How much portable Linux goodness can you get for $400?
Oh, the challenge goes on. No where is a M$ or MAC system to be found.
Get with it here.
When Asus unveiled their ultraportable, ultra-cute EeePC in October of last year, they may not have anticipated launching a whole new product category, but judging by the overwhelmingly favorable reaction of users online and strong sales numbers, that’s exactly what they’ve done. The slimmed-down, no-nonsense, Linux-powered ultraportable category that the Eee currently presides over, and that Everex’s recently released Cloudbook hopes to capitalize on, is just one instance of a greater tech trend we’re seeing across the board: an emphasis on shrinking form-factors and streamlined usage. In an industry that has always been about more power, more size, more capabilityâ€â€more everythingâ€â€this is notable.
In the industry as a whole, we’re seeing this minimalist trend everywhere. In TVs, every manufacturer is lately focusing on producing not necessarily the largest displays, but the slimmest. Take Sony’s OLED TVâ€â€people are so mesmerized by its three-millimeter thickness that they forget they’re watching TV on an 11-inch screen that set them back $2,500â€â€something high-end consumers would have laughed at a few years ago. We’re also seeing it in computersâ€â€Apple’s Macbook Air is currently their flagship objet d’envie, and it’s most notable for what it doesn’t have: bulk, thickness and weight, but also an Ethernet port and optical driveâ€â€again, missing features that would have been deal breakers on a $1,800 machine not too long ago.
A great benefit of this trend toward minimalism is that it is often associated with reduced costs. Both the EeePC and Cloudbook are priced at $400, which is pretty impressive considering what comes in the box. And with the Cloudbook being sold by Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, things are starting to get mainstream.
But by far the most exciting thing about tech’s new minimalism is the added longevity it gives to older hardware. As more and more people realize that the overwhelming majority of their time with a computer is spent surfing the Web, sending emails, working with office applications, or talking to their friendsâ€â€all of which can be easily and comfortably accomplished on low-cost and often older hardwareâ€â€they will also realize that with a little easy tweaking, the four-year-old laptop gathering dust in the closet might be perfectly capable of meeting their needs.
Notable here is the operating system’s role in this trend. While the open-source Linux operating system can be run (and is very functional) on just about anythingâ€â€from the latest high-performance screamer to the aforementioned old laptop in the closet â€â€Windows Vista, for instance, can only run on systems built in the last year or two, if you’re lucky. And although a version of the EeePC running Windows XP is forthcoming, it takes significantly more coaxing to run on lower-powered, non-standard hardware than Linux.
In the new world of the Linux ultraportable, the EeePC is still king, and when comparing it with the unpolished Cloudbook, it’s easy to see why [see the next page for our full comparison]. But the trend toward minimalism in hardware also allows older machines, like my four-year-old Thinkpad X31, to step back up to the plate. And that’s where things get interesting.
Let’s take a closer look at the main contenders in the Linux-powered ultraportable worldâ€â€the Asus EeePC and the Everex Cloudbook–and, as a control, my four-year-old IBM Thinkpad X31 running Ubuntu Linux. Sure, the X31 is not as crazy-svelte, but in its day it was about as small as they came, and still serves as an impressively compact workhorse to this day. And best of all, the three of them can be had for $400 (you can probably pick up an X31 for even less with some craigslist watching), so let’s see what’s possible with each.
Size
You really have to hold these tiny laptops in your hand to realize how amazingly small they are. As you can see from the chart (props to Sizemodo), the EeePC and the Cloudbook are nearly identical in shape, and both weigh in at two pounds. The X31, once one of the smallest full-featured notebooks on the market, looks massive by comparison, but is in truth still incredibly small and sturdy. Like all Thinkpads, it’s built like a truckâ€â€no, a Honda Civic; you feel like you can abuse it but it’ll always bounce back. The Eee seems similarly durable; the Cloudbook, not so much.
If ultraportability is the main concernâ€â€the Eee and Cloudbook win out. I’ve carried my X31 while traveling and it’s great, but the others are literally the size of a hardback book. You can’t beat that.
OS Options
The EeePC comes pre-loaded with a customized version of the Xandros Linux distribution featuring two presentation options: “Easy†and “Advanced Desktop.†“Easy Mode†features big buttons for the Eee’s applications broken into tabs according to their usage category. This streamlined mode suits the general minimalist concept perfectly, and for the majority of users, it’s a simple and ridiculously easy way to access all of the machine’s applications. For power users, the “Advanced Desktop†mode resembles a normal Xandros desktop for more customization.
Overall the Eee’s OS is great, but one notable kink is its Wi-Fi support. Scanning for available networks and connecting to them is not intuitive and often requires several dialog boxes and mouse clicks, and sometimes it neglects to remember your previously saved hotspots along with their passwords.
The Eee can also run Ubuntu, the most popular Linux distribution, with ease. Following the guide provided by Ubuntu here, most should be able to get up and running fairly easily. Ubuntu brings with it much better Wi-Fi controls, an easier interface for adding and removing new applications, and more prevalent online supportâ€â€which is often essential for any foray into Linux.
The X31 runs Ubuntu like a charm, and its hardware is common and well-documented, meaning most Linux distros should work with little hassle. Let’s also not forget that the X31 is still a proven solid Windows XP machine, unlike the others.
The Cloudbook runs gOS, a slightly tweaked version of Ubuntu. If you’re comfortable with Ubuntu you’ll be up and running quickly, but out of the box the gOS on the Cloudbook is not nearly as elegantly translated to the small-screen as the EeePC’s Xandros. It’s clunky all around, and there’s nothing resembling the Eee’s streamlined “Easy Mode†for quick, user-friendly access to apps.
Usability
With small size comes added portability, but also sacrifice. The Cloudbook and Eee both share the same screen sizeâ€â€seven inches displaying a resolution of 800×480. The X31 sports 12.1 inches at 1024×768, and the difference is huge.
No matter what anyone says, surfing the Web on a 800-pixel-wide screen is a pain. Most major websites are wider than that these days, which means you’ll be doing a lot of side scrolling. And on top of that, even many basic areas of the Cloudbook’s OSâ€â€including the setup screens you’re presented with out of the boxâ€â€do not fit on the small screen. You’ll be doing a lot of Alt-scrolling to move windows around, just so you can hit the “OK†button.
There is more to the article here. Read on…
It become pretty obvious that there is a lot going on regarding both Hardware - PCs, and Software - around the world.
I keep trying to keep up with it, and run Linux Mint
Best Regards,
JJMacey
Phoenix, Arizona
The Valley of the Sun
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