Windows 7 is easy to install
Depiste this article by Gizmodo Windows 7 RC1 is amazingly easy to install on a netbook – at least a Dell Mini 9 with an 8Gb HD and 2 Gb RAM. It was so easy I failed to find enough information about the process to put in a blog post. The Gizmodo article above forced me into a corner.
Here is my post on installig the Beta on a Dell Mini 9. Replace each instance of the word “Beta” with “RC1″ and you have the RC1 installation guide for a netbook. So you dont have to go through the difficult task of clicking the above link … here are the steps:
Setup
- Dell Mini 9
- 8Gb SSD
- 2Gb RAM
- Xbox 360 USB HD DVD ROM
Step 1: Download the Beta RC1 install .ISO and key here here. You have until Feb. 10. Do not download to your Mini, use a computer with more storage space and a DVD burner.
Step 2: Burn .ISO to DVD. Vista has a reasonable built in .ISO burning utility. Or you can use Nero or any other utility.
Step 3: Attached your external USB DVD ROM to your Mini.
Step 4: Boot from the DVD and follow installation instructions.
Installation on the Mini takes about 30 – 40 minutes. I’ve run it twice. On more powerful systems with more disk space the installation is about 20 minutes.
After installation, on a similar 8GB SSD setup, you should have about 1GB of storage space left. 
If you dont have an external DVD … get one, they are a *great* resource if you have a netbook; Here is one for $44. You can also grab the Xbox 360 HD DVD player for about the same price. Its USB and what I use.
An installation tip would be to format the drive at install to wipe off your old OS, etc.
