Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 27th Feb 2009 20:40 UTC
The time is finally here: the first VIA Nano-based notebook! As promised, Samsung is the first to use VIA's Nano platform, but contrary to expectations, the NC20 isn't a netbook. It's a normal laptop, albeit small. Still, this is the first VIA Nano laptop, and therefore, deserves attention.
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RE[4]: Crippled memory controller?
by kaiwai on Sat 28th Feb 2009 07:09
in reply to "RE[3]: Crippled memory controller?"
Member since:2005-07-06
Microsoft almost "gives away" XP Home to OEMs who make netbooks, in an attempt to slow the rate at which Linux was being installed on that class of machine. Microsoft put "self-imposed" restrictions on the machine specifications for which they were prepared to offer XP Home to OENs at that bargain price as an option.
Just to avoid the shit storm of the century - maybe you should look at the state of Linux before assuming that the lack of Linux uptake/growth on the netbook after Windows XP entered the scene all has to do with 'big bad Microsoft'.
Having tried OpenSuSE 11.1, Ubuntu 8.10 and ArchLinux, I can assure you that Linux has along way to go in the area of spit, polish and professionalism when it comes to sorting out the rough edges. Avoiding the issue, moderating down comments and screaming in my face isn't going to fix these issues and they aren't going to disappear if you suddenly start ignoring them.
RE[5]: Crippled memory controller?
by lemur2 on Sat 28th Feb 2009 07:35
in reply to "RE[4]: Crippled memory controller?"
Member since:2007-02-17
"Microsoft almost "gives away" XP Home to OEMs who make netbooks, in an attempt to slow the rate at which Linux was being installed on that class of machine. Microsoft put "self-imposed" restrictions on the machine specifications for which they were prepared to offer XP Home to OENs at that bargain price as an option.
Just to avoid the shit storm of the century - maybe you should look at the state of Linux before assuming that the lack of Linux uptake/growth on the netbook after Windows XP entered the scene all has to do with 'big bad Microsoft'.
Having tried OpenSuSE 11.1, Ubuntu 8.10 and ArchLinux, I can assure you that Linux has along way to go in the area of spit, polish and professionalism when it comes to sorting out the rough edges. Avoiding the issue, moderating down comments and screaming in my face isn't going to fix these issues and they aren't going to disappear if you suddenly start ignoring them. "
Linux on netbooks is indeed a bit of a sad story. For a long time, the only option available were "tame" versions that were essentially locked down to what was offered on the machine. Xandros and SuSe both come from companies that have signed deals with Microsoft ...
I'm still in the hunt myself for a version that works out of the box on netbooks as well as I know Linux can work. This quest is not made any easier by the distributions not including in their kernels the wireless drivers and acpi scripts that are actually available.
So far, Ubuntu Jaunty is the best one. It works out of the box on netbooks. Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid) doesn't. Unfortunately, Jaunty is at this time still in Alpha-release stage, so it too at this point doesn't have the spit and polish that you are looking for.
Even for Arch Linux (which in general is very up-to-date) ... I have to go and install a special kernel called kernel-eee.
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Installing_Arch_Linux_on_the_As...
Another example ... MEPIS 8.0 is stable, solid, and polished (it is basically Debian 5.0) ... but wireless and sound don't work properly on netbooks out of the box. You have to fiddle to get it to work.
Sigh!
So I actually agree with you ... but I also note that it can be done. You can set up (with some effort) a very nice Linux OS working on your netbook.
So what is the problem here? Why is this effort necessary? Why can't there just be a nice, polished, fast, stable, not-tainted-by-Windows (so no Mono) Linux OS offered by OEMs for sale to consumers along with the machines?
There does seem to be a strong reluctance on the part of OEMs to actually work with the Linux distributions ...
RE[5]: Crippled memory controller?
by lemur2 on Sat 28th Feb 2009 09:13
in reply to "RE[4]: Crippled memory controller?"
Member since:2007-02-17
Avoiding the issue, moderating down comments and screaming in my face isn't going to fix these issues
PS: Just so that you know ... I don't moderate down comments, and I haven't moderated down any comment that you have made.
I do try to point out alternatives and other factors that people may not have considered, however.
RE[5]: Crippled memory controller?
by Michael on Sat 28th Feb 2009 15:27
in reply to "RE[4]: Crippled memory controller?"
Member since:2005-07-01
"Microsoft almost "gives away" XP Home to OEMs ... Microsoft put "self-imposed" restrictions on the machine specifications
You should look at the state of Linux before assuming that the lack of Linux uptake/growth ... has to do with 'big bad Microsoft' ... Linux has along way to go in the area of spit, polish and professionalism when it comes to sorting out the rough edges. "
The two things are not mutually exclusive. Microsoft definately has been crippling netbook specs. It's easily the most annoying thing they've done for a long time. Would two gigs of RAM really be such a problem?
Linux may not be perfect but neither is XP. If Microsoft don't want my custom I can go elsewhere now. They need to stop messing their customers about like this.
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Member since:
2007-02-17
Not quite FUD.
Microsoft almost "gives away" XP Home to OEMs who make netbooks, in an attempt to slow the rate at which Linux was being installed on that class of machine. Microsoft put "self-imposed" restrictions on the machine specifications for which they were prepared to offer XP Home to OENs at that bargain price as an option.
So you can't get a netbook with XP Home with more than 1GB RAM, or 1024x600 screen size, or faster than 1.86 GHz single-core CPU.
These limitations are not due inherently to the Intel Atom processor.
So, if as an OEM you want to offer a netbook class machine with better hardware specs (say 2GB RAM and 1280x800 screen resolution) ... then just put Linux on it and go right ahead.
Edited 2009-02-28 07:07 UTC