[ALUG] Netbook question(s)

[Chris G]

I'm thinking of getting a cheap netbook to take on a (motorbike)
holiday next month.  It'll be Linux based of course and my
requirements are pretty simple.  All the basic, cheap netbooks will
fulfil my basic requirements I think - i.e. they have a browser, can
connect to the internet by WiFi, etc.  However I have a couple of
specific things which aren't always addresses in the advertising blurb:-

    How easy is it to add software?  I really have to have ssh as that
    is how I access my E-Mail and that's one of the major reasons for
    getting the netbook.  Are the "as supplied" Linux distributions
    sort of cast in stone or can one add things?  I don't want to have
    to do a complete installation of a new distribution just to get ssh.

    Do any of the netbooks have a trackball rather than a pad?  I
    really don't know why trackballs aren't more popular, I use one on
    my desktop and we now have a wireless keyboard with a trackball
    and it's magic, no separate mouse to lose/drop and the trackball
    is much nicer than a pad.

-- 
Chris Green