Computer Related > I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: RattleandSmoke	Replies: 27

New Thu 6 May 10 16:03   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - RattleandSmoke

My laptop needs too many new parts to make it worth while fixing (since I dropped it when I had swine flu) so just going to place it with a cheap sub £200 netbook. However I am going to run Ubuntu on it and I don't want to pay for windows. Any ideas where I can get an Atom based netbook with either no OS or Ubuntu installed? The only place I can find is Morgan Computers but that is mail order now. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 16:49   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Zero

www.amazon.co.uk/Netbook-Laptop-Wireless-Portable-MiniBook/dp/B002R1FVPO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1273160763&sr=8-2 or this acer with XP at 189 quid seems the one to go for www.aria.co.uk/Products/Laptops/Netbooks/OPENBOX+-+AS+NEW+Acer+Aspire+One+D250+10.1%22+Netbook+?productId=40280 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 16:54   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - R.P.

OK, taken a fancy to that Linux one - (Ideal to carry on bike and take on Hols etc) - I understand that will work t'internet easily won't it ? (what browsers would one use ?) Last edited by: Pugugly on Thu 6 May 10 at 16:55 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 16:58   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Zero

linux version of firefox or opera Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 17:01   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - R.P.

Thanks - this Amazon thing is far too easy - I fancy learning more about Linux ! Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 17:04   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Focusless

>> linux version of firefox or opera ...or chrome as well now if using Ubuntu (or one or 2 other distros) Last edited by: Focus on Thu 6 May 10 at 17:04 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 17:07   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Focusless

>> ...or chrome as well now if using Ubuntu (or one or 2 other distros) Uses 'modified Debian' according to info here: www.cnmlifestyle.com/ (chrome works with Debian) Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 17:37   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Iffy

No problems running Firefox on my old - 2008 - 7" Linux Eee PC. Linux is very stable and quick compared to Windows. But it can be quite hard to download new software. For example, Firefox refuses to update, as does Open Office, even though Linux versions are available for both. Were I Rattle, I'd be inclined to have a look at XP netbooks - Currys/PC World have an Asus Atom for £199. Or lob in an extra £50 or so and get a Windows 7 netbook with the latest Atom 450 processor. Last time I looked, Tesco had a HP netbook in this spec for £250. Decent battery life, too. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 17:39   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - RattleandSmoke

I need to avoid Aria as I had a masive fall out with them which led to me threatening to sue them. (lets just say I was not impressed with their new pc repair website which featured pictures of me repairing PCs!) I swithced my supplier to Microdirect and I have spent £1000's with them without a single issue. I don't want anything with Windows on because I will be paying for the licence and there is no way on earth I will want to run Windows on a laptop as a basic web browser Linux is a trillion times better. I will probably just install my own OS as I am very fussy but I know Debian based distros pretty well now. Edit it needs to be decent spec, the processor dosn't matter but I will be watching Iplayer on it in bed so a 10" screen is a must. Iplayer will be the biggest drain on resources, will an Atom cope with that? Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Thu 6 May 10 at 17:41 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 17:44   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Zero

>> supplier to Microdirect and I have spent £1000's with them without a single issue. I think my total spend with aria is around the 10k mark. been good for me. >> watching Iplayer on it in bed so a 10" screen is a must. Iplayer will >> be the biggest drain on resources will an Atom cope with that? yes it will, as long as you dont have anything else running. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 17:48   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - RattleandSmoke

Just don't let them see your website :). If they apologised I would have forgiven them but I was just so shocked at what happened I made a promise enver to use them again. I intend to upgrade the RAM to 2gb but I suppose plenty of RAM is not much use if the processor is too slow. I've used Atoms before but on badly specced Acers with all the crappy bloatware so I have no real idea how they perform. I have seen suggestions of it being like a PIII 700 I hope that is not true! That said my PIII 700 netbook is fine it just has a RAM limitation of 192MB RAM making it hopeless for Iplayer. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 18:27   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - scousehonda

' will an Atom cope with that? ' You're supposed to tell us that sort of info!! Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 19:48   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - RattleandSmoke

Not really, because in the real world it dosnt cope very well and I would suggest something more powerful, but I am not a real world user and get a lot more out of little resources. Funnily enough I have had to work on one this evening, it was the 1.3Ghz Atom, it felt fairly nippy but Iplayer wasn't very smooth but it worked fine. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 May 10 19:58   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Iffy

...it was the 1.3Ghz Atom, it felt fairly nippy but Iplayer wasn't very smooth but it worked fine... The newer Atoms are 1.66Ghz, so provided it's not running too much other garbage, you should be well away. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 8 May 10 21:17   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - poppie62

I have a hp mini 10.1 netbook using ubuntu 10.4 operating system it works great and the operating system is free and you can run along with windows if you want to. SQ Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 8 May 10 at 22:51 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 8 May 10 21:20   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - poppie62

you can order it from dell Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 16 May 10 18:02   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - RattleandSmoke

Decided to get refurb Acer Aspire with a 9" screen, 512MB RAM and 8GB SD storage. I have a spare 1GB DDR2 module really go in. It comes with some Acer linux but I may just replace it with Ubuntu. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 16 May 10 18:49   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - spamcan61

Sounds like the same one as me, apart from the fact I've got a 120GB HDD rather than the flash. The supplied Linpus Lite is about as locked down as they come, but Easypeasy 1.5 works fine other than I can't get Skype working, so a change to Win XP is imminent. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 16 May 10 19:48   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Stuartli

This might fit the bill and at only around £100: www.pcfriend-online.co.uk/acatalog/Hardware.html Good company to deal with. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 16 May 10 19:54   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Iffy

...This might fit the bill... Spamcan wants to load and run Skype. One of the limitations of these £100 web surfers is you can't load any extra software onto them. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 16 May 10 20:03   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Zero

well you can, but it needs to run on windows CE, and version 5 at that, which is pretty limited and past it. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 16 May 10 20:09   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Iffy

...well you can... Fair enough. HMV were selling very similar machines a few months ago. The sales blurb clearly said that machine could have no more software loaded on it - can't recall what was there already. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 16 May 10 20:30   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Zero

Think of them as a giant phone running an outdated version of windows, without the phone. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 16 May 10 21:17   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - spamcan61

I regard my Acer as a big, clunky version of an iPod shuffle. At least the keyboards are more usable than most smartphones. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 16 May 10 21:59   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Stuartli

>> Spamcan wants to load and run Skype.>> It was Rattle who made the original query...:-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 16 May 10 22:35   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Iffy

...It was Rattle who made the original query... Er, so what? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 16 May 10 23:01   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - Stuartli

>>Er, so what?>> If you are not clever enough to work it out...:-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 17 May 10 16:12   I need a netbook - any ideas I don't want Windows - RattleandSmoke

Microsoft sell those Windows CE lapops for £85. It was just too basic for my needs. My Nokia N97 mini has more RAM and a much faster processor. I ordered this in the end. www.morgancomputers.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductID=5720&CategoryID=404&SubCategoryID=414 It comes with the Acer linplus but I will probably just stick Ubuntu on it. I have a spare 1GB DDR2 module ready to go in and I also have a spare 2.5" 80GB SATA drive, although I am not sure if the flash version can take a hard drive. I don't need any storage space anyway as it is just a web surfing machine but I do need the full web experience. I do have a 10 year old Compaq mini with a 700Mhz PIII and 192MB RAM, but it can't be upgraded (192MB is the max) so its useless. My main PC is a Athlon X2 4200, 2GB RAM, 500GB HD, 8600GT, M audio sound card, LG 22" TV so I don't need the Acer to do any serious stuff. Iplayer will be the biggest drain on the resources. I also have a mini full size USB keyboard if the mini keyboard on the Acer becomes a problem when replying to the forums! Reply to this message | Report message