I’ve been wanting a portable PC for some time and with my upcoming trip to Europe next month, I figured now was a good time to pick one up. I had used my brother’s eee PC a couple months ago and thought it was pretty nifty so I’ve been looking at the various netbook models out there. Eventually decided on the Dell Mini 9.
On left side, 2 USB, SD slot, and power jack
There were a few criteria I used for selecting the right netbook:
-I wanted a smaller netbook around 9 inches, not one of those “small laptops” that are 10-12 inches.
-SSD, no noisy hard drive.
-Good build quality.
-Good compatibility for hackintosh’ing (if I ever choose to do so).
-Low price.
The Mini 9 fit all of these so it was a natural choice for me.
On right side, mic+headphone, 1 USB, VGA, ethernet
I chose to go with the Ubuntu version since it was not only cheaper but also because I’m a big linux fan ^^ I don’t normally use Linux based OS’es for desktop use but I’m going to give it a try. So far it’s not so bad ^^ Comes with all the most essential software out of the box: Firefox, OpenOffice, PDF reader, media player, and some games and learning tools. I was initially concerned how well this Atom powered netbook would handle video decoding as I want to use it as a portable video player.
Mini 9 playing Toradora in 720p
I’m happy to say that the Mini 9 can decode 720p anime without problem. Of course, it has to scale the videos down to its native 1024×600 but it still looks great. Quite pleased about that. Now I just need to get used to the small keyboard >_<
Ubuntu handles Japanese text quite well
The funny thing is that Dell announced the Mini 9 would be discontinued last week, a few days after I ordered mine. I wonder if that means the price will drop… Ah, well :-/
Mini 9 placed on Lucky Star (Jpn) to show size comparison
Haven’t posted in a while >_< Been occupied. Have a family member that is fighting some health problems :( Though some other good news is that I’m an uncle (again). Brother and his wife had their first baby this week :)
Anyway, I think I’ll be returning to more regular blog posting. I’ve actually got a backlog of figures and artbooks to review ^^;
Too bad Dell has discontinued the Mini 9.
Yeah, I don’t like the new trend with netbooks getting bigger and bigger. They are becoming less unique and more like underpowered, slightly smaller laptops…
I’m concerned about it’s ergonomics compared to a normal laptop. The screen is smaller and it’s hard to type on the keyboard.
Overall, the netbook never really caught my eye.
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I have a 15″ laptop that I use for work and I don’t like lugging it around as an actual laptop. That’s the advantage of netbooks. They’re small enough to take with you just about anywhere and don’t get in your way.
I haven’t had the chance to try out a netbook, but they certainly do seem to do a good job. Though personally I still like my Macbook as it’s not too big, and not all that heavy and the specs are quite good.
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They are really cool once you use one in person. At least the 7″ and 8″ models are. Holding them in your hand makes you realize just how small they really are ^^
Not small enough to carry in a pocket, of course, but small enough to easily slip into any shoulder bag or backpack and easily forget it’s there due to the light weight and size.
Nice get! Didn’t know it was discontinued, too bad, was a tempting gadget…
Don’t really have the need for a netbook or laptop just yet and unsure if Id id which I’d get, a handy little netbook or a full blown laptop or MacBook with the necessary power and storage…
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If you want to play games or watch HD movies, then a full laptop is the way to go. This netbook can play 720p anime but stutters on 720p LA movies I’ve tried. I’m going to see if CoreAVC will fix that though ;)
Congratulations on the nephew/niece!
A nice laptop. Could Windows 7 perhaps decode 720p faster than Ubuntu? (Considering CoreAVC is involved :P)