The $400 Apple Netbook: How to Install OS X on a Dell Mini 9
The lads over at Gizmodo have a great hack for those looking for an OS X-powered netbook that isn't a pocketbook-piercing Macbook Air. It turns out that with a minimal bit of fiddling, you can take a Dell Mini 9 and install a perfectly working copy of Apple's OS X on it. (According to BoingBoing, several netbooks can support OS X to varying degrees, but the Dell Mini 9 has the best all-around support for an out-of-the-box install.)
Here's what you're going to need, paraphrased from the post:
• Dell Mini 9 With 16GB SSD or higher (8GB SSDs will techincally work, but it will take some fiddling not covered by this guide)
• Retail copy of OS X 10.5.x (NOT an OEM copy that comes with a new Mac)
• A USB flash drive 8GB or higher
• The "Type11" Bootloader: DellMiniBoot123v8.01.iso.zip (download link in this forum post)
• Blank CD to burn bootloader image
• Windows PC for preparing the flash drive
Read the full article here if you're ready to brave the post-EULA waters, but make no mistake--this isn't supported by Apple nor Dell, so be aware of that if you decide to tinker. That said, OS X seems to run solidly on the Mini 9 and it's an intriguing idea.
Andan on February 23, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Huh. Timely, as I'd just been doing research into this very thing. I like the Asus Eee S101, but it looks like hackintoshing it is ... hackier than I want to get.
Anyway. Thanks for this!
Wordsmith on February 23, 2009 at 12:28 PM
Now if we could just get Corel to update WordPerfect to run on OS X, then we could have a real word-processor instaed of the trash from MicroSquash
Rich on February 23, 2009 at 01:20 PM
If my understanding is correct the system is basically a 16Gb flashdrive in a small case with 1 GB of memory. My first incredulous question is: You can actually fit it on a 16Gb drive and do something else??
The second is: Is 1Gb of memory really enough or is it a tease?
WK on February 23, 2009 at 01:34 PM
I did this hack a couple of weeks ago on my Mini 9 (I'm now running Windows 7 on it instead.) Most everyone doing this is upgrading their Mini 9s to 2GB of RAM (it's cheap and easy to do.) You have to leave off the printer drivers to make room during the install, but you end up having around 3-4GB free after the install is complete, which if you use the netbook like it is intended, is enough. Speed was very good though. It boots to a usable desktop in about 40 seconds.
Mark on February 23, 2009 at 01:56 PM
I wonder if anyone would be "contractable" to build such an item for a nontech type. I know I would sure like one of those. But Apple and Dell would no doubt land with both feet on such folks...
Bruce A on February 23, 2009 at 06:27 PM
Can the Mini 9 support a traditional hard drive? SSDs are attractive, but the ones large enough to be useful to me cost as much or more than the Mini itself! If I could throw an 80gb drive in there I think that'd be about perfect.
F Wallace on February 24, 2009 at 12:04 AM
Why bother?
Look, if the netbook can boot off the flash drive, use Puppy Linux! Or any of the Linux distributions that specialize in running off Flash drives.
This way, you keep your Netbook the way it came from the Factory. Pristine. Run Linux, off the Flash Drive, a 4 GB stick is plenty, and use pretty much what you want/need. Thunderbird, Open Office, Firefox/Seamonkey. Fast, secure (great for websurfing on Wifi Hotspots) and all the apps you want a click away and free.
And yes, you can set Linux up to work and act like a Mac with a dock even. No it's not a Mac, it's Linux, but Open Office is Open Office.
Did I mention this is relatively simple and very legal?
WK on February 24, 2009 at 05:45 AM
The Mini 9 doesn't use a traditional hard drive, but an SSD. There are no moving parts in the Mini 9. Heat is dissipated passively.
As for Linux, the Mini 9 already ships with Ubuntu 8.04, fully configured and all hardware functioning. Why run another distribution that probably won't support the hardware without major tweaking when Dell has done all the work.
Bruce A on February 24, 2009 at 02:00 PM
"The Mini 9 doesn't use a traditional hard drive, but an SSD."
But can you install a traditional hard drive? I know other netbooks sport traditional hard drives; can this one?
WK on February 24, 2009 at 07:00 PM
No, you cannot. The drive is a Mini-PCIe card. Dell now offers up to a 64GB drive, and aftermarket drives up to 64GB are available as well for it.
Bruce A on February 24, 2009 at 09:22 PM
Hm. That's too bad. How do you configure it with 64gb? The configuration page only offers up to 16gb. Oh well, I'm not sure I could afford that anyway. Thanks for the info!
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