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The need for Eee?
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Gamoe 2009-10-29, 00:23 #16
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In reply to post ID 15849
Quote by Navegador:
Ubuntu Netbook Remix runs nicely on those machines. In fact, they're sold over here with UNR pre-installed. Windows (XP) is an optional extra, believe it or not.

I really wish that was an option here. I hate how Microsoft exerts its influence on OEMs to limit Linux configurations. It's obvious to me that should be illegal, but the legal system here doesn't seem to mind much. Before Asus had a much larger percentage of their netbooks with Linux options. Then the Linux options became fewer and more limited; now configurations with Linux installed are always more limited in specs somehow, whether it be HDD capacity or other specs.

Of course, I would try to get a Windows Tax Rebate, but just as a show for Linux. I wouldn't count on getting such a rebate.

i5m: I actually look forward to running Linux, although trying to install Mac OS X on a netbook is another interesting project all in itself.
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madra (Administrator) 2009-10-29, 00:56 #17
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Quote by Gamoe:
...trying to install Mac OS X on a netbook is another interesting project all in itself...

after my experiences with leopard, i was excited, when snow leopard came out, to get OSX running on a mac!
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Navegador 2009-10-29, 01:11 #18
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Well, at least the Eee's got an Intel processor...
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Gamoe 2010-01-15, 07:53 #19
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I'm just about fed up with waiting. The "new" netbooks have been announced, and there's nothing breakthrough about them. I'm about to break down and buy one of those 10" netbooks. It just seems it's a game of not ever getting exactly the product I want with the netbook. This is due in large part to the anti-competitive practices of Intel & MS, which I wrote about.

I have made a little table comparing the features that I care about among the several Asus netbooks I am considering. Note I do not include HDD sizes because I don't consider it an important factor in my decision. I am mostly interested in the battery life (given here as number of hours from the company. I take these numbers with a grain of salt, but they are useful for comparison as long as one keeps in mind real usage will result in shorter battery life), screen size (or more precisely, resolution), whether the case is glossy or not (I prefer matte cases), whether the screen is glossy or not (I also prefer matte screens), bluetooth and 802.11n. I realize all netbook have rather wimpy CPUs, as such, I think it is even more important to assure one obtains one with at least an average CPU, as a slower one would result in rather poor performance. I have highlighted positive features in green, negatives in red and left average features uncolored.

[Image: http://gamoe.net/imagebank/AsusNetbookComparison.png]

The 1001P and 1005PE models are the ones which just came out and use Intel's new, slightly improved "Pine Trail" platform. The 1101HA model is the only 11(.6)" model from Asus. It brings up the screen rez to 1366 x 768 from the standard 1024 x 600, so it's a significant improvement. However, it sports an even slower Atom CPU. Asus allows for over-clocking, but I'm not sure if I can count on that or not, considering I'll be running Linux, whatever model I choose (unless it's just a BIOS thing), and of course, the battery life is not as the best in the group. It also gets the glossy treatment from Asus.

Both 1001P models, differentiated only in Bluetooth capability and price, seem to have nice "textured" matte cases and screens, but they have inferior resolutions, and again, do not sport the best battery life. The 1005PE has the absolute best battery life in the group (I've read it will do at least 8 hours in Ubuntu Linux quite nicely), but it loses the matte screen and case, getting the ridiculously prized glossy-all-over treatment once again. It also gets an Apple-like "low travel" keyboard. Not sure about this particular feature either way. The 1201HA isn't listed yet, so I'm estimating the price. This is the least attractive model to me. It has a 12" screen, but does not improve upon the 1101HA's resolution, and offers the absolute worst battery life in the group. Rumor has it Asus will be phasing out the 11" and replacing them with these, which I think is a shame.

No matter where you turn it seems like there's a compromise to make, even when working within the feature limits of netbooks. Was it so hard to make a 14 hour matte-case and matte-screen battery-life netbook, Asus? Could you not tell Intel to take a hike and endow your 11" netbook with one of the regular Atom CPUs? Seriously.

In any case, I am tired of waiting and I am going to be making a decision soon. Unfortunately, some models of the new models are not yet available, though presumably they will be very soon. Of course, I will be waiting until the end of the month on news of Apple's tablet, just in case.
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This post was edited on 2010-01-15, 07:59 by Gamoe.
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madra (Administrator) 2010-01-15, 08:09 #20
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you're not minded to hang fire for a few weeks more and see what the islate rumours amount to, then?
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Gamoe 2010-01-15, 08:20 #21
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Quote by madra:
you're not minded to hang fire for a few weeks more and see what the islate rumours amount to, then?

Try reading the last sentence of my prior post...  :stick:
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madra (Administrator) 2010-01-15, 10:20 #22
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whoops! - that's what i get for speed-reading.  :blush:
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