Review: Dell Mini 9
The Dell Mini 9 has been out forever and we’ve covered a lot of Mini 9 deals, updates and fun stuff. But it’s been a while since we wrote out a formal review. So here goes:
The Dell Mini 9 is netbook that’s near-and-dear to a lot of techie/hackers/bloggers/travelers. The small size makes it perfect for travel bloggers, and the netbook runs well with Mac OS (hackintosh!) Even celebrities like Perez Hilton have been spotted with the Mini 9.
It’s smaller than most netbooks, and coming from Dell you can be assured of good quality. It disappeared from the Dell site in May 2009 — then made a quick surprise re-appearance in July and August 2009 — and has not appeared again since. A quick google search will lead you to many wacky DIY projects using the Mini 9, whereas an Amazon search will reveal morbidly high prices for this small 9″ netbook.
The 8GB SSD Dell Mini 9 is available on Amazon for anywhere between $400 and $650 (new) and $230 – $340 (used). The 16GB SSD model is available for $450. Browse through the used pile for configurations such as 2GB RAM and 32GB SD and versions of Mac OS.
Rating: 
Dell Mini 9 Features
- Easy to customize - easy to upgrade to 2GB making it the ultimate powerhouse – c’mon 1.6GHz processor, solid state storage, Windows 7… sure it’s tiny, but it’s powerful.
- Great specs – comes with an N270 processor and a 4 cell battery – not bad at all for an older netbook/9″ netbook (released September 2008!)
- SSD – 16GB is probably too small to fit your music collection (I have seen configurations where users have upgraded to 32GB). Having an SSD makes your netbook great for travel – you don’t have to worry about moving parts getting damaged. Lack of moving parts also results in conservation of battery power.Also comes with an SD card reader for added storage. Also, if you have a 9″ netbook, you’re probably using it as your secondary device and are an avid cloud compute-er.
- Bluetooth antenna – what? yes! you might be able to find a model somewhere that comes with the Bluetooth antennas. Nice.
- 3G/PCI Mini card slot – buy a card, install it and voila! You have mobile broadband. Will cost you a bunch, but might be worth it.
Drawbacks
- Stuck with SSD
- Weird F1-F10 key placement – an otherwise comfortable keyboard, the F1 to F10 keys are located as alternate keys on the A to L row. If you’re an avid F1-F10 key user, this may get in the way (but really, who’s addicted to anything other than F7 for Photoshop
)
- Probably will need a mouse – unless you have really small hands…
Dell Mini 9 Rating – 6/7
- Value for Money – 0.5
- Speed and Performance –1
- Screen -1
- Keyboard – 0.5
- Portability & Battery Life – 1
- Looks and Design – 1
- Extensibility & connectivity – 1
Specs
- Processor – 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom
- Chipset – Intel GMA 950
- OS – Windows XP, Linux/Ubuntu – if it’s a used hacked version, possibly Mac OS
- Memory – 1GB
- Storage – 8GB SSD – 16GB SSD
- Display – 8.9″
- Connectivity – 802.11 g mini card
- Ports – 3 x USB, SD card reader
- Battery –4 cell battery / 3.5 hours
- Dimensions – 9.13″ x 6.77″ x 1.07″ – 1.25″
- Weight – 2.28lbs
Bottom line
A good netbook if you’re looking for a 9″ one. Great for kids. Great for a second netbooks to carry around (fits everywhere, has optional 3G, SSD memory is ideal). Great if you’re a traveler or are into DIY tricks. Great if you want a Hackintosh. Not so great if you need large memory space, a big screen or a big keyboard. That’s the Dell Mini 9.
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