[Nottingham] Crippled Linux

[Martin]

Why oh why do manufacturers have to skimp on the specs to flog only
half workable devices?

Compare:

Asus EEE PC 701 netbook

Operating System: Linux Ubuntu 10.10
Processor: Intel Celeron M ULV 353 900MHz, 512KB L2 Cache
RAM: 512MB DDR2
Hard Drive: 2GB SSD
Screen: 7.0" (800 x 480)

£100
http://www.morgancomputers.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductID=6589

vs:

HP Mini 110, 1GB RAM, 250GB HDD

Operating system: Genuine Windows® 7 Starter
Processor: Intel Atom Processor N270 1.60 GHz, Level 2 cache 512 KB
RAM: 1024 MB (1 x 1024 MB)Supports up to 1 GB DDR2 memory
Hard Drive: 250 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 5400 rpm up to 12 GB partition
for system recovery
Screen: 10.1" (1024 x 600) SD LED Anti-glare Widescreen Display

£175
http://www.morgancomputers.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductID=6186


Unfortunately, the price difference and crippling spec difference both
conspire to give Linux a very poor showing...

I use an AcerOne 10" nettop. The first things I did was to boost the
RAM from 512MB -> 1.5GB, added an 8GB SD card to double the SSD
storage, and alongside the Linpus Linux, I also installed Mandriva.
Now that works very well :-)


Is this where Linux is a victim or is being scapegoated for being too
flexible as the only system to be dumped onto only bottom-spec
devices?...

Cheers,
Martin

(Next talk this Wednesday 06/04/2011
http://nlug.ml1.co.uk/2011/03/computer-forensics-a-case-study/173 )