TroyGeek Blog: My Dell Mini 9 Netbook is Here!

I've been living low-tech for the last couple of years, no computer and no cell phone. I finally broke down the other month and got a cell phone and figured now is the time to get a new computer, except I really didn't want to spend much money (part of the reason I've been living so low-tech). My original goal was to find a computer for $200 to use primarily for online use, but also wanted something that was very portable. The Dell Mini 9 was exactly what I was looking for!

The Dell Mini 9 Netbook was selling for $200 for the following specs:

Processor: Intel® Atom Processor® N270 (1.6GHz/533Mhz FSB/512K cache)
Operating System: Ubuntu Linux version 8.04.1 (Hardy)
Screen: Glossy 8.9 inch LED display (1024X600)
Memory: 1GB DDR2 at 533MHz
Hard Drive: 4GB Solid State Drive
Wireless: Wireless 802.11g Mini Card
Battery: 32WHr Battery (4 cell)

All of that for $200! I ended up upgrading the hard drive to a 8gb solid state drive and it all cost around $240 w/ shipping. I opted for the large hard drive because the OS takes about 4gb so it didn't leave much room for any offline files or upgrades.

The Dell Mini 9 is tiny, very tiny. It's actually a little smaller than my mouse pad when it's

closed up. The only problem I've had with the Dell Mini 9 is the keyboard; in order for them to fit all of the keys into such a small space they had to move some keys to new locations.

Since I don't normally look at the keys when typing I'll occasionally hit a wrong key. Additionally, some of the keys that are used less often are 1/2 the size or 3/4 the size of a normal key (now that's small). I am happy though to trade the keyboard layout for portability. Additionally, you can always plug in a keyboard/mouse/monitor and use it like a normal full-size computer.

Size Comparison

Here's what the Netbook looks like compared to a normal size laptop: