I have an Asus Eee 900, and I love it. I've been keeping a blog documenting my experiences with it. http://theeeepcexperiment.blogspot.com

I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Barbara

http://www.ipodepot.info

Barbara

http://www.ipodepot.info

I think someone can check the price of this.
if you look at the base line products and what you get for the money, it blows the mini away.

199$ + free ubuntu/programs = hell of a deal
599$ + some programs = not that cost effective

Linux won't be mainstream for years too come. The reason they use Linux is because it's good for simple tasks like; Email, Writing and general Internet browsing. They don't make these sub-notebooks for Visual Studio or Flash, and I wouldn't try running Photoshop CS 3 or CS 4 on these things unless you want to be waiting a while for it to start a new document or edit a 12mp image.

Obviously people see Linux and go, but you can't install Visual Studio on it!!!shift111!. The four hour battery life is there for a reason. High powered components + low power supply = less time for functions.

Dwayne.
http://probablysucks.com

Now that the price is down to 299$, we might get another one because we use our Dell XPS laptop less and less outside the house. Bring the prices down to around 250$ and it becomes almost an impulse buy.

Cheap, light and it works right out of the box (the battery on the Acer One is horrible, its only weak point, so we might look at others), we were very happy.

I was so excited about the Linux interface that I went to download the live cd's which let you test Linux without installing it on your computer. Really like what I saw and will be looking into dual booting XP and Linux so I can play with it more.

Considering that I had heard but never seen Linux, we were very happy with what we have used.
And for Linux to have 30% of the netbook market is a very, very good sign.

I love to read how the fear of Linux makes people say the strangest of things. My favorites are being told that the netbook isnt good to do anything on or that the OS is hard to learn. I must be some kind of super computer user because that is not what I have witnessed around me.
Will I work on the netbook for 4-5 hrs? Of course not.
It has its limitations and uses, just like a smartphone does. I would never type a paper on an iphone or surf to do anything more than glance at email or weather but the smartphone has its uses.

People seem to believe that if THEY dont have a use for something, no one else does. I blame that on overprotecting parents who lead their kids to believe that they are the center of the universe. Either that or a lack of breast feeding.

I use XP and Mac at work and now am a Linux user as well.
I know as much about Linux that I knew about Windows 3.1 when I first used it and probably less than I know about Apple to this day.
Its an OS (or variety of) like the others that I am told could put spring in our old p3 desktop, costs absolutely nothing and is upgraded every 6 months (my finals choices are down to Mandriva 2009 and kUbuntu which release every 6months) which means its always up to date with the latest tecnologies.

Maybe it wont be as smooth an experience buying as a preloaded Linux machine (but then again neither is installing Windows.) but the netbook has shown me that there is no reason to fear Linux. It is easy to use. The part about being different? So is switching to Mac.

Been using linux since 2002 and these small netbooks are a dream come true as: 1) they are smaller than regular laptops. 2) unlike the smallest regular laptops, they are not expensive but cheap. 3) They readily ship with Linux.

Oh well should just dive in!

ps. Go Barack!

@Moose Agreed it's not too different (I bought a Linux version for myself for the very same reasons). After all, as Hugh McLeod put it: "It's not what the software does, it's what the user does". However, I find that the instant-on feature of Linux means I use it differently to my Windows-based PCs. Paradoxically, the less time I have to dedicate to "the machine" (boot up, load applications, switch off), the more time I have to do what I want and the less time it takes me to do it. win-win.

I can't say that Acer has led the way to bringing Linux-based systems consumers but the overwhelming success of the Linux-driven Aspire One has resonated so much within Acer to the point that Linux will without question play an important role in Acer's future products.

On the rare occasion she needs something more substantial, then she goes back to the desktop. Easy. Oh, and despite being a complete luddite, she has no problems using the Linux version on EEE, nor Ubuntu on the desktop.

I dread to think how little brain power these idiots who are returning them have. Just goes to show, you can entice a horse to water with a good price, but they'll still die of dehydration because they are too stupid to try it.

Instead of banking on already existing user behaviour, Linux distros like Joe Sixpack-centric Ubuntu changes convention for no other reason than just to be different. All those who believes editing all those crappy text files in terminal to get trivial stuff working is out of your mind.

Size and weight. Ideal for traveling
Fast and responsive
Wifi and access to internet services
Linux - want stability, fast boot, free of virii
Bundled with OOO, Firefox, email client, skype, music player
Can change OS or add software to my choice
No License issues, no DRM
Super super online support
Full access to command line - use this little machine to ssh to others
Very simple software update and installation

It just works and keeps on working

There was no perceived benefit for the OS being either linux or windows as the machine was primarily intended for light web browsing.

Out of the box its ready to use - but with a little time and work adding a few extra programs it really shines, and at less than 2 1/2 pounds its perfect to carry with you everywhere.

Thanks for the recognition of the work Dell put into customizing its Linux interface on the Mini. We have been leaders in making Linux-based systems avaiable to consumers (with Ubuntu pre-installed) and applied the feedback and leassons learned with those products to developing a easy and intuitve experience on the Linux versions of the Dell Minis.

Thanks for the recognition of the work Dell put into customizing its Linux interface on the Mini. We have been leaders in making Linux-based systems avaiable to consumers (with Ubuntu pre-installed) and applied the feedback and leassons learned with those products to developing a easy and intuitve experience on the Linux versions of the Dell Minis.

Thanks for the recognition of the work Dell put into customizing its Linux interface on the Mini. We have been leaders in making Linux-based systems avaiable to consumers (with Ubuntu pre-installed) and applied the feedback and leassons learned with those products to developing a easy and intuitve experience on the Linux versions of the Dell Minis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=763vmCrRBDg

@Chip: Installing software on a Linux system is actually a lot easier than on a Windows system. The Package Manager allows you to browse through software at your leisure, and install what you want. You can then uninstall any software just as easily. With Windows, it's the software that handles the process, and usually results in a cluttered registry. With Linux, it's the OS that handles it, and is very smooth.

@RobL777: Linux has a great future ahead of it. It is cheaper than a Windows base (free vs a series of licenses), way cheaper than a MAC user base (licenses AND an expensive base of systems), and will run on lower end machines. It is more stable and has greater security. Will it takeover the market? I highly doubt it, people are too entrenched in the Windows/Mac mindset. But Linux has the vast majority of software that either of the 2 big boys do, and can be easily customized for anyone's needs, which is a big plus.

I see the netbook market as being much more than a fad. A lot of people don't need heavy duty computing on the go. Email, web surfing and document editing is often all that's required. The convenience of a low cost, and highly portable system is exactly what they need. And if we see these systems start using ARM processors instead of x86 ones, we'll actually start to see highly respectable battery lives out of these machines.

Ubuntu has helped really put Linux on the map, but remember, there are a ton of other quality distros out there, each one perfectly customizable to a user's specific needs. This is not the case with either Windows or OSX. There you get what they give you. With Linux, you get what you want.

*dons flame-proof trousers*

JIff
www.anolite.echoz.com

Just use rdesktop/mstsc to that powerhouse at work or at home. It's not "cloud" computing, it's remote access, and if you lose it... no data on it anyway.

http://openpandora.org

Performance (with the Atom processor) is pretty much resolved, it is now battery life and portability which will make the difference. 3G will be an important add to all of these devices, as this breaks the ties to Public WiFi Hotspots which outside of specific locations is pretty poor in coverage. 3G is the only way to provide the pervasive access that such a portable device craves.

Oh, I agree with many above - all OS's crash when you put them under the strain of running normal applications, and I have found both Linux and Windows to be much the same having had a major (read complete reinstall) failure on both.

Not really sure why someone hasn't come out with an affordable (not Dell) and easy to use pre-configured and working Ubuntu install on a regular laptop.

As Ubuntu is the most fantastic OS, but is basically worthless unless you have a CS jockey to tinker it for you.

it is a major pain point in the market.

Satisfied (so far ;),

Adam

You can buy commercial support but really I've found that when it comes to support I have never called the Microsoft themselves but instead I relied on techy friends or co-workers to help me. So you could try asking around. There are also regional LUGs (Linux User Groups) with mailing lists for questions like this, and online forums, etc.

Linux software is numerous and is typically easier to install than Windows or Mac because of a different philosophy of software management. Try browsing a site like http://www.gnomefiles.org/ to get a feel for the amount of software available for Linux, and then use software like Synaptic to install it.

I reckon the main areas that Linux is still lacking are in Game support, in high-end desktop apps, and of course with inhouse Windows-only apps.

Dell, IBM, and Sun say that everything they make is supported by Linux now: http://broadcast.oreilly.com/2008/10/how-linux-supports-more-device.html

While these gadgets are selling briskly in underdeveloped countries around the world, their retail marketplace in the U.S. and Europe will be short-lived, on the order of a few years. These are tech toys for well-heeled geeks.

One premise of 'netbooks' is the something-for-nothing approach. They supposedly offer everything a person needs for a decent computing experience at a low price. But, in practice, with small screens and keyboards and short-battery life, most people who are working don't want to use such devices. And when you start loading these netbooks up with larger batteries and screens, their prices and their weights go up as well.

And Linux as an operating system has no great future in America, despite what the 'Nix crowd tells you. It is a non-starter for anyone trying to get real work done on their computer. The specialized software that so many businesses run simply doesn't run on Linux, and there is pressing demand to make any of it 'Nix accessible either.

To recap: netbooks are the faddish tech toys of the moment, and Linux is not a operating system with any future on the American and European consumer desktops in any sort of numbers worth talking about. Get an Apple or Windows PC, and forget about this junk.

If you intend to run Photoshop on a device with with only around 1Ghz of processing power, 512MB of RAM (a Gig max in most cases) and a 7-9" screen, you're going to be terribly disappointed.

That might be a valid reason to not use Linux on a nicer computer but an absolutely silly one on a netbook. These simply aren't made for applications like Photoshop and no professional I know would use one for any serious work with Photoshop.

Also, netbooks aside, just in case you didn't know, Photoshop CS2 runs fantastically in Linux through the WINE project and CS3 is on its way there. This is largely thanks to great work done by CodeWeavers and a lot of funding from Google. I know that's not viable solution for many but still very useful for many others.

I'm not convinced people are buying these as a cheap alternative to a full laptop, but as a cheap additional laptop - certainly if you have kids at college it's a safer alternative. I think they're opening up a new market.

(Just as home wifi and mid-range laptops changed most homes into 2 computer households, netbooks are about everyone having a computer/the internet, like 'everyone' has a TV).

And sadly for R/W/W I don't think web apps are a big reason for people going with Netbooks.

A notebook can be quite lightweight, but if it's really expensive, You don't want to carry it to places were it can be stolen or damaged. But if it's cheap and can be replaced easily, one can take it really everywhere without worrying of being stolen. From this point of view, every penny of the price tag decreases the mobility. That is, for me, Linux is the obvious choice.

An other thing to consider that I think netbooks aren't capable of doing "serious" work that lasts for 8 or more hours a day, and thus don't need those specialized that usually are Windows-only. So It's quite arguable to have a work-computer with Windows and a portable one for small tasks.

I am unaware of any netbook with the CPU horsepower and disk storage space for you to do use CS3 all day on, so your point is kinda moot.

Netbooks do not replace whatever gigantic desktop PC you are chained to work in Photoshop on, the same way you won't see netbooks replace those giant mixing boards in televisions studios.

RTFA

Although, by the time either occurs, I gather the hardware will have advanced to the point that the scaling down will no longer be necessary. As we've seen over the past 10 years, hardware advances much faster than software does.

Examples of websites that currently do not work with Linux: Bank of America (doesn't accept logins), Playhouse Disney (none of the flash content works), ESPN (formatting problems).

Until the market share of Linux is large enough, website developers will ignore these problems. Mainstream users will shun Linux until all web content works the same.

There is one app (photoshop) that keeps me with an accessible XP installation. The absolute best solution is Virtual Box with a (borrowed) XP disc image courtesy of some generous seeders.

@Sarah - hey no problem.

http://www.winehq.org/site/wine_features

Between all the browser agnostic web based apps and Wine, there's no excuse.

"software applications that once needed robust software to run are now moving to the cloud"

robust hardware* (I'm assuming)