[aklug] Re: Netbooks...

Comeau indicated she would have a chat with her staff about
the response they provided concerning the purchase and
implementation of the Dell netbook.....
Perhaps there could be a show and tell event for EdTech to
unveil the Dell netbooks to aklug? Anyone interested in
that? Some Friday evening at HighlandtecH?

Damien Hull wrote:
> Hmmm... Looks like I'll have go back to Best Buy and check out the Dell Netbook. I think they have it. The search goes on... By the time I have one picked out something new will be available.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Prentice" <ak.prentice@gmail.com>
> Cc: aklug@aklug.org
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 7:59:17 PM GMT -09:00 Alaska
> Subject: [aklug] Re: Netbooks...
>
> The HP 10" netbook is good, but doesn't get my vote over the Dell Mini-9.
>
> Both are available with customized Ubuntu. Dell is up front about
> theirs being sold with Ubuntu. HP calls it "Mobile Internet OS" and
> hides the Ubuntu behind an interface built out of harbour-launcher
> like they're embarassed about linux. But its there.
>
> The keyboards on the 10" netbooks are easier to adapt to. True. There
> is an alternate keyboard available for the Mini-9 which, while no
> larger, has a slightly modified layout which preserves the [{ ]} \|
> and ~ keys. The Mini-10 keyboard looks pretty nice, but I'm not
> convinced a Mini-10 or HP-1000 is an "up"grade from what I have.
>
> For me, the tradeoff with the 10" netbooks is that they're heavier and
> consume more power while packing smaller batteries and thus shorter
> untethered life. The HP packs a 3-cell battery. Dell's new Mini-10
> packs a 3-cell battery, with the promise of a 6-cell battery in the
> future. The Ubuntu version of the Mini-10 won't be available for
> another couple of months; Dell's history is they release a new netbook
> with XP only for a few months for the sake of the early adopters but a
> 2gb version with Ubuntu will be around for those who wait patiently.
>
> Things to watch out for:
> 1. The Z-series Atom CPUs are being paired with Intel GMA500 graphics
> and a Poulsbo chipset which is really only functional with Hardy. No
> surprise that Dell and HP both use Hardy-derived distros. Check the
> HP's specs, because I don't have them memorized.
>
> 2. The Z-seried Atom CPUs, unlike the N-series, are typically paired
> with nonupgradable soldered ram. Another big plus for the Dell Mini-9
> is the N-series Atom CPU and the ease at which the '9 can be upgraded.
> Ram is cheap, but not if you have to solder it. This is a hate point
> about Dell's Mini-10 and Mini-12.
>
> My biggest problem with the HP 1000 is the chassis itself. Pick up the
> demo model at Costco, hold it lid-open by opposite corners. Give it a
> gentle twist. Not much. The battery will pop out of the back. Its so
> flimsy that you can torque the entire case with minimal effort. The
> keyboard does feel pretty good though.
>
> You pay more for the bigger screen, it weighs more, you get shorter
> battery life, the hardware is not as easily upgraded by end users, and
> the vertical pixel dimension of the 10" screen is actually SHORTER
> than that of the 9" screen (1280x576 is perfect 16:9 vs 1024x600 in a
> 9" screen). Losing 24 pixels of screen height is the height of a gnome
> panel that cannot be hidden. But hey, you gain some width!
>
> I haven't checked out the HP2140 as carefully. I like it from its spec
> sheet. It looks interesting, but is 2x the price of a comparable
> Mini-9.
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Received on Wed Mar 11 13:57:23 2009