wanted.

[bd_thompson]

Okay, so I have a Dell Mini on order, and was given a link to this place by Evangelical Ubuntuist on one of my regular forums.

I've been reading the threads here trying to get a handle on this newfangled thing, but it seems the more I read the more discouraged I get.

I was pretty excited, but now I'm worried that since I'll only have a day or two after it arrives until I leave for a month to Airborne School that I'll get there and have no way to communicate with my wife.



Please tell me it is much easier than these forums make it out to be!!!!

It's totally much easier. With minor exceptions, the Mini 9 has worked out of the box for the great majority of users. Understand that many here have various levels of Ubuntu expertise. Of course, all think they know more than Canonical. :D

I received mine in late October. Everything worked and still works including sound, DVD player, webcam, IM and video chat. Mine came configured with 4gb of SSD even though I bought 16gb. That was fixed with help from this forum. Units shipped since November have had that problem fixed.

Enjoy it and have fun at Benning School for Boys.

Dave T.

[Ancalagon82]

Good stuff all! So apparantly, I do just need to stop reading all the troubleshooting threads.

And yet, I don't want to be completely ignorant when I open the box. I've looked through some of the archived 'Beginners' threads, and most were more confusing than not. Any 'For Dummies' pages or videos out there that I should be reading in the meantime?


Enjoy it and have fun at Benning School for Boys.

Dave T.

:D

Can't say I'm quite looking forward to returning to Benning, but I have a feeling it'll be alot better with a CIB! And my little brother's at Auburn so that's cool.

[ugm6hr]

Any 'For Dummies' pages or videos out there that I should be reading in the meantime?

There are some links that are useful in the Start here... thread linked below. Psychocats website is a good starting place.

However, assuming the documentation is similar in the US, there is a "quick-start" guide supplied with the Mini9 that looks quite good.

[Ancalagon82]

There are some links that are useful in the Start here... thread linked below. Psychocats website is a good starting place.

Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong threads/pages, but most seem geared twords those with more general computer knowledge than I possess.

However, assuming the documentation is similar in the US, there is a "quick-start" guide supplied with the Mini9 that looks quite good.

Do you know if this is available online? I'd like to be able to hit the ground running.

[ugm6hr]

Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong threads/pages, but most seem geared twords those with more general computer knowledge than I possess.

Try http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/ as a place to start (don't worry about the installation bits).
This is useful too: https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/index.html
Do you know if this is available online? I'd like to be able to hit the ground running.

Don't know. Try searching the Dell website. The default Dell interface is pretty straightforward to use; I have swapped to the standard one though.

[notwen]

You may wish to check out Dell's Linux Wiki (http://linux.dell.com/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_8.04) for more info on the N-Series models. The Mini 9 isn't currently listed there, but there's also links to Dell's Linux forum (http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board?board.id=sw_linux) as well. Best of luck, I have a Mini 9 w/ Ubuntu 8.04 up & running and have no complaints. =]

[Drubie]

I too am running on one of the inspiron 9 minis and have had no problems with the os as it came (the only problems are things I added or did to it...)

[Talon2]

Any 'For Dummies' pages or videos out there that I should be reading in the meantime?

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

[ugm6hr]

Do you know if this is available online? I'd like to be able to hit the ground running.

Found it:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins910/en/index.htm

Its the Ubuntu Quick Reference Guide.

[Ancalagon82]

Found it:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins910/en/index.htm

Its the Ubuntu Quick Reference Guide.

Thanks! I've saved it to the thumbdrive to check out when I get home. Dell just revised my order from Estamated production day 14Jan to 'Shipped' so good timing!