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"World's Cheapest Laptop" Available in Bulk Only
BobB writes to tell us that what one company is calling the "world's cheapest laptop" is now available at the price of $130. Unfortunately if you want to buy one you will also need to convince 99 of your closest friends to go in on an order with you since you cannot buy in less than units of 100. We have covered several "cheap laptops" in the past and many have turned out to be fraudulent, so especially with a large up-front cost, buyer beware. "The Impulse NPX-9000 laptop has a 7-inch screen and comes with the Linux OS. It has a 400MHz processor, 128M bytes of RAM, 1G byte of flash storage and an optional wireless networking dongle. It includes office productivity software, a Web browser and multimedia software."
...who's in?
You're thinking small. Why miniaturize the laser, when we could instead enlarge the sharks? -John Searle
I'm just an anonymous coward and I don't have 99 friends.
For the Beowulf crowd... just imagine.....
have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
Posting this with my 600MHz laptop running KDE 3 1/2 (Kubuntu 8.04) and have never had any complaints about speed. 128MB, though ...
With specs like that. It's pretty much useless.
If useful to you means "can play the latest FPS video games", then yes, it's useless.
Seriously. Just click around on that website. Looks like China is about to unleash a crapload of cheap laptops. I said it back when the EEEPC refocused on the $400-$600 market, that at those prices Linux was going to get replaced with XP and I was mostly right. But I also said somebody would remember the hugh interest when Asus mentioned a $200 pricepoint and that somebody would fill it. Consider it filled.
Most of these are very poorly thought out designs, especially today's link. Most will fail in the marketplace, only a few will even get into mass retail channels as even the morons at Best Buy can smell the fail. But all it takes is for ONE to succeed and that will probably happen. When that happens everything changes.
Democrat delenda est
As this liliputing article points out, this is a rebrand of a common product (razorbook, elonex one, etc.).
The linux distribution is, well, unknown, and the specs are less than impressive; basically it's a MIPS32 CPU, PDA rather than laptop range. Liliputing also has a $99 laptop on their homepage right now, with even less impressive specs.
SCO employee? Check out the bounty
The article doesn't mention a VGA port but at that price I'd be amazed if it has one.
Be amazed!!! There's a picture of the ports on the pruchase site (linked to from the artcle) and the specs and yes, one of the ports is external VGA.
Extra dodgy.
The website for Carapelli Ltd. (the supplier) is blank, the street address is a P.O. Box, although they list phone (886-2-25969225) and fax numbers (886-2-25941330) which may be active.
Misery loves company. Online misery loves unsuspecting random strangers.
Couldn't you get a used laptop that beats those specs for $130? Granted, you would almost certainly need to buy a new battery for said used laptop, but nonetheless I don't see the advantage of this system.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
With specs like that. It's pretty much useless.
That's what she said.
You are using English. Please learn the difference between loose and lose; they're, there, and their; your and you're.
You can browse, run most OpenOffice products at a useable speed (and all of them if you don't mind some lag). And use connection software to tunnel into your work machine from outside the office. And use chat software. What more do you want with a mobile machine?
I was just looking at the minimum specs for running Flash version 9 http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/productinfo/systemreqs/ which apparently needs a P2-450 to run. I'm curious if this 400 MHz CPU would be fast enough for smooth playability? Lack of Flash support would eliminate a good chunk of uses for this thing.
Is there heaven? Is there Hell? Is that a Tuna Melt I smell?-Primus
I just got a P3 laptop for free at a rummage sale cuz the hard drive was broken (but I had a spare one). This model goes for far under $100 on ebay so let's compare. 400MHz processor vs 850 MHz processor. 128 vs 128 of ram. 1GB of storage compared to 20GB. 7 inch screen vs 14. And a who knows but probably less AH batter vs a 2.2AH battery (you can order a 4-6+ AH one on ebay for it though). Oh and mine came with ME on it so I reinstalled that and it boots from off in about 15 seconds and shuts down in just under 5 seconds. Yep, mine's faster. This trend of ultra cheap but slower than hell laptops is a joke. If you want some cheap, slow piece of crap that can surf the web and type documents, just buy a used laptop on ebay for even cheaper.
Google's Super Secret Search Algorithm: SELECT @search_results FROM internet WHERE @search_results = 'good'
I do not understand this obsession with cheap crap on Slashdot recently... This $130 "laptop" is a fine example. Seriously, I'm lost... why would anyone consider buying such thing?
I tested the 7 inch screen Eee PC when it first came out and a screen that size is pretty much useless when it comes to internet use of serious document preparation.
The Mac Classic my wife used to get through law school, several years of law, and then half of medical school only had a 512x384 9" monochrome CRT...
Now, I agree that one wouldn't want to do much in the way of desktop publishing on a 7" screen - and programming could get ugly, but it is more than capable of checking email and making slideshows... if your slide can't be seen on a 7" screen then it can't be seen across a room, either. You can also type text into it and format it later. Even web surfing can be acceptable if you just hit up news sites and the like.
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
At around $100, a laptop becomes an impulse buy for many people. Need a disposable machine you can buy for an overseas vacation? Need something you can give the kids where you don't have to worry if it gets lost or trashed? Need a laptop you can buy from a vending machine? How about handing out free laptops that tie you into some monthly subscription service? All of these become possible at a $100 price point.
Despite the best efforts of Microsoft, Linux is going to dominate the low end of laptop computing within three years. Microsoft will have to give away Windows in order to compete, and that ain't gonna happen. If the low-end manufacturers can standardize on a particular Linux distro/interface, the revolution will happen that much faster. Then, once everyone is used to operating these cut-rate machines, some enterprising vendors will need only package "deluxe" versions of the same Linux distro along with support for pricier laptops, and Windows will start to see some serious market erosion.
But...but...I can't go down to starbucks to play WoW and pwn newbs...plus this thing doesn't even have lights on the case.
Ginga no Rekshiya Mata Each page.
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/206720976/7_mini_laptop.html
$90-$180 FOB Shanghai, QTY 500. Runs Linux or Windows CE.
Looks like they have variants of this from 7" to 12.1", which is why the range of prices.
No ideas?
By comparison a ti83 costs about ~120 bucks new. There is an educational overhead to using these devices: I would much rather have teachers teaching kids how to do graphs and stats with a spread sheet (spread sheets are a skill they can use their entire life) than learning what buttons to press on a calculator.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification
You pay $130 and when you get ten of your friends to pay $130 they send you a laptop. It's called a pyramid scheme.
End Sarcasm
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
If my wife could buy a class set of 30 (maybe a few extras), she'd be more than happy to have these for her 6th grade students. A couple of candy bar sales would do it. All they need them for is simple research on the web and basic word processing. Anything else (audio, able to show video, etc) is great, but not needed. And at $130, when one is lost (and technology in student hands always dies or gets stolen), she won't have to call in the national guard.
Crappy machines? Yes! Almost a plus in this case. So they fit a need. My guess is she's no the only with the need.
The world is made by those who show up for the job.
I know it's a little more expensive, but I'm holding out for one of these.
Cattledung. I've seen KDE running smoothly on a desktop with specs worse than that, perfectly usable for web browsing, e-mail, programming and text editing - which is exactly what its user, a Comp Sci student, needed on a daily basis.
This is Slashdot. Common sense is futile. You will be modded down.
I know a lot of people might disagree with you here, but here's one agreeing with you.
It might run some applications just "fine", i.e. has some small system lag, but if you're using this for simple productivity, you still want a minimal amount of lag, if any. I hear people at work all the time complaining about the crappy Dell's they use and how they operate slowly, and that's with considerably beefier hardware (in comparison).
I personally wouldn't pay $10 for a laptop like that. I do not need it to play the latest game, but I do not want to experience system lag while I have a few programs open. The average user probably feels the same way.
I believe you're right; and further, I think this will seriously endanger the One Laptop Per Child project. They were way out in front, and maintain a slight advantage thanks to some of their tech (screen, wifi, battery life, ruggedness) -- but it just takes one manufacturer to not be braindead to fill the market for low-power, high-portable, low-price, high-performance laptops.
Of course, it's possible that the best thing to fulfill OLPC's goal is for this exact thing to happen.
Returned Peace Corps IT Volunteer
Actually you can buy the same ones from Bestlink. They give bulk discounts too, but you don't have to buy in bulk from them.
The manufacturer of these notebooks keeps slapping on different labels, but they're all pretty much the same, except for some minor aesthetic and firmware differences.
I've compared one of them (from yet another reseller, with yet another unknown brand slapped on the back) to my EeePC 701 and here's what I found:
Pros:
- Cheaper then the Eee
- Smaller and lighter, even when compared with the 701
- Screen is very bright, even with the Eee at its brightest, the el cheapo is still brighter, see picture)
Cons:
- No onboard wlan although it comes with a usb wlan device
- 400MHz mipsel as opposed to a 600 or 900MHz IA32 CPU in the Eee's
- No frozen bubble (???)
One thing to note, 400MHz today isn't 400MHz 10 years ago. Depending on which processor this thing uses, it could be much much more powerful than the 10 year old laptop, or it could be much much less powerful than the 10 year old laptop. We certainly have new technologies today which could allow a very quick 400MHz machine. Imagine, most of the newest Core 2 Duos only sit at 2GHz.
It's been a long time.
With only 128 MB of ram?
Ouch.
I think a little more RAM would make a world of difference.
Make it 512 MB and at least two GB of Flash with a SDCard slot for expansion and it will good to go.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
Because of projectors. There are lots of them that have only VGA plugs.
Also I think it is very rare for there to be a projector or display that has DVI but does not also have VGA.
Despite the best efforts of Microsoft, Linux is going to dominate the low end of laptop computing within three years. Microsoft will have to give away Windows in order to compete, and that ain't gonna happen.
They already nearly give Windows away in developing countries in order to try to sustain their market dominance in the face of competition from Linux. And they admit that piracy isn't a problem because it gets developing countries hooked on their products. Why wouldn't they give Windows away to keep from losing this market as well? They can see the writing on the wall as well as we can that this is a great opportunity for Linux to break out and will pretty much do anything to stop that.
FPS video games?
Just look at those specs, man. 128Mb of RAM, 400Mhz CPU. There's a shitload a person [b]can't[/b] reasonably do with that machine without obscene amounts of disk thrashing (assuming it even has a disk):
- Use KDE, GNOME, or anything else approaching a modern DE (XFCE is even questionable)
- Use Firefox
- Use Konqueror
- -Maybe- use Opera
- Run Open Office and anything else
128Mb of RAM was constraining and tight in Linux as early as 2002 or so, even with Debian. Today, I think you'd be pretty much restrained to using an embedded linux platform - and even then, you'd still not be able to get 'mainstream' versions of popular applications to run fully due to the RAm limitations.
If they'd charged $30 more and put 512Mb in there, it'd be a LOT more reasonable, and still the cheapest thing available, anywhere.
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
128 Megs of ram is useless. I am speaking from incompetence.
Fixed that for ya.
To be fair, most people don't have the specialized competence needed to run a computer properly.
Most people in the affluent West are just consumers. Typically they can't tune their own cars, heat their own homes or hunt their own food either. In the worst cases, some people haven't been educated to do anything more useful than consume corn syrup and TV shows... they are like big ol' plants.
Hell, modern PDAs approach the specs of this thing.
Yep heres two.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N800
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N810
Granted it is an ARM CPU but its still the same clock speed. You can pick up the N800's for 190-210 in some places and I'm sure >200 on eBay.
It does exist. The Nokia tablets (n800/810) run Flash.
If you give Adobe enough money, they'll port Flash to your device's arch. Doesn't mean you'll be able to download and run it on a random box you're running Linux on for fun though.
http://milkshake.dexy.org
Most modern Linux distros require 512 to 1Ghz memory.
That's odd... I've been using linux for years and I've NEVER seen any FREQUENCY requirements for the memory...
:-)
XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
If only there were a way to get the source code and recompile...
I know why this is modded funny.
We laugh because we dare not cry.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
To DSL.
50MB .iso for installation or to run as a live CD. It fits on a business card form factor CD. That's not just the OS. It's the OS, the Window Environment, all of the applications - to include multiple browsers (yes firefox!), chat, VOIP, spreadsheet, email client. A fully functional network OS with Server or Client profiles with advanced package management to add your favorite debian applications. Last major release July 2008.
Runs on (gasp) A 80486 with 16MB of RAM. Do you remember when that was an enterprise server costing $10,000+? Some of us do. Runs well on a P50 with 48MB or better. That is to say the software is modular and well integrated. The OS doesn't consume more resources than is required. Getting nostalgia yet? It makes a great base for virtual machines.
That's what I consider the low end of usable. And you? How many gigglehurts does it take to recalc your checkbook spreadsheet?
Do you know how they get all of that into such small requirements? They care. That's all. They just care. Is it that hard to care?
Help stamp out iliturcy.
Except for slower processor, half the RAM, one eight the storage, non-integrated WiFi requiring an extra dongle, no bluetooth, lack of GPS, no cellphone hardware, inability to make calls, no built-in iTunes music and app stores, doesn't fit in your pocket, weighs 5x as much, and it could be vaporware. Yeah, besides all that, its a much better thing to type on than a cellphone...
This is where I get my recommended daily allowance of "Foot in Mouth."
I've got a site where you can enter your credit card number too. Or you can just email them to me. Please include the exp. date and that special little three digit number on the back. Oh, and if it's a debit card, I'll need your pin code to for this to work. For fastest delivery please include your checking account number.
BTW: I think I know your mom from school. What's her maiden name?
-- I have a private email server in my basement.
Except for slower processor, half the RAM
So what? If I really need the power, I'll fire up an EC2 instance -- which, by the way, is one more thing to add to the list of things that I can do with this device.
And that's leaving aside the fact that I was talking about ssh, which, even with modern cryptography, runs acceptably on a Pentium 2. And by "acceptably", I mean excellent -- I mean that humans can only type so fast, and even a machine that old can more than keep up with my keystrokes to encrypt, compress, and send over the wire.
one eight the storage
For less than the additional cost of an iPhone, I could by a USB stick to use with it. Or I can connect to S3. Or that EC2 instance. Or my server at home.
non-integrated WiFi requiring an extra dongle
Boo hoo, extra dongle. As compared to the iPhone, which, if it does require a keyboard, that's a whole separate device I'd have to carry with me -- and one significantly bigger than an iPhone.
no bluetooth
While I'm at it, could get a bluetooth dongle. But one of the main reasons I'd want bluetooth is for a keyboard, so if the keyboard's good...
lack of GPS
If the battery life is like other laptops, that and the boot time probably make it not the best GPS device. That said, I live in a small town -- I rarely have a use for even Google Maps, so GPS would mostly be a toy.
no cellphone hardware
I've got a phone already. It's much easier to use than an iPhone for making calls -- mostly since it's actually just a phone; if I open it up and start pressing numbers, and then press "send", I'm connected.
It cost me $1, since I already had a service plan. Speaking of which, I actually get to pick a service plan, and I don't end up with half the cost of the hardware going to AT&T, whether I buy service from them or not.
inability to make calls
I'm sure Skype will fit on there, and I already have a USB sound device.
no built-in iTunes music and app stores
Oh how I'll miss the wonder of buying DRM'd tracks, or free tracks in a proprietary app...
And app store? You must be fucking joking... You do realize that, being Linux and open, I can load any Linux app onto it that I want? And that, seeing as the App Store has a rather hefty fee even to submit your app for consideration (which isn't a guarantee that Apple will sell it), and the selection is considerably more limited...
You've actually managed to hit on one of the weakest points of the iPhone.
doesn't fit in your pocket
You've got me there, but... You have seen an EEE PC, right? Even a Macbook Air? I can live with that not fitting in my pocket. Or weighing five times as much. It's still less than half of a full-sized laptop.
and it could be vaporware.
So could the iPhone, before it was actually launched. But hey, if it is, there's still the EEE PC, which is several times more powerful, has a lot more built-in (camera, etc), and I personally know it works.
Yeah, besides all that, its a much better thing to type on than a cellphone...
Yes, it is. Which is kind of the point.
In fact, I noticed you made not a single point about typing. iPhone typing is good, but it's not perfect, and it's miles away from being able to type 80 WPM on an actual keyboard.
Let's also completely ignore the fact that the iPhone will only run one app at a time, and while the screen is a decent resolution, you're going to have to squint a bit if you want to get real work done.
So, question: Have you ever actually used ssh, given that's the specific purpose (other than browsing) that I want out of a mobile device? Or are you just reflexively jumping to defend your shiny new toy?
Looks like your signature fits perfectly.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
Well the same thing as a prototype for a different branding. It is not a MIPS chip. It is an Xburst which is a Chinese clone of the MIPS instruction set. It does not have a floating point unit and there is a recompiled toolchain that does not use the FPU, and this has been used to compile Linux for the MIPSel (little endian) architecture. Flash support is weird. There is no plugin for the browser, but there is a standalone application that can play a downloaded .swf file. The operating system is quite locked down and seems to be some kind of single-user linux. If anyone has any suggestions on how to reflash the thing with something sensible (like a minimal command line Debian/MIPS) then I would be most interested to hear them. Here is some info on the CPU.
system type : JzRISC
processor : 0
cpu model : V4.15
BogoMIPS : 335.05
wait instruction : yes
microsecond timers : yes
tlb_entries : 32
extra interrupt vector : yes
hardware watchpoint : yes
VCED exceptions : not available
VCEI exceptions : not available
With only 128 MB of ram?
I used a laptop with 64 MB of RAM until only recently, and the main reason I got a new one was to get built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. It's really not that great a problem, depending on your usage. For running Emacs and GCC and just generally hacking on some programs, it works just fine.
You'd need to use a simpler window manager, though, as Gnome or KDE is completely out of the question. I used Ratpoison, but I'd be surprised if, say, Sawfish or similar hadn't worked just as well.
The greatest problem, I'd say, is that there's no nearly modern browser capable of running on 64 MB. Firefox wouldn't even start before me growing a larger beard than I want. Opera was semi-functional, but not something I'd really recommend for the non-masochistic.