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Ask Slashdot: How Should I Replace My Netbook?
Long-time Slashdot reader Kevin108 needs to replace his netbook:
I've used and loved my Eee 701 for many years. None of the diminutive ergonomics were ever an issue. But the low-res screen, 4 GB SSD, and 630 MHz Celeron are a useless combo for current web browsing and modern software. I'm now in the market for a new device in a similar form factor.
I need a Windows device for my preferred photo editor and some other software I use for maps. It will often be used offline for writing and watching MKVs in VLC. I'm okay with a notebook or tablet and keyboard combo, but I've not found anything in a similar size with my feature requirements.
Any suggestions? Leave your best thoughts and suggestions in the comments. What's the best way to replace a netbook?
I need a Windows device for my preferred photo editor and some other software I use for maps. It will often be used offline for writing and watching MKVs in VLC. I'm okay with a notebook or tablet and keyboard combo, but I've not found anything in a similar size with my feature requirements.
Any suggestions? Leave your best thoughts and suggestions in the comments. What's the best way to replace a netbook?
How Should I Replace My Netbook? / What's the best way to replace a netbook?
Buy something new, stop using the old system, start using the new one - duh.
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
We poor Slashdotters are now being asked to advise someone who wants a small Windows laptop? Seriously? Go to PC World (or your local equivalent), look at the laptops and choose a small one. How hard can it be?
Thinkpad X220/X230. Cheap, small, robust, easy to fix, good battery life, great support for all operating systems. It just works.
"I would like your advice about buying something new, in a very particular size, but I'm not going to tell you what size it is! Instead you will all have to individually Google it. Mwuahahahahahah!"
Good job editors... couldn't have looked it up yourself and added it? What the fuck then, do editors get paid for? I think between that and the declining quality of comments recently, I'm done with Slashdot. I used to say "I come for the comments" because the editing was so shit - but after yesterdays Google Home mini story where I read 14 highly-moderated comments and every one of them - every SINGLE ONE OF THEM - criticized either the technology or the people buying it as stupid or morons (when it's clearly fucking interesting new tech being used in interesting new ways) I can't say this site has any value for me anymore.
So long and thanks for all the fish.
"I need a Windows device for my preferred photo editor"
Why are you editing photos on a netbook?
I recommend a refurbished Thinkpad x220 or similar (depends on your budget).
Lubuntu and other light weight Linux distros are a great way to breathe life into old machines. I did that with my old netbook and it worked great, much better performance than I had with the default OS (XP), plus much more secure for obvious reasons.
Maybe the GPD Pocket Win ? : http://www.gpd.hk/pocket.asp
Not as good as they advertise on the site obviously, but the size & performance seems to match what you want...
Dell Venue 8 Pro 5000 series 4 GB RAM version.
Add in the matching Bluetooth keyboard and, for extra photo editing fun, the 2048-levels-of-pressure active stylus.
The problem is that it's a 'corporate' device, so Dell doesn't make it easy to buy just one of them.
Hey Kevin, you are looking for a GPD Pocket!
https://goo.gl/iaybuc
Small size, fantastic macbook like metal construction, high res touch screen, physical keyboard that is actually usable, Windows 10 / Ubuntu, battery lasts a whole day at work.
I'm using mine as main work laptop now, plugged into screen, keyboard and mouse. When you go to a meeting, you snap it closed and put it in your pocket.
I use it daily for ms office, mail, web apps, and a bit of java dev.
More than capable.
8GB Ram, high end Intel Atom x64 CPU, and 128GB storage.
The difference between a 10" netbook and a 12~13" laptop is significant. You can't replace one with the other.
I wonder if Kevin108 is really using such a dinosaur.
I gave mine to GoodWill after verifying that it was useless.
My old one was running a chopped Ubuntu 10.04.
Someone kept it running? With what OS? And it was usable?
One difference I've noticed from the time of Netbooks to now is that 7 and 8" screens have disappeared. Now you'll end up with a 10 or 11" screen machine, be it a laptop, a convertible or a tablet which would need an extra keyboard. How close would that size be to the ideal form factor you talked about?
Over here in the UK, there are Windows 10 tablets branded Linx, with Atom CPU and hit-and-miss reviews from buyers. Maybe there's an equivalent brand where you are. The price varies wildly with Christmas and other campaigns, making these machines nearly "disposable computing".
For a short while, I used their 8" tablet, as it was sold at a lower price than the Office365 subscription that was bundled. I conceded defeat and sold it on eBay after a short while. For me the dealbreaker was that the 1280x800 resolution on such a small screen made it really unpleasant to use unless in "tablet mode". Back then Firefox and Chrome were not working well unless we used Windows 10 outside of tablet mode. I also tried to use that tablet with a Displaylink USB port replicator, but it wouldn't send the image to the outside screen. It's probably very customised hardware to fit the small package. Good luck.
Why are you editing photos on a netbook?
Why shouldn't he? It's a perfectly valid application for a netbook. I'm doing it for many years now, including RAW development, while I'm facing the same problem, although my netbook is already more powerful than the querist's – I'd like to have a faster CPU and more RAM, and sightly more screen resolution. Everything else could stay the same. Such machines don't seem to be manufactured anymore, though.
Just check any online outlet and filter by features required, and sort by price. Anything you buy will be better than what it's replacing. And you know this.
I'm in the market for a pencil.
The lower speced ones would probably suit your needs exactly. I can say this because I have a lower speced Pro 3 that I use for web browsing, video watching, simple picture editing and some writing. Very well suited to task.
The whole reason I went with a netbook years ago was the price. Now, though, when I need a cheapo laptop, I definitely go with used corporate - Dell frequently has quite nice extra-durable laptops that are basically leased en mass to companies that make them dirt cheap, and VERY easy to provide service to if you're giving them to relatives.
The designs are inherently rugged, can be thrown into a backpack no problem, accessories and batteries are commodity priced, and the appearance won't cause anyone to blink. I understand the appeal of light-as-possible, but there's just too many advantages to rugged cheapo-bulk laptops. And if you REALLY want mega-light, there's some models that do that too, I'm sure.
Ryan Fenton
Tablets has replaced netbooks.
From the description, you are looking for a Surface or similar Dell, HP tablet.
just order it online.
not that hard. beats the crap out of that eee.
beg for a keyboard to use at home and you should be set.
or just buy a laptop and a smartphone like everyone else. or just a smartphone and run some of the desktop-linux-on-android kits. it's still gonna beat that eee.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
The CPU in your netbook is one of the few that is not vulnerable to Spectre and Meltdown. Install Linux and make it your dedicated banking and Bitcoin wallet machine.
There's a wide variety of products, and you won't find something that's exactly like the 701. Are you interested in something small? How small is too small? How big is too big? How much does weight matter vs. size? Does price matters?
For example the GPD Pocket is decently well specced, but it may be too small for you or too expensive. There are lots of Chinese notebooks or tablets + keyboard with low specs which should be a fit replacement for a netbook. Take a look at GearBest (store) and TechTablets (review site) as good places to start exploring that space.
If you can type well on the 701, then you'ld like the keyboard on the GPD Pocket.
High res screen, 8Gb ram, 128Gb SSD, selection of other standard stuff.
Comes in windows and linux versions.
And something around the $500 price.
GPD Pocket, 7" 1080p, 8gb ram, atom x7 - https://www.gearbest.com/tablet-pcs/pp_613003.html
It is basically a Surface knock-off for cheap. Is it as good as a Surface? Hell fuck no! However, for that price, I'm not going to complain. Cherry Trail Atom quad core, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC storage, 1920x1280 touchscreen and a valid Windows 10 license. It's no speed demon, but for casual surfing, the occasional text editing, it suffices. For that price, I'm not going to complain.
I don't really like the keyboard, but as an alternative there is the Chuwi Hi10 Pro. I don't have one, but the keyboard definitely looks better, and it seems identical except for being a bit smaller and having only "1920x1200".
Again, for the price, these 2 in 1 tablets are great. Keep in mind: this being a Cherry Trail Atom, you're not going to run Linux on it. I only found out about that after buying it.
Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
At least not to the best of my knowledge. Yes, I'm facing the same problem for some time now, although I'm still slightly better off with a year 2012 model netbook (1.6 GHz Atom) that I've upgraded to 4 GB (only 3 of them usable even with a 64 bit OS though) and SSD.
The last device I know of that would have fitted my needs in size vs. capability would have been the 10.6" Surface Pro 2 with the best of available options back then (8 GB/512 GB IIRC), but that was a design/lifestyle object sold for too high a price when it came out. Actually I might go and try to find a used one, one of these days, though – even if the mechanical design makes it less usable for many occasions than even the cheapest netbook.
(I need a Windows OS for my preferred photo editor, too, which unfortunately doesn't run with Wine, but with a sufficiently capable machine it does run in a Windows VM, which is how I mostly use it these days. Not on the netbook, of course.)
I can see that you personally failed that part. Are you typing on your abacus?
Lenovo Yoga 310. I replaced my netbook with this a month ago. Cheap, light, fast and touch screen. I run Fedora and Android on it.
I have not found anything like that either so...
For the size form-factor I use an iPad Air with a cover that has a built in Bluetooth keyboard.
For a larger screen and better keyboard I use a ChromeBook.
I have a Linux and a Windows VM in "the cloud" that I connect to from those devices via Apache Guacamole https://guacamole.apache.org/
I installed Debian Linux on my EeePC and I use it for command line access to the Linux VM via ssh and occasionaly I run Firefox (via 'startx' because there is not enough space to install a full window manager).
until intel and company fix their bugs.
or you can get yourself a pi-top https://pi-top.com/
Kevin108: Time for a new netbook! This will be easy, just a netbook with a better cpu than 630 MHz Celeron. I've done this on dial-up before. I'll pick one out of the hundred of results I get.
Search Result: 80,000,000 results found.
Kevin108: Oh my. What year is today?
I love my Asus UX305CA.
The MS Surface seems up your alley
You should bring it to a shop where it is recycled/disposed properly.
Then you either check Amazon or any other retailer of your choice.
Thank you for environmental friendly shopping and disposal of used electronic goods.
Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
Cheap small laptops don't really exist on the market any more, and most that do are 2:1 devices: tablet first and laptop second. The next step up is a full-spec'd "ultraportable" laptop, and those cost a lot more.
Overall, either type don't have many ports either and with no upgrade options to be as thin as possible.
I have replaced my old netbook with a Lenovo Yoga Tab 8" Windows 8 tablet from 2015. 1920*1200 8" screen (16:10, 283 PPI), Micro SD-card reader (more storage), WiFi, BT, GPS, front and back cameras. It has a thick bulge on one side - but that only makes it easier to grip and it has got a built-in stand.
Unlike other tablets, you can use a regular pencil (or any conductive tip) as a stylus -- which is pretty darn essential in Windows if you don't have a BT mouse or trackpad.
And I got it for just over $200. The downsides are the Atom CPU, 2G RAM and 32G storage but it got a SD-card reader. There is only one micro-USB port for charging and peripherals, so a BT keyboard is necessary. There was also a 10" version and successors Yoga Tab 2, where the 10" came with a keyboard "accessory" and I think they were available first with Windows 8.1 and then Windows 10.
Unfortunately, Lenovo has discontinued the Windows versions and the contemporary Yoga Tab 3 runs Android on ARM.
"We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
Of similar specs is the Linx 1010 tablet (with detachable keyboard). Its a 10 or 8" screen, quad core Atom CPU, 2GB of RAM, 32GB storage, SD card slot. It runs windows 10 but can be persuaded to run Linux badly (https://ianrenton.com/guides/install-linux-on-a-linx-1010b-tablet/).
In the UK its selling for about £100 ($135/€110).
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Linx-1010-10-1-Inch-Tablet-Bluetooth/dp/B01272MLDM
I would wait until a notebook and tablet comes with a updated CPU chip that fixes the Spectre and Meltdown exploits. I believe that security experts that only new CPUs can fix this. Right now, there none. Also, I would not own a tablet or a phone that I could not change the battery with a spare in less than 10 seconds. In the meantime, have you try running Peppermint Linux in this notebook? You be surprise how last and light it this. There as a learning curve but you could boot from a Live USB stick and try won't modify the notebook in anyway.
The 901 is a nice machine
If you gave me a choice between a printer and a giraffe with explosive diarrhoea, i'll get my ladder and my raincoat
Asus Vivobook E12 looks to be their current product in that sort of line. [https://www.asus.com/us/Laptops/ASUS-VivoBook-E12-E203NA/]
i.e. small, underpowered laptop $200, runs linux or windows.
Certainly it's the smallest non-tablet thing that they do.
The form factor and the pricing of these netbooks is dead. For now there are no good replacements.
The closes in terms of what they set out to do are either Chromebooks or Windows tablets. As you seem to be looking for a Windows machine, the likes of Asus Transformer Mini or Microsoft Surface Pro provide a device that's faster, lighter, smaller in terms of volume, bigger in terms of surface and have a bigger and better screen than Eee 701. They are also more expensive.
"I need a Windows device for my preferred photo editor and some other software I use for maps. "
So you don't actually *need* Windows. Linux, Mac, BSD Etc. All have replacements if you REALLY wanted them.
www.caindwarka.com ca_in_dwarka_delhi chartered_accountant_in_dwarka_delhi itr_filing_in_dwarka_delhi lip_registration_in_dwarka_delhi opc_registration_in_dwarka income_tax_notice_solution
Then the Planet Computer Gemini is worth checking out.
This place intentionally left blank
Last year, I got myself a used ThinkPad X230 (720p 12.5in screen) with Ivybridge i5 CPU, add a 250GB SSD, additional RAM stick, additional 9 cell battery and it ended up costing me around USD400. Sure it's not smallest thing you can carry around, but it's more powerful than anything I can get new for the price. USB 3.0, proper gigabit ethernet and VGA ports.
The great thing about the X230 is that you can get almost any part of its' exterior replaced. IPS screen, fingeprint sensor, WWAN connection, backlit keyboard.
On the other hand, the X230 is stuck with wireless N adapter and 720p screen. But if you're resourceful, there's guide to reflash the bios to eliminate wireless adapter whitelist, and even an upgrade kit for FHD screen
They are just about the only ones that build a serious and quality computer in this form factor.
https://www.ockelcomputers.com/
When choosing a laptop, one must first ensure that it has actual mouse buttons,
Then that they are touching (no gap between them)
Then that the screen is non glare
Then that it is properly small and light (or has hardware capability and price)
The lenovo 100s was cheap and actually works.
That said my dell mini 9's just needed new bios batteries... The ssd's are uncommon but 2gib ram and Kubuntu (with rendering eye gags turned off)
I have 16 and 32 gib ssds in my mini 9's and I love them... They can be ran off of a usb stick...
The linux was about twice as fast as windowsXP was... seriously... I disable all the eye-gags. (some people call it eye candy, but it just is horrible)
I could watch streaming video at low quality.
Now all these stupid people don't care about low bandwidth and low computing power, and my cell phone is faster than my mini9... oh.. That's what I do, I just use a 45 dollar motoe4 as a tablet!
(or pay 2 bucks to have it partially unlocked and use it with something other than vercrapzon)
DON'T consider a GPD Win.
The specs are OK for a basic office need machine. Some people can tweak games to be playable.
Trouble is: when it reaches %100 charged it pretends like it's not plugged in anymore and drains until dead. Been this way since the kickstarter and no resolution.
Is the EeePC's processor Meltdown-proof? (ie, no speculative execution?) Install Linux and you may have one of the few secure pieces of computing equipment on earth :)
Get a tablet with a detachable keyboard/cover. A 10" unit can have a full HD display and will have about the same length/width as your netbook but will be thinner and lighter with better battery life. Get Windows 10 or Linux to run standard software. It will have an on-screen keyboard so you do not have to carry the mechanical keyboard if you do not expect serious text entry to be required. A true pen interface is very nice and necessary for graphic work but the display can be used at full resolution with an active touch-screen pen. Using a pen instead of a mouse or touchpad is a delight! A light glove makes it possible to rest your hand on the screen when using the pen. Search Amazon for "artist's half glove" to find ones made for the purpose but just about anything will do. Once we have better speech and handwriting recognition, the keyboard should no longer be necessary.
The EEE is way underpowered for todays standards, no doubt. However, IIRC, you can replace it's battery which is a feature todays handheld/ultraportable computers don't have.
Look into Microsofts Surface Line of products and look at the Windows Tablets Samsung has to offer. One current Windows Notebook I find intrigueing is the Huawei Matebook. Very neat device. Like a rippoff of the MacBook but built around Windows. Definitely check that one out.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
well, for the original EEE that's the case anyway, mine does and it is still usable for what it's intended use was.
nobody will convince me the screen was ever big enough to do image/photo editing, even back in the day when it was released the screen was already small.
On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
my how far /. has fallen. moving on, nothing to see here!
Just like whatever government you have on your country, what shows up on the front-page of /. is democratic, and whoever uses it has the DUTY to change it if need be, and at the very least, the common sense to criticize only after taking action. There's a thing these days called the blockchain and PoS from which you can take some hints on. If you don't like the status quo, maybe hackernews is a better place for your high-level nerd stuff.
Now, replying to the post (because it doesn't make sense to hijack a thread simply for SJW'ing): if money is no object, I would look at Microsoft's ultra-portable lineup such as anything with Surface on the name these days. If memory doesn't fail me, there are currently 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15'' options on the Surface range and a lot of choice concerning form-factor, performance and battery levels. Wallet-wise though, they're all premium or ultra-premium devices, and surely never to be able to run any *NIX OS other than in a sandbox (thank you UEFI/SecureBoot...).
If saving is indeed a priority, I would advise on going for the very lowest tier of something that has a M3 CPU such as the Xiaomi Air 12.5. This way, you won't (or at least take a lot longer to...) face the same question you are presenting right now - a performance bottleneck-forced switch. There was a point in time Intel cared for keeping the Atom line up-to-standards for everyday web use, but no more, since most OEMs have neglected the entry-level, mini form-factor Windows in favour of touch and Android hybrid devices that can be "plannedly degraded".
Yeah, some of us aren't insecure about the size of our tools.
Despite their inability to grasp it, we know, for some tools, bigger isn't always better.
So it's not a stupid question
Yes, I have several other, larger, older laptops around (all running *nix), but I'm still using my EeePC 701 w/CrunchBang Linux on it for various tasks.
So, yes, I also want something quite like OP wants.
Try one of these:
- HP x2 (also known as HP Pavilion x2) - 10-inch laptop-tablet hybrid with eMMC flash (not SSD)
- Lenovo Miix 320
- Asus Transformer
- Acer Switch One
I've recently bought a HP Pavilion x2 10-n140nw (V2H20EA) for about 300$, and it's fine as a secondary device (checking web and email while on the trips, video conferencing, instant messaging). It can also run some less CPU/GPU-heavy games.
and buy a Mac. You'll be happy you did.
Lenovo actually keeps an 11-inch sized netbook around in it's line up in a couple of flavors, but the full PC version is the ThinkPad 11e. It can ben outfitted with 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and Core i3 Processor if you like.
Info here: https://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/...
Awk! Pieces of eight. Pieces of eight. Pieces of seven... ERROR: General Protection Fault. [Paroty Error.]
The Viking Pro. It costs $100, battery lasts half a day, it has a USB port so you can charge your phone from it and use USB tethering, it's easy to root, and it's made of metal rather than plastic so that it can take a bit of a beating.
And you can split the keyboard and tablet parts without fuffing about with bluetooth, as they have a solid mechanical USB connection plus two steel rods.
Get a Chromebook, install Linux, virtualize Windows for the photo software
Great battery life, build quality, and form factor
Seriously -- "require" Windows software? Whatever.
Here -- in vivid detail for you:
1) Go to {Best Buy|Target|Wal-Mart|Office Max|Staples}
2) Look at small laptops
3) Buy one that fits your budget
My real advice it to get over Windows. Seriously, just get over it. You only "require" it because it's all you know. That's like "requiring" an iPhone because you need a mobile phone to make calls. Any phone that will make calls will work, but you "require" an iPhone because you also "require" staying in your own small, never-changing world where you are incapable of learning anything else. Seriously. And you sound like you have a college degree and have graduated and will also never learn anything else in your life, so put you in a job you think you deserve so you can provide the same text-book answers you already know, and live your life to a nice, comfy retirement.
Seriously, research your own machine.
13" screen, 8GB Ram and 128GB SSD will run you about $500 on eBay. It surfs the web with ease.
I feel with you.
My rusty EEE 901 ran for nearly a decade, expanded to 2GB RAM, 36GB Flash and a 10 hour extra large battery, running XP, LUbuntu 10,04 to 16.04 and Windows 10 all fine. Pretty much every daily work worked flawless EXPECT browsing the web.
I ended up with tihs: https://skinflint.co.uk/odys-s... - very cheap, very small and light and high resolution on a small screen gives a very crisp picture. Also using it as a tablet by flipping the screen 360 degree around is pretty nice. 32GB is a lot of space for Windows 10 32Bit which usually needs less than 10GB for itself. I also installed a 64GB SD-card to store some Movies, Musik, Steam-Games.
The Goldmont Atom x5-8350 is pretty fast, a whole different beast than the older Atoms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
And no, I do not think it is a good product. The keyboard is mediocre, wireless LAN substandard, no user serviceable parts, the layout is not well thought either. But the overall idea works very well. You might want to invest a bit more money into some Lenovo Yoga to avoid the show stoppers.
"Life is short and in most cases it ends with death." Sir Sinclair
When the Eee's specs began to show their age as you describe, I bought an HP Mini 5103 (10" screen) and was never especially happy with it. When the HP's specs became insufficient, I bought a refurbished Lenovo Thinkpad X230. The 12" screen is a bit bigger than I really need (I think 10-11" is the ideal), but I'm thoroughly pleased with it. The hardware is more than adequate for my purposes, despite being a few years old, and I fully expect it to get me through another ~3 years of school. 9/10 highly recommended.
I run Arch Linux, so your mileage may vary with Windows.
I still have my Eee. The form factor wasn't a problem for me either. I sometimes ponder going back to it, but that old Celeron just doesn't cut it for today's software.
shit
This is a site for nerds. Get back over the border.
I picked up one of these on a whim, at $70-$80 it won't break the bank, and is running full Windows 10 with Creators update, so you have access to the Linux subsystem.
Its real limit is its small RAM size, but at 2GB that's still 1GB more than most entry level Netbooks, I've been thoroughly impressed, handles Youtube/Netflix/Plex easily, and readily capable of light coding
https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Touchscreen-Quad-Core-Processor-10-Silver/dp/B01MSZYJ0V/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1515420198&sr=8-3&keywords=8%22+Windows+10
I am in the same boat - I have been looking for something small for accomplishing minor tasks on the go. I have been looking at the GPD Pocket which seems to tick all of your boxes (Windows, 1080p screen, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB SSD (I assume eMMC) and 8+ hours of battery). The only difference between my requirement and yours is I would prefer a unit that runs Linux, in which this can do. The only reason I have not purchased it is that I am not sure I like the mouse nub - Touchscreens are great but there are several tasks where a touchpad is better.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=gpd+pocket&sprefix=GPD+P,aps,163&crid=1B1GJAW05KNGK&linkCode=ll2&tag=bluemobilecom-20&linkId=3a4e2d92f80f6a5bb7556d1769beb034
On the plus side, those older Atoms are some of the few processors not to suffer from the current Meltdown securiy flaw due to their antiquated architecture.
Get a lenovo yoga book Windows edition.
It doesn't suck.
Don't expect Linux to run native.
A VM can fill in where you need those tools.
A Chromebook may work for your situation. For Windows apps you could remote in to a cloud-based Win 10 virtual desktop. This works especially well if you only need Windows once in a while since services like Amazon's Workspaces only charge for what you use. Chromebooks work fine for day-to-day browsing and offline mode works sufficiently well for writing (in Google docs). It will set you back about $200 or so for a 4GB device.
Not very useful if you type a lot, but if you want it for photo editing, in a netbook format, it should do really well.
Install a javascript blocker on your web browser, and you will be amazed how much faster your web browsing becomes.
Sounds like he could get a modern tablet and be happy with that as a replacement for the netbook.
I own a Dell Inspiron mini 1012, on which I ran FamiTracker, FCEUX debugger, Python with Pillow, and ca65 (a 6502 assembler) inside Xubuntu. I used it when working as lead programmer on the video games Haunted: Halloween '85 (2015) and The Curse of Possum Hollow (2016) published by Retrotainment Games. Because the laptop is so small, I could whip it out and get work done while riding the bus to and from my other job. I stopped using it when its third lithium ion battery could no longer hold a charge; unfortunately, its replacement is much bigger and thus not nearly as portable.
I need it to be x86-64, not ARM, because FamiTracker and FCEUX debugger are Windows applications that run usably in Wine, and Wine needs x86. (FCEUX works on other-than-x86, but without the debugger.) So what x86-64 tablet with keyboard do you recommend for running GNU/Linux? Or would an x86-64 tablet with keyboard running Windows 10, such as the ASUS Transformer Book, be better for work loads like this?
You could try a Chromebook
Until you need to run an application that is not a web application. Then you have to use developer mode, whose self-destruct button is too easy to trigger accidentally.
Go to PC World (or your local equivalent), look at the laptops and choose a small one. How hard can it be?
Harder than you might think. The only 10 inch laptop in a local Best Buy is an ASUS Transformer Book, and those are known to have serious problems with Linux compatibility.
I use a HP Chromebook that runs [Crouton] so I have both Linux an Chrome.
Crouton requires developer mode. If someone turns on your developer-mode Chromebook, presses Space as prompted, and presses Enter as prompted, the firmware begins a factory reset. What do you do to restore the use of the machine after the firmware has performed a factory reset?
I have a Linux and a Windows VM in "the cloud" that I connect to from [my iPad Air and Chromebook] via Apache Guacamole
How much do you pay per year to lease your Linux and a Windows VPS, and how much do you pay per year to connect to it through a cellular ISP?
If the browser can be configured to trick sites into thinking it's a phone, then maybe one can browse without getting the JavaScript-happy eye-candy version of the site that slows the browser down.
Table-ized A.I.
I had exactly the same issue you have but after lots of study I decided upon the Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6"
It is a Windows 10 system with a much better display and much longer battery life than my netbook.
I added a hub for $50 to make the single USB C port more useful.
Use case that you are after has moved from netbooks to tablets. Either iPad Mini or many Android tablets are pretty inexpensive. I would pick up one and see how far you can go with functionality that you need. While you have been holding on to EeePC, both hardware and software development for this form factor has been moving to mobile. Conversely, Windows apps and desktop web pages are increasingly unusable for that form factor. While you may not be aware of this now, you will notice a big jump in productivity by using up to date solution and will probably not want to go back. You can still get a keyboard/touch pad case for a tablet and get a dirt cheap larger Windows laptop if your apps are really irreplaceable.
The LANRUO GPD Pocket 7 Inch Aluminum Shell Mini Laptop might be just what you're looking for! Pretty much exactly a modern re-interpretation of the netbook. AFAIK, most people who buy these get them as portable emulation boxes, I'm actually really excited that someone could want one for its intended purpose
Something like the HP Pavilion x360 - 11-ad051nr , $399.99 direct from HP? Or maybe an HP x2 210 G2 Detachable PC in the $470 range direct from HP?
Asus doesn't seem to make 11 inch non-Chromebooks currently. Best I could find is a closeout at Best Buy: Asus - 2-in-1 13.3" Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive - Sandblasted aluminum silver with chrome hinge Model: Q304UA-BI5T24SKU: 5768200. $524.99.
Not really understanding the need for Ask Slashdot on this.... this is a question for someone at your local electronics store.
typed in "Laptop" in the search line, then I checked 10.1" and under.
I got lots of results, and not all of them sucked. There was some HP and Lenovo stuff that looks like it fits your parameters.
I was a netbook fan too, I've still got a couple laying around, though I use them less in the modern day. Back when I loved using them it was a different job and a different list of requirements than I have now, I carry a Lenovo w540 beast around now and think it's great because I'm not putting it in my bike "trunk bag" like I did with the netbook.
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I had a similar problem 2 years ago, and I came up with two solutions.
I was looking for a replacement for my netbook that would be equally cheap and lightweight, while running a more modern version of Windows than XP My problem is that tablets and Chromebooks have taken over most of this product space, but I needed Windows. I found two solutions.
1. An HP Stream. Runs Win10, comes in versions with 11" and 14" screens. I got the 14" one for about $200. I just looked and found the 11" ones on Amazon today for about $200. I use mine for a specialized application that requires this sort of compromise between light weight and the larger screen, and I'm happy enough with it that I'd look to the 11" one for more portability had I not found solution 2.
2. A Win10 tablet with attached keyboard. The one I have is an RCA Cambio, and I like the compromise among low price, small size, and functionality. Amazon has them today for about $135, which is what I recall paying for mine. I did add a USB3 hub to this, as it has only one USB port. It comes with a dedicated (but very lightweight) power supply, and it can be powered through USB as well, providing another bit of weight saving. I've only used this with the keyboard, BTW, never as a "pure" tablet, so I can't recommend it for that latter use.
To be clear, neither of these choices is a good substitute for the larger laptop I use on an everyday basis. But both nicely serve the more limited uses I previously made of my 10" netbook (mainly for when I'm flying so size and weight matter a lot, and low cost comforts me regarding risk of damage or loss).
My wife seems to like her Dell Inspiron 11 2-in-1. The overall size is just slightly larger than my old Dell mini 10. The touchscreen and ability to flip to become a tablet, makes it more functional than the old mini 10. If you can upgrade to an SSD you'll get decent performance.
"We're gonna need a bigger boat"
Microsoft Surface
It is small, light, and relatively cheap. It accepts a m2 2245 ssd, which is why I bought it (and it has Cyrillic keys as well as US). The built in ssd is only 32GB, so you will want to plug in the additional ssd. I haven't bought that yet. It runs windows 10 out of the box.
Mine was $230, although I bought it in Bulgaria from Vivacom. I don't know of any US distributors. It was manufactured in China. The battery life is claimed to be 8 hrs. I think mine lasts longer, although I haven't used it much yet.
I faced the same problem a few months ago.
I already have a Dell XPS 12 with an i7 in it. It's a few years old, but more than fast enough to do email, browse the web, and if I need to spin up Visual Studio.
But I wanted something smaller for travelling (camper van, or aircraft). Size makes a difference in confined spaces like a campervan. I used to have a Toshiba 1" netbook which was great, but slow. So I looked around for something else with the same form factor. I had three choices:
Apple Macbook 11"
Apple Macbook (the new small one)
Surface 3
Apple - why would I buy Apple kit only to overwrite the OS with Windows? Doesn't make sense. So I wouldn't do it.
The Surface 3 Pro was just a few mm too large. The Surface 3 has an Intel Atom in it - I was reluctant to revisit that after the Toshiba, but I did the PCMark tests and decided it was OK. And yes, it is. I use the Surface 3 when we go away in the campervan or I want to visit a conference without taking lots of luggage and weight (If I go to the US, full luggage and the nice laptop, but go to Lisbon, backpack and the small laptop).
Thing is you can't buy a Surface 3 brand new, you can only buy a Surface 5 Pro, which is lovely, but the wrong size for what I wanted.
So go on Ebay and find one second hand. I paid a fraction of what you'd pay for a Macbook, but I got a machine that did what I needed.
Work out the machine needs to do well (email, web), and what it needs to be able to do if it has to do it (Visual Studio).
Then work out your budget.
Go from there.
Sure, a Surface 5 Pro, or a Macbook would be better, but for the form fact I wanted, a Surface 3 is the best, especially as I paid a few hundred for it rather than a thousand.
For reference here are the Asus EEE 701 Specs(8.9" Wide x 6.3" Deep x 1.3" High)
Asus Mini Specs (~10" wide)
Asus Transformer Pad (~10" wide)
Chuwi Surfacebook Mini (~10" wide)
GPD Pocket
Or any Surface tablet with a bluetooth keyboard case (e.g. Naxa)
The draw of these typically lower-powered, netbook sized devices was their price so this one fits that bill.
I grabbed one of these recently went it went on sale for $159 to have a more portable alternative for basic web browsing and note taking vs. using my 17" i7 laptop when meeting clients in the field. It's about the size of a netbook that runs full win 10, has a touchscreen, and it detaches to become a Windows tablet. Mine also came with the rather responsive pen which magnetically attaches itself to the bottom of the machine. I had sold my previous netbooks because even with the max upgraded ram they were still too slow and unusable. Once you remove all of the preinstalled crap from the machine and perform the standard win 10 performance fixes, you have a fairly lightweight very capable netbook type device that can handle some basic photo editing.
If you can spend a little more you should be able to get your hands on a used surface 2 or 3 with at least an i3 and at least 4GB RAM.
The portability. Smaller screen was only a minor part of that. Mostly it was a 8-10 hour battery meaning you could use the damn thing most of the day without tethering or bringing along a wall wart and tethering yourself to mains power. So tell me, how does a refurb corporate laptop do there? The batteries are all refurb so are lower capacity and the laptop could not handle many hours away from the wall socket when it was new.
10" screen and 10 hours internet use. That's a netbook. Smaller or bigger is a lot less relevant, though, because it's the hours on the internet that are important.
I just bought a small laptop with an i5 chip, 2560x1700 touch screen, 4 GB ram, 32 GB SSD (I will use an SD card for more storage if it ever fills up) and a great build quality. I installed Gimp and VLC so far, can probably run Windows apps but have no need.
It's a refurb chromebook Pixel with crouton/Xubuntu on top of it. I admit to being a cheapskate, but what else do I need? Once you get over the mindset of "needing" Microsoft Windows, the world opens up for you.
You can't realistically buy this at the moment.
I give myself the liberty to say that 11.6" laptops are netbooks ; look at the "evil" ones with soldered RAM and storage, 2G/32G, 4G/64G. Such as Asus Vivobook, or perhaps eeeBook.
Soldering the storage is heinous and it's sealed, but there are upsides as it's fanless and very light for a laptop, battery life is so long you don't have to worry about plugging in to install an OS. Like a netbook it has real ports!
It looks and feels like an Apple laptop, but 20% the price and more useful!
1366x768 is perfect if you don't want to rely on scaling, but it's TN. But you have real HDMI to hook up a calibrated, IPS or VA 21" 1080p monitor (to keep similar pixel density and bang for the buck)
With a tablet you would fuck around with bluetooth keyboards, USB hub, stand, incompatible video out adapter, at low fisher price quality and can't even take a USB drive unless you carry a dongle. On a real PC you can boot from it and hell, use the keyboard to enter the BIOS or navigate bootloaders.
I wanted to say something about Wine. I found out that in 2017 they released a major new version, 2.0 stable, and it has new versioning. great, because it was a confusing mess and I never bothered much!
quick howto :
- install ubuntu or mint
- go to winehq.org
- add the ppa repository to your system
- install the stable version, not any other
This looks like a much better wine, safely replaces the older one in distro repo, will be followed by a 3.0 stable!
so no need for development versions and their risk to blow up, or for 'play on linux' (this thing is a GUI for sysadmins with no help file. useless)
So, if you can try latest wine stable : maybe your windows program will really work, actually. This would allow to escape Windows 10, its bloat, antivirus, windows update, apps for dummies and that it behaves like kazakhstan's secret police.