Windows XP and Vista Tweaks

I stumbled upon this web site (www.blackviper.com) which describes numerous tweaks for a fresh Windows XP Installation. In addition to WinXP tweaks, this site also has Vista and Windows 7 tweaks that you can try out. For all of my current machines, I’ve initiated the XP and Vista tweaks with no ill effects.

Another site for good Vista tweaks is here. And then there’s always the How-To-Geek site that offers lots of good suggestions and tips.

Dell Mini 9 or 12… Which is Best?

After placing my order for a Dell Mini 9, I started reading different Netbook forum postings and online reviews and began to wonder if the Mini 9 would be too small for my needs. Specifically, I was concerned about the size of the keyboard for touch typing. The problem with Dell laptops is that you can’t normally go to your local electronics store and check one out, as everything is done online. All you can do is read over the specs and make a decision to get one or not. Part of my reason for purchasing through Costco.com is that they have a 90-day return policy where I can return a laptop for a full refund (including shipping cost).

Although my local Costco store didn’t have a Dell Mini 9 on display, they did have a HP Mini 1000 with a 10″ screen. I did try typing on the HP 1000 keyboard and it felt very usable, so I’m hoping the Dell Mini 9 will have a similar feel.

Now, Dell has a Mini 12 with a 12.1 inch screen that appears to be a big brother to the Mini 9, so I began to think, “is the Dell Mini 12 a better choice for my needs”? I currently have a Dell Latitude D610 with a 14.1 inch screen, so the Mini 12 would be close in size to my D610, as such I think it might be too big to meet my portability needs.

On the surface, the Mini 12 looks like a bigger Mini 9, but under the hood there are some significant differences:

In looking at these typical specs, you can see that the two Mini devices are not the same. The biggest difference is that the Mini 9 can be upgraded to 2 GB RAM memory while the Mini 12 cannot be upgraded (it has 1 GB RAM soldered to the motherboard). The Mini 12 also comes with a standard laptop hard drive, which offers more storage space but at the expense of generating more heat and requiring more battery power to run. Also, the Mini 12 comes with the Windows Vista OS which should run ok on 1 GB of RAM, but would run better on 2 GB (but you can’t do a memory upgrade on the Mini 12). So, it seems that the Mini 12 is much more limiting than the Mini 9, and thus I would exclude it from my selection list.

There is a rumored Dell Mini 10 in the works, which I would guess to be about the same size as the HP Mini 1000 that I tested out at the Costco store. The real question will be what are the specs of the Mini 10? Will it be similar to the Mini 9 or Mini 12? (UPDATE: The Mini 10 was introduced at CES and here’s Laptop Magazine’s Preview).

So the trade off in size reflects portability vs usable keyboard for touch typing. I have a feeling that the Dell Mini 9 will hit the sweet spot for most people looking for a Netbook. I’ll know better once my Mini 9 arrives…