MacBook Mini

A new trend in the computing world emerged in the 2nd half of 2008. Before, bigger was always better, and computer manufacturers were enticing consumers with larger hard disk storage, faster processors, better graphics cards, bigger screens, faster wireless connections, etc. Thing is, does the average user REALLY need all this? In the modern day of the internet, you can argue that 90% of home PC users only EVER use the home PC or laptop to surf the net, write emails, type the odd letter and maybe watch the latest Britney video on Youtube (well the latter applies to me, anyway). So manufacturers had this idea - why not produce a scaled down machine that's light, portable and CHEAP? And thus the Netbook market was created. Appropriately named, a netbook would be simply a device whose main purpose would be to connect to the internet. No CD/DVD drives, and specs that are unable to handle heavy resource-intensive games and applications. But they would be really small (most with 10-inch or smaller screens) and light (just over the 1kg mark), and thus are really appealing to those who need to surf, blog, and reply emails on the move. I was really tempted to get one, but with one small problem - they all ran Windows or Linux! But over the months, the Dell Mini 9 emerged as the best model to be Hackint0shed, i.e. "hacked" to run the Mac OS.

Now in Malaysia, the Dell website does not have the Mini 9, but some retailers in LowYat Plaza do have it (or used to, anyway). Better still, Maxis has a deal where for RM89/month for 24 months, you get the Dell Mini 9 with BUILT-IN 3G, 6 months' worth of unlimited Maxis Broadband subscription, and the option to continue the subscription after the 6th month for only RM77/month (RM22 less than the normal rate). Sounded like a good deal to me, especially as it had a built-in wireless 3G card, which means you don't have to attach any unsightly dongle to connect to the net. From my "research" at LowYat, no one seems to be selling this card separately. So I went for it.

Registering for the Dell Mini at the KLCC Maxis Centre was easy enough - received it via courier less than 2 days later. Tested it a bit - didn't notice it being slower than any normal machine on Win XP, and the Maxis 3G connection was BLAZINGLY fast (provided there's a good HSDPA signal). So got myself a copy of the Mac Box Set (Mac OS 10.5.6 + iLife '09 + iWork '09) and went ahead with turning the Dell Mini 9 into a tiny MacBook.

The whole installation process was done using the simple step-by-step process given by the folks at mydellmini.com. I used the first 2 USB drive method, as it means I don't have to source for an external DVD drive. Just needed to insert the Mac OS installation disc into the iMac, then mirror it to a 16GB SDHC card. I did have to jump through a few more hoops though as the Dell Mini from Maxis only comes with a 8GB SSD, which is too small for a full installation of Mac OS Leopard, so I had to do a custom install, removing most of the unnecessary stuff to slim down the OS. I have to admit I did encounter several other problems along the way, but a quick search through the mydellmini.com forums shows that these were known problems and can be easily remedied.

In the end, installation of Mac OS Leopard onto the Dell Mini 9 was a SUCCESS, and the best thing is, EVERYTHING WORKS! In particular, the built-in wireless 3G works and I can connect to the Maxis 3G network. Only problem under Mac is it just tells me that I'm connected, there's no indication on type of network (HSDPA, EDGE, GPRS) or even how strong the signal is. Hoping to find a remedy for this in the next few days. The lack of a DVD-drive is no problem as the package of drivers downloaded from mydellmini.com includes a driver that makes the Dell thing that it's a MacBook Air. This enables the Remote Disc feature, which means that it will WIRELESSLY use the DVD-drive on my iMac as its own! So if I need to install programs or watch DVDs, all I need to do is insert the required DVD into my iMac, and it will turn up on the Dell screen as if it was inserted into its own drive! The Dell even automatically added the NAS (network attached storage) that I have connected to my router. After allowing for the OS (or what's left of it anyway), I only have less than 1GB of storage left on the internal SSD. However, the earlier mentioned 16GB SDHC (Class 6) inserted in the built-in card reader gives the needed additional space. Partitioned it into 2 separate partitions - one for Time Machine and another for applications and files. I installed Firefox, VLC and iPhoto on the SDHC, and there's really no noticeable lag.

So there you have it. I now have my very own 8.9-inch, 1.04kg MacBook Mini! Now all I need is to find away to remove that hideous Dell logo.