Re: Opinions on Lindows Mobile PC
On Monday 26 May 2003 19:54, Roberto Sanchez wrote:
> I have been looking at purchasing a new computer for a few months
> now. I have gone back and forth between a desktop or notebook quite a
> bit, and I have finally decided that I want to get a notebook. Of
> course, the real challenge is finding an affordable one with Linux
> preinstalled. After this slashdot story about HP selling selling
> Linux laptops in Thailand
> http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/05/23/1857246&mode=thread&tid=1
>06&tid=137&tid=185 came out, I called HP to find out when they would
> be offered in the US. Of course, they had no clue what I was talking
> about.
It won't happen in the US. The government of Philipin (And yes it is
Philipin not Thailan) is subsdizing this laptop, to make it a "people's
laptop". They are also taking care of after sales support, not HP. So I
would say that don't hold your breath for a $450 laptop with GNU/Linux
preinstalled on it, in the US.
> The point of this whole diatribe is that I have decided that I will
> probably get the Lindows (yuck!) Mobile PC (available from idot.com).
> If I purchase it I will erase Lindows and install Debian Sid on it.
> I am asking here to see what everyone thinks of the price/value on
> this thing and overall impressions. I am not too concerned with
> hardware comaptibility since IIRC Lindows is based on Debian
> unstable.
This is true to some degree, but IANAL but maybe Lindows is using some
proprietary drivers that might not be available elseweher. Take that
into consideration.
> My comments are in square braces []
>
> FEATURES
? VIA C3 933MHz Processor [don't know anything about VIA, does
> anyone?]
They pretended to be a serious competetor (In mid 90s) , in the end AMD
burned them, and now they are more or less competing with Transmeta
rather than with AMD/Intel. (Focusing on energy and heat and use in
embeded devices, rather than on speed).
> ? 2.5" 20.0GB Hard Disk Drive, 9.5mm, 4200 RPM
This will be a bottleneck. I warn you.
> ? Removable Li-Ion Battery
What about the preformance of this one ?
> With the upgrades I have chosen (extra 512MB RAM for a total of 768MB
> and the external 24x/12x/36x CD-RW drive) the price w/o shipping adds
> up to US$ 1207. Is this a good deal? Are there better ones out
> there?
I don't call it a bargain. I actually think that it is kinda expensive.
You should keep in mind that Lindows is not the only company selling
Linux laptops. They are other ones as well, take a look at :
http://eracks.com/products/Laptops/config?sku=LAPDOG
http://www.qlilinuxpc.com/products/laptops/index.html
http://www.emperorlinux.com/
http://www.aslab.com/products/laptops/laptops.html
http://linuxcertified.com/linux_laptops.html
Some of them sound impressive to me.
And besides, you may know that some of the laptops from those big
companies, are fully linux-compatible.
Cheers
--
/* There is SCO owned IP all over the Linux kernel. SCO will hunt them.
Free software infidels are liars. We will kill them all, and roast their
stomach in hell. Our estimates show that all slashodot viewers will die.
--Mohammad Al-Sahhaf SCO Sopkesman, Former Iraqi information minister*/
Aryan Ameri
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