I've just bought a Dell. Dude.

[cyberface]

Well, not bought yet since it hasn't arrived... but placed an order.

What is the world coming to????

Given the limitations of the iPad - extended delivery estimates, higher cost than ideal for a single-niche device, and that I can see it being locked down and jailed to stop it being remotely *usable* for everything I want it to do - I've decided to buy a cheap little netbook; a long battery life, lightweight, around 10 inch screen Mac with multitouch trackpad and *full* ownership and control of the machine (plus a full version of the OS with all Unixy goodness intact).

Though I don't have any love for Dell the brand, some of their machines are very good value. As such I won't be feeling *that* guilty when the Dell badge on the lid gets covered up with an Apple badge

[cyberface]

zcacogp said:

Which one Cyberface? Mini 10v? (Linux version, I'd guess.)

Oli.

Dupont666 said:

Is cyber going to report on this?

http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dell-mini-10-guide...

Silent1 said:

Ha soon you'll fall to the fedora dark side

Tried Linux 2.0 - didn't get very far (1996. What were you using back in 1996, Silent1 old chap? ) - then returned with SuSE 7.3 (the Register article is ancient but SuSE > redhat back in 2001 - for the Linux noobs here, SuSE 7.3 was released in 2001 and had the 2.4.10 kernel) - then played around with Gentoo when hacking the Dialogue Flybook (decided I'd learn how Linux fits together, and Gentoo is all source so you have to compile *everything* - on a Transmeta Crusoe... it taught me to choose binary distros of Linux from then on).

Been sticking to Debian-based distros since then. I'm not ashamed to admit that I default to Ubuntu - not because *everyone* else uses it as if it's the only Linux distro out there (plenty of people think Ubuntu is just another name for Linux, interestingly), but because for standard stuff it's an easy install. And it uses the debian package management system (package management, along with window manager / GUI choice, tend to be the core issues that drive a Linux user to one distro over another, IME).

Actually my favourite Linux is Xubuntu. Basically a lightweight Ubuntu with the Xfce window manager / GUI. I run a version on my Asus Eee 900 (eeeXubuntu), which works well, and also a hacked about version on my OQO model 2.

If only the Ubuntu chaps didn't have such fking silly names for their software releases. I'm all for calling absolutely *everything* that I do that needs a name 'catfish' but the Ubuntu chaps simply take the proverbial.

This new Dell thing will, as you expect, run OS X Snow Leopard (cats are cool, as they're at least half of catfish, or should that be less than half? OK, 3/7 of catfish) but if it has any irritating non-OS X-ness like other netbooks (the MSI Wind that I use with Leopard works 'perfectly' as a Mac OS X box but the trackpad is *so* small it's unusable, and the Mac GUI is heavily expecting a large, high-resolution trackpad. The Dell appears to have a good trackpad) then it'll be back to Xubuntu and OpenOffice.

Oh yeah, and some fool sent me a link to a UK company selling iPads when I'd had too much Night Nurse. So next week could be interesting. Not that I plan to take more Night Nurse, or because I've had to call core credit catfish company cooldown can content contraction. The race is on!

[cyberface]

Silent1 said:

hmm '96 would put me squarely on a my first *nix distro, possibly redhat, due to my age

You sure mate? Compiling your own kernel whilst still in nappies? Kids these days eh

Silent1 said:

as for ipads, rofl one would expect you to buy one to use as the remote for your macTV.

Anyway I expect to hear how you've hacked it to run x and then by the time your done it you'll be buying the 3g version (WTF made them release a 2g version, oh yeah money from people who buy it then buy the 3g one) shame on apple shame on them.

Won't be buying the 3G version, because I'll just be able to tether it to my Nexus One. That's the plan anyway - besides, I can't see any use for the iPad outside the home, so that'll be a *really* rare situation. iPad is a home appliance. For the real world, may as well take the MBP (serious power) or the Macbook Air (proper keyboard - that's if Becky lets me borrow it....)



Night Nurse has a lot to answer for!

[cyberface]

off_again said:

Digger said:

Is it true that the trackpad is absolutely woeful? Apparently even on the newer mini 10 it has not been fixed. Anyone got the later version and care to comment?

I have always found that the Latitude range has had rubbish track pads. In general its not that they don't work or anything, but I have found them to be a bit flaky and that they have been susceptible to slow-down or inaction when the system as a whole gets busy. Its not great and shouldnt happen, but the trackpads they use arent great and do suffer this.... Thinkpads dont for a comparison by the way.

I've got very low expectations. I'm not expecting the Dell netbook to rival a Macbook Pro in trackpad awesomeness.

I'm coming from an MSI Wind U100, which, at the time, was pretty much the best 'native' non-Apple OS X netbook you could buy. My Leopard implementation on that MSI Wind is *native* from a *retail* copy of Leopard. As in fully legal, fully paid for, a *real* Apple DVD and not a torrent of some dodgy cracked and hacked ISO.

However it has a trackpad the size of four normal postage stamps. It is truly, utterly, abysmally lousy. An external mouse is an absolute NECESSITY with the MSI Wind.

The Dell 10v netbook actually appears to have a reasonable sized trackpad - and according to thar intarwebs there's a multitouch driver for it. It won't be as good as a real Apple laptop, as nothing is, no matter how much you pay and how big you go (this isn't fanboy BS, I truly have not yet seen *any* other laptop manufacturer with a better trackpad than Apple, even the expensive stuff i.e. not netbooks). Since this Dell thing is a netbook, it is cheap (around £250 with a proper 6-cell battery) - so expecting an Apple-style trackpad, when my two Apple laptops cost more than £2000 each, would be fking idiotic.

The pictures of the Dell show it to have a reasonable amount of surface area though. If the drivers are unusable, that's a different story (and similar to the MSI Wind) - but the Dell certainly has enough *space* to make a half-decent OS X multitouch trackpad. Hopefully it'll turn up next week and I'll find out