Last week, I bought an EeePC from woot.com. For the few people unfamiliar, it is a netbook, a tiny little notebook computer the size and weight of a hardback book.
It isn't a replacement for a full laptop, but it is so portable it is almost a fundamentally different thing. It is easy to read almost anywhere, even lying on my back on the couch.
As a computer, it is decent for what I use it for, basic word processing and internet. Came with flash already installed, and it works fine. It boots very fast.
Skype actually works better on my deck than it did on my laptop.
My biggest problem is fat fingers--the keyboard is tiny and requires a different typing method to make my fingers fit the keys. It is OK up to a blog post or comment, I don't think I'd want to write a novel on it. There isnt much that is possible to improve with the keyboard that would not require more size.
It uses a version of Xandros linux, which is itself a version of Debian. The stock system has a cut-down interface--Apps launch from the desktop instead of a start menu. I switched to "desktop" mode, more like a traditional computer. There is a version of Ubuntu, but it apparently has microphone issues on this particular hardware. I'll probably give it a try, but this version works fine for now.
Thanks for the update, good to know.
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I know just how Bella feels, David.
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