This is Part One in a series about my journey with my new Dell Mini 9 into Hacktinosh territory…I’ll be talking about my installation process, my impressions of the Mini as a Mac netbook, performance, software, and more.

I was pretty early to jump on the netbook bandwagon.  When I saw the original 7″ Asus Eee PC for the first time, I knew that I had to have it.  I had been lusting after computers like the Sony Picturebook for a long time–something that could fit in my purse and go with me everywhere!  As a writer, having a full computer with me at all times really appealed to me.  As a geek, having a full computer with me at all times appealed to me even MORE!  So, imagine my dismay when, as much as I tried to make it work, my precious Eee PC really didn’t cut the mustard.  The keyboard was too small, the screen was too small and dull, the battery would barely last two hours, and the CPU was underpowered.  I had it tricked out with a nice, stripped down installation of Ubuntu, but even that performed poorly on the Eee PC.  So, what’s a geeky girl to do when she is disappointed with her technology? Continue Reading

The Cocoon Innovations netbook case is pretty much my ideal netbook travel case.  It’s durable, shock absorbent, airport friendly, comfortable, and it features a unique organizational system that I have never seen before in another bag.  There are a few key things I wish I could tweak a little bit, but otherwise I was very impressed by the Cocoon netbook case.

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The sad rumor that I heard this weekend was confirmed today on the Direct2Dell blog…Dell is discontinuing the Mini 9.  They are pushing the Mini 10 and 10v as the replacements to the popular 8.9 inch laptop, Dell’s first in the hot new netbook genre.

I am pretty bummed about this, though I am glad that I got my hands on a Mini 9 before they were phased out.  I am constantly getting compliments, questions, and requests for netbook buying advice based on people seeing my Mini or knowing that I own one.  The fact that I have been able to Hackintosh it into a perfectly functioning Mac netbook certainly adds to the charm of the Mini 9.  I know that the uber hackability of the Mini 9 was a big draw for many geeks.

The Mini 10/10v seems like a viable replacement, but I’m of the opinion that anything above the 8.9 inch form factor is pushing the netbook envelope. 10 inches and above is really toeing the line between the netbook and a full-size laptop.  I mean, my beloved iBook was 12 inches (and feels like a beast compared to a netbook!)  The computer industry seems to disagree with me, since the 10 inch netbook seems to be the current sweet spot, but I am incredibly happy with my 8.9 inch (purse-sized!) workhorse.  I’ll miss being able to recommend the Mini 9 to my friends and interested parties at Starbucks!

via Direct2Dell

Netbook popularity continues to grow every day, but cute netbook cases are still pretty hard to come by.  I love my tech toys, but I also love to accessorize them.  I like cases that look fresh and feminine, something different than the traditional, boring flat black leather or neoprene.  There is no reason that cases can’t be both functional and attractive!

There are a few companies out there that understand the desire for a pretty laptop case, and CoverBee is one of them.  CoverBee is a company from Holland that is dedicated to creating functional, fashionable cases for laptops of all sizes.

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If you have daily squabbles at your house over whose turn it is on the computer, then you will want to pay close attention to this post from Paul at Technabob. What a fantastic deal; but hurry – it is only good today!

Dell is offering a one-day only deal for the base model of their highly-rated Inspiron Mini 9 netbook computer for just $199 bucks! The Mini 9 runs on Ubuntu Linux and features a crisp 1024 x 600 resolution 8.9″ color LCD screen, wireless connectivity, an ample Intel Atom N270 processor, and a 4GB solid state drive (plenty for surfing the web, checking e-mail, office apps).

The special deal is good from 12:00am to 11:59pm Central Time, today, 2/27/2009. To get the $199 deal, follow this link to the Dell Home site .

If you need more information about the Mini 9, then take a look at Mitchell’s review.

Yes, the BlackBerry Bold and Touch Pro reviews are coming, but the Mini 9 showed up on my desk two days ago and I just had to post my thoughts on it, since it’s the first “netbook” I’ve really used since I sold off my Eee PC, and I could instantly tell what I thought of it.

Dell Mini 9 in it's Natural Environment

Out of the box the Dell looks great. With its glossy black lid and compact dimensions, it’s absolutely fabulous to carry it around. This morning I left home early so I could go to the coffee shop for a little while before work, and instead of grabbing a laptop bag with my hulking MacBook Pro, I just grabbed the Mini 9, my USB HSDPA modem and was out the door.

Size is the brilliant thing about these cheap little notebooks, they are happy to go pretty much anywhere without being a burden. The problem is to have a small, compact form factor you have to have a small, compact screen and keyboard.

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