Dell Mini 10v + Google Chromium OS = A Winning Combination
I read with interest the project that those at Dell have done and how they were able to install Google Chromium OS on a Dell Mini 10v. What was also interesting is that Dell was also providing a download link to the Google Chromium OS and instruction on how to install it. That part is fairly simple and straight forward. My problem was where do I find a Dell Mini 10v to try this on? If I found a Mini who would let me install the OS on their system?
Desperate times require desperate choices. Maybe I could ‘borrow’ a Mini v10 from a retailer for a test drive. If I image the drive on a new Mini I can then play with Chromium, than re-image the drive back. This guy is good! LOL So I finally get my hands on a Dell Mini 10v and get Chromium installed. I followed Dell’s direction they had posted on the download site. Thank you Dell. Your directions were right on.
So what we have is Ubuntu 9.10 Light for lack of a better description. Google gave the folks at Canonical the spec’s they wanted and it seems they got what they wanted. After you log in the system boots to the Chrome browser with Adobe Flash already installed.
I was able to surf the Internet as I normally would. There was no difference in using Chrome, whether it be Linux based or Windows based that I could discern. There was one big difference from when the Mini booted Windows 7 Starter and Google Chromium OS and that was speed of boot. Chromium OS boots in about 15 seconds. The Chrome browser is fast as well.
I wish I had more time to play with the system, but time wasn’t on my side, since I had to return the Dell Mini. But I can say one thing. This is going to be a fun and simple user experience for those who wish to live in the clouds. 
Comments welcome.
Get Google Chromium OS from Dell here
One Comment
Harry
December 6th, 2009
at 12:21am
Loved the article.
It’s getting closer and closer to being a computer that others would want to buy. However, I hope someone at Google is reading this, because I won’t buy a computer running google’s chromium OS, until 3 conditions are met:
1. The bootup has to be instant on, just like a person turning on a radio or TV these days. You don’t have to wait to have one of those come on, and I don’t want to wait at all for a computer’s os to boot up, not even 15 seconds.
2. I must be able to do everything I can do now, with a windows machine.
3. I also have to have a screen reader built in, so the computer will talk right out of the box, from the moment the computer is turned on, which doesn’t happen today with Windows machines, but since Chromium is an OS that is just getting off the ground, we can put in a screen reader that will talk to the person right when the computer is turned on.
Harry, a blind computer user