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Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates - Printable Version

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Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates - Robert M - 03-09-2009

Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates

hi everyone,

So many of you have bought Dell Mini 9 netbooks and have turned them into Macs, it makes wonder... How are they when it comes to updating the OS? I’ve seen thread after thread of “I’ve put OS X on my Dell” or “I’ve got a hackintosh and it works!” but that’s about it. I’ve not seen any posts about the sheer usability of the machine with regular apps like Mail and, dare I say it, more robust apps like MS Office or Pages, and how it handles software updates. No doubt the machines run OS X and basic apps with nary a problem. I expect that else there’d be posts bitching about it. But, what about updates? That’s one of the thinsg that makes me leery of grabbing a Dell Mini 9 and turning it into a Mac netbook.

Robert

Re: Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates - Article Accelerator - 03-09-2009

Jeezo!! Just get one--$185 or less.

Re: Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates - pinkoos - 03-09-2009

Software updates run just as if it was a Mac. This is not true for other hacked netbooks as far as I know. In particular, I used to have a hacked MSI Wind. The guy I bought it from told me not to run any updates that require a restart (meaning no go for any OS updates), but other updates should be fine.

The Dell doesn't require any tomfoolery or trickery.

In terms of usability, the keyboard is definitely cramped compared to the Wind and has a peculiar layout of some keys, but you will just get used to it.

I use mine to basically do email (Mail - which works fine), websurfing (running Safari 4 beta without any problems so far) and to screen share with my upstairs Mac (works great).

Haven't tried iTunes, iPhoto or any Office apps on it, so I can't really comment on that.

Like AA said, the financial penalty of trying it out and not liking it is not too high, so just go for it.

Then, you can join the rest of us for a drink of some Guyana Punch.

Re: Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates - Robert M - 03-09-2009

Pinkoos,

Many thanks for the post. I'm not in the market for a netbook yet but I know several who are about to drop the bucks for one. They said if they're going to spend the bucks, they want something they can hack to run X with the least amount of burps and agita. Me, I can't afford to buy one right now. Even at $184 or so. While it may not seem like a lot of dough, it is beyond my means for now as I've allocated all of my electronics funds towards other purchases. It's too bad because I'd love playing with one regularly. Maybe one of my buds will be kind enough to let me borrow his for a little while. Smile

Robert

P.S. Article, if you have nothing useful to add to a thread, then please don't post to it.

Re: Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates - BigGuynRusty - 03-09-2009

I'll write the same thing I wrote before.
It is a Mac.
In a Dell suit.
I've done three software upgrades with my OSXMini9, two with my Roomies, exactly like it was done on an Apple machine.

BGnR

Re: Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates - BigGuynRusty - 03-09-2009

From another thread.:
BigGuynRusty wrote:
[quote=GuyGene]
Got my interest for sure! Keep us posted as time goes along with how it works in real life. I definitely want something smaller than my Pismo or the new MacBooks, and cheaper than the MacBook Air.

Is EVERYTHING, printer, etc. working? Have you tried it under several different AirPort networks (WiFi) yet to see if you can get online okay?

Me likey too... me wanty... outee takee - takee outee...
It is a Mac.
In a Dell Suit!
Everything works, including Sleep, the little LED Pulses, just like your beloved Mac.
I've never had any problems getting on any WireLess network.
WireLess printing works fine to all four of my printers.
Logs in fine to my server.
All three USB Ports work great.
The SDHC slot works.
The VGA Port works.
Here are what is better than a Mac.:
Cheaper
Lighter
I couldn't care less if I drop it, and I have, twice while it was running, not a blip, picked it up and kept surfing, thing is a tank.
Hardest part of the "Hack" is burning the boot up CD.
Do it properly, Buy a Retail Copy of Leopard!!

BGnR **EDIT** to make it clearer that the OSXMini9 was the one doing the running.

Re: Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates - olnacl - 03-09-2009

Robert, I bought one as a "guest computer" for the den, to keep from having folks using my MBP. My iTunes and iPhoto libraries are stored on a USB drive connected to my Airport Extreme. As I write this (on the Mini 9) I'm listening to iTunes (on the Mini 9). iPhoto is equally accessible as with the Macs on my network.

As I have just a 16 GB drive, I haven't tried to install Office apps, so someone else will have to chime in with that report, but based on my experience I wouldn't anticipate any problem. I have installed every update offered so far without problem. I did run the DellEFI program after major software updates "just in case."

Hope that answers some of your questions.

Note to BGnR - Family pack of Leopard used for the install (#4 computer of the 5 allotted installations - I hope that's correct)

Re: Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates - Robert M - 03-09-2009

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the responses! I've contacted the buds and recommended the mini for them. They will be used as secondary "keep the guests off my real computer" computers and for surfing while traveling. The mini will do the job nicely.

Thanks again,

Robert

Re: Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates - tenders - 03-09-2009

I call it a Macindell.

Office installed readily and runs acceptably on my 16G SSD. Every once in a while during operation there will be a screen draw glitch and a cursor artifact will stick on the page someplace for a while. Doesn't affect the app or data.

The Citrix client runs like a champ and prints wirelessly perfectly. With that I will have almost no reason to bring my beautiful and wickedly expensive Lenovo T61 laptop with me when I travel for work.

Firefox and the handful of plugins I use (notably Foxmarks) install, run, and update perfectly.

Kensington Turbo Mouse hardware runs great, I didn't bother installing the software. (I fully appreciate the irony of having a trackball that's almost as large as the computer itself.)

Vuze works great. VLC is my video player of choice for movies compressed to approximately 700MB. QuickTime is OK for most stuff but sometimes bogs down on these larger files. I store the movies on a 16GB SD card which is pretty much always in the machine. I get about 3 hours of watching movies out of a single charge.

All Apple system software runs flawlessly. I've waited a week to do the latest batch of updates but there was no chatter about them breaking the Mini 9 so I installed them last night. Zero problems.

I don't think I run anything else on the machine. Only two things have NOT behaved in a 100% Maclike fashion for me:

(1) Photoshop Elements refused to install on such a small screen. There's probably a way to hack it in but I don't really care, this isn't a photo editing device to me, I just wanted to see if it would work.

(2) I was unable to get an external monitor to work through the VGA out when I was at a conference last week. I understand that there is a driver solution for this, devised perhaps right after I did my original OS X installation on the Mini, but haven't figured it out--if I ever really care, I may wipe and reinstall everything using the latest versions of the installer software. I understand that others have used VGA out with no problems.

Re: Dell Mini 9 Mac ( or should I call it a Delmac?), software usability and software updates - olnacl - 03-09-2009

tenders wrote:
VLC is my video player of choice for movies compressed to approximately 700MB. QuickTime is OK for most stuff but sometimes bogs down on these larger files. I store the movies on a 16GB SD card which is pretty much always in the machine. I get about 3 hours of watching movies out of a single charge.

(2) I was unable to get an external monitor to work through the VGA out when I was at a conference last week. I understand that there is a driver solution for this, devised perhaps right after I did my original OS X installation on the Mini, but haven't figured it out--if I ever really care, I may wipe and reinstall everything using the latest versions of the installer software. I understand that others have used VGA out with no problems.

I've had no luck watching a movie on the built in LCD. I tried DVD player.app and VLC on a movie I copied to the SSD card. None worked. Please tell me what I did wrong. In my case, it's an (mostly) uncompressed version, about 4.33 GB. I'm in the process of copying another movie to a USB drive and I'll try it again with VLC.

OTOH, External monitor works fine on VGA out mine, a 19" Fuji and I've also used it with a 1920x1080 37" monitor. The built-in monitor goes dark, just like my MBP, but if I close the lid it goes to sleep (unlike m MBP).

OK, I lied. Copied a Toast DVD image to my 8 GB flash drive, opened VLC, navigated to the .VOB file and it's playing (on the fuji monitor anyway).