Should I buy a Dell netbook with Ubutnu on it?

[metalf8801]

I want to get a netbook I was looking at the Dell 9 with the 12" monitor and I'm wondering why I would want to order it will Ubuntu instead of XP. sins it comes with a 40gb hard drive there is more then enough room to have both Ubuntu and XP and it looks like the price is the same.

If someone can tell me for sure and some proof would be nice that ether the Ubuntu foundation or Canonical will be paid if I buy a netbook with Ubuntu on it then I will buy one.

also some other reasons would be nice but please keep in mind I have used ubuntu sins 7.04 so I'm manly wondering why I would want to a netbook with it pre-installed in stead buy a netbook with XP and dual booting just in case I need to using windows once in awhile for something that I can't do with Ubuntu. Also are there any differences between the Ubuntu netbook remix I can download for free and what comes on the Dell mini 9?

Thank you
Dan

[hollowtd]

I just bought a mini 12 and sent it back 4 days later. It's a very weird version of Ubuntu, even if you choose the "normal desktop" layout. I couldn't get compiz to work hardly at all and the system itself is not slow but sort of hiccupped with me. It uses netbook remix and sort of sucks, I thought. I loved the computer, size, layout and design. I just wish it could handly it. It may be possible to put another version on it succesfully. A dual boot my work better.

[ssdt]

It is worth the money. It is not like Apple which makes you pay a lot of money for not even that much fast system. The Dell systems are fast with Ubuntu and I use Dell 530N so I can tell you that it is worth it. Dell Notebook with that should also be good.

[stchman]

I want to get a netbook I was looking at the Dell 9 with the 12" monitor and I'm wondering why I would want to order it will Ubuntu instead of XP. sins it comes with a 40gb hard drive there is more then enough room to have both Ubuntu and XP and it looks like the price is the same.

If someone can tell me for sure and some proof would be nice that ether the Ubuntu foundation or Canonical will be paid if I buy a netbook with Ubuntu on it then I will buy one.

also some other reasons would be nice but please keep in mind I have used ubuntu sins 7.04 so I'm manly wondering why I would want to a netbook with it pre-installed in stead buy a netbook with XP and dual booting just in case I need to using windows once in awhile for something that I can't do with Ubuntu. Also are there any differences between the Ubuntu netbook remix I can download for free and what comes on the Dell mini 9?

Thank you
Dan

I cannot speak of the Dell Minis, but I love my Aspire One. It runs Jaunty very well.

[anjilslaire]

Lots of folks here have the mini 9 and we mostly load Intrepid on it after ditching the Dell version. Works great.

Can't speak for the 12, though.

[lswartz]

I have the Dell Mini 9 with Ubuntu & have no problems with it. If you want to dual boot & don't have Win XP already, then get it with XP & add Ubuntu.

[jjacobs2]

The dell mini 12 you're looking at has the poulsbo chipset and they still haven't fixed the driver issues. Don't expect to be able to install another linux distro on it or even upgrade the version of ubuntu it comes with until they fix the drivers. The mini 9 actually is cheaper with ubuntu, you can get it on special for $200 sometimes. The mini 9 also has the old 945 chipset that's well supported under linux.

[sirebral]

I would look at the hardware of the different netbooks before making a decisions. I have a mini 9. I like it. Not sure about the 12 though.

[Cowchip7]

I have a mini 9 with Dell's preloaded lpia Ubuntu 8.04. I use the classic desktop. It worked out of the box and suits all my needs. :D

[Mike_IronFist]

Noooooo.
All I hear about these is that they're borderline unusable because they're such half-baked products. Both the version of Ubuntu and the netbook itself create a frustrating environment because both are somewhat bad but together they make the netbook SUCK.

I recommend getting a non-Dell netbook. Those are undoubtably the best way to go. Netbooks themselves are terrible hardware IMO, but if you insist on getting one, Acer and Asus netbooks with Ubuntu will work fine for you. Just remember that Ubuntu Netbook Remix, and not the usual Ubuntu we all know and love, is what you'll PROBABLY get. (but I do not know for sure)

If you insist on true Ubuntu, you might want to try getting any Ubuntu netbook and then installing regular Ubuntu with a USB flash drive. Ubuntu is lightweight enough for netbooks to begin with.

[anjilslaire]

Noooooo.
All I hear about these is that they're borderline unusable because they're such half-baked products. Both the version of Ubuntu and the netbook itself create a frustrating environment because both are somewhat bad but together they make the netbook SUCK.

I recommend getting a non-Dell netbook. Those are undoubtably the best way to go. Netbooks themselves are terrible hardware IMO, but if you insist on getting one, Acer and Asus netbooks with Ubuntu will work fine for you. Just remember that Ubuntu Netbook Remix, and not the usual Ubuntu we all know and love, is what you'll PROBABLY get. (but I do not know for sure)

If you insist on true Ubuntu, you might want to try getting any Ubuntu netbook and then installing regular Ubuntu with a USB flash drive. Ubuntu is lightweight enough for netbooks to begin with.

Please stop spreading rumors and FUD. If you don't have one or used one, you're really not fit to comment on the hardware.
The Dell Mini 9 hardware is fantastic, and the build quality is great. The internal hardware is all easily accessible to upgrade if desired and well documented.
Fit 2gigs of ram in & you're good to go.
Battery life is good (3.5 hours running with a well-lit screen & wireless on Intrepid x86).
The SSD (I have a stock 32gig) is fast and responsive.
The machine is totally silent, with no fans.

I've also worked with and installed 8.10 on an Acer Aspire One for a relative. My personal hands-on opinion is while it runs fine, The hardware is not as nice as the Dell, and the HDD slows the system and impacts the battery life considerably (~2 hours with wireless). It also has an internal fan that kicks in frequently, attributing to the battery usage.
The hinges on the Acer also feel just a bit more flimsy, as there's a significant space between the base and screen of the system when opened, although it does have a wider range of adjustment than the Mini 9.

I'm running mine with vanilla 8.10 and the Netbook Remix riding on top. Works great.

[sirebral]

Noooooo.
All I hear about these is that they're borderline unusable because they're such half-baked products. Both the version of Ubuntu and the netbook itself create a frustrating environment because both are somewhat bad but together they make the netbook SUCK.

I recommend getting a non-Dell netbook. Those are undoubtably the best way to go. Netbooks themselves are terrible hardware IMO, but if you insist on getting one, Acer and Asus netbooks with Ubuntu will work fine for you. Just remember that Ubuntu Netbook Remix, and not the usual Ubuntu we all know and love, is what you'll PROBABLY get. (but I do not know for sure)

If you insist on true Ubuntu, you might want to try getting any Ubuntu netbook and then installing regular Ubuntu with a USB flash drive. Ubuntu is lightweight enough for netbooks to begin with.

Please pay attention to the news then post. What you are saying is a fallacy to many here, while it may be true to you. Unless things have changed, DELL has had one of the smallest in returns for these Mini 9s sold with Ubuntu. Statistically your opinion is invalid, though in your area it might not be.

To give you wind back, Acer has had good reports also. I have not heard much of Asus though.

[jaqrah]

Noooooo.
All I hear about these is that they're borderline unusable because they're such half-baked products. Both the version of Ubuntu and the netbook itself create a frustrating environment because both are somewhat bad but together they make the netbook SUCK.

I recommend getting a non-Dell netbook. Those are undoubtably the best way to go. Netbooks themselves are terrible hardware IMO, but if you insist on getting one, Acer and Asus netbooks with Ubuntu will work fine for you. Just remember that Ubuntu Netbook Remix, and not the usual Ubuntu we all know and love, is what you'll PROBABLY get. (but I do not know for sure)

If you insist on true Ubuntu, you might want to try getting any Ubuntu netbook and then installing regular Ubuntu with a USB flash drive. Ubuntu is lightweight enough for netbooks to begin with.

I concur with the other posters responding to this comment. My Dell Mini 9 has been a great experience. I did a lot of research into this before I bought mine. As someone who had always used Windows products, I wanted to make sure I was up to the task of expanding my OS horizons. I read many comments on Dell Mini 9 Comment section and was dismayed how many people bought the Dell Mini 9 Ubuntu expecting it to be like Windows and then were upset that it wasn't like Windows. Matter of fact, if you check out this link:

http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/topics/global.aspx/arb/online/en/InventorySearch?c=us&cs=22&l=en&lob=INSP&MODEL_DESC=Inspiron%20Mini%209%20-%20910&s=dfh

you can see how many of the returns are the XP version and not the Ubuntu version. BTW, this is the place to shop, great deals!

I switched to 8.10 and upgraded my ram to 2gigs. I was so happy with my Mini 9 that I converted my main box into a dualboot XP MCE 2005/Ubuntu 8.10. Now I only use Xp to watch tv, play games, and stream movies from Netflix. I finally cancelled my Norton's! Got rid of that @#%# from my computer.

I take my Mini 9 to all my meetings. Great for taking notes, etc. I even have XP Pro with Office 2003 installed in virutalbox with seamless environment. Perfect for moving excel spreadsheets from work desktop to Mini 9 to use in meetings.

IMHO, the Dell Mini 9 Rocks!!!!:D=D>:cool:

[snowpine]

Noooooo.
All I hear about these is that they're borderline unusable because they're such half-baked products. Both the version of Ubuntu and the netbook itself create a frustrating environment because both are somewhat bad but together they make the netbook SUCK.

I recommend getting a non-Dell netbook. Those are undoubtably the best way to go. Netbooks themselves are terrible hardware IMO, but if you insist on getting one, Acer and Asus netbooks with Ubuntu will work fine for you. Just remember that Ubuntu Netbook Remix, and not the usual Ubuntu we all know and love, is what you'll PROBABLY get. (but I do not know for sure)

If you insist on true Ubuntu, you might want to try getting any Ubuntu netbook and then installing regular Ubuntu with a USB flash drive. Ubuntu is lightweight enough for netbooks to begin with.

The Dell Mini 9 most definitely does not suck. It is a huge improvement over my previous Asus eee pc (for my needs) especially in build quality and keyboard comfort. I have tested many different Linux distros on it, and most run great (some need a little tweaking to get the wireless card recognized). I am currently dual booting Ubuntu 9.04 beta and SliTaz. Ubuntu 9.04 supports the mini 9 perfectly out of the box, no tweaking whatsoever is necessary.