Dell has updated Win 7 Drivers for 11z

When I first did the Win 7 upgrade for my 11z (last month) Dell had very few Win 7 drivers available on their support site. Consequently, I had to do a lot of digging around and guesswork to find suitable drivers. Fortunately, Dell has updated their support page for the 11z and most of the necessary Win 7 drivers are now available. Most importantly are the WiFi 1520 Card and Bluetooth card drivers. I’ve gone through the process of updating all of my drivers to match what is available on the Dell support site.

Also, I noticed a new BIOS firmware upgrade is available for the 11z dated 25 November 2009, which has a few bug fixes. Dell recommends installing this update, so I’ve done so on my 11z with no ill effects. Hopefully it will run a bit smoother!

Painful upgrade to Windows 7 for my Dell 11z

I just spent the entire day and a half working on getting Windows 7 installed on my Dell Inspiron 11z Netbook… what a hassle. Just to recap: I ordered my Dell 11z last month a few weeks before the release date of Windows 7, and Dell offered a promotion to “pre-install” Windows 7 on certain machines if they are delivered after Oct 22nd. My order fell in this category, so I made my purchase with the belief that my Dell 11z would ship on Oct 25th with Windows 7 installed, and thus I would avoid the hassle of doing an upgrade installation and having to fight to find the right drivers, etc. Well, that didn’t happen. My Dell 11z arrived with Windows Vista installed, and after talking with Dell support several times discovered my only recourse was to get the Windows 7 upgrade DVDs from Dell and do the upgrade myself.

First of all, the upgrade installation came on DVDs and I do not have an external DVD-ROM drive. So, I had to do some Googling to figure out how to create a bootable USB flash drive, copy all the install files to it, and boot up my Dell 11z from this USB drive.

After doing the installation (which went fairly smoothly), I discovered that several internal devices (such as the WiFi Card, Bluetooth module, card reader) were not present on my system under Device Manager. Apparently, these drivers were not part of the “native” drivers available with Windows 7. So I visited the Dell web site to discover that most of these drivers are non-existent under the Dell 11z product for Windows 7 drivers and apps.

I decided to contact Dell tech support via the online chat, and I get someone who just runs me in circles doing a bunch of crazy stuff. He’s giving me links to download drivers and apps that just don’t work. Finally, he tells me my Win 7 installation must have “gone bad” and I will need to reinstall Vista, then Windows 7 on top of that. Go suck an egg, brother… I’m not doing that!

Dell finally ships my Win 7 Upgrade DVD

After being told that my Dell Win 7 Upgrade DVD wouldn’t be shipped until around Nov 22nd, I just got an email confirming that Dell did ship out the upgrade this morning.

I have a UPS tracking number, but it apparently isn’t registered in the UPS system yet so I don’t know when the upgrade will be delivered. I’m actually getting two shipments (one for my Dell 11z and the other for my Son’s Dell Inspiron 15) so Dell may be processing all the registered requests pretty quickly now.

For those waiting for their upgrades, good luck. My next project, will be figuring out how to install Win 7 from a USB drive since I don’t have an external DVD-ROM drive available to use with my Dell 11z.

Dell delays my Win 7 Upgrade shipment

I just check the status of my Windows 7 OS Upgrade shipment, and Dell has moved the estimated shipping date out from November 7th to November 22nd. Ugh. I’m not sure what is going on with Dell these days.

Did they run out of DVDs, or do they not have the necessary drivers for the Dell 11z model figured out? Maybe customers are reporting major issues with running Windows 7 on their 11z (if they even have Win 7 installed by Dell on their machines)?

So much for the “buy now and we’ll ship your 11z with Windows 7 preinstalled” false advertisement. I really wish I had made a screenshot of their web page ad stating this so I could throw it back in Dell’s face to complain about it. I could probably just get the Windows 7 Family 3-Pack and install it today and not wait for Dell’s BS.

Dell 11z: First impressions – Part I

I finally got my Dell Inspirion 11z laptop (or netbook, by my standards) and here’s my quick review.

First, I was disappointed that my 11z didn’t have the Windows 7 OS pre-installed as advertised on the Dell web site when I ordered it. From what I can remember, Dell stated any machines shipped after Oct 22nd (release date for Windows 7) will have the Windows 7 OS pre-installed. This was for machines that were eligible for the free Win 7 upgrade (which my 11z was), but my machine arrived with Windows Vista installed instead.

As such, I promptly called Dell post-sales customer support to get some answers. When I voiced my complaint to the Dell support rep, he kept telling me that I needed to go to the Dell Windows 7 upgrade web page and register for the upgrade to be sent to me via delivery mail. He never confirmed or denied that my machine should or shouldn’t have had the Windows 7 pre-installed as Dell advertised a few weeks ago. Since there wasn’t much he could do to help me, I hung up and tried to register on the Dell Windows 7 upgrade site as he suggested. Unfortunately, the all-important Service Tag number (located on the bottom of my 11z) wasn’t registered in the Dell database and as such my 11z couldn’t be verified for the upgrade!

So I put in another call to Dell support asking about this issue. When I asked about the Windows 7 OS pre-installed issue again, the support rep stated I was mistaken on what I read on their web site. Now, I might have been mistaken, but most likely not since that was the main reason why I ordered the Dell 11z. I knew that I wanted Windows 7 installed, because I didn’t want the hassle of installing Windows 7 over Vista and then having to reinstall all my applications. I’m kicking myself for not saving a screenshot of that Dell advertisement, but then again there’s not much Dell can do about correcting that issue at this moment. The scuttlebutt on the different user forums is that Dell didn’t have their OEM Win 7 DVDs ready in time, so that is why they didn’t ship their PC and laptops with Win 7 pre-installed. I can certainly believe those rumors, as that would explain why I didn’t get my 11z with Win 7.

As such, my only recourse was to jump through the hoops and order the Win 7 upgrade from Dell’s site. So I registered for the Win 7 upgrade for both my Dell 11z and my son’s  Inspiron 15 (which I bought him two months ago) and now it’s a waiting game. Will it take a few days, a week, two weeks, a month…. to arrive? I don’t know.

What I do know, is that this experience was a bad start in my initial evaluation of my new Dell 11z. Instead of being excited about using and exploring my new netbook, I’m utterly disappointed that I’ll need to wait until the Win 7 DVD arrives from Dell before I can really use it. The reason being, I don’t want to install all my files and applications under the Vista OS and have to reinstall everything again shortly after I install Windows 7. Of course, I could do an in-place installation which would preserve my files an applications, but I’ve always had issues with doing that, and a clean install is really the most trouble-free method of upgrading the OS (in my opinion).

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Update: I registered for the Win 7 Upgrade from Dell this afternoon, and the estimated shipping date is Nov 7th. So it will be about 10 days or so before I can get Win 7 installed on my Dell 11z netbook and really start using it.

 

Accessories Received from DealExtreme.com

The online store at www.dealextreme.com seems to have some really good deals on computer accessories and hardware, especially slip covers and cases that fit the available Netbook computers. Since the prices were so low, I decided to purchase three slip cover cases that would fit a Dell Mini 9. The total price for the three different covers was $14.00 US, and the shipping was free. Now, the products were being shipped from Hong Kong, so I was expecting some long delivery times (not the usual 3-day FedEx Air that we’re all so use to). But, for the low cost of the products I was willing to wait. So to let everyone know, I got two of the covers about 3-weeks after I had ordered them online. The third cover was out-of-stock at the time of the order, but they shipped it separately once they replenished their stock a week later.

FYI, the two covers that I did receive do look of high quality, so I certainly would order from www.dealextreme.com again for such low-priced items. Unfortunately, I no longer own my Dell Mini 9 so I don’t have an immediate need for these covers. When I have some time, I’ll probably make them available on one of the popular Dell Mini Forums (along with the 16 GB SDHC card and 2 GB RAM Module that I order).

When My Mini 9 Arrives, I Plan to…

In anticipation of my Dell Mini 9 arriving sometime next week, I’m making my plans to replace the WinXP OS with Windows 7. Here’s what I have so far:

1. Make sure the Mini 9 BIOS is the latest (A04). If it is not, download the update from the Dell support site and install it.
2. Install the 2 GB RAM module in the Mini 9.
3. Make a backup image of the original WinXP installation using Clonezilla.
   • Boot up the Mini 9 using a USB Flash Drive that is bootable with the Clonezilla software
   • Save the disk image file from Clonezilla to a 2nd USB Flash Drive (8 GB of free space)
4. Re-boot the Mini 9 using a 4 GB Fash Drive that has the Windows 7 Install files, and install the Win7 OS.
5. Install the Win7 Drivers as described in the DellMini Forum posting.
6. Apply all the tweaks I’ve been reading about to speed up the system performance.

I’m doing this because I want to test out Windows 7, since I’ve read that it runs pretty good on the Dell Mini 9. If I have too many issues with it, my plan is to install a nLite version of WinXP back on the system.

I’ve also got a 16 GB SDHC card ordered from Newegg.com and on the way, so that should give me more storage for applications and files.

Modding your Dell Mini 9

Modding has been around a long time, where computer enthusiasts modify (or “mod”) their computer cases. With the availability of low-powered, small motherboards with integrated video and components, geeks have made computers out of outrageous objects. For example, I’ve seen computers that look like old toasters, the Millennium Falcon, a fish tank, lego structure, and finally a Windows XP retail box. If you Google “case modding” you’ll see what I mean.

For the Dell Mini 9, most people don’t go to the extreme of modifying the exterior (aside from adding decals to the cover), but instead modify the interior components. Dell provides a detailed service manual which explains how to open up and access most of the internal components. If you check out the different Dell Mini web sites and forums, you’ll see that people are making all kinds of internal mods such as adding: a GPS receiver, USB Flash Storage, Bluetooth Transceiver, and extra LED status lights. Now, these mods usually require soldering to the motherboard, so they are some serious modding (more than what I’m willing to do).

Some of the typical modding can be considered upgrades, where you replace the stock RAM memory module or the stock SSD storage module (both do not require soldering or extensive disassembly of the laptop).

So for your pleasure, here’s a few links to some extreme Mini 9 modding:

Add a GPS Receiver internally
Add a GPS Receiver internally (method 2)
Add an extra LED light for storage drive activity status
Integrating a USB hub inside the Dell Mini 9
Adding 3G Wireless Card to Dell Mini 9

Also, here’s a link to a good posting on how to disassemble your Mini 9 to get at the internal components. Personally, I don’t plan on making internal modifications since it will void the Dell Mini 9 warranty. Call me a chicken!

Simming Vista and Windows 7

In my last posting, I discussed how to create a custom Windows XP installation using the nLite product. In a similar fashion, you can use a product called vLite to create a custom Vista and/or Windows 7 installation that is slimmed down in size. This link has an excellent step-by-step procedure outlined to do this specifically for the Dell Mini 9.

Now, I’ve read several postings on the MyDellMini forum where people have praised how quick Windows 7 (beta) runs on their Minis verses Windows XP and Vista, so I’m thinking of installing Windows 7 just for kicks. I downloaded the beta version ISO file from Microsoft when they first made it available (earlier this month), however, I decided to not install it since the beta version will expire in July 08 and I didn’t want to reinstall Vista or WinXP on one of my computers. But, my new Dell Mini (when it finally arrives) might be the perfect machine to test Windows 7.

So, I went ahead and tested vLite using the Windows 7 beta installation files, and the procedure is very similar to using nLite. I followed the directions from the site that I mentioned earlier, and was able to reduce the Windows 7 install file size from 2.5 GB to 1.5 GB for my custom installation. Now, the Windows 7 beta ISO file that I used was for the “Ultimate” version, so I probably could have stripped out more components to make it smaller (and I might do so later just for kicks).

Useful Hardware Upgrades

As I’m still waiting for Dell to ship my Mini 9 (I ordered through Costco.com online), I’ve been considering useful hardware upgrades. If you read my Recommended Upgrade page, you’ll see a summary of my recommendations. I’ve already ordered and received a 2 GB RAM memory module (which is now sitting on my desk) from NewEgg.com, and I’m currently waiting on three slip cover cases that I ordered from DealExtreme.com.

Today, I noticed that my local Fry’s Electronics store has the following advertised in the newspaper:

I believe this is the same 2 GB memory module that I ordered from NewEgg.com last week, and it’s selling for around the same price. So if you’re nervous about ordering items online or want a memory module immediately, Fry’s may be the place to go. In addition to this, Fry’s also has the following SDHC card on special:

Not a bad price, but you can also order a similar 8 GB card from NewEgg.com for around $15 US, or even get a 16 GB card for $25. More is always better when it comes to storage space, so I’ll probably order the 16 GB card from NewEgg.com sometime soon. Finally, Fry’s had a few USB Flash Drives also on sale: