netbook question

[Rarst]

Your idea of a kindle is actually even better, price wise. Just don't know if you can read pdf's, which the school provides for vision impaired students.

I didn't exactly say Kindle, not sold around here. And I won't touch anything with DRM that crazy anyway. Here is what I have for ~2 years already http://www.rarst.net/hardware/eink-book-reader/ It has issues with PDF, but shouldn't be with modern models. This stuff is very regional so check what is sold where you live.

Among those of my friends who read a lot only one doesn't have e-ink reader - he sells books for a living. :)

[DannyGSmith]

Sorry, didn't mean to put words in your mouth, so to speak, when I googled it, that is what I saw, didn't realize there was a generic type. I will look into it.

[Rarst]

Sorry, didn't mean to put words in your mouth, so to speak, when I googled it, that is what I saw, didn't realize there was a generic type. I will look into it.

I guess that what happens when single product is heavily marketed somewhere. :) And yes, device type is generic. There were e-ink based devices long before Kindle and quite a few manufacturers produce them now - up to Sony.

btw as for iPad its sales seems to act as excuse for many manufacturers to release their tablet projects. If nothing goes wrong again (this is what, fourth attempt of tablets going mainstream?) a lot of new devices shown recently on Computex will hit shelves by the end of the year. Good range from netbook-flavored to Android devices.

[wpmuguru]

She does have small hands, I am not sure she would like it as well as she thinks. I need to find a store where she can type on it and see if she does like it or not.

You could get her to try the keyboard on a Windows one. You may have a bit of a time finding one with linux on it that you can try before you buy.

[DannyGSmith]

There used to be a Dell store in one of our malls more, I call it a store it was just a little shop in the one of the main hallways. I am not sure if it was just for the holidays, I don't make it to the mall that much. If it is still there, I should be able to try out one of the windows units.

We have had good luck with Dell's at work, but I normally buy the precision workstations, I am sure this is the home grade, but at that cost you don't have a whole lot to loose, and it comes in pink :) Big deciding factor, lol.

[film_girl]

Best Buy carries Dell computers (at least the basic versions of Dell home models) and also has Asus and Acer netbooks so if there is a Best Buy in your area, that may be the best place to go for a field test. Also, while you can buy Linux pre-installed Netbooks, it's getting harder and harder to find them. It may actually be more cost effective to buy one with Windows XP or 7 Starter and then just wipe it and put on Debian or Joliecloud or Ubuntu Netbook Remix. Just avoid anything that uses an Intel GMA500 graphics chip -- they are notoriously un-Linux friendly.

Check Liliputing.com for a bunch of reviews and a daily deal roundup. I used to work with Brad (the guy who runs Liliputing) and he's pretty obsessed with that space.

In my own limited netbook experience (I'm a Mac user and no, I'm not interested in hackintoshing), the keyboard isn't the big problem (I have very small hands but yes, the netbook keyboards are small can be cramped -- and I have s size 4 ring finger to give you an idea of what I'm saying by small hands), it's the placement of the touchpad. HP for one REALLY likes to put the buttons in really messed up places and lots of the manufacturers like to do an off-center placement, which I just don't get. In other words, your daughter might be best served by a $15 USB or wireless mouse is all I'm saying.

[andrea_r]

It may actually be more cost effective to buy one with Windows XP or 7 Starter and then just wipe it

It may be more cost effective, but Bill still gets his sale that way. ;)

and I have s size 4 ring finger... it's the placement of the touchpad

Size 5 here. :) Yeah, the touchpad drive me NUTS! I keep sweeping it with my thumbs. The screen in dinky & hard to see cuz it's squat.

But, for travel? I get used to it.

[DannyGSmith]

I hadn't thought about best buy, we can check them out. I tend to agree with the touchpad, I don't even use it on my macbook pro.

[curtismchale]

I have a Dell Mini 10 V and love it. Unfortunately they don't make it anymore but you can get it on Amazon still if you look around. It came with 8.04 on it and I've run 9.04, 9.10, and 10.04 (Ubuntu) and now it's a Hackintosh. All OS's went on easily and it works great. It's typically hooked up to my second monitor and servers as my main coding machine since the requirements of MAMP, terminal and a Textmate really aren't all that much.

[chipbennett]

I have a Dell Mini 10 V and love it. Unfortunately they don't make it anymore but you can get it on Amazon still if you look around. It came with 8.04 on it and I've run 9.04, 9.10, and 10.04 (Ubuntu) and now it's a Hackintosh. All OS's went on easily and it works great. It's typically hooked up to my second monitor and servers as my main coding machine since the requirements of MAMP, terminal and a Textmate really aren't all that much.

Definitely the nicest thing about the Dell*buntus is the hardware support. From Feisty up through Lucid, I've had no compatibility issues with video, wifi, sound, or any other hardware. Granted, I have an Inspiron - but, I'm sure the experience would be the same (or at least, similar) with the Dell*buntu netbooks, as well.