Dell Japan

Dell Japan is selling the Linux version of the new Inspiron Mini 10 netbook. Like the Windows version, the Linux model has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and 802.11b/g/n WiFi. But it comes with an open source operating system.

The product description says this model comes with Ubuntu 9.10, Moblin 2.1. It’s not entirely clear what that means, but my best guess is that it’s a version of Ubuntu Linux that uses the latest version of the Moblin user interface and incorporates Moblin’s optimizations for speedy performance on a low power Intel Atom chipset.

Last year Dell offered a version of the Inspiron Mini 10v with a pre-release, developer version of Ubuntu/Moblin. But now that Moblin has merged with Maemo to create a new platform called MeeGo, it’s not entirely clear whether we’ll be seeing a Linux version of the new Dell Mini 10 with this exactly flavor of Ubuntu/Moblin anytime soon.

via Netbooked

Ubuntu Netbook Edition is a version of the popular Ubuntu Linux operating system that’s been optimized to play well with netbooks with small screens and low power processors. So far the Ubuntu Netbook folks have focused primarily on machines with Intel Atom processors — which covers most of the netbooks currently on the market. But with a number of smartbooks with ARM-based processors poised to hit the streets soon, the folks behind Ubuntu Netbook Edition wanted to make sure the OS could support a wider range of hardware.

Ubuntu developer Jamie Bennett says the primary stumbling block was the fact that the Ubuntu Netbook user interface needed 3D hardware drivers, which aren’t necessarily available for all ARM-based chipsets at the moment. So they rewrote the user interface for the ARM version of Ubuntu Netbook Edition to use 2D Enlightenment Foundation Libraries instead of 3D hardware support to provide graphical effects.

The long and short of it is, that most users won’t be able to see a difference between the Ubuntu Netbook Edition user interface on an ARM or x86-based device. The changes will all be under the hood. As an added bonus, the EFL-based version of the program launcher is easier to theme than the current 3D program launcher.

via Slashdot

Ubuntu Netbook Edition is a light weight version of Ubuntu Linux optimized for netbooks. It used to be called Ubuntu Netbook Remix, but this spring it will  graduate from “remix” to “edition” status. The operating system is designed to play well with low resolution displays, limited storage capacity, slow processors, and it’s specifically optimized for machines with Intel Atom CPUs. But one thing that’s always puzzled me about Ubuntu Netbook Remix is that some of the applications that come preloaded by default just don’t make that much sense on a netbook.

For instance, why do you need the Brasero disc burning software on a device with no optical disc drive? It’s not like Brasero takes up all that much space, but some netbooks don’t have much disk space to start with, so every megabyte counts.

Now it looks like the Ubuntu team is stripping Brasero and a number of other programs from the list of applications to come preloaded with the next version of Ubuntu Linux. Also missing from the latest nightly builds are the PalmOS Pilot software, and Openoffice.org.

OpenOffice.org is an open source alternative to Microsoft Office, and it comes with a word processor, spreadsheet app, database builder, and presentation application. I wouldn’t say you don’t need these things on a netbook. But some people will prefer to use web-based solutions such as Zoho or Google Docs. And others might simply not use a netbook for editing office docs at all. So I can’t say I blame the Ubuntu Netbook Edition team for stripping a OpenOffice.org from the default installation. It does take up a couple hundred megabytes of disk space, and if you really want it you can always download and install it yourself.

What else would you like to see added or removed from Ubuntu Netbook Edition?

via OMG Ubuntu

Leeenux is a light weight Linux distribution based on Ubuntu Netbook Remix. It takes up just 1.2GB of disk space and has a user interface that’s designed for netbooks with screens as small as 7 inches. In other words, it plays well with first generation Asus Eee PC models.

Last time I checked in on Leenux was a few months ago. But the developer just sent me a note to let me know that Leenux has been updated from version 1.3 to version 2.0. The latest update brings a number of new applications including Firefox 3.7 beta, Thunderbird and Lightning for calendar, email, and contact management, and a number of emulators for old school Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis games. Because you know, when you’ve only got a limited amount of storage space and screen real estate, old school gaming is the way to go. Or something like that.

You can grab Leeenux 2.0 from the project download page.

When I got a look at Freescale’s tablet reference design the other day, it was running a modified Linux distribution based on Ubuntu. It seemed reasonably responsive and it was capable of playing HD video. But it’s not the only operating system you can run on the tablet. Charbax from ArmDevices.net got a briefing with the folks from Freescale this week and he’s posted a video of several prototypes running Google Android, the modified Ubuntu, and Google Chromium OS, which is the development version of Chrome OS.

The Google Chrome Operating System isn’t expected to be ready for release until this Fall, but the OS is open source, which means anyone can download it and try it now. Still, this is the first time I’ve seen the operating system running on a tablet with an ARM-based processor.

There’s no touchscreen support yet, so Freescale had to plug in a mouse and keyboard in order to navigate. But the OS seems relatively responsive and the browser had no problems with most web content. Flash isn’t working yet, but Freescale is working on it.

Freescale doesn’t plan to sell these tablets itself. Rather, the company is hoping to see manufacturers build products based on the reference design, using Freescale’s ARM-based processors. The goal is to create a framework for a tablet that could be sold to the end user for around $199. Pop in a 3G module and partner with a mobile broadband provider willing to offer a subsidy, and the up-front price could go even lower. It’s not clear if the product will ever come to market, and if it does, it’s not clear whether it will run any of these operating systems. But Freescale has demonstrated this week that it certainly can run all three.

You can check out the Chromium portion of Charbax’s video below, or hit up ArmDevices.net for an overview of all three operating systems.

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We’re about to be hit with a flood of netbooks sporting Intel’s new Atom N450 processor and GMA 3150 graphics. But there are already a ton of netbooks with Intel’s older chipset on the market. And for the most part that means Atom N270/N280 and GMA 950 graphics. But there’s also a marginally less common combo: Atom Z5xx series processors bundled with GMA 500 graphics.

A handful of machines such as the MSI Wind U110, Asus Eee PC T91MT, and Sony Vaio P use this combo. The idea is that this processor and graphics core use less energy than other chips, thus helping you get better battery life. Unfortunately, the side effect is that the computer also feels more sluggish.

But there is one advantage to the GMA 500 graphics chipset: It features hardware acceleration for HD video in a variety of formats including MPEG-2, AVC/H.264 and VC-1. So while overall graphics performance isn’t quite as good on a device with GMA 500 graphics as one with GMA 950, machines like the MSI Wind U110 can actually handle HD video playback better than more powerful netbooks.

At least that’s the case on machines running Windows. But what if you’ve installed Linux on your netbook? Well, it turns out there’s hope for you yet. Linux Tipps has posted instructions for getting VAAPI (a Video Acceleration API) up and running on an MSI Wind U110 netbook running Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala. Theoretically the same steps should work with any machine with an Atom processor and GMA 500 graphics.

The end result? Linux Tipps says the Wind U110 can play HD video with CPU utilization of about 30%.

thanks Lee!

Well that was fast. Just after two weeks after announcing that development of Kuki Linux had been put on hold indefinitely due to real-life distractions, the developers are back on the job.

Kuki is a custom version of Ubuntu Linux designed for Intel Atom powered netbooks. That means it’s designed to work with the netbook’s hardware out of the box, including the wireless, sound, and video devices.

While the Linux distribution was originally designed just for Acer Aspire One netbooks, the team is adding support for other models, and have confirmed that the Asus Eee PC 1008HA works perfectly. Other models such as the Asus Eee PC 1005HA should be Kuki-compatible as well.

Ubuntu Netbook Remix is a custom user interface for the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution designed to play well with laptops with small screens. Instead of dealing with a panel and a series of drop down menus, Ubuntu Netbook Edition has a series of categories on the left side. Click on Accessories, Games, Internet, Office, or another category to bring up a series of large icons for accessing the associated programs and settings. It’s also tweaked with optimizations for Intel Atom processors.

All in all, it’s a pretty decent UI for netbooks, if not quite as slick and polished as the default Moblin user interface. But what’s with the “Remix” thing in the name? A remix is described as a “respun” version of the operating system “built for a specific purpose.” In other words, it’s not quite as full-featured, or fully supported as an “Edition.”

But now it looks like the folks at Canonical are getting ready to help Ubuntu Netbook Remix graduate to Ubuntu Netbook Edition status. According to the Blueprint for Ubuntu 10.04, it’s time to drop the Remix. That could mean that Ubuntu Netbook Remix would be considered a complete version of Ubuntu, with more frequent builds and additional support. Or it could just be a new name for an existing product.

via OMG Ubuntu

Kuki Linux is a custom Linux distribution designed for Intel Atom powered netbooks. It’s based on Ubuntu, and optimized to work with Acer Aspire One netbooks.

Like many netbook-specific Linux distros, Kuki is maintained by just a few people — in this case, just two. And due to personal issues (health and unemployment related), neither has much time to maintain the OS at the moment. That means the project is currently on hold.

You can still download and install Kuki from the project web site, or participate in the user forum. But it sounds like we shouldn’t expect any major updates for a while.

While I’d never recommend buying an Intel Atom powered netbook as a hardcore gaming machine, the truth of the matter is that a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU and GMA 950 graphics are good enough for some games. And that’s not only true for netbooks running Windows.

The video below depicts a System76 Starling Netbook running Ubuntu 9.10 Linux. And it’s playing a free multiplayer  first person shooter called Urban Terror which is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

I’m not really an expert on first person shooters, but the game seems to be running pretty smoothly, although the player could probably use a bit of training. He gets shot and killed twice in the span of the three minute video.

via Linux Netbook

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