You may notice there is a slight naming and style change with the this guide. I’m trying to trim out all of the useless fluff, especially since I can’t write a one-size-fits-all-netbooks guide without going into too much detail. I’m also preparing to convert the guide over to a wiki format so that other users can pitch in with corrections and handy articles without my intervention. That part is still in the works, but for now this will do.

The donation page has been updated, I’m not taking PayPal donations anymore but I do have some other ways to payback, check the page for details. I decided that with the neglect this site has been under I shouldn’t accept money donations until there is substantial work done here again.

And for anyone wondering how the 1012 handles OS X: it works, but… meh. I still prefer the 10v experience. The 1012 could get better soon with meklort’s further development, but for now the 10v is better.

Please make sure to follow every warning and detail, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not attempt to contact me if you are using a dowloaded/torrented/pirated/illegitimate version of Mac OS X, it wastes time for both of us and I will eventually find out since they don’t work with my guides.

I held on to it for so long because it actually has a little sentimental value to me. It was my first netbook, and my first real “hackintosh” (I hate that word). It served me so well up until I upgraded, otherwise I would still be using it today. I wrote many of my beginning guides on its somewhat cramped keyboard, and without it I wouldn’t be in the glorious world of Mac OS X so heavily as I am today.

Feel free to bid on it. And as a bonus for those reading on this blog, I still have the Apple logo pasted over the Dell Logo on the lid, I can keep it there if you want and you are the winning bidder.

I’ve also made a few adjustments to the NetbookInstaller 1 guide, and guide 3 has been updated to reflect the newer NetbookCD 0.8.3 RC3 ISO that has just been uploaded. Go check it out, have fun, and of course leave your comments or e-mails about your experience with these new updates.

Good news on that front, though: meklort has been working on making the NetbookBootMaker app into a cross-platform program that will run not only on Mac OS X but also on Windows and Linux. I will try to create a guide before then, but once that new app is out everything could change. No time table on the new version, and don’t ask me, I’m not directly involved in the development.

Well today I just managed to find a technique to trim off that extra Boot Camp junk so that Windows users can use any 8GB flash drive! I had to use an additional piece of software, HFS Explorer, along with TransMac. It isn’t obvious at all how to accomplish this, but if you are like me you will probably smack your head when you see how easy it actually is. Look for the guide this coming week!

Oh, and sorry if I haven’t replied to e-mails. I’ll catch up tonight.

Original Post:

I posted this at MyDellMini yesterday, but I could use all the help I can get. I have attempted to create a new boot CD for those who install Mac OS X from an external DVD drive, the only problem is that I don’t have an external drive to test it with! This would be helpful also to the Windows folks once I get all the kinks worked out. Please let me know how it goes! Link: http://osx.mechdrew.com/downloads/testnbbmcd.iso

1. The event will be on September 8th, not the 9th: Come on, Apple’s very keen on Tuesdays. I don’t see why all of a sudden they’re going to change the day. Just a logical assumption. Update 2: Wrong again! It will be September 9th.

2. The will be no iTablet: Sorry to burst any bubbles, but the iTablet/iPad/HugePod/etc. is a dream that has been around way too long. Granted, the iPhone was rumored forever too, and eventually Apple fulfilled that dream, but I see no real good reason for an iTablet to exist at this time.

3. Big surprise, the iPods will receive updates: This is, after all, the iPod event that happens every year. iPhone in June, iPods in September. With a few exceptions, such as the Shuffle update a few months back, the iPod line is updated at this time of year. Since the Shuffle just got an overhaul, the only contenders left are the Classic, Touch, and nano. I think the rumors are accurate about the nano and Touch receiving cameras. I expect a storage increase and/or price drop for those two as well, with the iPod Classic dropping to $199. Since the Touch actually beat out the iPhone last year performance-wise, I would expect it to at least match, if not outperform, it’s cellular brother, including the graphics and processor speed. There’s no better way to trump Microsoft’s Zune HD than to come out with a new version the week before, and at a cheaper price to boot!

4. iPhone OS 3.1: It’s been in beta for a while, why not? Everyone knows about it, they just need to make it final. Get those kinks out before the competitors device is launched, right?

5. Mac OS X Snow Leopard released: It’s gone gold master already, and Google recently archived a Mac Box Set for the new OS, so why not use a big event to actually launch it? [Update: Apple announced already that Snow Leopard is coming out on August 28th. Guess I was predictiing too much for the even anyway.] And speaking of which…

6. Mac hardware updates: June may have seen a refresh of the MacBook Pro line, but September’s back-to-school focus also gives Apple a chance to push out updates. There are probably no big announcements for the Mac line, unless the regular MacBook suddenly gets black back or some other new trick. But there should be some tweaks in store for Snow Leopard.

7. Steve Jobs: …maybe in the flesh, but I’m guessing he won’t actually host the event. If he is there, he’ll most likely come out for a big product announcement and/or the “One More Thing” at the end. Then again he could just do another iChat appearance…

8. Other oddities: Beatles and iTunes? Maybe, sure, why not, but why all of a sudden now? And this whole Cocktail album goodies stuff… meh. I’m really not sure that extra pics and such are a high priority to most of the iTunes user base, so I can’t see Apple investing too much into it. But I could see an iTunes 9 release.

So there you have it! You can agree or disagree with me, but we’ll all know in less than three weeks!