[venin]

I think dell shouldve allowed the monitor to be pushed further back and use bigger rubber pads underneath instead (so the mini9 doesnt rest on the monitor).

Can someone find out how to do this? If you snap of the bezel surrounding the screen (read the service manuals) you get access to the hinges. It takes about a minute to pop off the bezel and doesnt require anything else than your fingers.

I think it should be easy for someone a bit more technical than me to find out whats preventing the screen to go further back, and how to mod it.

Having two bigger rubber pads underneath the mini9 doesnt really reduce the mini's portability. Anyone up for it?

[newbs]

I just got my mini, and this is one of my only complaints. Is there a technical reason that Dell used this kind of a hinge?

It would be nice to have the screen open wider because right now, with it fully open and sitting in my lap, I don't have a good viewing angle on the screen. Also, because the screen drops down, it means that any extended battery will have to extend further "down", rather than "back".

What I'd really like to see is a laptop with the battery towards the front edge. One of the problems of the Asus eee machines is that while the screen opens up much more, the weight distribution is off, and the eee 901 will topple over backwards. If the battery weer in front, it would tend to keep the laptops stable when the screen is open to a large angle. Also, I know I'm in the minority, but I prefer to have a negative incline on my keyboards, so having an extended battery at the front that stuck out downwards would be nice.

Hope all of the front/back/up/down orientation makes sense...

[venin]

Originally Posted by newbs

Is there a technical reason that Dell used this kind of a hinge?

I guess its a design matter. IMO it looks prettier than what Asus did with their EEE PCs. It also makes it possible to have a "deep" lid. With hinges like EEE the lid has to be shorter than the main case. And then there wouldnt be room for e.g. speakers at the bottom of the screen.

[Dell Extraordinaire]

It can be a little annoying, but in the end I prefer the design.

The 'hidden' hinges look nice and are generally stronger.

[venin]

Yeah, but they couldve made it go back further and use bigger rubbed pads like I suggested.

[910 GT]

Even though the battery is in the back its still weihgted to the front. Move the screen a little to the front and pick the front of the mini up. It still return to the sitting position with quite a bit of frontal weight. It definitely doesnt feel like its going to topple over backwards. I think its very well balanced for Dell's first try at a UMPC. My only complaints with the screen are the very limited viewing angles. It reminds me of my creative zen vision.

[Dell Extraordinaire]

Originally Posted by venin

Yeah, but they couldve made it go back further and use bigger rubbed pads like I suggested.

Sorry to say, but you sure are in the minority here when it comes to the rubber feet and the screen. I think the rubber feet are perfect - anthing bigger and it would start sticking into other things in my bag, notably my back!

[strider_mt2k]

Originally Posted by venin

Yeah, but they couldve made it go back further and use bigger rubbed pads like I suggested.

Mod the thing yourself then!

Post pics!

[venin]

Originally Posted by Dell Extraordinaire

Sorry to say, but you sure are in the minority here when it comes to the rubber feet and the screen. I think the rubber feet are perfect - anthing bigger and it would start sticking into other things in my bag, notably my back!

Every time I put the computer down on a table I actually hit the screen lid, because I hold it in one hand while doing so. This causes the lid to get scratches over time. Also, bigger rubbers work fine on other netbooks without anyone complaining.

BTW: Its never the majority that wants to mod their laptops.

Originally Posted by strider_mt2k

Mod the thing yourself then!

Duhh, what do you think the meaning of this thread is? Read first post again please.

[strider_mt2k]

Originally Posted by venin

Duhh, what do you think the meaning of this thread is? Read first post again please.

Actually the post starts with a plea for someone else to come up with the mod.

My response was that they should up with one themselves.

To me it smacks of oh, being entirely in context.

What exactly is the problem here?

EDIT
In the interest of doing something constructive here, allow me to suggest a strip of tape or some other durable material along the back edge where it might rest and some large self-adhesive rubber feet for the front, either the kind you can find at Radio Shack or a hardware store.

Short of cutting apart your Mini 9 to modify it yourself (or asking others to it for you) you have few options.