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Lindows Releases Inexpensive Subnotebook
los furtive writes "As of March 1st $799 will get you this Lindows 2.9lb subnotebook with a VIA C3 933MHz Processor, 256 megs ram and a 20 gig HD, a 12inch screen, USB 2.0, firewire and of course the Lindows OS. Pre-orders have already started."
Given that you can find iBooks for just a bit more (around $999), I think I'd rather have the Aqua interface.
Any idea what graphics chipset these use? The specs left that out ( usually means it's a bad one ).
The Dell Inspiron you quote is 6.8lbs -- roughly 2.5 times the size of the Lindows PC. I'd say that's a significant difference, wouldn't you?
They totally botched the iBook entry in their little comparison chart. They are comparing to the PowerBook not the iBook. You can get a 700mhz iBook for $999, much better comparison. Makes you wonder about their other choices.
While the Lindows laptop is meant for consumers, I don't think it will sell very well. Why? Because most people who would buy a linux computer want a distribution made for power.
The only real market share it would get would be non-computer-literate people who want to use their computers for very limited purposes.
The laptop may also attract people who want to install another linux distribution on it, however.
Have you considered installing a mini-itx board?
They are VERY small board with every thing integrated onto it.
They are made by VIA and are actually quite cheap!
I'd rather be sailing...
Wasn't it just a few days ago that someone on "Ask Slashdot" was looking for a value-priced notebook whose purchase price did not include the Microsoft tax?
This really is a breakthrough, despite it being LindowsOS. This is, perhaps, the first time you can buy a truly Linux-preloaded notebook, as opposed to some of those other "boutique" shops where a Linux machine costs 50-100% more than the same machine loaded with Windows from a first-tier vendor (usually because they simply bought the machine from one of those first-tier vendors and then threw away the Windows license).
But as usual, Slashdotters will find something to complain about. I'm not complaining. As enamoured as I am with my ThinkPad (which I bought used), if I were in the market for a notebook computer right now, I'd give this one some serious consideration.
This is the first time in history that a notebook vendor isn't charging you more for a computer with an operating system that costs less. Even if the very first thing you do is erase LindowsOS and install RedHat, this is still a significant milestone.
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Uhm......no.
I'm just a regular Java developing shmoe located in frigid Canada, who first saw this article on The Register and since Slashdot is USA-centric, not to mention very supportive of anything to do with Linux for the people, I figured it was worth submitting since a lot of people might have missed it and would be very interested. I do not have anything to gain from this, and have no vested interest in either Slashdot, Lindows, Via or any other company mentioned in the post.
I hope this little reply helps shed some light on things, and my I suggest in the future that you take the time to write a proper link?
Oh, and for the record, while I agree an iBook would be close to the same thing, with better brand name recognition...it still costs $200 more, and weighs more too (I could be wrong on this one). Another reason why I submitted this story was that only 3 weeks ago I purchases a Toshiba Portege 4000, which cost about twice the price for similar features, and weighs a pound more! I was hoping somebody might see this and save a buck...although I must admit I'm very satisfied with my Portege.
I'm a writer, a poet, a genius, I know it. I don't buy software, I grow it.
I find their ad to be slightly misleading. First they say this:
"High-speed wireless service is cropping up everywhere - "Starbucks," college campuses and anywhere people gather. Staying connected to your data whenever and wherever you need it is smart and Lindows.com answers the call with its brand new Lindows Mobile PC..."
And then they say: " plus a PCMCIA slot to add even more functionality such as wireless networking"
...So wireless is not standard, though their promo material will throw off a few. Interesting that a modem is optional too. I predict that within a year we'll see a laptop with similar specs with a modem and 802.11b, running Red Hat, for $850, from a "name brand" vendor.
Who makes this laptop?
Nice ripoff of Apple's web site look and feel.
Seems like Robertson is incapable of doing anything
without leveraging off of somebody else's efforts.
Linux, W/Lindows, mp3.com. What an info-age parasite.
As a business Lindows is doing a lot of things right.
They are getting their Linux pre-installed on PC's. This is a big deal. Most people would not or could not install an OS. Pre-installed Linux is the only way to penetrate the desktop market.
Lindows also getting sued by MSFT to get a lot of publicity.
Is Robertson made of the same stuff as Bill Gates?
Religion is the main cause of atheism.
That won't go over well, I've never seen a person be satisfied with PCMCIA CD-ROM solutions..
Not to defend this Lindows laptop because personally I think it looks crappy, but I have a ThinkPad X21 subnotebook and I haven't missed an optical drive one bit. If I ever need to install anything, it goes over the network.
That said I'd buy the iBook over this thing in a second...
There is the old Ezra and the new Nehemiah. The latter uses full speed FP (Ezra runs a half the processor speed = reason for being so slow on most benchmarks)
If it is upgradable this might be a pretty good deal after all. The CPU sells for $35+ or so.
More infor on Via C3 chip here
Help fight continental drift.
Lindows MobilePC - Apple iBook
Price: $800 / $1000
Processor: 933Mhz C3 / 700Mhz G3
Memory: 256MB PC133 / 128MB PC100
(Max Mem, 768MB / 640MB)
HDD: 20GB / 20GB
(Max HD 40GB / 40GB)
Weight: 2.9 lbs / 4.9 lbs
Size: 0.91"x10.43"x8.66" / 1.35"x11.2"x9.06"
Optical Drive: external / internal CD-ROM
USB: 2xUSB 2.0 / 2xUSB 1.1
Firewire: 1 / 1
Graphics: Savage4 16MB shared/ Radeon 7500 16MB
Screen: both 12.1 TFT 1024x768 res
External Video: not specified / VGA output with optional composite
LAN: both 100BT
Modem: optional / 56k v.92
PCMCIA: yes / no
Integrated Wireless: no / yes (optional)
OS: Lindows 3.0 / MacOSX 10.2
Software: D'load free apps via Click-and-Run / Bundled AppleWorks 6, Quicken 2003, FAXstf, iApps, Browsers
Warranty: 2 years / 1 year (3 year optional)
I'd love to have a > 3 lb. tiny subnote for browsing and veggin' on the couch... but for a real productivity machine, the iBooks still wins out for me. Still, wouldn't mind playing around with one!
This is where I get my recommended daily allowance of "Foot in Mouth."
Considering this deal to be had at dell right now. I'd have to agree. # Celeron 1.6GHz, 256MB RAM, 20GB HD for $595.
puck
Actually, it would appear to be faster for many applications.
here are some benchmarks.
If you benchmark a 933 MHz Crusoe chip laptop (such as a Fujitsu Lifebook P2120) versus a 933 MHz C3 chip, which would win?
Both are low-power. The Crusoe is even-lower-power than the C3. I know raw CPU power isn't the reason why a person buys a laptop, but I'm still curious.
You will pay more for the Lifebook, but it also has better 3D hardware (Mobility Radeon vs. Savage). That might make a big difference if you want to play Counter-strike or something, if the CPUs are at all similar in computing power.
I used a K6-III/450 for years, and I suspect that either the C3 or the Crusoe will be just fine for web surfing and such.
steveha
lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
Has anyone noticed that the Lindows site looks very similar to the Apple web site?
And the green running man in a circle looks similar to the Ximian (monkey?) logo.
Lindows should get an "original" graphic designer. I think they are good for the Linux movement though.
Thing is, most people don't need speed in a laptop. To some, price and mobility is more important.
I'd get one of these. I would also make a leap and guess that once these hit the street, $799 being the current site from the mfg., that they'll be a $150 cheaper once they start to pump these out and the LCD market comes crashing down (which was anticipated to occur around March, April, not due to mfg costs but mfgs fighting for new buyers and market share).
...Considering it should have about 10x the battery life of the average notebook running at just under 1 Ghz that doesn't use a C3.
A C3 933 isn't anyware near as slow as that, anyways. If it were, the 666 C3 I used should be about the speed of a PIII 266. It's nowhere near that crappy (it could play DVDs while I surfed the net -- no PIII 266 could ever do that [of course, that would be if they existed]), and that's amazing considering it's a PC Chips board.
Plus it's silent. Tell me what speed a P4 runs at when it's silent (hint: It's less than 1/2 of it's normal speed, which is already 10% - 20% slower than the equivalent PIII in Mhz)?
There's a lot to like about the C3 processor. It's just not for gaming/scientific number crunching. But how many subnotebooks do you know that are replacing gaming rigs or Crays?
If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
Title says it all. Slashdot posted this and undoubtly is sending many buyers to idot.com ironically supporting a Microsoft based shop over a free software based one.
Paying more attention to this sort of thing is growing more and more important as Microsoft is really trying to push web development towards a IE only world. If we can't browse a significant number of sites without IE, the free software movement will be in serious trouble.
--Jeff
(who just ordered one)
Then wouldn't it be called BSD/Linux?