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Hmm, I was given the impression that stock Ubuntu is pretty dismal on netbooks. Try one of the netbook remixes that actually use the array kernel tuned for Atom chips and other netbook hardware.

My favorite was eeebuntu 3.0 , but it hasn't been updated recently while waiting for the devs to polish off their new Aurora distro.

I've also played with Fuduntu, which seems like a nice rpm-based distro, but my machine didn't survive a yum update. I might try again.

Then there's the Ubuntu Netbook Remix, which probably tracks the stock Ubuntu the closest, but I've never really played with it.

Yeah, readahead is unnecessary overhead on SSDs... it takes a extra second or two to compile the list of inodes and reorder them to minimize disk head movement, which is completely unnecessary on SSDs so it's a waste of time. But on conventional hard disks, it can boost bulk reads from plodding along at 10MB/s to 100MB/s, which is a bit closer into cheap SSD territory.

Readahead might still be nice for preloading a lot of the desktop, so you're not sitting there waiting for icons to load when you're navigating menus. You should be able to just go into /etc/readahead.d/ and tweak exactly what you want loaded into RAM before and after bootup so it makes sense on your system.

I'm running eeebuntu 3.0 on my eeePC 901 w/ 1GB RAM ... should be a bit better optimized for it out of the box. I am a bit crazy and have it running compiz so I can get all the eye candy, and it actually runs pretty snappily. Biggest change to my habits was running chrome instead of firefox to make web browsing more responsive. Also useful to replace the google earth static 3D libraries with symlinks to the system ones to fix a bunch of UI artifacts.

Yeah, I'm pretty much in the same boat.

I do like some of the ubuntu derivatives, which seem to do a good job addressing the flaws in Debian and Ubuntu. Give Linux Mint a try... which is pretty easy since it's distributed as a LiveCD/DVD with an install to HD option. It's what I've been recommending to people for a while.

I've even migrated my main server to it from Debian (my one gripe is that the installer doesn't support software RAID configurations as readily, but I'm used to setting those up manually anyway).

The other one I like for netbooks is eeebuntu 3. Haven't played with their Aurora beta yet, but eeebuntu was pretty good with getting an nice fully-featured compiz-fusion environment on my eeePC with most of the hardware and powersaver features supported out of the box.

I'd still recommend my eeePC 901 as the smallest netbook you could get
http://www.google.com/search?q=eeepc+901&hl=en&tbs=shop%3A1&aq=f

Replace the RAM with a 2GB module if you like. I didn't bother and it still runs fine.

I prefer running eeebuntu on it. Still waiting for the next generation Aurora to be released. But eeebuntu does a nice job with a compositing desktop. Though to get Google Earth running well, I had to delete some of the shared libraries included with Google Earth and symlink the equivalent system libraries.

If you don't mind something a bit bigger, I'd recommend going for anything with a dual-core atom and an nVidia ION chipset (not the ION2, since Intel castrated the video bandwidth with the new pine trail chips, but if there's not alternative it's not that much worse than the original ION). Dual core makes a big difference with responsiveness, are often 64-bit, and the ION GPU is much nicer than the Intel graphics.

Maybe this? http://www.buntfu.com/auction_details.php?auction_id=5198

I tried playing with Xandros a little bit, but it was pretty crappy and limited.

I never tried the ubuntu netbook remix version, but eeebuntu worked great and supports all of the eeepc hardware up front. Compositing is configured on the "Standard" load and runs surprisingly fast.

Also it can run directly from a 1GB USB thumbdrive, so it's easy to play with.

Slightly OT but I'm curious, why not install eeebuntu? It runs great on my 8.9" eeePC900 ($199, SSD, amazing!!). Installs easily from a USB stick and with updated settings it flies... no lag on the multitouch trackpad, quick graphics, etc. It might be my main computer if my hands were smaller. Is it just the challenge and the principle of running MacOS on non-mac hardware? Seems like a lot of work to run a closed, proprietary OS.

I like Eeebuntu.

On the operating system: The included distro was indeed horrible. I switched to eeebuntu. http://eeebuntu.org/ Been very happy with eeebuntu 3.0. The only change I really made was to change to only one toolbar and move it to right side and limit what I have on it, as I find myself limited in height mostly.

It's probably less about returns, than about where retail purchasers make money. If you're a purchasing manager for Big Box retailer, sell-through and return rates are just the beginning. You also look at affiliated sales, and one thing should be apparent: 90 percent of your software shelving isn't linux compatible. No anti-virus, no microsoft office, no photoshop. There's also hardware pack-ins. Each netbook company appears to have chosen a unique distribution to power it, with their own hardware support problems. So now you also have a certification problem: does this webcam work with Xandaros? What about this external DVD burner? Basically, retailers can count on fewer add-on purchases.

And yes, people like you and I who can work around limitations of a supported netbook Linux offering, or install a custom Linux may in fact be a sizable market. However, the retail purchasers cannot be ignored; they order in sizes of millions, and order across the lineup. It's far easier to placate these few, large buyers than divine what we want six months or a year from now. And the retailers love the idea of netbooks. They're a bargaining chip against existing low end laptops, where the bulk of sales are.

The article implies that Microsoft is abusing it's traditional monopoly power to prevent existing players from experimenting with alternative operating systems, but nothing quoted there is credible. I don't even get the bit about "sales" comes first. Perhaps they meant "existing sales"?

Generic Ubuntu has issues on EEE PCs - try EEEbuntu instead:

http://eeebuntu.org/

Actually, I've seen instructions for making a portable DTV with Free Software!

1. Get an eee PC 1000 40G.
2. Get a Hauppauge HVR 950 USB tuner.
3. Follow the setup instructions.

Although you probably need a car or generator to recharge it.

Try EEEbuntu. It's Ubuntu with a few eee-specific features, and a custom kernel. Should detect everything automatically. I've got it running on my 1000ha and I've never had a problem with it. Here's where you can grab it

IIRC eeebuntu hasn't been updated to with latest release version (it is still based on 8.10 rather than the newer 9.04). While the differences won't be massively massive and 8.10 will get security updates for a while yet, you are probably better off using the official "Ubuntu Netbook Remix" for new installs: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download-netbook

I've been using it on my AA1 for the last few weeks and have found it to be excellent in terms of everything I've cared to test working out of the box, and the eee1000 seems to be well supported too according to the official list at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport/Machines/Netbooks

If you don't like the default UNR launcher interface, you can easily turn it off and use the standard desktop setup (or your custom preference if you have used Linux long enough to have developed one) instead (though you'll want to reconfigure the panels vertically, or remove them, due to the machines screen size and aspect ratio).

Try EEEbuntu. It's Ubuntu with a few eee-specific features, and a custom kernel. Should detect everything automatically. I've got it running on my 1000ha and I've never had a problem with it. Here's where you can grab it

Well, instead of returning, you should have tried installing a custom distro such as eeebuntu (which i use), and see how things work the way they should.
With ARM, it will be easier for a while since they need to use a different OS, they must pick components which work and not take shortcuts with cheaper but undocumented junk.
Currently to avoid the Microsoft Tax, you can still get Ubuntu preinstalled with Dell's and System76's offerings, and stick with the preinstalled supported OS if you want.

The power seems adequate with the 900mhz (running at 630) pentium m on mine. You can get more juice with midori or opera, put 2g of ram if you like heavy desktops like gnome/kde, or switch to lxde. The atoms are even better, and the ARMs seem equivalent with much less energy drain. Only VIA sucks with the C7 (but still usable), sadly they bundle the universally hated S3 video ruining the machine.

A different platform such as ARM will be a breath of fresh chance for open source. I expect proprietary junk like flash and skype to be absent at first, but its their fault for not compiling to the alternative architectures, and its not like they have released the source so we could do it ourselves... Microsoft will have a hard time getting an adequate OS ready, they might try pushing CE or something.

Looks to be in a week or so, according to this.

They may be using an older kernel due to a bug in Intel drivers, though.

Anyone else try this with an Eee PC 901?

I honestly didn't know. I've been using Eeebuntu with my 900 series and never actually knew there was a issue with the drivers.

It's probably the problem highlighted here:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/337311

The atheros wlan card on eee pc 900 (how's that for mainstream hardware?).

I honestly didn't know. I've been using Eeebuntu with my 900 series and never actually knew there was a issue with the drivers.

Still, only one device issue that can be resolved is not as bad as some of the stuff I've got here (bought last year) which doesn't even work under Windows Vista or the Windows Seven beta due to non-existing drivers for the platform (XP drivers don't work).

Don't bother with the factory Xandros install on the eeepc, you really want: http://www.eeebuntu.org/

http://www.eeebuntu.org/

It supports all the eee HW functions and hotkeys out of the box.

What absolute drivel.

Take a look at the Eeebuntu forums http://www.eeebuntu.org/, offering support for their distro of Ubuntu for EeePC (and other netbooks).

It's a free distro, put together in their spare time, for the benefit of the greater community and they are some of the most polite, most responsive people out there. Most of their userbase is made up of people who have never used a netbook before, or Windows users who want a change. These people are very new to Linux and regularly and repeatedly ask simple beginners questions. I have not once seen any of that team treat them poorly.

Perhaps you've had bad luck in your online interactions but there is a vast community of helpful and caring people out there.

Eeebuntu uses the Array kernel and also has a set of repos of their own. Pretty sweet.

But, since you seem to be a windows fan, why not try win7 beta?
I tried it, everything worked out of the box, but i'm a *nix person, so eeebuntu went on it again in my case.

Of the several distros I've tried, Eeebuntu wins, hands down. Installation, configuration, ease of use, driver support -- all built-in. Available in two fresh flavors, for a full or reduced desktop. http://www.eeebuntu.org/

1) Why did you spend the extra money and buy your not-so-netbook with XP in the first place?
2) The included Xandros on my EEE1000 worked great!
3) EEEbuntu worked fantastically. Everything just worked, right after the easy install. Me very happy!

http://www.eeebuntu.org/

http://www.eeebuntu.org/ & no doubt about it!

...and I think it's best to go with Eeebuntu and then just get rid of the cruft from the initial install. There are a lot of things I don't like about the choices in Eeebuntu (an MSN client by default, really?!) but out-of-the-box it offers scripts to fix known bugs/hardware problems with your model of the eeepc, the kernel customized for your eeepc, plus the netbook-launcher if you want it. I tried Ubuntu Eee back in September, but it wasn't as well-polished as Eeebuntu back then. Maybe it is now that it's EasyPeasy.

You can also go with a vanilla Ubuntu install and make all these tweaks yourself...I was an "early adopter" of the Eee PC 1000, so I can vouch that there's plenty of info out there on the inets if you plan to take that route.

You may wish to try http://www.eeebuntu.org/ which is NOT the same as Ubuntu-eee.

It has worked decently on my 1000HD.

IMarv

Ah... Not to be confused with The People's Front of Judea!

You may wish to try http://www.eeebuntu.org/ which is NOT the same as Ubuntu-eee.

It has worked decently on my 1000HD.

IMarv

easy peasy looks like crap in comparison, they really need to ditch the rainbowy-hippy look. Personally I've come to like eeeBuntu better.

It's your lucky day!

http://www.eeebuntu.org/

You can download v1.0 of the distro right there. There's a post-install script you have to run to get the sound drivers set up then you're off to the races.