Just got back from a 2 week vacation. I had my notebook from work for work things but the rest was done on the Mini 9. Let’s break it down per situations.
The wait at the airport was all about having access to an AC outlet and WiFi. Not having either really deminishes the experience. Lil girl did watch a couple of episodes of Berenstain Bears. Among a big notebooks around, a netbook in the hands of a kid did turned some heads.
The flight was okay but the sitting position turns out to be really bad for looking down at a screen. This is not so much a problem with the Mini 9 or any netbook but a problem for all devices be it notebooks, netbooks, handhelds (PSP, DS, iTouch, etc.). I could barely watch a movie without getting some serious neck pain. I think what would really help would be one of those funky visor monitor type thingy. Beyond the viewing position, the real problem is battery life. The battery of the Mini 9 is still too short. Something is the neighborhood of 6 to 9 hours would help a lot.
I played navigator during the drive to and from various places. Not having 3G or any other connectivity made it not as useful as a real time tool. What I ended up doing was preping the travel route and grabbing the maps from Google prior to the drive. It really becomes a 2 handed operation, definately not practical for single traveler. A GPS navigation device is way more practical in that regard.
Actually I did tried a router software that turn my Windows Mobile phone into a router. I was able to get data connection from the Mini 9 via Bluetooth to my phone. The problem is the operation drain the phone’s battery so fast that it couldn’t have lasted longer than a couple of h0urs. So far, the recurring issue with everything seems to be battery life.
Connection at the hotel was fine. With AC power and WiFi, the Mini 9 functioned like a regular notebook. The user experience is no different. Nothing worth talking about there.
One thing did stand out is that the light weight allows me to carry this puppy with me everywhere I go. Mind you I had no intention of using it in Disneyland but it is more of a concern with the hotel room’s security. When you can’t take a chance with losing the machine and carrying an 6 or 8 pound beast sounds like dreadful idea, this light weight shines through. (Yes, I had to check in my work ntoebook into a safe at the hotel front desk daily just so nothing happens to it.) The bag checkers at Disneyland actually recognizes us after seeing the Mini 9 so many days in a row.
As we wait in line for the rides, many times we wanted to look things up, Disneyland facts, ride info, restaurant reservations, etc. The fact of the matter is that as small as this computer is, it is still unwieldy in public. It is still not convenient enough to use in a non-sit down environment.
There is still a distinct gap between the sit down computer and the hand held. The netbooks, this Mini 9 included, is one step closer in the right direction but sadly it is not it.I dare say that none of the netbooks today fill that gap. The only thing that came close is UMPC the likes of OQO. While OQO really wanted to replace the full size computer with a equally capable mini size one, the netbook phenomenon seems to demonstrate that the that premise was not quite right. What people want is something portable, usable on-the-go, while standing up, even if it is less powerful. I don’t this gap will be filled until netbooks turned into nettablets with 3G type connectivity. It is not here yet, but we’ll see it within the next few years.
Oh by the way, not having dedicated Home, PgUp, PgDn, and End keys makes it really hard to surf the web.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Dell Mini 9, travel
