EasyPeasy and the Challenges of Linux Netbook Design

Bruce Byfield makes a fantastic point in the final section of the article:

Quoting:Unlike a workstation's or laptop's desktop, EasyPeasy may lack the flexibility to appeal to a broad spectrum of users.

The possibility also exists that EasyPeasy's assumptions, which seemed reasonable when netbooks were just being introduced, are less valid than they were -- or perhaps even no longer valid at all.

Moreover, with many netbooks having two or more gigabytes of RAM today, and being carried by travelers because they are more convenient than a laptop, the assumption that they are used only for light or social computing may no longer be valid, either. In fact, to judge from what I've noticed in airports over the last month, netbooks seem to be used increasingly for normal productivity.

I've always used my netbook as a very small, very portable desktop replacement. Linux users in general, who often are more computer savvy than the typical Windows netbook buyer, are, IMNSHO, more likely to treat a netbook as just another computer, one that's small and light but not particularly special in any other way.

I have never found the netbook-centric distros appealing. I can make much more efficient use of a small screen by customizing a standard desktop.

I want another laptop, not a netbook. I think netbooks are great and I say 'go forth and conquer' to those who want one but my paws have enough of a hard time with the little lappy I now own.

When I do ever get another one, god help me if its smaller than the one I already have..;-)

I quite like the netbook remix desktop (which Easy Peasy merely modifies slightly). The only change I make is to make the top panel slightly larger, and make it auto hide.

Scott, I'm with you - The netbooks are generally too small - both keyboard and screen - to be as useful as something costing that much should be.

If there were actual $150-200 netbooks out there, it would be worth it. But once you start hitting $400, you're in regular-laptop territory.

I'm seriously considering a barebones desktop from TigerDirect. I'm looking at an AMD Athlon X4 - you can put a whole box together for $300-$350 - and that's with a quad-core CPU, 2 GB RAM, a 1.5 TB hard drive and a DVD burner. Laptops are convenient, but maybe a desktop on my home-office desk will be just as useful and have better specs for less $$.

I paid $200 for my Eee PC 900A netbook. I got it at Target.

My mother paid $200 (after $30 rebate, February only) for her Eee Box PC, from Newegg.

> I'm seriously considering a barebones desktop from TigerDirect.

I've had better luck with Mwave ([url=http://www.mwave.com/mwave/subcategory.asp?CatID=205&parent=5^202]http://www.mwave.com/mwave/subcategory.asp?CatID=205&parent=...[/url]), but YMMV. Newegg also has some DIY computer combo kits ([url=http://www.newegg.com/Store/MasterComboStore.aspx?StoreID=7&Tpk=super combo]http://www.newegg.com/Store/MasterComboStore.aspx?StoreID=7&...[/url]).

> I paid $200 for my Eee PC 900A netbook.

My Dell Mini-9 was $224 + taxes and shipping.

OK, I'm a small person with small hands, but... I used to pay a premium for a small, lightweight sub-notebook (now called a netbook) like the Toshiba Libretto. Today I can get small and really functional for under $300. $279 is Dell's current price for a Mini 10 and that isn't a special or a sale or anything out of the ordinary.

I was with a friend who was shopping for a laptop (full sized, high powered, for gaming) and got a chance to look at some of the low end laptops as well. Do you know that Best Buy had a machine (I forget who makes it) with a Celeron 900 processor. Yep, that's the same processor as in the original EeePC from mid '08. Most netbooks nowadays have a better processor than that. So, yes, there are cheap laptops but often their specs are no better than, or perhaps worse than a netbook.

I love my netbook. The only thing I miss about my first netbook, a Sylvania g plagued with hardware problems, was the smaller size and lighter weight. Yes, a 10" screen and a somewhat larger keyboard are nice but for travel I want to keep it as light and small as possible.