On Thu, 2009-05-07 at 08:39 +0100, Chris G wrote:
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.
The acer "linpus" distro hides the package manager but it is easy to get it to show again in the desktop menus..there is extra stuff in the linpus repositories but not everything, you can add stock fedora ones though. Both the Acer and the Asus machines come with openssh-client installed already.
Overall though I find Ubuntu Netbook remix so much better on those that it is worth the couple of hours you might spend installing and tweaking it. Depends what you want from it, I found VPN and mobile data support a bit lacking in linpus and while it was possible to fix that, it was easier to just replace the distro.
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.
A few of us have been moaning about this on the list...well not trackballs specifically but why they insist on using trackpads rather than trackpointers/nipples when there is so little space on the palmrest. The only netbook type device I have seen that had a trackball was some of the early Toshiba Librettos. Everything other than the trackpad seems to have lost favour with the manufacturers now. Hell even some thinkpads come without a nipple !
PS. Last time I looked Currys had the Acer netbooks in stock at my local branch for £135 8GB SSD and £149 120GB HDD and Comet had the 16GB SSD with 1GB of ram for £170ish. On the Currys website they are selling them slightly cheaper than that as refurb stock..However in store there is no mention of them being refurb or graded..just clearance, so there is the opportunity to make a nuisance of yourself if they are anything other than new.
Be aware though that without the extended range battery (and specifically with the HDD version) you can do better than the battery life you will get on the Acer..Probably no more than a couple of hours on the HDD one at best. Some of the higher Asus models are far better in this respect and have bluetooth built in. That said the extended battery for the Acer can be had for £50 or so and that should give you 4-5 hours.
Someone at the Slyeham meet also mentioned getting the Acer for £100 from tesco but I think you will be hard pushed to find one there now.