Has anyone noticed that you can get 2 meg of RAM if you choose the Linux version, which are also cheaper? I have been unable to find a netbook that comes loaded with XP and has 2 Mb Ram. This seems very strange when XP is more memory intesnive than Linux...
Has anyone bought a Netbook with Linux on and loaded XP on afterwards?...
--- On Thu, 9/4/09, Edmiston, Mike <edmiston@bluffton.edu> wrote:
From: Edmiston, Mike <edmiston@bluffton.edu>
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Mini laptops
To: "Forum for Physics Educators" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Date: Thursday, 9 April, 2009, 2:39 PM
I suppose the answer depends on which netbook you buy.
I recently bought an Asus Eee 1000. I bought it mostly just for fun,
but I really like it. It has lots of capability. It's not as fast as
my recent-model desktop because netbooks typically have the Intel "Atom"
microprocessor which is specifically designed for netbooks. Also, I got
the solid-state "hard drive" (for better resistance to damage from being
jostled around) rather than a "real" hard drive, and the solid-state
hard drive is not as fast as the real hard drive.
You notice these speed differences mostly when loading an application.
You don't notice the slow down once the application is running, unless
it's something like a graphics-intensive game. Therefore, in general,
once Word or Excel or similar application is running, you don't notice
any speed issues.
These Asus netbooks will run Windows-XP and perfectly handle all the
MicroSoft Office applications. These are not toys even though I thought
I was buying mine mostly as a toy. I now use it a lot, especially
around the house where I have wireless access to the Internet.
Also, I bought mine with Linux rather than Windows. I wanted to spend
some more time with Linux and Open Office software as a vacation from
the MS-Vista and MS-Office on my desktop, and the MS-Office on my
Apple-Powerbook. The Asus comes with the Xandros version of Linux which
many find inferior to the Ubuntu version of Linux. I changed mine to
Ubuntu (Easy Peasy version). That's a little tricky with the
solid-state-drive version, but info on how to do it is getting more and
more clear and plentiful.
If you are used to or need MS-Windows, just buy the netbook with
Windows-XP installed. According to my friends who run XP on their Asus
Eee netbooks, it will do anything that your desktop will do with XP.
There is no real limitation (except some speed sacrifice, and a smaller
screen and a smaller keyboard).
I bought mine from Amazon for $389. You can also get the Asus Eee 900
for about $250 to $300. It has smaller screen, smaller keyboard, and
different hard-drive options.
The 1000 Eee has
3 USB ports
1 external monitor port
1 SD micro card port
One wired network port
Wireless network
1 GB Ram
40GB solid state hard drive
Slot for a lock-down (which you might need... These are hot items for
theft.
About 6-hour continuous-run battery life.
It also comes with powerpack and soft case.
It does not have
CD/DVD unless you buy external USB-drives
This strikes me as an excellent lab computer, and in the lab I would
consider the 900 in order to save some money.
Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Physics
Bluffton University
Bluffton, OH 45817
(419)-358-3270
edmiston@bluffton.edu
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