How-To: Upgrade Your Netbook, Easily

[Guest]

Pep up your dumbed-down netbook with these easy projects: upgrade RAM, get a bigger hard disk, and add SD flash memory. Trust us, this is easy.

How-To: Upgrade Your Netbook, Easily : Read more

 

[jlee0585]

ActiveMP made a similar set of tutorials as videos for the EeePC and the Mini 9. You might want to check it out.

Here are the links:
http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TciyrKjLfU (EeePC)
http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARz6GbQnCwg (Mini 9)

Btw, you might want to remove the batteries before you remove and replace any internal parts. Just to be safe. ActiveMP also sells SSD replacements so you might want to check them out.

 

[mikestech]

I upgraded my Dell Mini 9 from the stock 8GB SSD to the 64GB Runcore SSD. I noticed a significant performance improvement. It's amazing what this little machine can do with a fast SSD and 2GB of RAM. I even occassionaly use it for video editing in Sony Vegas 9.

Mike
http/solidstatedrivehome.com

 

[Guest]

I recently upgraded the hard disk in my Toshiba Satellite pro that had a 60 GB hard drive, with a Seagate 320GB 7200.3 drive. The disk cloning process I did using the DOS version of Seagates Seatools. In all I managed to complete the cloning and disk changeover in 40 minutes. It runs like a dream and is detectably faster in operation.

Seatools is free, fast, small and relatively simple to use with a nice GUI in DOS. I have to admit I have tweaked the basic DOS configuration to recognise USB drives.

 

[mr_tuel]

Total cost of a netbook plus upgrades is > buying a full size laptop that is more powerful to begin with.

 

[aspireonelover]

another netbook article with the aspire one left out. what is this?

 

[Guest]

Well, mr_tuel, if you want to lug around 5 or 6 lbs with an optical drive you rarely use, feel free to carry your large, awkward full-size laptop. Size, portability and low weight are why these little beauties are such hot sellers. I just bought a 1000HE and love it.

 

[Luscious]

2GB ram upgrades are a no-brainer at $25. I'm anticipating Win7 will replace XP as the de-facto Windows OS for netbooks.

Not all netbooks come with 2.5" drives, and finding replacements for 1.8" models or units that use proprietary connectors/cradles will create trouble. Not all netbook hard drives are as easy to get to either.

Bumping up storage and ram won't do much though if you need more performance or a higher-res display. I was lucky to grab a HP 2133 last year that's still working well for me, but I'm eager to trade up to a Pinetrail unit as soon as Intel gets its act together.

 

[jn77]

Ok, so I have had a Toshiba NB-205 for about 4 weeks now and I have upgraded it to 2gb, a 500gb 7200rpm drive, and Windows 7 RC. ( I understand that these are not suppose to be "Notebooks") but I want to know if there is any way to get around the 2gb ram limit.

Is it a bios update, is it tied to the hardware, what will happen if I get a 4gb module to put in the netbook?

 

[michaelahess]

I've got a Mini 9 with the same 32GB SDD you guys used. Also have a touchscreen, gps, 8GB SD card, and an internal 4GB microSD card/reader. I use OS X almost exclusively for it and it works wonderfully. The stock 4GB SSD sucked and would pause at random. i've had no issues with speed on this guy. Best most usable laptop I've ever had. I always bring my normal laptop with but hardly ever use it except for work.

 

[etittel]

Thanks for all the great comments and pointers. As for 4 GB in the netbooks, everything I've researched seems to indicate that Intel limits RAM to 2 GB as part of the Atom chipset/motherboard design specs. That said, I'm buying a couple of 4 GB SO-DIMMs for another machine of mine and will definitely pop one into either or both of these netbooks to see what happens. If they work or not, either way I'll report back here.

As for the Aspire omission: I purchased both of these netbooks with my own hard-earned cash. The chancellor of the exchequer--my wife, that is--forbade me to purchase a 3rd netbook for cost reasons. If you want to loan me your Aspire, I'll gladly make the upgrades and photograph them, then return it to you exactly as it was sent to me (and cover shipping both ways). I wanted to get one of those, and a Samsung, and a ..., but "you can't always get what you want."

Thanks again to one and all,
--Ed--

 

[Guest]

So I have a Dell Mini 9 and wanted to upgrade my SSD. Bought 40GB Intel SSD (part number N82E16820167039 on NE) and put it in. The netbook won't even POST. The backlight just flashes once and all the LEDs go out. I'm suspecting the drive uses way too much power. I tested the netbook, it works fine without an SSD and with the original one.

Any thoughts and ideas? Please help.

 

[etittel]

Gee, I can't tell you anything about this. I've never even seen this drive, let alone tried it in a Mini 9. However, I live in Round Rock, and have access to several friends who work in L3 Tech Support for Dell. E-mail me at ed@edtittel.com and I'll put you in touch with one of those guys. If they don't know off the top of their heads, they can find out.
HTH,
--Ed--

 

[Guest]

I am pretty sure the Dell Mini 9 cannot boot from SD according to my research. Anyone had any luck getting it to do so? Also if you have, can you also boot ubuntu?

Cheers!