[Kaeta]

I recently came across a Dell Mini 9 for $45, the things being wrong with it being the OS was wiped from the 8GB SSD, and the battery being completely dead and not charging. I searched google for days (note: I am computer literate) trying to find the answers to what could be wrong with it. In BIOS the SSD says: 0MB, first does that mean that the SSD is fried? Also, where would anyone recommend getting a new battery for my Dell Mini? I don't trust eBay enough to try just any old battery that is posted on there. Final question would be is there a way to run the Dell Mini with OSX without having to have a Mac computer already? Reasons behind me asking is because my college runs on Mac software and I'm going to use the Dell Mini for Multimedia purposes, i.e.: Photoshop/GIMP, etc.

Thanks,
-Kaeta

[rrfranczak3]

sorry but if the BIOS says 0mb the SSD is DEAD......I personally would only buy a battery from Dell but thats just me....I know that I think Holmes4 on the site here has gotten a battery from MyDigitalDiscount and it seems ok for him you might wanna check into that and as far as OSX goes I would suggest checking the OSX section on the forum here for any questions or answers....Good Luck


PS. Welcome to the forum....

[brett89]

When you buy a new battery, BIOS versions above A04 for the Mini9, may not support a third party battery. For the price I paid for my mini, I'd go with a battery not from Dell, a good one of course. As was said above, the SSD is dead as a doornail.
There is a guide here to have OS X 10.6 on your mini without a mac.
OS X 10.6.3 Retail DVD-->USB no MAC; A GUIDE

If you have any questions with it, usually someone else has in that thread dealing with it. If not, you'll want to post in the Mac OS X section.

[Kaeta]

Thank you for the quick replies, I'm currently looking for a replacement SSD within a tight $100 budget for both the SSD and Battery.

-Kaeta

[goducks3620]

Amazon.com: Anker New Laptop Battery for Dell Inspiron 910 Mini 9 Mini 9n Vostro A90 A90n [Li-ion 4-cell 2200mAh]: Electronics for the battery. Just make sure the BIOS is updated, I needed to run BIOS 4 to get it to work. And they will refund if it doesn't, even pay for return shipping.

[Kaeta]

Alright, I've taken in consideration what I've been googling for the past few days, plus ya'lls input on the matter. Now, I'm looking for a SSD, nothing too fancy with alot of space, just enough to run at least a linux distro or Windows 7. I'd like to get just a factory replacement: STEC one, but I don't want to spend over lets say $70 for an SSD.

[rrfranczak3]

Originally Posted by Kaeta

Alright, I've taken in consideration what I've been googling for the past few days, plus ya'lls input on the matter. Now, I'm looking for a SSD, nothing too fancy with alot of space, just enough to run at least a linux distro or Windows 7. I'd like to get just a factory replacement: STEC one, but I don't want to spend over lets say $70 for an SSD.

you must be kidding,1st. it will be more than $70... 2nd. wait until you have enough posts here and try putting a wanted ad in the for sale section here on the board or even check now for anyone selling one....but $70 for an SSD is a pipe dream dude.....costs me more than that for a 1/2 tank of gas

I dont think you could even get 4gb for $70 (and if you do don't count on it working).....you are a funny man..you might wanna check our sponser here on the board MDD (MyDigistalDiscount)...keep in mind that the Mini 9 uses a special SSD (a mini PCI-e type drive) which will make it more expensive to begin with...it will not take a standard SSD

[Kaeta]

Yes I understand that it takes a mini pci-e slot and is not a standard SSD. And I will take in what you have stated in consideration. Thanks for the help.

[holmes4]

It is also not a "standard" MiniPCIe slot. Make sure that whatever you find says specifically that it is for the Mini 9. The basic attributes are PATA (not SATA) and 50mm (not 70mm) length.

MDD has a SuperTalent 16GB for $59.99, the RunCore is $79.99.

[Kaeta]

Found an SSD for under $70:
Super Talent 16GB 50mm PATA MLC Half Mini 2 PCIe SSD | My Digital Discount

It's not amazingly fast, but I was just looking for a replacement.