OT: what is a good Mini laptop with Linux

[Brian K. White]

Define good?
All the new netbooks run linux pretty well (they don't all come with 
linux preinstalled, but they all run it ok if you install it.)
These are $200-$400 devices with very slow cpu's, tiny screens, and no 
cd/dvd drive. Some have tiny (4G to 32G) flash drives for the main hard 
drive, some have regular laptop hd's of reasonable size (160G).

I have one of those, an eeepc 1000h, and played with several others in 
that class. It's ok but,...

I also have a Vaio TZ (no longer made but the current equivalent is Vaio 
TT) which is the SAME outside dimensions as the Eeepc 1000h
In fact, it's thinner, and the standard battery runs as long (3.5 to 5 
hours) Yet, the screen has almost twice the square inches, a more 
powerful dual core cpu, and HAS a cd/dvd dual layer burner, not to 
mention other smaller advantages like bluetooth and gigabit ethernet the 
netbooks don't have.
However, I paid over $2200 and it came with Vista and I had to install 
XP and Linux myself. But it does run linux great. I actually have xp, 
linux, freebsd, and sco open server all running on it. The current TT's 
have the same or better specs all around than my TZ for about the same 
price or a little less actually, depending on options.

Sounds like a ridiculous difference it price, but, I have both units and 
when I broke my tz out of warranty, I went and got another one. If I 
hadn't found a TZ on craigslist for $900 I'd have gotten a new TT for 
$1500 to $1900. And, this despite the fact that I really don't like Sony 
as a company. That's how much I like it.

There are several other devices out there I haven't looked at so you'll 
have to hear about them from others.

I don't like HP's mini because of the mouse button placement. It's a 
cool little unit and I like it overall, so I did try really hard at the 
store to play with it and get used to it, but it's just too awkward and 
that's a dumb place to tolerate any awkwardness at all. You tolerate 
inconvenience in things you rarely use, not in things you have to use 
every minute all day every day.

-- 
bkw


Tony Freehauf wrote:
> sorry i know this is way OT
> What is a good Mini laptop with Linux?
> my baby (21 yrs old) is going to grad school & wants a good mini laptop
> any suggestions from the linux pros?
> thanks
> old tony
>
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