[theMACdaddy]

Okay so I put together a list of what modifications and upgrades I would like to add to my Dell Mini 9. Currently, I have a 32gb Stock SSD and 2gb Ram. I have OS X 10.5.7 installed as well as a touch screen working for Mac OS X Ubuntu and Windows. Although I have some important questions about these upgrades:

1. 802.11n:
I recently bought an airport extreme and want to get the most out of it. I found these two options that seem to work, however there is great price difference, i'd like to know why.

Dell : Dell 2.4/5 GHz Wireless 1505 PCI Express WLAN Mini-Card for Dell Vostro 1500/ 1710 Laptops : Wireless/WiFi : Small & Medium Business

Dell : Dell Wireless 1505 Draft 802.11n WLAN Mini Card for Dell Latitude : Wireless/WiFi : Home & Home Office

Obviously the first one is twice as expensive, but twice the ratings... why is that? I dont see any noticeable differences between the two but obviously there are so what could be the problem with that? Might I add that money isnt that much of an issue I'd just like to know why it is what it is.

2. SSD Upgrade
Runcores seem to be the most popular, although be it a little more expensive, I'm looking at a 64gb option, so I see it as being $220 for that. Any objections or better options you would suggest?

3. USB Hub
Well, wanting more modifications will require more, I dont see this being terribly hard as I already have experience with this, especially with the touch screen.

4. 8 Cell Battery
I honestly have no where to begin with this, I've seen things posted around but I dont know what would be good or bad, and how compatible it will be with OS X and A05 bios. I dont see this very high priority however.

5. SD(HC) Card
You can never have too much memory. Which would be the best to buy? 16gb? And is there a way of either making another (or a USB Flash Drive) internal?

6. GPS
With everything else included I'm not so sure this will have room, but what would be the best way to go about doing this? As in, what is the best GPS receiver to buy?

If I can think of anything else, or there's a cool mod or upgrade I should consider, please tell me.

Extras
I haven't seen these things ever included in a Mini 9, but I would love to try to add these in hopes of getting these features enabled, mostly just day dreaming.

-Accelerometer
-Cooling Mechanism of Some Sort.



Tell me what you think, honestly I have a personality that just makes me aspire towards the best, or at least something no one else has. I.E. the touch screen, colorware iPhone etc.

And I'd really like some advice on what is possible, as well as answers to the questions. Thanks.

[holmes4]

I am as puzzled as you are about the two Dell "1505" cards. They have different actual part numbers, but seem similar. The more expensive one claims to be dual-band, while the cheaper one does not.

Look also at Super Talent's newer line of SSDs.

At this time, 16GB is a sweet spot for price and capacity in SDHC. Look for sales.

There's another thread somewhere about adding a GPS.

[theMACdaddy]

well dual band would obviously be better, and what im looking for, but for $40 extra? hmm... they even have identical descriptions.

Is Super Talent's SSD's as fast? When I look at the descriptions and pictures it seems that the 64gb and 128gb Super Talents are twice as wide, does that mean it would intrude into my WWAN slot? Because I need that space for the hub or touch screen. What else are the benefits to Super Talent over RunCore, because it seems that RunCore would still have an upper edge, especially with the physical size.

EDIT: Also any specific SDHC cards? Some are better than others...

[jetkins]

Originally Posted by theMACdaddy

I found these two options that seem to work, however there is great price difference, i'd like to know why.

Dell : Dell 2.4/5 GHz Wireless 1505 PCI Express WLAN Mini-Card for Dell Vostro 1500/ 1710 Laptops : Wireless/WiFi : Small & Medium Business

Dell : Dell Wireless 1505 Draft 802.11n WLAN Mini Card for Dell Latitude : Wireless/WiFi : Home & Home Office

Obviously the first one is twice as expensive, but twice the ratings... why is that?

IMHO the 802.11n standard is a confusing one because it encompasses both single-band and dual-band implementations, so comparing two "802.11n" devices can be like comparing apples to oranges, as is the case here.

The first card you list is dual-band, while the second appears to be single-band. Prior to 802.11n, only 802.11a used the 5GHz band, and since 11a devices are few and far between, that part of the spectrum is relatively unpopulated right now. Plus, the 5GHz band has far more non-overlapping channels than the 2.4GHz b/g band, and is free from interference from things like cordless phones.

So, all other things being equal, a connection which is able to utilize the 5GHz band will tend to be faster than a 2.4GHz connection at this time. Of course, that's likely to become less of an advantage as more and more dual-band devices come on line, but with the extra spectrum available it will take a while to become as congested as 802.11b/g is these days.

So in summary, the first card should give you slightly better results now, and is a better investment for the future.

And is there a way of either making another [SD card] (or a USB Flash Drive) internal?

Yes, but it involves hardware modification. If you're handy with a soldering iron, several sets of instructions can be found around here somewhere.

[theMACdaddy]

great explanation thank you!

and yeah i am pretty experienced with soldering, just for the computer ive attached the touchscreen to the underside of the USB port.

[reflex]

Originally Posted by theMACdaddy

EDIT: Also any specific SDHC cards? Some are better than others...

I think SanDisk cards are the best, and their Extreme 30MBps cards are the fastest SDHC cards. But since they're expensive, I opted for a slower Kingston 8GB class 6. I've been happy with it.

[bsoplinger1]

I'd second the SuperTalent suggestion for a SSD but that wouldn't work if you add the SDHC reader internally or a hub/touchscreenl. My sig has a link to the thread on the internal SDHC card.