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Every now and again someone will ask me whether one netbook or another has a backlit keyboard. No. Pretty much no matter which netbook you’re talking about, the answer is no, it does not have a backlit keyboard. Netbooks are, by definition, cheap laptops. And that’s a premium feature that you’re not likely to find in a cheap laptop anytime soon.

But that doesn’t mean that there’s no hope for anyone that wants to use their netbook in the dark. MyDellMini user vrg3 came up with an interesting solution. He opened up his Dell Mini 9 netbook and added a LED into the bezel near the webcam. Then he wired it up so that he could turn the light on and off by resizing and holding the Ctrl key.

In the end, it’s probably easier just to carry a flashlight around with you and shine it on the keyboard. But if you’re cool with drilling holes in your netbook and voiding your warranty, hit up the MyDellMini forum for details and more photos.

via Lifehacker