[NadiaChapko]

Hi,

I am possibly going to be getting a netbook for school soon and after much searching and forum reading I've come to the conclusion that the Dell Mini 10v would be the optimal computer for installing OSX on. I am a Mac lover but just don't have the money for a Macbook.

I guess I just wanted to know the community's opinions on my situation because this would be my only computer and I want to know all the facts first. I am completely new to Hackintoshes but I have read a lot of guides and I think I could get through formatting the thumb drive and installing OSX.

I would like to run Firefox or Chrome (haven't decided), iWork, and Skype mainly. I would also love if VLC, Transmission, iTunes, and Garageband (I am a musician) would be compatible but could live without them if I had to. Which of those would work well? How much of a processor load can this little computer handle on the Atom N280 and how fast is it while running OSX? Which version of OSX would be best to run?

Finally, I heard that a lot of people were having issues with the nonstandard screen resolution. Is there any way to fix that?

[Side.Step.Society]

GarageBand is likely the only application you'll run into problems with of those. You can use it, but you'll need an external monitor.

[JnC]

As you try to locate a source for a 10v, you might find help in this thread:

Can't find Dell mini 10v

J

[NadiaChapko]

Thanks, guys that helps. I am going to have access to Leopard 10.5 discs for install. Would those work with this guide?:

Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2 on Dell Mini 10v Guide

If not, can you recommend one? How do I update to the highest version of 10.5?

[Side.Step.Society]

I'd suggest spending $30 on Snow Leopard. Leopard will work, but it's no longer being supported by the developers of NBI. Snow Leopard is also slightly less resource hungry than Leopard, and in my opinion, is better than Leopard overall.

[JnC]

Originally Posted by NadiaChapko

Thanks, guys that helps. I am going to have access to Leopard 10.5 discs for install. Would those work with this guide?:

Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2 on Dell Mini 10v Guide

If not, can you recommend one? How do I update to the highest version of 10.5?

Would it work? I haven't a clue, but I suspect not - it says Snow Leopard.
If you must use Leopard, and I can't see why you would go that route, do take a look at this guide: NetbookInstaller 1 (Leopard): USB Installation via Mac | Guides | OS X | mechdrew
mechdrew is the best!

Originally Posted by Side.Step.Society

I'd suggest spending $30 on Snow Leopard. Leopard will work, but it's no longer being supported by the developers of NBI. Snow Leopard is also slightly less resource hungry than Leopard, and in my opinion, is better than Leopard overall.

Ditto!

J

[underwhelmed]

Using the Mechdrew method you could install 10.5, if you have a retail disc.

Leopard support is scheduled to be dropped from the next version of NBI/NBM, so if you are going to install 10.5, do it now.

I would just spend $30 on a Snow Leopard disc.

[wigwoman]

I bought one a few weeks ago and it was really easy to hackintosh.

[krs9999]

Just a word of caution -
If this is your only computer, I would be very hesitant in getting a Hackintosh.
There are always little but maybe important things that don't work properly.

I'm actually amazed how close the Mini 10V with SL gets to the Mac, but the small display and keyboard are getting to me - so is the track pad.
As an additional portable Mac it's great, but there are 'quirks', for example, I cannot access many of my bookmarks in the bookmark bar because the secondary folders opening from the drop down list doen't automatically switch to the opposite side like on the Mac when there is no display space left on the right.
For this there is a work around (yet) but for the next 'quirk' there may not be.

Have you looked at getting a used MacBook instead - it may cost $100 more, well less than that extra if you have to buy Snow Leopard and an 8 GB USB stick, and you get a much better and bigger display, better keyboard and trackpad, better speakers if that matters.

[underwhelmed]

Originally Posted by krs9999

Just a word of caution -
If this is your only computer, I would be very hesitant in getting a Hackintosh.
There are always little but maybe important things that don't work properly.

I'm actually amazed how close the Mini 10V with SL gets to the Mac, but the small display and keyboard are getting to me - so is the track pad.
As an additional portable Mac it's great, but there are 'quirks', for example, I cannot access many of my bookmarks in the bookmark bar because the secondary folders opening from the drop down list doen't automatically switch to the opposite side like on the Mac when there is no display space left on the right.
For this there is a work around (yet) but for the next 'quirk' there may not be.

Have you looked at getting a used MacBook instead - it may cost $100 more, well less than that extra if you have to buy Snow Leopard and an 8 GB USB stick, and you get a much better and bigger display, better keyboard and trackpad, better speakers if that matters.

I bought my mini 9 specifically so I could Hackintosh it. This was back in the DellEFI/
$140 Leopard Retail days. It took me about an hour to complete. I used it for a couple of hours and decided I will not be going back to Windows again.

The browser issues you have are with Camino? How many use that browser? Firefox works flawlessly here. I'm not a fan of Safari, it got buggy back around version 4 on all my macs, both Hackintoshes and actual Apple hardware.

I hate the track pad on the 10v, the one on the mini 9 is much better, but the keyboard and screen are even more compact on it.

Even with those issues, mine has been my only computer, used everyday for the past year plus. I have several old macs( cubes, G4 desktops and an old 12" iBook) but the mini is perfect for me.

I thoroughly enjoy having a very small computer I can relax in a chair and use while watching TV, or use to quickly boot up at work during breaks and check my email, or even read books on using the Kindle for Mac application from Amazon. The small size and light weight make it great to haul around. The low price of the thing means if it gets beat up, I have a spare waiting to go.

Audio is never an issue for me, I never use it unless I am watching an online video or listening to Pandora. I don't need a microphone at all, and the mini 9's speakers are much better than the 10v's in any event.

Just my 2 cents.