Have you ordered a Dell Mini Inspiron 9?

[aysiu]

I'm just curious to see how many people have ordered them.

I voted I have or plan to get a non-Dell netbook even though I may order a Dell Mini Ubuntu later, depending on the reviews from users.

It's not entirely that I don't trust professional reviews; I just feel they often gloss over things I find important and end up sounding a lot like advertising blurbs. For example, I have found a single review on the Dell Mini Ubuntu that mentions the boot time in seconds or the reliability of resume from suspend-to-RAM.

[LaRoza]

I did.

With Ubuntu.

[tgalati4]

Waiting for some hands-on reviews by the early adopters.

[LaRoza]

Waiting for some hands-on reviews by the early adopters.

Keep an eye on: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=934519

And my blog.

[Thelasko]

I want one, but I don't need one. I just can't justify purchasing a netbook right now.

If I was going to buy one, the mini 9 with Ubuntu would be the one to get.

[LaRoza]

I want one, but I don't need one. I just can't justify purchasing a netbook right now.

If I was going to buy one, the mini 9 with Ubuntu would be the one to get.

Neither could I, so I made up a reason.

[kevin11951]

Neither could I, so I made up a reason.

what did you make up as the reason?

[LaRoza]

what did you make up as the reason?

It was more of a threat than a reason, but I don't know if it is legally admissable to admit you were under duress, from yourself.

[gn2]

Earlier this year I gave up waiting for a decent netbook to become available and bought a 12" Core 2 Duo laptop instead. (Asus F9E)

Cosequently I won't be buying a netbook in the near future, unless I can get a used Eee901 on ebay next year for half price.....

[jespdj]

I want it. But it is not yet available here in The Netherlands. Dell has said it will be available here before the end of the year. So, I'm waiting.

I definitely want the version with Ubuntu. I will only order it if they'll offer the version with Ubuntu here.

[pt123]

I won't because there is no Ubuntu option for Australia.

[Sephoroth]

Hmm, I didn't realize they started at $350. I have justification to get a netbook but I'm not sure if I will just get low end laptop. Does anyone know how the battery life on those things are for Ubuntu in comparison to XP?

[Dragonbite]

I want it.
I want it.
I want it.

I even showed the Dell advertisement video to my wife and talked about how it is different than the laptop.

Unfortunately my car has provided us with our own "Economic Crisis" so I don't see us spending the money on anything non-essential anytime soon. :(

[darrenn]

I hear it has no fans in it. So of course it is incredibility silent.

[Thelasko]

Unfortunately my car has provided us with our own "Economic Crisis" so I don't see us spending the money on anything non-essential anytime soon. :(

Been there. Fortunately, the other "Economic Crisis" has made car dealers very motivated right now. Even Toyota (http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/03/autos/toyota_zero_percent/) is offering 0% financing, which is unheard of for them.

If you are considering buying a new car, price out your vehicle from several dealerships via email. It saves a lot of time, money and frustration.

[bashveank]

I have no use for a netbook because A. I'm in graphic design and like bigger screens, not smaller ones, and B. I don't need to buy a new computer just to drop one or two pounds out of my backpack.

[_sAm_]

I may order a Dell Mini Ubuntu later, depending on

-if they come with 10" screen(witch I do believe they will later)
-if Dell i my country starts to sell them here

[conehead77]

Just ordered one with Ubuntu. 319€ + 29€ shipping for the version with 1GB RAM and 8GB SSD.
Finally a netbook with a decent OS. Initially i wanted a ASUS 901 because of the proposed 6h battery life, but they didnt offer it with linux here in germany and even then its xandros :/ .
The mini with a better battery [and without a glossy display] would have been perfect, but you cant have everything i guess...

[milton1]

Mine should hopefully arrive today. I will let you all know what I think of it.

[Foxray]

I just ordered mine with Ubuntu, I'm curious on hibernate features.

[WorldTripping]

I was going to get one, then I found the Open Pandora project.

http://www.openpandora.org/

So now I'm waiting for them to build and ship me that instead.

[LaRoza]

I just got mine yesterday.

I think I'm the first on this forum to get one with Ubuntu...

[Dragonbite]

I just got mine yesterday.

I think I'm the first on this forum to get one with Ubuntu...

Yeah? Where's the Pics?! Where's the Review?! We want DETAILS!!:popcorn:

[LaRoza]

Yeah? Where's the Pics?! Where's the Review?! We want DETAILS!!:popcorn:

Boy are you behind ;)

I posted that information on the Dell 910 owners thread and it is on my blog (see sig)

Read it and weep (and drool, and cry, and examine all the comforts of the fetal position)

[Dragonbite]

Boy are you behind ;)

I posted that information on the Dell 910 owners thread and it is on my blog (see sig)

Read it and weep (and drool, and cry, and examine all the comforts of the fetal position)
Oh.. I wanted mine hand delivered into my email box. ;)

(jk..)
Nice review, and I like the use of the ruler with the pics. Just gotta watch that flash!

Be interesting to see how you like it in a couple of weeks.

[milton1]

Just got mine yesterday; here are some first impressions:

The good:
-Ubuntu is yummy
-nice screen
-nice touchpad
-light
-completely silent
-doesn't get too hot
-sound works well out of the box (surprisingly good speakers)
-wireless works well out of the box
-flash, java and streaming video seem to work out of the box; able to watch Dr Horrible without issues. :)
-suspend works well out of the box! (have not tried hibernate; it is not an option in the default logout screen, and I have yet to dig far enough to find it.)

and my favorite...

-Connection and fast switching to an external projector works out of the box!!! I'm going to send Dell a love letter just for that feature.

The bad:
-A little slow if you get only 512 MB RAM. It still works fine, but switching apps can take a little time.

The wierd:
-The default setup is without a swap partition. The disk is 4GB, but only 3.5 is used for the system. The remaining 0.5 is listed as "dell utility" and suspect has some rescue function.

The Verdict:

LOVE IT! Buy one. Seriously. Today.

[Tyche]

Honest evaluation - see http://tycheent.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/mini-mine/ for my first impressions. Overall, it's what I expected, and fills the position between a "web only" device and a full size laptop.

[jpittack]

I am waiting on having a desktop before I replace my laptop with something that won't run my video games.

I would also rather buy an AMD based netbook, which might come out later. If it has the 780G chipset, even better.

I can't imagine Dell having an AMD based notebook anytime soon, so I won't be buying from them. Since its the BIOS I care about most, it will be many saved paychecks and lots of research later before I have a new computer.

With that in mind, could the 901 owners inform me on the BIOS? I'm assuming its phoenix.

[_sAm_]

-if they come with 10" screen(witch I do believe they will later)
-if Dell i my country starts to sell them here

Dell 12" next up: http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/15/inspiron-mini-12-pops-up-on-dells-website-its-a-done-deal-al/

10 is better then 12 for my needs, but 12 is also better then 9; me want!! The resolution looks good, now Dell just need to get this to store with the right price + Ubuntu and we have a deal:-D

[_sAm_]

Honest evaluation - see http://tycheent.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/mini-mine/ for my first impressions. Overall, it's what I expected, and fills the position between a "web only" device and a full size laptop.
The screen looks so shiny; http://tycheent.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/mini-3.jpg Will that be a problem outdoors, or places where you don't control the light? I use a 24" lcd screen on my desktop witch is also "shiny", and I think it would be terrible to have this kind on a laptop.

[th3james]

I'm really torn between getting this and the asus 901, which has a better spec and feature list. However, the dell comes with a proper linux OS, i get to support ubuntu, it's slightly cheaper, and it's sexier (yes im that shallow)

That said, here in the UK, the options for the mini 9 are pretty poor for the ubuntu version, 0.3 mp cam, and only 8 gb hdd, as opposed to 1.3 and 20gb for the asus...

someone help me make up my mind!

[Dragonbite]

Dell 12" next up: http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/15/inspiron-mini-12-pops-up-on-dells-website-its-a-done-deal-al/

10 is better then 12 for my needs, but 12 is also better then 9; me want!! The resolution looks good, now Dell just need to get this to store with the right price + Ubuntu and we have a deal:-D

Oh No! Just as I am able to give myself a reason to sleep at night instead of obsessing over the Mini 9 they are coming out with a 12" version! Argh! That's what I've got now! (Dell D400 w/ 12" screen) so I can't argue "the screen is too small"!

And it doesn't help that it has more RAM and more USB ports! (though I don't see Firewire and mine has a gigabit ethernet)

[jayswa]

I received my Dell mini on Oct. 15. I'm writing this review after a few days of playing around. Overall, I'm very happy. My machine has 1 GB RAM and an 8 GB SSD. Here are my impressions.

THE GOOD


Very small and light (kind of the point). I'd never seen a netbook before. It's surprising just how small it actually is.
Nice looks. It looks and feels sturdy. A real computer, not a kid's toy.
Sprightly! I was afraid the Atom and SSD would slow it down. But it's surprisingly fast. Open Office starts up in about 5 seconds! Faster than on my dual-core desktop! Files save quickly. Very pleasantly surprised.
Boots up in about 25 seconds.
WiFi works great even on my aging wireless-B network.
No problem with hopping onto my cable modem via Ethernet either.
Closing the lid puts it in suspend. No problems waking up on opening. Takes about 4 seconds to resume, but another 15 to reestablish my WiFi.
Bright, sharp screen, if a bit glossy. Still, you need good eyesight.
Completely silent.
Doesn't get too hot.
Touchpad responds well.
Battery life of 4 hours seems about right. Charges in 90-120 mins.
Ships in minimal, recyclable packaging.


THE BAD AND ANNOYING


Even if you get an 8 GB SSD, the file system is formatted for 4 GB (which left about 750 MB for files on mine). Dell apparently has only one disk image meant for the 4 GB base model. But I found good instructions for the command-line literate here:

http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=sw_linux&thread.id=15227


Keyboard takes some time to get used to (as with any netbook). You need fingers like scalpels, not sausages. Very easy to hit the touch pad instead of the space bar, resulting in the cursor jumping to a new spot. But I plugged in an old USB keyboard and mouse. They work flawlessly.
Screen opens to about 120 degrees. I'd love 180. Screen has a decent horizontal viewing angle for an LCD, but the vertical viewing angle is not as good. This makes it hard to read the screen if the keyboard is laying flat in your lap (or on an ottoman, etc.) instead of at desk height.
The Dell customizations are a bit annoying if you already know Ubuntu. For example, GIMP is installed but not shown in the menu (menu editor fixes that). Presumably Dell wants people to use F-Spot and is afraid they'll freak out at GIMP.
The Dell-customized "ribbon" running across the top of the screen is a nice idea because it provides big, easy-to-use icons. But it is definitely geared for newbies. Not sure if I'll nuke it or customize it.
There's a tie-in with Yahoo in the "ribbon" and Firefox. Easy to remedy, though, if you're inclined.
Glossy shell is a fingerprint magnet.


CONCLUSION

A great second machine at just the right price point. Performance is excellent. Perfect for travel, coffee shops, reading news on the couch, or checking IMDB.com as you watch a DVD. But a terrible gift for anyone with bad eyesight and arthritic hands.

[Tyche]

jayswa,

I have big hands (I can reach an octave and 2 notes on a standard piano keyboard) and fat fingers. I have no trouble touch typing on the keyboard except for the spacebar and the apostrophy/quotes mark (single scare/double scare marks). I keep hitting <ENTER> instead. Thanks for the information on the drive size, by the way. I wondered why a 16 gig SSD was only showing about 3/4 of a gig free. I'll have to check that out.

As for usefulness, I was torn, the other night, between watching "Eleventh Hour" and helping a friend on IRC. The Mini solved the problem. I did both. I finally got wireless working on it (my own stupid mistake, see my blog for what it was and how I solved it, http://tycheent.wordpress.com/. So, it makes a great way for me to show off Ubuntu to others, and get them interested when they see it's a REAL computer.

[Dragonbite]

jayswa,

I have big hands (I can reach an octave and 2 notes on a standard piano keyboard) and fat fingers. I have no trouble touch typing on the keyboard except for the spacebar and the apostrophy/quotes mark (single scare/double scare marks). I keep hitting <ENTER> instead.


Yeah, when I got my hands on one and was trying the keyboard out I noticed I kept hitting <ENTER> and it took me a few minutes to find the single quote ( ' ) key.

[LaRoza]

Yeah, when I got my hands on one and was trying the keyboard out I noticed I kept hitting <ENTER> and it took me a few minutes to find the single quote ( ' ) key.

I too, had trouble finding it. But it is easy to get used to, if one doesn't have to use it a lot.

[th3james]

I've decided to go with the dell, purely because having played around with the 'custom' linux install on other netbooks, i don't feel like giving them the support of my wallet. Dell however seemed to have tried to provide a good linux system.


...not to mention it's very sexy..

[Yoke & Chung]

I held on to my netbook purchase and waited for months for the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, unfortunately, there is still nothing in sight in Singapore, and I have a strange feeling that it will only be available in Windows XP Home...

If that's the case, I will just grab another Acer Aspire One instead (Just bought one for my daughter, and the customized Linpus is nice). Not going to pay anymore MS Tax even though I could load Ubuntu myself on it.

[Dragonbite]

I held on to my netbook purchase and waited for months for the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, unfortunately, there is still nothing in sight in Singapore, and I have a strange feeling that it will only be available in Windows XP Home...

If that's the case, I will just grab another Acer Aspire One instead (Just bought one for my daughter, and the customized Linpus is nice). Not going to pay anymore MS Tax even though I could load Ubuntu myself on it.

Have you tried installing Ubuntu on the Acer Aspire One? Curious how well that works.

[LaRoza]

I've decided to go with the dell, purely because having played around with the 'custom' linux install on other netbooks, i don't feel like giving them the support of my wallet. Dell however seemed to have tried to provide a good linux system.

...not to mention it's very sexy..

Dell provides Ubuntu, which you can use as Ubuntu (although it has extra).

And it is very sexy. I walked into RadioShack with it, and all the HP's started drooling.


Have you tried installing Ubuntu on the Acer Aspire One? Curious how well that works.

I know someone on this forum who uses Kubuntu on his Acer Aspire One, and he loves it (apparently, he hated whatever it ships with).

[KiwiNZ]

OK , I have looked at them , and other "netbooks" , what heck does netbook mean , it can only be used on the net , hmmm not a good marketing name , but I digress

My impression is they are small ,and relatively limited in application, basically a large PDA. I feel they will be like Tablets , a passing fancy that will soon pass.

I had considered getting one of these things as I thought it would be good to take with me on my wheelchair , but it has to have some uses to justify the purchase, its just that I cant come up with any.

[Tyche]

LaRoza,

"And it is very sexy. I walked into RadioShack with it, and all the HP's started drooling."

NICE imagery ROF:lolflag:

[Tyche]

OK , I have looked at them , and other "netbooks" , what heck does netbook mean , it can only be used on the net , hmmm not a good marketing name , but I digress

My impression is they are small ,and relatively limited in application, basically a large PDA. I feel they will be like Tablets , a passing fancy that will soon pass.

I had considered getting one of these things as I thought it would be good to take with me on my wheelchair , but it has to have some uses to justify the purchase, its just that I cant come up with any.

Netbooks is, INDEED, a bad name. I prefer "mini laptop". Mine is, for all intents and purposes, a computer. Yes, it can hook up to the web, either by Ethernet cable or wireless, but it also has USB ports that allow me to transfer files manually between it and my desktop, and may have the ability to go VPN (I'm still working on that). It's got AT LEAST as much power and ability as the P-III/750 I had (and replaced with a Dell desktop) with the added advantage of being portable. It is DEFINITELY not a PDA, nor limited, especially if one adds memory and size of the SSD to the original mix.

[KiwiNZ]

Why on earth have they nobbled it with XP Home ? It kills them

Really if these things are to take off there needs to be a specific OS written for them , something in between Windows Mobile and Windows XP

I know Ubuntu can do them proud , but in reality that will scare a lot of High street buyers off them. They will buy them once with XP , hate it and thus the concept will die

I think the makers have rushed these onto the market and have not given good consideration to the OS . Its a shame

[TheAL76]

I just ordered:

ASUS Eee PC 1000HA 10-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery)

and will put ubuntu-eee on it

:guitar:

[init1]

I'm planning on either buying a Mini 9 or a more powerful Dell Ubuntu laptop. Although, that iKit looks really cool
http://blogs.computerworld.com/call_it_a_sub_subnotebook_new_pc_is_small_as_a_cel l_phone

[LaRoza]

My impression is they are small ,and relatively limited in application, basically a large PDA. I feel they will be like Tablets , a passing fancy that will soon pass.

I had considered getting one of these things as I thought it would be good to take with me on my wheelchair , but it has to have some uses to justify the purchase, its just that I cant come up with any.

I disagree. I agree they are small, and somewhat limited. They are fully functional computers however. They are testing the waters with them now. Some are very small, some have more, etc. There is a Dell 910 model I hear that has a 12" screen or something. Sure, not all the original versions will make it to the future, but I think the concept of a small, relatively inexpensive highly portable and affordable computer will be here to stay.

So, I predict laptop's the size of portable DVD players or slightly larger will be around for a long time. I make no predictions otherwise, except they will need to be inexpensive compared to other laptops.


Why on earth have they nobbled it with XP Home ? It kills them

Not all do ;) It has Ubuntu, which is very well done (although, the Dell bar is out of place).



Really if these things are to take off there needs to be a specific OS written for them , something in between Windows Mobile and Windows XP

I think Dell did a good job with Ubuntu. The XP models probably have it stripped down or otherwise customised. XP runs well (fresh install) on 256 MB of RAM in my experience, and the netbooks can handle that.



I know Ubuntu can do them proud , but in reality that will scare a lot of High street buyers off them. They will buy them once with XP , hate it and thus the concept will die

I think people won't be using them as regular PC's and the lack of Windows will give them an advantage. Most people don't know or care what OS is on their devices, such as cell phones and routers, as long as it works. I think the use of Ubuntu on the Dell 910 gives a good place for people to use it. It isn't on their desktop where they are used to Windows and it is on a new device. It is the least scary way to have people use it.



I think the makers have rushed these onto the market and have not given good consideration to the OS . Its a shame

Barring the Dell 910 with Ubuntu (remember, Dell sells other computers with Ubuntu as well), I think the others have Linux issues. However, they would need to see a market for the hardware before writing or designing a specific OS for it.

[KiwiNZ]

Here in NZ they are only offering them with XP Home and the same I believe in Australia

http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-9?c=nz&cs=nzdhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn

[gn2]

I think the others have Linux issues.

Asus = Xandros = yuck
Acer = Linpus Lite = modded Fedora = yuck
HP & MSI = Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop = yuck

Dell & Toshiba (NB100) = Ubuntu = yummy!

Apart from the Dell and Toshiba the best bet is possibly to buy an Xp netbook and install the distro of your own choosing as a dual-boot.

I think the netbook has it's place and will continue to sell strongly.

[LaRoza]

Here in NZ they are only offering them with XP Home and the same I believe in Australia

http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-9?c=nz&cs=nzdhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn

Sauron has spies everywhere, especially in NZ.

I am sad for you. I see Linux in the USA a lot now.



Apart from the Dell and Toshiba the best bet is possibly to buy an Xp netbook and install the distro of your own choosing as a dual-boot.

I think the netbook has it's place and will continue to sell strongly.

Or to buy a Linux one (to show the manufacturer their is an interest, and not have money sent to Microsoft) and install whatever you want.

[gn2]

Or buy a Linux one (to show the manufacturer their is an interest, and not have money sent to Microsoft) and install whatever you want.

I understand the sentiment, but the reason to get an Xp one is re-sale value and market appeal should you choose to sell it later on.
No point in excluding potential buyers, which is why there are Xp versions in the first place.

What's really needed is an effective way of getting the message "please find a better distro for your Linux models" across, but the manufacturers won't get this message if you buy one with a duff distro installed?

[billgoldberg]

I have no need for a netbook right now.

That might change in a year or so (work), but not atm.

[zmjjmz]

Why yes I have, and I want it really badly too.

[snowpine]

I have to confess, after my little Microsoft rant in the other thread, that I just purchased an Asus eee with Windows XP preinstalled!

Here's how I justified it:

1. The hardware model I wanted is not available with Linux
2. If I did buy it with Xandros, I would immediately install a different distro anyway--so what's the point of "voting with my wallet" for a Linux distro I'm not going to use?
3. I use XP for certain things so why not (essentially) get a free license?
4. Most importantly, I can justify buying a new and improved netbook next year by giving this one away to an XP-using friend/family member!

So there you have the true confessions of a Linux user who just paid the M$ tax! ;)

[aysiu]

I have to confess, after my little Microsoft rant in the other thread, that I just purchased an Asus eee with Windows XP preinstalled!

Here's how I justified it:

1. The hardware model I wanted is not available with Linux
2. If I did buy it with Xandros, I would immediately install a different distro anyway--so what's the point of "voting with my wallet" for a Linux distro I'm not going to use?
3. I use XP for certain things so why not (essentially) get a free license?
4. Most importantly, I can justify buying a new and improved netbook next year by giving this one away to an XP-using friend/family member!

So there you have the true confessions of a Linux user who just paid the M$ tax! ;)
1, 3, and 4 make sense, but 2 isn't valid. You are voting with your wallet because OEMs think in terms of Linux v. Windows. They don't think in terms of Xandros and Ubuntu. Or SuSE and Arch. Just look at that recent press release about MSI Wind computers being returned at four times a higher rate for the Linux version. All of a sudden that became "Linux netbooks returned four times as much as XP netbooks." See? It's Linux. They don't call it "MSI Wind's implementation of SuSE Linux netbooks returned..."

[snowpine]

1, 3, and 4 make sense, but 2 isn't valid. You are voting with your wallet because OEMs think in terms of Linux v. Windows. They don't think in terms of Xandros and Ubuntu. Or SuSE and Arch. Just look at that recent press release about MSI Wind computers being returned at four times a higher rate for the Linux version. All of a sudden that became "Linux netbooks returned four times as much as XP netbooks." See? It's Linux. They don't call it "MSI Wind's implementation of SuSE Linux netbooks returned..."

Right on... I hear you... I guess a different way to rephrase point #2 is "since I plan to install the Linux OS of my choice no matter what, the question of which OS comes pre-installed is completely irrelevant to my personal consumer needs." Fair enough? :)

[Yoke & Chung]

Have you tried installing Ubuntu on the Acer Aspire One? Curious how well that works.

Did not try installing Ubuntu on it. I have read from Aspire One forums that it will work with Ubuntu with some tweaking, and seems like Ibex (albeit being in beta stage) is running fine out of box, however, it boots up slower than the original Acer tweaked Linpus, and furthermore there are some functions that do not work well such as suspension and hybernation.

Linpus on the Acer Aspire is fine as it is, boots up fast in like 15 seconds and everything just works, so I have no intention to switch the OS for now, especially my daughter is so happy with it. Acer Aspire One is really a good example of how easy and friendly Linux can be if it is being supported well by the hardware manufacturer, unlike MSI Wind and the HP mini note who dished out Linux netbooks half heartedly.

Still keeping my fingers crossed for the Ubuntu Mini 9 here...

[Yoke & Chung]

Sauron has spies everywhere, especially in NZ.

I am sad for you. I see Linux in the USA a lot now.



Or to buy a Linux one (to show the manufacturer their is an interest, and not have money sent to Microsoft) and install whatever you want.

Not just NZ and Australia, I suspect the entire Asia Pacific will not get the Ubuntu Mini 9 in which I will be extremely disappointed. Till now, we still don't get to buy even the normal Inspiron laptops with Ubuntu pre-installed in Singapore.

As what you have suggested, that is exactly what I am going to do-- buy another similar product with Linux pre-installed.

Update on 23rd October:
Dell Inspiron Mini 9 was launched in Singapore yesterday, and I went down to a retail store to take a look. Nice machine with the exact specs that I wanted, but as I have all along suspected, it comes with Windows XP Home only!!!

Price wise, same as Acer Aspire One Linpus, but it does feel a little more solid than the Acer. It also comes with web camera and blutooth which the Aspire One lacks. Darn! I was so tempted to just buy it and install Ubuntu ontop... Gotta resist the power of Sauron...