In Search of the Cheap Linux Laptop

mr_mischief writes "According to Hot Hardware's recent review, Asus is getting ready to unleash a $199 compact notebook running Linux. This is entirely different from this recent $150 Linux laptop story which many Slashdot readers believed to be a scam. There's a dual-mode menu which offers a simple system for novice computer users, and a slightly more advanced version for others. It's not aimed squarely at the same market as the One Laptop Per Child project's XO, and is expected to be sold to end users worldwide. It's targeted at new users who don't own a computer or at people who want a cheap, small laptop for basic tasks. The reviewed version has a 7" screen and a cramped keyboard to match, but a 10" version is available for $100 more. It offers built-in wired and wireless networking, four USB 2.0 ports, and a three-hour battery life. The storage options are a bit cramped, as you only get 4 GB of on-board storage (8 GB on the $299 model) and no optical drive. As the review says, though, USB 2.0 can make up for that if you like, and the lack of moving drive parts makes the machine run dead quiet."

Re:$450 gets you a decent laptop

[Anonymous Coward]

a decent laptop that comes with Vista

Oxymoron alert! Oxymoron alert!

Yes but the question is

[ph4rmb0y]

Will it run windows? ;)

Re:An NT$10 coin

[Pentavirate]

The author shows a photo with the laptop next to a Taiwan $10 coin, adding that it is about the same size as a US half-dollar. Since this won't help most folks in the US (for whom receiving a half-dollar coin in change is a rare occurrence), it may help to know that the NT$10 coin is not quite 2mm larger than a U.S. quarter.

Most people in the US don't know what a millimeter is either ;-).

What's with the vowels?

[5pp000]

First we get the "Wii", now we have the "Eee". What's next, "Oooeeyaaaeee"???

Re:$899

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to quibble, but wouldn't that be $898, rather than $899?

Re:An NT$10 coin

[camperslo]

Most people in the US don't know what a millimeter is either ;-).

Try telling them that a cigarette is about 100 mm.

It gets complicated using penises as a standard. There's this thing called net-inches...

Stevie420: Are you sure I'd like it? I've never done anything like that before
BillyG666: You'll love it. If I slapped it down on your keyboard it would go from A to Z
BillyG666: Oh shit...

It's too hard to tell what's up when a guy has a little one. Last week I met this guy with one the size of a golf pencil. I couldn't tell if he was trying to make love or trying to erase me...

Re:An NT$10 coin

[jjrockman]

We could only wish 50 Cent didn't exist.

Re:does i run windows?

[larry bagina]

The memory/drive/screen size may be too limiting for windows.

But I've never had a driver problem installing windows. The last time I did a windows install was w2k, but I had no problems installing it on my custom built computer or a compaq. The same computer, with the same hardware, Red Hat 4 wouldn't install, and after installing red hat 5, I had to recompile with mouse support. Metro X had some display problems and I needed to get an updated driver for xfree86 to support my card (Matrox Millenium II). BeOS didn't need any extra drivers (I intentionally purchased equipment they supported).

Find the correct drivers = insert the windows CD.

Re:$450 gets you a decent laptop

[tepples]

can you show me a $ 450,00 descent laptop that weights around 2 pounds?

You can run Descent on a Nintendo DS with a homebrew card [youtube.com], and that weighs a lot less than 2 pounds and costs less than 450 USD.

Re:An NT$10 coin

[chuckymonkey]

Touche!

The keyboard...

[mathfeel]

Have you guys notice?

It comes with linux by default, yet its keyboard has the regular "windows flag" key...Wouldn't it make more sense to print a penguin on it instead?

Just my 50-cents (thickness of the device)

Re:An NT$10 coin

[schon]

Try telling them that a cigarette is about 100 mm.

Long or wide?

Re:Only problem is the screen size.

[Dogtanian]

7" is way too small.

Contrary to what some people think, 7" is slightly above average and nothing to be ashamed about.

Even 10" is too small.

Whoah... talk about high standards. Is this for yourself or what you're looking for in another guy? What a size queen...

There should be a 12 or 14" option for $299.

Now you're just getting silly. Even the most outlandish spam doesn't promise that much, and who really wants 14" when it comes down to it? Given the choice, I'd stick with the 10".

Re:does i run windows?

[Oktober Sunset]

Having a Penguin key (Penguin key sounds cooled than Tux key) would be sooooo cool. Imagine, ur mate is having a go, and needs to open the launch menu, and you say: "Just press the Penguin key man!" or he's sat there n he goes, where the windows key, and you say: "Windows key? Dude, this has a PENGUIN key." he would be like "WWWWWOOOOOOAH!!" like some crazy drug trip.

Re:$450 gets you a decent laptop

[DragonWriter]

What benefit would a high spec laptop with Vista have for me?

Why, the Windows Genuine Advantage, of course.

Re:does i run windows?

[Anonymous Coward]

REally so windows now comes with the latest Nividia and Creative drivers out of the box? also Scsi cards and SATA is supported by default?

Wow! that damned out of date XP SP2 install CD's I have.. I knew that using such an aincent OS would bite me.

Re:$450 gets you a decent laptop

[Lumpy]

What benefit would a high spec laptop with Vista have for me? It'd just burn battery and heat up my genitals.

Considering a Vasectomy costs around $3400.00 you will be saving quite a bit of money.

See, VISTA is a good thing!

Re:$450 gets you a decent laptop

[transporter_ii]

> It'd just burn battery and heat up my genitals.

Dude, that's not a bug, it's a feature.

Transporter_ii

Re:An NT$10 coin

[Anonymous Coward]

most women is asia know what a millimeter is!

Re:does i run windows?

[symbolic]

It's certainly not any worse than long-time Apple users called the "open-apple" key. Well, at least some did.

Re:An NT$10 coin

[Anonymous Coward]

Because a slashperiod sounds like something you'd need a bigger tampax for.