Review: Acer Aspire One with Moblin 2, Ubuntu 8.10, Windows
Linked by Jordan Spencer Cunningham on Wed 4th Mar 2009 23:34 UTC
Hardware, Embedded Systems To add to the amounting anecdotes of late, another Acer Aspire One review appears. Not to be confused with Thom's or Eugenia's, which were different models, this review concentrates on the ZG5 version of the Acer Aspire One and how well Windows XP, Windows 7, Ubuntu 8.10, and Moblin 2 run on it, particularly in the everyday-netbooker's sense of functionality with word processing and Internet applications. Read on to get the full scoop on the One and these selected systems.
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Aspire One and Ubuntu 8.10
by Eugenia on Wed 4th Mar 2009 19:07 UTC
Eugenia
Member since:
2005-06-28

Two things, after months of using that system with Ubuntu 8.10:

1. My wireless hardware does NOT work if I was coming back from "sleep". I had to literally delve into some new kind of configuration that it is NOT mentioned in that AspireOne Ubuntu help pages. For some people wifi seems to work fine, for some it doesn't. I am willing to bet that there are different iterations of the hardware chip used. Yes, I have tried both wifi drivers for that chipset, same problem with both (trust me, I've done my research).

2. The flash-based Aspire One is one slow son of a bitch. Ubuntu is simply not optimized to run on flash. In fact, no Linux distro is (not even when in cellphones). The kernel drivers/code that deal with flash still need a lot of work. I have applied any tip imaginable to make the system faster, but all I get is slowness, slowness and more slowness -- followed by small periods of time where not even the mouse moves, and then it comes back to life.

Other than these two problems, and the much smaller problem (comparatively) of some apps not fitting on 1024x600, everything else works fine.

Reply Score: 1

RE: Aspire One and Ubuntu 8.10
by Eugenia on Wed 4th Mar 2009 19:16 in reply to "Aspire One and Ubuntu 8.10"
Eugenia Member since:
2005-06-28

Here's the actual thread about the wifi problem and the solution found DAYS after I had the problem (I was vacating in Europe at the time, this situation left me without internet for days):
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1028518

Basically, this is a situation where the ubuntu guys changed how things worked, and not only did not document that, but they left in the scripts that everyone thinks that they need tweaking (even if they never run anymore), adding to the confusion. In other words: an undocumented mess.

This is why my next netbook will run Vista instead.

Reply Parent Score: 1

supercompman Member since:
2008-09-14

And Vista is less of an undocumented mess?

Reply Parent Score: 2

Read more of this thread... >
Rugxulo Member since:
2007-10-09

Here's the actual thread about the wifi problem and the solution found DAYS after I had the problem (I was vacating in Europe at the time, this situation left me without internet for days):
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1028518

Basically, this is a situation where the ubuntu guys changed how things worked, and not only did not document that, but they left in the scripts that everyone thinks that they need tweaking (even if they never run anymore), adding to the confusion. In other words: an undocumented mess.

This is why my next netbook will run Vista instead.


I didn't think Vista was even offered or able to run on any netbooks, only XP or Win7.

Anyways, speaking as a Vista / Broadcom user who has no clue about networking, my wireless has not worked so well at all (much much longer than a few days). I'm now on a long extension cord from the router in the other room. I don't know what's to blame: misconfigured settings, bad driver, wonky wifi card, router issues, OS, external interference (cell phones? microwaves?), or just the devil himself. :-P

The main problem is that GNU Linux distros are way way too network oriented, so everything is centered around that instead of providing a decent suite of software out of the box. Oh, and lacking some wireless drivers (licenses?). Or only working with hacks via wired connection first. Ugh, I wish there were better wireless standards. I wonder what Bill Gates and Linus themselves use (I want one of those, probably works well).

Reply Parent Score: 1

NobodyImportant Member since:
2009-03-08

[Problem they've randomly had in the last two years and didn't bother to research or bugfix] is the biggest issue in desktop Linux. The developers have lost touch because, for example, [anecdote that offers no valuable bug-ridding information, or even enough to replicate it], showing that [Problem] is still a big of a problem as it was four years ago. I've seen [however instances they've seen it, plus four] instances of this issue in my computer but also in other's, and it refuses to be fixed because Linux is simply put, not user-friendly or stable in the least bit. It's things like these that make me draw the conclusion that Linux is simply not ready for the desktop.

Reply Parent Score: 1