Netbook hacking

The Wind was a great companion device: I use an iMac in the office, so when I got home the dumbed-down, lightweight netbook was perfect for web surfing, chatting and general unwinding. But over time the problems started surfacing. Like Wired. Second, the software issues. Seeing as this netbook was hacked to run OS X, of course it didn't work perfectly.

I accepted that, and with some tweaks I got most software utilities working properly. But while I was traveling in Europe, my netbook's Wi-Fi suddenly stopped working. Compared to full-size laptops, netbooks are low-powered and have limited feature sets. Winter, who runs his burgeoning business on his netbook, is known for his remarkable netbook-mod stunts. He once sold an Asus Eee PC netbook sporting every mod you can imagine : A 7-inch touchscreen, Air Play for transmitting FM radio, an overclocked processor, a Bluetooth adapter — and the list keeps on going.

DIY Devices, an up-and-coming electronics store, is planning to sell a kit called the Aeeeris , which will convert netbooks into tablets.

Though a kit makes the procedure sound easy, converting a clamshell netbook into a tablet is considered an extreme mod — it's not for the faint of heart. In theory, it should be. In theory, you should be able to purchase any old miniature wireless card, pop off the back of the netbook, do a quick shuffle of components, and enjoy the increased functionality and speed of the new card.

When purchasing a replacement Wi-Fi card, you need to know whether your netbook can support a full-height or half-height card. To verify this, remove the back of the netbook and look for the existing Wi-Fi card. A full-height card is long and rectangular, almost like the shape of an SD Card for a camera.

In contrast, a half-height card is stubbier—it resembles the shape of a CompactFlash card or, for that matter, a full-height Wi-Fi card cut in half vertically. As for the specific brand of Wi-Fi card, there is no hard-and-fast rule to determine what will be compatible with your particular netbook model.

Gently disconnect those wires, undo the screws holding the card in place, and remove the card from the slot. Insert the new card, reinsert the screws to tighten it into position, and reconnect the two antenna wires—note, however, that the specific card you buy will dictate whether you should reverse the wires as compared with their positions on the original card. Overclocking represents the pinnacle of system upgrades that an average user can perform without physically deconstructing the netbook.

Other netbooks are a bit more flexible in this regard. Users of earlier Asus Eee PC models can pick up the Eeectl utility, which permits them to alter the frontside bus within Windows and, consequently, up the speed of the processor. Still, these are waters best navigated carefully—or not at all, lest you turn your netbook into a doorstop.

Some of the crazier upgrades you can perform on netbooks, including the Dell Mini 9, are detailed enough to warrant their own multipage articles. The sky is the limit. Make sure you get the very edge of the page—that way the mark will show through even when the book is shut. Grown ups, feel free to use this hack for work too. This trick is pretty handy for absolutely anyone.

What do you think of this nifty notebook trick? Will it be changing the way you take notes? Tell us in the comments below! Sign In Sign Up.