A quick chat with Dell support and [...]]]> I recently wrote about some issues I’ve had with my Dell Mini 9. Since I received my Mini its had issues with the keyboard, primarily that the spacebar wouldn’t respond. Something I’ve heard several other people say; leading me to believe it’s a flaw in the design.

A quick chat with Dell support and a new keyboard was on the way. Shipped FedEx Priority Overnight no less.

I ordered my Mini within hours of it being released, so it’s a fairly early unit. When I received the new keyboard I was rather disappointed to see the it was marked “A00″ – which is Dell-speak for version 1.0. So obviously when I saw that, it was a bit frustrating. What’s the point in replacing a flawed keyboard with another flawed keyboard?

After removing the existing keyboard I found something I really didn’t expect; the existing keyboard was marked “A02.” So my early model Mini has the newer keyboard! So, let’s take a quick look at what we know so far:

• A00 – This keyboard has the same layout as the A02; the keys are printed a bit darker making it harder to see in low light. The keys are a bit stiffer when you press them, and all the keys seem to respond reliably.
• A01 – I’ve yet to see any information on this one, though we must assume it exists.
• A02 – This version has brighter printing on the keys though seems to have a defect affecting at least the spacebar and perhaps other keys. Pressing the keys, they feel somewhat cheep or flimsy.

These details are for the US-English, 61 key layout,  Dell part # M958H. There is also an US-International version (U061H) floating around with a somewhat different layout that some people may prefer.

Though I don’t like how dark the Aoo keyboard is, it does seem to correct the issue with the keyboard missing presses. The process of changing the keyboard only takes a few minutes and the instructions cover everything you need to know.

It’s a simple but vital key, and very frustrating when it ignores you. There seems to be a common issue on the early Mini’s with the space bar sometimes ignoring [...]]]> So far I love my Dell Mini 9; it’s a great laptop. Though from the day I received it there’s been a problem. The space bar.

It’s a simple but vital key, and very frustrating when it ignores you. There seems to be a common issue on the early Mini’s with the space bar sometimes ignoring input. Depending on just where you hit the key, it likely won’t register.

Today I was finally fed up and contacted Dell support. After chatting with a technician for about five minutes he agreed to send me a replacement keyboard. Simple, painless, fast.

If you’ve got a Dell Mini, I’d advise getting the new keyboard – not only is the space bar issue corrected; but I’m hearing that a couple keys have been moved to more useful positions.

Update: See my comment below for the latest updates.

I’m not going to promise you’ll [...]]]> Wow! It’s been over a year since this blog o’ mine has seen any activity, though I’ve certainly not forgot about it. A lot has happened in the last year, so I’ll use this post as a bit of an update (and a warm-up for my return to blogging).

I’m not going to promise you’ll see a new post daily as was once the case, though I’ll try to ensure something new is up at least once a week.

Life – It’s been an exciting year; I’ve moved into a new house, now engaged (the big day is in May), and I’m now driving a Mazda CX-7. There’s a lot more, but I’ll not bore you with too many details.

The house is a restored 1880′s farmhouse that has some great history. Buying a house is an adventure, especially in this market. Scary might be a better word. The only real problem, is much like Jeff’s (of 37signals fame), it’s in the middle of nowhere. My solution for the Internet issue was to sign up for Satellite Internet; it’s laggy but it works.

The new ride replaced my ’07 Jetta (which was a great car), the CX-7 has lots of power (244 HP), full-time all-wheel drive, and a very sporty feel. It’s a great car, and for a mid-size SUV it does pretty well on fuel.

Hosting – When I last posted I had been with RadicalV for a few weeks shy of four years. When I left they were pretty much falling apart – downtime was common, no support at all, and numerous other issues. Once I moved to the next host, it took them three months to cancel the account and stop billing me. It started out as the best host I’d ever used, and ended as the worst. My understanding is that the company was sold since then, so hopefully things have improved for their remaining customers.

After leaving RadicalV, I went a fairly new (at the time) host, HostingRails. I was mostly happy with them; great service, reasonable prices, and the very latest of everything. The major downside though was the server loads. It wasn’t uncommon for the load to be so high that it was grinding to a halt. Great service but it seems they are pretty over-sold.

And now? I’m currently on Servage because of its clustered environment and low prices. As time goes on, I’ll post updates on how this one works out.

Computers – My primary laptop has changed from my trusty Acer to the ultra mobile Dell Mini 9. At just over two pounds and up to four hours of battery life, it’s a carry anywhere on the go  type system. It’s great.

It’s not the cheapest of the so called netbooks, but with a little work it’s a great system. I’m running Windows 2008 Server with the Desktop Experience Pack. When configured correctly, it’s a killer system.

Work – I’m still at the same company, though my responsibilities have changed. I’ve crossed the line into management. I’ve often heard the joke that managing developers is more like herding cats – it’s quite true.

This Site – I’ve upgraded the site to the latest beta release of WordPress, 2.7 Beta 3. What does this mean for you? Not too much, it did allow me to add a ‘Tags‘ page, but most of the changes are behind the scenes. If you have a blog, I highly recommend you upgrade. I upgraded from 2.2 and it was quite painless.

I’ll be posting on management styles and tools and tricks soon.

So, there we go – I think we’re all caught up now.