RM to sell linux laptop

[CyberNerd]

Is this true?
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/10...ches_minibook/

UK PC company RM - formerly Research Machines, 1980s school-computer buffs - is to bring Asus' tiny Eee PC, launched last June, to these shores - for a mere 169 quid.

The laptop will be branded the RM Asus MiniBook. The 890g, 22.5 x 16.5 x 2.1-3.5cm unit is based around a 7in display, has 256MB or 512MB of memory, a choice of 2GB or 4GB of solid-state storage, and a 900MHz Intel Celeron M processor.

The unit has an integrated 0.3-megapixel (VGA) webcam and 802.11g Wi-Fi, along with a 10/100Mbps Ethernet port and an on-board dial-up modem. RM also said it plans to offer an optional 3G datacard for the device. There are earphone and microphone ports, an SD card reader and three USB 2.0 ports too.


The MiniBook will run Linux, open source operating system fans will be keen to hear, and RM touted the laptop's 15s boot time. We're more impressed with the price: £169 ($344/€245) for for the 256MB, 2GB model, rising to just £199 ($405/€288) if you want a MiniBook with 512MB of RAM and a 4GB Flash drive.

The machine's pitched at schools, but we can see plenty of folk considering the MiniBook as a simple, inexpensive web surfing device.

Both models are due to go on sale over here on 1 November. ®

[FN-GM]

I tell you what its a good looking machine. I think it is more suitable for domain environments though.

[Oops_my_bad]

They are getting desperate now

[Joedetic]

Shame it doesnt say which distro...it'll probs be branded ubuntu i would have thought.

[dhicks]

> I think it is more suitable for domain environments though.

RM seem to be positioning the device for pupil ownership. I imagine they're thinking to sell class / yeargroup job lots at a time. The implication would seem to be that you can word process, etc, locally on the PC and interact with the schools VLE via the wireless connection.

I've only seen pictures of the Eee and OLPC but... I reckon the OLPC hardware is better thought out. Draws little power (anyone know how much power the Eee needs?), snazzy flip screen and stylus input (there's one picture on the Eee website with what looks like a stylus, but no other mention anywhere), more suitible networking, looks more robust. How well will the Eee's wireless work in classroom-at-a-time situations (the OLPC has a peer-to-peer mesh network)? How robust are the keyboards (I find laptops in schools have a magical tendency to lose keys from the keyboard)?

2.5 hours or so battery life isn't all that much, but I reckon it'd just about scrape through a day of intermittent use if recharged every night (one more thing for pupils to forget to do).

That said, the Eee PC looks like it will actually be available right here very soon, and the OLPC is mainly for other countries. The OLPC OS sounds a tad wobbly - still lots of memory leaks a few months ago, although that might be fixed by now.

Hmm. First person to buy a classes worth /has/ to report back on how well they work!

--
David Hicks

[russdev]

Yes it is true and seem perfect as 'word processing tools' in SEN?

Here we have some very old word processing machines student takes them to class types it saves what typed. Then you connect printer and it prints document. See this laptop filling this area an updated version of that.

Russell

[FN-GM]

Manufacturers Pre installing Linux seems to be catching on, Dell etc. Maybe you will have more choice of what OS you will get on a computer now?

[Midget]

will MS create a version of office for linux (without just using crossover) ?


*welds wings to a pig in antisipation*

[webman]

Looks like you need matchsticks strapped to your fingers to use the keyboard effectively

(Reminds me of a Simpsons episode where Homer works from home, gets fat, and tries to call for help: "Beep. Your fingers are too fat. To obtain a special dialing wand, punch the keypad now" )

[bossman]

@TeddyKGB:

why would a company like RM be getting desperate?
As they are getting the lions share of the BSFs at the moment i don't call that desperate i call it good managment, a little like Microsoft. But then i don't see you moaning and wittering on about them.

[plexer]

I was sure it was mash and not punch so a quick google revealed that it is:

To obtain a special dialing wand, please mash the keypad with your palm now

Also from the same epsiode:

To start press any key, where's the any key?

Love it.

Ben

[bizzel]

I heard from our RM reps that it's going to be a re-branded Asus EEE PC, they didn't let on what OS it'd be running though. I also hear it's going to be demo'd at BETT this year and is aimed firmly at students.

[dhicks]

> I heard from our RM reps that it's going to be a re-branded Asus EEE PC,
> they didn't let on what OS it'd be running though.

RM's website seems to reckon it'll be running Asus' Linux distribution - trimmed down, tabs-based interface, selection of applications, web browser. Looks okay, quite usable, although there's probably no reason why you can't replace with your own if you wanted. I've found Slax to be great for this kind of thing - a distribution that's made for customising and adding your own bits to.

--
David Hicks

[plexer]

Web browser and open office would make it really usable.

Ben

[Geoff]

Edubuntu is an obvious candidate too.

http://www.edubuntu.org/