Dell fires back at the Taiwanese market leaders with the Mini 9n. Starting at just $250, this Ubuntu netbook is easily one of the cheapest on the market from a brand-name manufacturer.
The catch? The netbook only comes with 512 MB of RAM and a 4 GB hard drive. But remember it uses Ubuntu, which runs significantly more efficiently than Windows. This means of course that it can only run Linux programs but give me Firefox and Open Office and I can conquer the world. Plus Dell’s upgrade prices are reasonable, a doubling of the RAM to 1GB will set you back only $25 and the hard drive can be doubled to 8 GB for an additional $35.
Dell, tired of being known as a staid manufacturer of identical black PCs is offering the Mini 9n in four colors and five sticker designs, like the purple Muse sticker displayed on the left. Being trendy-cool is going to set you back a not-so-cool $50. This shows more of the trend though of Netbooks of not being just utilitarian electronics but a fashion statement.
Um what exactly is the woman doing on the front?
Sleeping?
Doing an Ubuntu rain dance.
Still compared to others on the market it is overpriced.
Twice the menory, 4 times the HD size and $10 less.
Acer Aspire One AOA110-1626 Onyx Black Intel Atom N270(1.60GHz) 8.9″ WSVGA 1GB Memory 16GB SSD Netbook $239 + free shipping at newegg.com
And Gimp. Don’t forget to give me Gimp for my photos. I’ll process them on a SDHC card
netbookdigest.com : Dell Releases Ultracheap $250 Ubuntu Netbook | Rich on Linux and FOSS! // Feb 10, 2009 at 6:38 pm
[...] Full post here! [...]
Monty,
Thanks for pointing that out. I did look up the model at the retailer you posted but it is running Linpus Linux Lite and not Ubuntu. Plus the Mini 9n is notable because it is from Dell, which has one of the strongest brands in computing.
For typical consumers buying a netbook for the first time (which haven’t even gone mainstream yet), they might be unwary of a brand name they’ve never heard of. This product adds a lot of credibility not only to ultracheap laptops but also Ubuntu for the mainstream.
Im sure this is one of those ways to get around some deal they have with Microsoft which limits what OEMs can sell with OTHER OS.
I have a Dell Mini 9 and have the 8GB SSD with another 8Gb SD card and a 8Gb USB key that cost me under 20$ each.
I would have no problem going to a 4GB SSD at that price. I still have never used the 8GB SD card to this day.
At that price, I am definitely buying another.
The 512mb ram?
I can get a 2GB memory stick between 24$ (my brother bought at Xmas for hat price) to 35$ (which is what I found it at after looking for 30secs)
It runs fine at 1GB ram but for around 30$, that’s really worth it. And it is super easy to access it to the memory slot (as opposed to my sisters Acer One which was a nightmare where you had to take it apart)
So forget upping your ram by 512mb for the same price you can get a 2GB stick.
I had to change the Ubuntu which my wife found ‘depressing’ for a Linux with another desktop (yes, Linux gives you choice in desktops too. and not just a theme) that didnt look like Win95, so instead of the Gnome desktop found on Ubutntu, we use this one called KDE which you find on Kubuntu and Mandriva.
Im not a big Linux connaisseur.
I have a 13 year old nephew for that.
I just know that it works well and its safe.
I also know enough to know that Ubuntu is a brand. they use teh same Linux, the same desktops and components.
if you give two Linux distros that have the same desktop to a newbie, they wont be able to tell teh difference apart from logoed wallpaper.
Im running the latest Mandriva and Kubuntu right now on my desktop and laptop and the difference is minimal, so that whole ‘theyre better’ is a lot of hot air.
Ive used Acer Ones quite often and I think they are fine machines and the only reason I didnt buy them in July was the battery friends and family was using was barely giving them 2hrs… if that. The Linpus Lite is the perfect distro for newbies. My sister, sister in law, nieces and cousins are using it with no problem, it is very intuitive. One of the nephews has learned how to access the full desktop that is lying underneath the dummy mode and it is full featured. There is nothing I could do on my Dell 9 that they couldnt do with the Acer One.
And the easy mode with the Linpus was easier I found than the Dell/Ubuntu hybrid.
Actually, all Linux distros should have an easy mode and a normal mode.
Beware the Intel GMA950.
The GMA950 is not the typical Intel graphics adapter found in most Intel chipsets. It is derived from PowerVR tech licensed from NEC. It requires two binary blobs and is maintained out of kernel and xorg git trees. It does not run with newer kernels and appears to be unmaintained.
Do not expect to reinstall a stock distro on this laptop and have functional graphics. Do not expect to upgrade the distro on the laptop and have functional graphics. Do not expect any support af any facet of your graphics does not work. If you wish to purchase a netboo with a linux based OS pre-installed, do not purchase a netbook with a GMA950.
Frank
But if you follow the link to Dell given in this article, you come to a page reading at left top:
“Dell recommends Windows Vista® Home Premium.”
Shit!
Dell DOES NOT want to sell Linux!
Frank,
Intel GMA950 is a perfectly well supported Intel GMA, but quite old know, and should disappear progressively. The GMA500 (Poulsbo) is based on PowerVR technology and is problematic on Linux as you explained.
Pierre
Dang!
Compare to my eee PC, the Mini 9n comes with twice the disk space, a bigger display, a better processor, yet costs $10 LESS. Oh wait, upgrading to a color other than black costs another $30-$50. I KNEW there was a catch!
When I think of a 9n, I still think of a Ford tractor, but I guess I’m old as dirt - lol
Boycott Novell » Links 11/02/2009: Head Tracking in KDE4, Obama Lobbied for Free Software // Feb 11, 2009 at 12:10 pm
[...] Dell Releases Ultracheap $250 Ubuntu Netbook Dell fires back at the Taiwanese market leaders with the Mini 9n. Starting at just $250, this Ubuntu netbook is easily one of the cheapest on the market from a brand-name manufacturer. [...]
Well Alex, Newegg raised the price on that Acer by $60 so it’s not quite the bargin anymore. I’ll agree Dell has name recognition but let’s be clear on how they got there, cheap components at the cheapest price, not because they offer quality out of proportion to the price point. If someone can under cut them (and Acer, Asus, HP, MSI, etc are all pretty strong brands) then the market will go to them. As you said, these things really aren’t mainstream yet, most buying them know a little more than Joe who walks into Best Buy, they won’t be turned off by “Dude, it’s not a Dell”.
Agree, it’s great to see Ubuntu out there front and center but talk about a brand that most consumers have never heard of
> you posted but it is running Linpus Linux Lite >and not Ubuntu.
So what?
used both, family used both…. same response.
Actually, most have said that the Ubuntu desktop is old looking.
Ubuntu is one of many flavors and one of three desktops they use. Gnome is by far the one that Windows users have the most problems with.
So Ubuntu is not some magic potion, they just took a page from Marketing/branding 101.
Id have bought the Acer One for us had it not been for the 2hr battery.
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