[sclug] cheap, cool running, linux-friendly netbook recommendation?

[Ciaran McHale]

On Sun, 2012-08-26 at 19:31 +0100, John Stumbles wrote:
> I'm looking for a small laptop/netbook with good battery life, that runs 
> cool (my old HP G7010 used to double as a fan heater) and plays well 
> with Linux. Any heads-ups?

I suggest you browse shops or the Internet for modern laptops
with hardware specs that you like. Then do a Google search
for the model of laptop plus the keyword "Linux". With a bit of
luck, you will find a website on which somebody indicates how
easy/difficult it was to install Linux on the machine.

I used to have a 10 inch netbook, but a combination of the
low resolution (1024x600 I think), the too small to touch-type
keyboard and the slightly too slow CPU caused me continual
frustration, even when I used it at home plugged into a 20 inch
monitor and external keyboard and mouse. Of course, Atom processors
have gotten a bit faster since then. Anyway, after the Atom, Intel
introduced a line of CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) CPUs that
were about half-way between the power of an Atom and the power of
of a "decent" CPU. I bought a CULV-based laptop with an 11.6 inch
screen, 1366x768 screen resolution, and big-enough to touch type
keyboard. The machine is an Acer Timeline 1810 (with a few letters
appended to the number, "TZ" I think). It is the best laptop I
have ever owned. This machine (and its successor, the 1830t) has
since been discontinued, but if you can find an Internet site
with benchmark scores for its CPU speed, then I'd suspect that
any more modern laptop/netbook with at least as good benchmark
scores will probably be powerful enough for your needs.


Regards,
Ciaran.
-- 
Ciaran McHale   (ciaran_mchale at yahoo.co.uk)   www.CiaranMcHale.com
Mobile: +44-(0)7866-416-134                    www.config4star.org
Home office: +44-(0)118-327-9847                www.canthology.org