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What Subnotebooks Work Best w/ Linux?

Posted by Cliff on from the notebooks-so-small-even-penguins-can-use-'em dept.

elliotj asks: "With the widespread adoption of WIFI, I'm finding more and more places where I'd like to use the Internet on the road. All I really need is a linux command line to run SSH, links, and a few other things. What I'm looking for is a very lightweight subnotebook with a long battery life, quick sleep/wake times, that can run Linux and WIFI. I've looked at the Sony picturebook line and the Toshiba Librettos. Both are sweet machines, but have more features and are more expensive than I really need. Are there any cost effective options out there?"

6 of 71 comments (clear)

  1. The Zaurus? by nemui-chan · · Score: 5, Informative

    i know the Zaurus isnt really a subnotebook, but it falls between the subnote book and the pda category. It already runs linux, is easy to develop for, and is easy to port existing linux applications to. If you know QT, its also easy to integrate existing apps with the GUI that comes preinstalled. Best of all, there are open source projects to replace the OS of the Zaurus with an open source version. Also, sharp's technical support is very good, and the staff very friendly, and they usually hang out on #zaurus on irc.freenet.net

  2. As I said before by Apreche · · Score: 4, Informative

    I gots a friend who has a fujitsu lifebook. He runs Debian, and it is mad crazy.

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    1. Re:As I said before by Longstaff · · Score: 4, Informative

      I'll have to second that. I picked up a Lifebook P2120 just under a month ago. The thing rocks. 6 hours of battery life with the high cap batt - 12 hours if I swapped out the DVD/CDRW for another batt. Integrated wireless. 5.1 channel digital audio. To top it off, it only weighs 3.4lbs. Makes my 12" ibook look like a big, bloated beast.

  3. OpenZaurus by Gothmolly · · Score: 4, Informative

    OZ 3.2 just came out, and has a slew of features that rock vs. the standard ones, such as:
    variable RAM vs. storage allotment
    writeable flash
    new SSH installed by default
    ability to sync to anywhere, not just your local USB

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  4. Re:iBook! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Too expensive? The 12" iBook starts at $999. And another thing, why run yellowdog on it. I know the original poster said he wants Linux, but OSX does all of that just as well as Linux ever could.

    SSH - Got it!
    Links - I've got it running on my powerbook right now courtesy Fink
    Quick sleep/awake times - 1 second flat. I've never seen any other laptop sleep/wake that fast
    Long battery life - I get at least 3.5 to 4 hours out of my powerbook
    WIFI - Oh yeah, that's built in.

  5. Averatec 3120V by prostoalex · · Score: 4, Informative

    This baby has been selling at Best Buy for $550 after rebates, which means that a lot of those items would be popping up on eBay brand new and sealed. It's a subnotebook from Sotec, a good Japanese brand, that's apparently trying to wage a price war on the US market.

    I was able to boot up Knoppix CD with no problems, brought networking up and was capable of playing MP3 and MPEG video files. Have not tried installing Linux on it, but the assumption is it would go fine, since everything worked in bootable-CD version of Knoppix.