5 Aug
2009
5 Aug
'09
9:41 a.m.
Can anyone suggest a decent netbook for use with Linux? I'm looking
for something reasonably priced, with compatible wireless, and
preferably containing a hard drive rather than SSD. It would be nice
to get a "real" resolution instead of 1024x600, but I don't expect
that in a netbook.
Replies can be off-list or on, depending on how interesting you think
this topic might be to other members.
Thanks
John
--
"Object-oriented design is the roman numerals of computing" -- Rob Pike
5 Aug
5 Aug
10:04 a.m.
On Wed, 5 Aug 2009, John Floren wrote:
Can anyone suggest a decent netbook for use with
Linux? I'm looking
for something reasonably priced, with compatible wireless, and
preferably containing a hard drive rather than SSD. It would be nice
to get a "real" resolution instead of 1024x600, but I don't expect
that in a netbook.
Replies can be off-list or on, depending on how interesting you think
this topic might be to other members.
While technically off-topic, I'd be interested in seeing what people have to
say. I assume you want at least the primary keys to be full size? I know
the problem with my Asus eee PC is that the keys are so small.
Zane
10:09 a.m.
On Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 10:04 AM, Zane H. Healy<healyzh at aracnet.com> wrote:
On Wed, 5 Aug 2009, John Floren wrote:
Well, the bigger the keys, the better, but my roommate just bought an
eee PC and the keyboard doesn't seem too bad... however the wireless
is not very compatible, nor is the wired network.
John
--
"Object-oriented design is the roman numerals of computing" -- Rob Pike
Can anyone suggest a decent netbook for use with
Linux? I'm looking
for something reasonably priced, with compatible wireless, and
preferably containing a hard drive rather than SSD. It would be nice
to get a "real" resolution instead of 1024x600, but I don't expect
that in a netbook.
Replies can be off-list or on, depending on how interesting you think
this topic might be to other members.
While technically off-topic, I'd be interested in seeing what people have to
say. ?I assume you want at least the primary keys to be full size? ?I know
the problem with my Asus eee PC is that the keys are so small.
Zane
10:14 a.m.
On Wed, 5 Aug 2009, John Floren wrote:
Well, the bigger the keys, the better, but my roommate
just bought an
eee PC and the keyboard doesn't seem too bad... however the wireless
is not very compatible, nor is the wired network.
I believe the newer ones have larger keyboards than the original ones had.
IIRC, the keys on mine are about 70% of standard size. It is a challenge to
type on. The wireless can definitely be a pain. I haven't had any problem
with the wired ethernet.
Zane
10:41 a.m.
2009/8/5 John Floren <slawmaster at gmail.com>:
Can anyone suggest a decent netbook for use with
Linux? I'm looking
for something reasonably priced, with compatible wireless, and
preferably containing a hard drive rather than SSD. It would be nice
to get a "real" resolution instead of 1024x600, but I don't expect
that in a netbook.
Replies can be off-list or on, depending on how interesting you think
this topic might be to other members.
I use a Thinkpad X31. It was just ?200 (plus ?30 for an Ultrabay
docking station), one year ago, from here:
http://sterlingxs.co.uk/scpages/ibmtoshibalaptops.html
It's a 3-4y old refurbished machine, but was in excellent condition.
It's small and slim, but faster than any Intel Atom or VIA-powered
machine, has a full VGA screen, an excellent full-sized keyboard,
takes standard 2.5" EIDE disks - I put a 160GB drive in mine for ?55 -
and sports CF and Cardbus slots, plus Firewire. In the docking station
I have a DVD, decent stereo speakers and can fit an extra battery for
twice the life.
All this but cheaper than a netbook.
The X41 is even thinner but I believe it can't take 2.5" HDs - I think
it needs 1.8" iPod-style drives, which are dearer and slower and have
a much shorter lifespan..
The X31 runs Linux very nicely. Graphics work, including OpenGL etc. -
slowly. The Ethernet, sound, wireless and Bluetooth all work with
Ubuntu with no extra configuration needed. Mine also runs Debian,
which needed me to load firmware for the WLAN but was otherwise fairly
trouble-free.
My general recommendation is to look for a good price on a 2 or 3 year
old high-spec ultralight laptop, not a netbook, and then max out its
RAM and storage. This will get you a much more capable machine.
Otherwise, well, the new breed of 11" widescreen netbooks look good
to me. Decent screen resolution, full-size or very nearly keyboard,
and slightly faster processors.
E.g.
http://techreport.com/articles.x/17249
Of these 2, I'd go for the Gateway. Less battery life but more CPU power.
--
Liam Proven ? Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/liamproven
Email: lproven at cix.co.uk ? GMail/GoogleTalk/Orkut: lproven at gmail.com
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10:59 a.m.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Liam Proven" <lproven at gmail.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 11:41 AM
Subject: Re: OT: Linux netbooks?
[The ThinkPad X31 is] a 3-4y old refurbished machine, but was in excellent
condition.
It's small and slim, but faster than any Intel Atom or VIA-powered
machine...
===
Faster? I've never used an X31, but I have an Acer notebook with a 1.7 GHz
Pentium M (faster than the 1.3 GHz M that the X31 has) and the Atom N270 at
1.6 GHz that I have in my Acer Aspire One outperforms it. The Atom is a
nice little CPU.
Perhaps there are other reasons for apparent better performance on the X31,
but the CPU isn't the reason.
Jim
1:33 p.m.
I have brough a samsung nc20, those machines have a 12.1" screen with
1280x800 resolution, and what I must say a quiet good keyboard, for a none
thinkpad laptop.
I had one of those 10" asus netbooks, but they are just too small to do
any typing on, everything works out of the box with linux though, nc20
needed a little bit of work to get the powersaving and crypto features of
the via nano cpu working.
Regards Jacob Dahl Pind
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6 comments
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participants (5)
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healyzh＠aracnet.com -
jim＠photojim.ca -
lproven＠gmail.com -
rachael＠dahl-pind.dk -
slawmaster＠gmail.com