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Tony Godshall | 19 May 19:33

attack of the low-cost ultra-mobile linux boxen

I was tempted by the eee-pc but stayed out
because of the screen (800 pixels wide?  heck,
my cell phone does that!).  To me, a device
needs 1024 wide to render a web page properly
(due to rigid web designers) and at least 100dpi.

But now with the HP2133 coming out (ship
date ETA 6/1 at last visit to HP.com) I looked
around again I found that there's now an eee-pc
with a bigger, sharper screen, and another very
interesting ultraportable: the wibrain (heheh).

I post here the specs I collected in the hopes it'll save someone else
some trouble:

wibrain b1lh   1024x600   4.8"   247dpi	1.15lb	$499	512M RAM       30G
    VIA C7M 1.2GHz CPU	Linux/Ubuntu	dynamism.com or redorbit.com
wibrain b1le   1024x600   4.8"   247dpi	1.15lb	$649	1G RAM
60G     VIA C7M 1.2GHz CPU	Linux/Ubuntu	dynamism.com or redorbit.com

eee pc 900    1024x600   8.9"   133dpi	2.1lb	$550	1G RAM           20G
    Intel	Linux/Suse	centralcomputer

hp 2133         1280x1024 8.9"   184dpi	2.8lb	 $550	512M RAM
20G     VIA C7-M 1.2 Ghz	Linux	KR922UT Linux version from hp.com ships
~6/1/08

In the end I bought an eee pc 900 in person at Central Computer in
Santa Clara rather than wait for the HP, partly because I'm heading to
Asia in a week and partly because it has more memory.
(Continue reading)

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Greg KH | 19 May 19:55

Re: attack of the low-cost ultra-mobile linux boxen

On Mon, May 19, 2008 at 10:36:14AM -0700, Tony Godshall wrote:
> 
> hp 2133         1280x1024 8.9"   184dpi	2.8lb	 $550	512M RAM
> 20G     VIA C7-M 1.2 Ghz	Linux	KR922UT Linux version from hp.com ships ~6/1/08

Please note, if you want to run a "non-tainted" Linux kernel, that's not
going to be possible just yet with this device.  It ships with two
closed source kernel modules (via 3d and broadcom wireless), that are
much larger than the rest of the whole kernel itself.

I'm supposed to be getting one of these "real-soon-now" and will
hopefully be able to get it working properly without these modules.

But until then, I wouldn't recommend it to any -elitists...

thanks,

greg k-h
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Don Marti | 19 May 22:40

Re: attack of the low-cost ultra-mobile linux boxen

begin Greg KH quotation of Mon, May 19, 2008 at 10:55:02AM -0700:

> Please note, if you want to run a "non-tainted" Linux kernel, that's not
> going to be possible just yet with this device.  It ships with two
> closed source kernel modules (via 3d and broadcom wireless), that are
> much larger than the rest of the whole kernel itself.

Have the contributors to VIA's "open source driver
development portal"
  http://lwn.net/Articles/280411/
gotten connected to the right people upstream?

--

-- 
Don Marti                    
http://zgp.org/~dmarti/
dmarti <at> zgp.org
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Dave Jones | 19 May 23:04
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Re: attack of the low-cost ultra-mobile linux boxen

On Mon, May 19, 2008 at 01:40:17PM -0700, Don Marti wrote:
 > begin Greg KH quotation of Mon, May 19, 2008 at 10:55:02AM -0700:
 > 
 > > Please note, if you want to run a "non-tainted" Linux kernel, that's not
 > > going to be possible just yet with this device.  It ships with two
 > > closed source kernel modules (via 3d and broadcom wireless), that are
 > > much larger than the rest of the whole kernel itself.
 > 
 > Have the contributors to VIA's "open source driver
 > development portal"
 >   http://lwn.net/Articles/280411/
 > gotten connected to the right people upstream?

Some of their developers did a huge code drop of via framebuffer code
for the kernel a few weeks back, but to the best of my knowledge,
that's the only code that's come out since their big announcement last month.

I'm a bit miffed they continue to distribute a binary version of one
of my drivers without source for their modifications, but I continue
to give them the benefit of the doubt.   Hopefully they'll wise up soon.

	Dave

--

-- 
http://www.codemonkey.org.uk
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Greg KH | 19 May 23:34

Re: attack of the low-cost ultra-mobile linux boxen

On Mon, May 19, 2008 at 05:04:07PM -0400, Dave Jones wrote:
> On Mon, May 19, 2008 at 01:40:17PM -0700, Don Marti wrote:
>  > begin Greg KH quotation of Mon, May 19, 2008 at 10:55:02AM -0700:
>  > 
>  > > Please note, if you want to run a "non-tainted" Linux kernel, that's not
>  > > going to be possible just yet with this device.  It ships with two
>  > > closed source kernel modules (via 3d and broadcom wireless), that are
>  > > much larger than the rest of the whole kernel itself.
>  > 
>  > Have the contributors to VIA's "open source driver
>  > development portal"
>  >   http://lwn.net/Articles/280411/
>  > gotten connected to the right people upstream?
> 
> Some of their developers did a huge code drop of via framebuffer code
> for the kernel a few weeks back, but to the best of my knowledge,
> that's the only code that's come out since their big announcement last month.

Yeah, I've been talking with them directly as well, that framebuffer
code is currently getting into linux-next through my tree thanks to
that interaction.

But the 3-d stuff is still not happening yet, I keep poking them through
a bunch of different channels...

> I'm a bit miffed they continue to distribute a binary version of one
> of my drivers without source for their modifications, but I continue
> to give them the benefit of the doubt.   Hopefully they'll wise up soon.

In my talking with them it still seems more of a "not quite realizing
(Continue reading)

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Dave Crossland | 19 May 20:37
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Re: attack of the low-cost ultra-mobile linux boxen

2008/5/19 Tony Godshall <togo <at> of.net>:
>
> 1) ASUS has, in its manual, a list of devices qualified to work with
> it (mostly USB devices) including normally problematic things like TV
> tuners.

Are these because of non-free kernel modules though? That might even
be non-redistributable?

> 2) It has voice activation included for launching apps: you say
> "computer, notes" and it brings up a sticky note.  You say "computer,
> clock" and it brings up a world clock app.

Again, is this proprietary software? :-(

--

-- 
Regards,
Dave

I support www.gnuherds.org -
democratic free software jobs
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