[UFO Chicago] Linux netbooks recommendation

[Jesse Becker]

I have a Dell Vostro A90 (formerly known as the "Inspiron Mini 9").  I love it.  It cost $350, after shipping/tax, RAM upgrade, neoprene case, 2 year warranty (upgraded from 1 year) and $50 "instant rebate".  It shipped with Ubuntu; I neither want, nor paid for, Windows (which was ~$100 more).  You'll have to get the RAM upgrade aftermarket, since Dell doesn't offer it online.

It has 2GB of RAM, and a 16GB SSD drive.  There are no moving parts, except the keyboard and main LCD hinge.  Battery life is right at 4 hours.  Everything works out of the box using the Ubuntu distribution shipped by Dell.  This includes audio, video, webcam, networking, USB, WiFi, and Bluetooth.  It weighs about 1 kilo.  I toss it in my bag and take it to work every day; I don't notice the weight.

The keyboard is small, and while I don't mind too much, I can certainly see people having a problem with it.  I strongly suggest trying one out first.  Also, extra AC chargers for the EeePC (I think) work with the Mini 9; they are much cheaper than replacements from Dell.

The Dell Mini 10 has a better keyboard and larger screen, but is limited to 1GB of RAM (apparently, the chip is soldered on).

--
Jesse Becker
GPG-fingerprint:  BD00 7AA4 4483 AFCC 82D0  2720 0083 0931 9A2B 06A2


--- On Sun, 7/26/09, Brian Sobolak <brian at planetshwoop.com> wrote:

> From: Brian Sobolak <brian at planetshwoop.com>
> Subject: [UFO Chicago] Linux netbooks recommendation
> To: ufo at ufo.chicago.il.us
> Date: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 4:59 PM
> 
> Has anyone tried a Linux netbook they would recommend?
> 
> My primary computer is a work laptop that I am not terribly
> comfortable
> using for personal projects.  Not to mention the
> massive overheard of
> scanning, anti-virus, logging utilities etc make the
> start-up and shutdown
> time appallingly bad.
> 
> Having a very lightweight computer for personal projects,
> particularly one
> that includes the standard Unix toolkit, is appealing.
> 
> It seems that Acer is one of the more popular brands, but
> every place I've
> looked online (think major retail outlets) highlights in
> great detail that
> "Big Box store recommends Windows Vista Home Edition"
> 
> Surely there's something better?
> 
> brian
> 
> -- 
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