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279 euros Linux Eee PC 1215P available for pre order in Italy

Mark — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:53:11 +0000

The 1215P is a 12.1 inch netbook from Asus that was and is available running on Windows 7. But Asus is also hard at work prepping up a line of netbooks running on Ubuntu and the 1215P is among them. The netbook is now available for pre order in Italy for 279 euros, with other European countries to probably follow.

The netbook has the same configuration as a few months ago, when it was released running on Windows 7 Home Premium. It comes with a Atom dual core, 1.66 GHZ N570 processor, 2 GB of RAM and a 320 GB HDD. This is a very decent setup for a netbook, as the N570 is a good mobile processor, and the 2 GB of RAM should provide enough for smooth computing. And for that price, it’s actually quite a deal.

Linux based netbooks seem to come back in fashion; the OS was ever present on 10 inch devices when these first appeared, three or four years ago. It was a way to keep prices down and the netbook light, as Ubuntu netbooks usually had only 16 GB of storage. Later on, Windows grabbed this market as well, introducing Windows 7 Starter, a light version of their current OS, which could work with the low power hardware usually found on netbooks.

The Ubuntu Linux 1215P version is available for pre order in Italy

But now, with this second coming of Ubuntu (with many MeeGo netbooks on their way) and the appearance of Chrome OS, Windows might loose terrain, especially for that section of the demographic which is less interested in the compatibility that Windows OS offers, but is rather attracted by the always connected paradigm and enjoys open source software.

Asus doesn’t stop here with their Linux offerings. Other netbooks, this time in the 10 inch form factor, will be made available before the end of the year. They are actually netbooks we know quite well, as they were previously sold with Windows- Eee PC 1001PXD, Eee PC 1011PX, and Eee PC 1015PX. Also, Asus has in mind to release a $200 MeeGo netbook, Eee PC X101, in the next interval. The machine will pack some Atom hardware and will have a very sleek profile, being a great option for students or users in developing countries.

Back to the 1215P, the computer will not be available in the US, as non Windows computers are still difficult to sell over there, with the X101 being a worthy exception. Best chances you’ll find this line of Linux based Eee PC netbooks in Europe. We’ll let you know as we’ll know more about clear release dates and other info. Stay tuned.

What is an Android netbook and where can you find one?

Adrian — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:42:19 +0000

While Windows has monopolized the computer market for many years now, there have been signals lately that this state of play could soon change. We have recently talked about Chromebooks, netbooks powered by the Google Chrome OS and that look pretty good, at least on paper, and we are going to talk today about Android netbooks.

We will try to find out in the following lines what is an Android netbook, where can we find such a device on the market today and what are the main differences between Android and Windows powered netbooks.

What is an Android netbook?

An Android netbook is, to put it simple, a netbook powered by the Android operating system. Android has been created as a mobile OS for mobile phones and tablet computers, but due to its success, the possibility of being introduced on netbooks as well has been discussed and debated recently.

Android is currently the most popular OS for tablets and smartphones

The Android operating system is currently the most popular OS used on smartphones and tablets and owes its popularity to its speed, especially the booting speed, but also to its ability of making the most out of battery life.

Unfortunately, even though the possibility of launching capable and fast Android-based netbooks has been one of the headlines in the computer industry for some time now, it has almost been impossible to make this a reality.

Android problems

While there are a couple of Android netbooks on the market today (we will get back to that soon), the introduction of the popular OS to these devices has been problematic, to say the least. The number one problem today is that most netbooks are powered by Intel Atom or AMD Fusion processors, which for the time being cannot run Android.

Actually, they can run Android, but not natively, which means that there would be some serious software glitches if you would try to run Android on an Intel Atom powered netbook, for example. On the other hand, there are the ARM netbooks, which can run the mobile OS, but which are problematic from other points of view.

Last but not least, Android is an OS meant for touch-displays thus using it on a computer that does not offer a touchscreen is a huge pain. And most Android netbooks ever launched lacked this important detail.

Android netbooks on the market right now

We established that netbooks powered by an ARM processor can run on Android. However, the ones available don’t feature very up to date hardware. Also, ARM powered netbooks are only compatible with old versions of the Android, as it is the case of the 2.1 version, which means that you win on one hand, but you lose on another.

The Toshiba AC100 is one of the very few Android netbooks on the market right now

If you are looking for the best Android netbook on the market right now, the product that would probably fit the description the most would be the Toshiba AC 100. This is a super slim smartbook that runs on Android 2.1 and that is powered by a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor. This smartbook impresses in terms of battery life, offering an eight hour autonomy, but will disappoint you when talking about applications and software. The Toshiba AC100 can’t be found on Amazon.com, but is available for sale on Amazon.co.uk, where it is available for 199.99 pounds( about 330 dollars).

Other Android netbooks that you could find on the market right now include the HP mini Android smartbook, the NEC Touchnote 7 or the obscure Mobinnova Beam. However, these devices are currently nowhere to be found on bigger online stores, which would mean that they weren’t very successful or functional.

There is also another device on the market right now which could be called an Android netbook, even though it is not exactly that. We are talking about the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, which is a tablet in theory, but which can be used as a netbook along with a docking station. This is currently available at Amazon for 392.87 dollars( the tablet), plus $125.21 for the docking station.

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer comes with a detachable docking station, being a hybrid between a tablet and a netbook

Differences between Android based and classic netbooks

As we mentioned before in this post, an Android netbook is powered by the Android OS, while a classic netbook is operated by Windows.

They both come with pros and cons. Android devices boot and resume from stand-by faster and should offer better battery life. On the other hand, since most Android netbooks offer outdated hardware and software, they have some huge issues that involve apps, performances and overall productivity.

For the time being, Google is focusing on Chromebooks, which could be regarded as the evolution of Android netbooks, as they developed Chrome OS specifically for laptop-like computers. And while that one solves some of the problems encountered on mini laptops with Android, they are still behind classic Windows based netbooks, at least for the average user.

Wrap-up

While theoretically an Android netbook would come with some serious advantages in front of a classic Windows operated mini laptop, there is a reason why Windows has been and remains the undisputed OS leader of this market so far.

The Android OS on netbooks is still far from being functional, fast or reliable and that is the first and foremost reason why we can’t even talk about a good Android netbook.

There is however the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, which comes very close to the concept, as it boosts powerful hardware and a touchscreen, but besides that, you’d better stick with Android tablets and Windows netbooks and notebooks.

Windows 7′s God Mode

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:31:15 +0000

Windows 7 GodMode

Someone has discovered another Windows secret they call GodMode. Basically, it is a folder you have to create and once created, it will contain all system configuration shortcuts that you will need when you think of changing some of your settings. It’s like a Control Panel with more controls.

Although its name suggests perhaps even grander capabilities, Windows enthusiasts are excited over the discovery of a hidden “GodMode” feature that lets users access all of the operating system’s control panels from within a single folder.
By creating a new folder in Windows 7 and renaming it with a certain text string at the end, users are able to have a single place to do everything from changing the look of the mouse pointer to making a new hard-drive partition.

The trick is also said to work in Windows Vista, although some are warning that although it works fine in 32-bit versions of Vista, it can cause 64-bit versions of that operating system to crash.
To enter “GodMode,” one need only create a new folder and then rename the folder to the following:
GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

Once that is done, the folder’s icon will change to resemble a control panel and will contain dozens of control options. I’m not sure it’s my idea of playing God, but it is a handy way to get to all kinds of controls.
I’ve asked Microsoft for more details on the feature and how it came to be. But so far, Redmond is silent on the topic. [CNET News]

1000HE ASUS EEE PC, Fixing Windows 7 Errors

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:43:25 +0000

Windows 7

I recently availed a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate Edition, and in case you don’t know, I own an Asus 1000HE. Now the thing is, earlier netbooks came with Windows XP, and direct upgrade to Windows 7 is not available. To take the new operating system to my netbook, I had to follow some special instructions, but in the end I still got errors with drivers. I realized I followed a wrong instruction.

If you are like me, upgrading 1000HE OS to Windows 7, I suggest you consider the following very strictly:

Before you upgrade, as a precaution, backup your drive.
Before you upgrade, update your BIOS to the latest version using the Asus Update that is pre-installed. You may download the latest BIOS update from Asus Support.
After you have updated your BIOS, you can install Windows 7. Everything should go well when you install drivers.

Now, if you already installed Windows 7 but have not updated the BIOS, you may experience different issues regarding Asus Drivers for Windows 7. This is exactly what I experienced. But don’t worry because I have some tips that might help you.

If you have installed Windows 7 without updating the BIOS first, you may still update it using the Asus Update software. Based on my experience though, it’s quite a puzzle. It’s like, before I can install Asus Update, I have to install another utility that requires BIOS update. And BIOS update can only easily be done with Asus Update utility.

Here’s what I did as a workaround.

I installed the old ACPI drivers for XP on Windows 7, and then installed Asus Update utility. This sounds crazy but it worked for me.
After that, I updated my BIOS to the latest version. This requires restart.
After it’s up again, I uninstalled all drivers I have installed already.
Then installed the following in sequence: Chipset, SATA AHCI, VGA, Hotkey, KB Filter, LAN and Wireless, Super Hybrid Engine, Asus Update, Instant Key. On my experience, it has to go that way.

After that, the issues were fixed. Hotkeys worked perfectly and my netbook didn’t show up any error message regarding ACPI anymore when booted.

I hope this helps and if it’s quite unclear, please let me know specific questions and I will try to answer.

Merry Christmas!

How to create Google Chrome OS Live USB

Andrew — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:21:13 +0000

Google Chromium OS

Google has finally released the source code of its Chrome OS by the name of Chromium OS so developers can play with it. Since the release, a lot of people have also had their chances to try the OS via VMWare. I honestly didn’t find time to try it myself, but thanks to MakeUseOf for taking a step further and share their tips on making a Live USB of the said OS.

All you need to do is to be aware that the OS hasn’t ripen yet, and there’s a lot of possibilities that you will face errors, or not be able to get it done at all. But it’s also worth trying it since I don’t see you’re gonna lose anything either, except for your time. Once you made up your mind, you may download the image file and follow the remaining steps.

via Lifehacker

Ubuntu Netbook Edition is the new UNR

Andrew — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:32:02 +0000

Ubuntu Netbook Remix

A blueprint is showing that sooner or later, the Ubuntu Netbook Remix will drop the “Remix” part and use “Edition” instead. It will probably happen when the Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx comes out, but this is just my personal guess.

“Ubuntu Netbook Remix has now been a part of the Ubuntu cycle for two releases now, and it should drop the Remix, and become Ubuntu Netbook Edition. This spec is about what changes are needed to enable that. {Ubuntu Blueprint}”

Reminds me of Ubuntu Eee changing to Easy Peasy. Though the two are a totally different case.

How to install Windows 7 on Netbooks

Andrew — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:26:04 +0000

Windows 7 Home, Professional, Ultimate Editions

October 22nd marks another day in the history of Windows Operating Systems. Windows 7, which I honestly haven’t tried yet, is officially released for everyone and available for purchase for as low as $199.99 for Windows 7 Home Premium Edition – the cheapest and most commendable version for your netbooks. Also available are the Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate Editions for $299.99 and $319.99 respectively. The Starter Edition is not on the list, sorry.

Windows 7 offers many improvements such as:

Faster Performance
Desktop Enhancements
H0me Media Streaming
Windows Search and
Better Device Management

Microsoft understands the lack of Optical Disc Drive on Netbooks so they provided an option to download the ISO copy of the purchased version, and create a bootable USB flash drive. Tools to achieve this, which is the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool {WUDT}, is also available for download. So basically, all you need to have to be able to install Windows 7 on your netbook is a copy of Windows 7, and the tool.

How to install Windows 7 on netbooks:

Purchase and download a copy of Windows 7, version of your choosing
Download the WUDT
Install the tool on your netbook
Click the Windows Start button, and click Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool in the All Programs list to open the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool.
In the Source File box, type the name and path of your Windows 7 ISO file, or click Browse and select the file in the Open dialog box.
Select USB to create a copy on a USB flash drive or DVD to create a copy on a DVD disk, then click Next.
If you are copying the file to a USB flash drive, select your USB device in the dropdown list and click Begin copying. If you are copying the file up to a DVD, click Begin burning.
{Microsoft}

System Requirements

Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit)
Pentium 233-megahertz (MHz) processor or faster (300 MHz is recommended)
50MB of free space on your hard drive
DVD-R drive or 4GB removable USB flash drive

Windows 7 Starter Shows Up in Hercules eCAFE EC-1000W Netbook Specs

Andrew — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:21:26 +0000

Hercules EC-1000W Netbook

Hercules is one of the brands I am not familiar with very much, but it looks like I could pay more attention now that they announced their EC-1000W Netbook. The netbook comes with 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB RAM and 250GB HDD which are pretty much standard for today’s netbooks. It has a 10.1″ screen at 1024×600. EC-1000W will be released with Windows 7 Starter Edition pre-installed come October, after Windows 7 officially hit the streets.

What’s the good thing about having Windows 7 on your netbook? Well, I honestly don’t know much about it but I heard this new version of Windows is way much better than our old XP.

And by the way, I like its design and the price of $399.

via Engadget

Moblin to come pre-installed to future Asus Netbooks

Andrew — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:08:53 +0000

When Asus Netbooks came to the world, the tiny little computer breathes by the help of Xandros that comes pre-installed as the primary OS. It is light and at the same time lets you use your netbook to surf the internet and do some office tasks from out of the box. Now there’s a rumor that Asus might consider moving to Moblin.

Moblin is an operating system that is specially designed for netbooks that delivers faster boot time and amazingly beautiful user interface and that’s all I know.

Moblin OS

via liliputing

Sound Not Working on Easy Peasy 1.1 [Solved]

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:37:56 +0000

Easy Peasy is a Linux distro fully based on Ubuntu, designed specifically for netbooks. To the uninitiated, it is the formerly known as Ubuntu EEE. And while I now have my Asus 1000HE, I decided to install Easy Peasy 1.0 on my old EEE PC 701. But my initial attempt did not bring me luck on the sound part.

In the Easy Peasy Live USB, everything works normally from sound to wireless. But when I installed the OS to the SSD, sound seems to conflict with other processes. I was unable to fix it before so I moved back to using XP.

When the Easy Peasy 1.1 was released, I decided to give it another try and out of the box, sound still doesn’t work. But I was able to configure it and it now works perfectly.

Here’s the setting that works for me which probably work for you too.

In the Preference > Sound, I selected the following settings.

Recommended Sound Preference for Easy Peasy

And on the Volume control, make sure that Playback is set to ASLA PCM and Master is not on mute.

Volume Control Setup

I hope this article helps you too.

In the meantime, I need to find a solution to the wifi. Fn + F2 doesn’t seem to work… The LED is also on whether the wireless is active or not.