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Lindows Releases Inexpensive Subnotebook

Posted by michael on from the install-debian-promptly dept.

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."

31 of 547 comments (clear)

  1. Kinda expensive by GigsVT · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Considering the C3 933Mhz is slower than a PIII 400.

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    1. Re:Kinda expensive by binaryDigit · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yeah, but it still beats an iBook by 50% (pricewise, anyways)

      Nope, the chart is wrong, they were comparing to the PowerBook, NOT the iBook. The iBook only costs $999 in a comparable configuration (the lowest end).

    2. Re:Kinda expensive by dasmegabyte · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Besides which, you can't compare a VIA C2 to a G4. Hell, even comparing it to a G3 is sort of like comparing a scooter to a Harley. Of COURSE it's half the price...it's less than half the machine!

      And it begs the question: why are we supposed to trust a company that can't even get it's own marketing straight? They're just a company with a name that's a bad pun on the most effectively marketed operating system ever...I'd put more stock in AmigaOS. At least Amiga is trying it's own thing.

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    3. Re:Kinda expensive by Greedo · · Score: 4, Informative

      And the iBook (even the cheapest) has an internal CD drive (or DVD/CD-R), which you'd have to buy seperately if you wanted one of these Lindows notebooks.

      Not to knock them ... it looks like a reasonably good price for a half-decent system. You aren't gonna play Doom III on it, but if I needed a tiny, light, mid-range powered, Linux notebook, I'd be interested.

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    4. Re:Kinda expensive by puck01 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      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

  2. I'd still rather have an iBook by Shinzaburo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Given that you can find iBooks for just a bit more (around $999), I think I'd rather have the Aqua interface.

    1. Re:I'd still rather have an iBook by binaryDigit · · Score: 5, Informative

      For one it wouldn't be slower, the VIA C3 is best about 2/3 the performance of a celeron at the same clock rate. So given that Macs tend to perform better than comparable clock speeds, the Mac will typically outperform it. You also get a more stable OS, stable in the sense that you don't have to worry about compatability issues. You get a built-in cd, which for some people is a significant plus (though some don't need it as well). Also notice that there is no mention of battery life. Also, where do you take your Lindows machine if you're having problems? Apple has places everywhere to do repairs, etc. You get MacOSX with several built in apps (iPhoto, iMovie, etc) that are arguably better (usuabillity, integration, not necessarily more powerful) than anything you are going to get for free for Lindows as well.

    2. Re:I'd still rather have an iBook by g4dget · · Score: 4, Interesting
      For one it wouldn't be slower, the VIA C3 is best about 2/3 the performance of a celeron at the same clock rate. So given that Macs tend to perform better than comparable clock speeds, the Mac will typically outperform it.

      I have an 800MHz C3 and a 600 MHz iMac (not too different from a 933MHz C3 vs. a 700MHz iBook): the C3 is indeed slower than the iMac in terms of raw CPU performance, but the GUI and applications actually run faster on the C3. Keep in mind that systems X11 were originally developed for machines like 8MHz 68k systems with a few megabytes of RAM. OSX, on the other hand, is really pushing the envelope in terms of system requirements.

    3. Re:I'd still rather have an iBook by Captain+Large+Face · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm getting really sick of the comments that seem to attach to any story about any product X talking about how you should use Y or Z instead.

      Well put. So, vi or Emacs? ;)

  3. Yet for $699... by wo1verin3 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yet for $699 you can get this Dell Inspiron with a Celeron 1.6, GeForce2Go 16mb video, and more.... add 128MB to bring it up to the same price and you can load on your own Linux Install. Why are we doing Lindows marketing for something that isn't really that great of a deal if you shop around?

    1. Re:Yet for $699... by dartboard · · Score: 5, Interesting

      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?

    2. Re:Yet for $699... by BMonger · · Score: 4, Informative

      Also $699 is the "base price"... if you try to configure a system for $699 it's almost next to impossible. I tried to configure that system and there is nothing on the first page that tells me that switching out an option will either lower or raise the price. Clicking continue gives me a price of $1,277... I have no idea where they get their $699 prices from... frankly I find Dell's pricing scheme very misleading.

    3. Re:Yet for $699... by evilviper · · Score: 5, Informative

      My Sotec notebook is 4LBS, has a built-in combo DVD/CD-RW, 256MB of RAM, 20GB HD, etc. All that was $750, and it has a 1.2GHz Celeron, not a piece of crap VIA-C3, which performs like it's less than half it's own clock-speed.

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    4. Re:Yet for $699... by cdrudge · · Score: 5, Informative

      Follow the grandparent's link, click the blue "Recommended Systems". Right under the phone of the laptop there is a link that says "Inspiron 2650C starting at $699". Click it. That takes you to a page that has the laptop for $849 - $150 rebate = $699. You can customize it from there.

      This link takes you straight to that page. Here is the same laptop that is $806-$150 rebate (not shown on that page but on another that leads to that page). The extra $$$ off is due from their Employee Purchase Program that anyone can get thru.

  4. Graphics chipsets by jmertic · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Any idea what graphics chipset these use? The specs left that out ( usually means it's a bad one ).

    1. Re:Graphics chipsets by BMonger · · Score: 4, Informative

      From http://idot.com/TheStore/Desktop/787Spec.asp?Produ ct.id=787&Cate.id=2

      Integrated Savage 4 AGP 4X graphic core (up to 16MB Video Memory)

    2. Re:Graphics chipsets by kriston · · Score: 5, Informative

      All Via C3s are low power/low heat. The 933 MHz model is exceptionally fast for its power and heat requirements. The chipset is the integrated Via ProSavage (the old S3 stuff) which has specific acceleration support for MPEG (DVD) decoding. I build systems based on this processor and they are excellent for everything except 3d gaming, and I've never seen anyone expect to do 3d gaming on a notebook PC for under $2500, anyway.

      KRis

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  5. Yeah, but.... by LordYUK · · Score: 4, Funny

    How long till someone gets a linux distro to run on it? oh wait...

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  6. Windows? by SirDrinksAlot · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can you load Windows onto it? :-)

  7. Competetive comparison by BMonger · · Score: 4, Informative

    I don't know all the much but their iBook comparison is off... I think they have Powerbook and iBook specs combined into one notebook... the iBook has a G3 chip not a G4 and I don't think it has PCMCIA slots either...

  8. Who else brands this one? by magarity · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Obviously this is an OEM model made by someone else (probably VIA themselves). Lindows doesn't have enough market pull to have a custom model made to their own specs. So I bet it is already selling like hotcakes in Southeast Asia with someone else's name on it and Windows installed. Does any recognise it?

  9. Their comparison chart sucks by binaryDigit · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.

  10. idot computers manufactures them by net_bh · · Score: 5, Informative
    Here is the CNET news item

    Here is a link to the Idot website.

    Here is a link to the Gearzoo website.

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  11. Bizarro-world /. post by NineNine · · Score: 4, Funny

    And what I want to know... will it run Windows 2000? If it can, I'm all over it. That's not a bad deal.

  12. $699 a bargain for a Linux notebook by IGnatius+T+Foobar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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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  13. Compared to a PDA? by Treebeard+the+Ent · · Score: 4, Funny

    How can for compare a laptop PC to a PDA? I certaily hope my PDA doesn't have a 12.1" screen or a full sized keyboard sticking out of it (although you can buy one to plug into it) 20 gig hd? nope, but you don't need that much with your PDA (unless you're using it as an MP3 Player too).

    It like Sunkist selling thier oranges saying: Our oranges are orange and juicy... apples aren't. Our oranges are great for making orange juice... apples are not. Our oranges taste like oranges... apples do not.

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  14. Re:933 MHz C3 isn't that good by mrklin · · Score: 5, Informative
    I would say it is better than that. I use a VIA C3 900 Mhz processor in a Shuttle small form factor PC (SV24) at home. It uses so little power that it does not require a CPU fan.


    It is sufficient enough to do the following without problem:

    • Decode MPEG-2 i.e. playback DVD or VOB files.
    • Encode and decode MP3.
    • Generally Office tasks and web surfing.
    • Even gaming (with older games like Counterstrike) if paired up with a decent graphic card.


    What it does not well (at least for me):

    Encode MPEG-2.

    Handle or manipulate large files (800+ MB high bitrate DivX file, apply Photoshop filter to a TIFF file etc, etc). (This is with 512 MB RAM and a large fast driveXP.)

    New games that are CPU intensive.

    If you have to seriously ask 'Will this have enough power for my (insert task here)?' then a C3 is probably not for you.

    $800 is too much to pay for that anyway although I like its hardware specs (both firewire and USB).

  15. Cheapish, ultralight pc. by juuri · · Score: 4, Informative

    Standard laptop PeeCee parts so enjoy putting whatever OS on it you want:

    PC-UM10 from sharp

    Sharp 2.9lb laptop: P3-600, 128meg ram, 20gig drive

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  16. Selective marketing by JonathanF · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm glad that I'm not the only one who noticed that they used the specs for the 12" PowerBook in place of the iBook; how fair is a comparison like that... to the Lindows system (or the others, really)? The 12" PowerBook is probably one of the faster and most full-featured laptops in the class, so of course it's going to cost $1799.

    The worst part is that it's evident that Lindows isn't just exaggerating the value of their system - they're blatantly trying to deceive people into thinking that they have the only affordable small-sized laptop in existence. One wonders if they think that the $999 iBook only exists in a parallel universe!

    No matter how much the cost or weight might be appealing, I can only see this laptop as being a nightmare for anyone who isn't technically experienced. Imagine some middle-aged couple trying to get an Internet connection, for example, or to get their USB printer to work. They probably wouldn't get much help at all from any company outside of Lindows, and "go check out the Ars Technica Linux forum" (as another example) is not going to help when many support-dependent people aren't even savvy enough to recognize when they have something like Windows XP! No matter what you might think of Macs, they at least have some official support beyond their manufacturer.

    1. Re:Selective marketing by MyHair · · Score: 4, Funny

      It needs a catchy name! How about "Lapenguin"? (get it, lap+penguin, Ok, you try...)

      Penix?

  17. You've gotta be kidding me... by maynard · · Score: 4, Informative

    You can't run Linux apps on an iBook.

    $ make clean; make; make install

    Or for that matter, just install fink.

    I've been running Linux and BSD on my home machines since '94. Finally got sick of maintaining those installs instead of doing work with the computer (and happen to need MS Office to exchange xls spreadsheets with my CPA)... what did I buy? I Macintosh. Why? Because OS X has all the 'NIX software I could possibly want, very easy system management (meaning I'm not wasting my time dicking around with the computer), and the readability of the fonts are simply better than anything out there. Claiming there's no "linux" software, when just about everything includes source and will compile properly under OS X, really misses the point. Also, the battery life of a powerbook is excellent. 5 hours/charge for the 15", 4.5 hours/charge for the 17". I absolutely love this computer. Apple finally did it right. Of course, I used to love the NeXT Station on my desk many years back, so call me biased. --M