Dell cans its Mini 9 Netbook

Dell's Mini 9's color array included pink.

(Credit: Dell)

Dell has stopped selling 8.9-inch Netbooks, focusing instead on ones with slightly larger screens.

Visitors to Dell's U.K. Web site earlier on Monday found the Mini Netbook page displaying the phrase "Available in 8.9" but no actual options for buying the Mini 9 model. The site focused instead on Dell's Mini 10 and 10v Netbooks.

U.S.-based tech site Engadget noted that a customer service representative in the U.S. had confirmed the "end of life" of the Mini 9.

Dell is the latest Netbook manufacturer to move away from 8.9-inch-screen devices. It appears that most consumers prefer screen sizes measuring 10 inches and above, despite the fact that such devices have the same screen resolution as their smaller kin.

Dell's Mini 9 can still be bought through Vodafone, which bundles the Netbook with a monthly mobile broadband subscription over a two-year contract.

David Meyer of ZDNet UK reported from London.

[faceless128]

looks like consumers have spoken.

[paulreid99]

That's funny. I just bought an Asus Eee PC with an 8.9" screen and I absolutely love it. The 10" just isn't as portable.

[vikinzer]

You can still purchase this laptop through the ubuntu page. I don't know how long before this oversight will be fixed, but for the moment it's still there.

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/linux_3x?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

[rdupuy11]

its ashame for me, because I definately prefer the smaller screen. I find that if its not ultaportable, then I don't actually carry it around.

[cassoftroy]

I have the 8.9 and I love it. I need it for portability and its lightweight. Oh well. Glad I got mine when I did.

[jimdorst]

My Dell Mini 9 is a killer hackintosh, other threads note that the larger Dell netbooks are not compatible with OSX. Personally, I think Dell is making a mistake, but that's nothing new.

[nutzareus]

I like my Dell Mini 9 netbook. Anything larger then it's no longer a netbook, might as well be a low-end laptop. I use mine for web browsing and remote desktop access, that's it. No need for Office or other bloatware.

[NWLB]

Dell makes Netbooks?

I like the 8.9 inch Acer I have. Indeed, I experience little problem at all with a smaller screen. The overall form factor is all I am concerned about.

[dfrossar]

The size and form-factor of the Mini 9 were fine for my taste (make the thing 3/4 inch thick and it would be more than fine). However, the keyboard, though of sufficient size, had so many relocated keys I couldn't touch type on it. The Mini 10, 12 (and rumored 11) solve that problem.

I'm in the market for one of those three ... just as soon as I can get 2GB RAM, >600 pixels vertical resolution, and VGA out.

[ikramerica--2008]

Soon people will want 11". And 12". And 13". This is how original laptops got so big and heavy in the first place. Because consumers "demanded" them that way.

Consumers will start to see the netbook as a true computer, not just a web computer, and wonder why it's so slow compared to other, larger models that cost only slightly more.

The Netbook craze is going to slow die down. Already we are seeing it plateau at 20% of overall sales.

[veggiedude--2008]

"Dell's Mini 9 can still be bought through Vodafone, which bundles the Netbook with a monthly mobile broadband subscription over a two-year contract."

Or if you use the iPhone analogy of factoring in the to year contract, it works out to be one hell of an expensive netbook!