ASUS Quietly Launch New Ubuntu 12.04 Netbook

[philinux]

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/06/asus-quietly-launch-new-ubuntu-netbook?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+d0od+%28OMG%21+Ubuntu%21%29

[TheFu]

This is great! I have an Eee with a dual Intel Atom N280 @ 1.66GHz and it struggles to handle 720p video playback. Actually, I transcode all video to 592p h.264/mkv to ensure good playback under XBMC.

The new systems have either Atom N2600 or N2800 CPUs.

Relative CPU performance:


Intel Atom N280 @ 1.66GHz 315 (my old Eee)
Intel Atom N2600 @ 1.60GHz 592
Intel Atom N2800 @ 1.86GHz 723

Passmark CPU Mark is the last column. Higher is better.

[tjeremiah]

I want a Ubuntu "Ultra"book.

[Copper Bezel]

Frack. It'd better see US release. Cedar train processor, 11" screen, non-netbook display res, pretty case, 9-hour battery. It's ultrabook enough for my wallet. (Needs SSD, of course.) It's a step up from my S101, and I don't have to buy a Windows machine. (Even if I'm not using the OEM install, because because magnetic drive. Blech.)

Edit: One new, black, on Amazon third-party. But I want the red one!

Edit: CNet are *****. Check "operating system" in the specs (http://www.cnet.com/laptops/asus-eee-pc-1225c/4505-3121_7-35267755.html).

Edit again: Never mind. The same model has shipped with Ubuntu, Windows, and no OS at all. And almost all of the entries for the out of stock copies are black. Grr.

[Redblade20XX]

I've always loved Asus. GNU Linux support, unlocked BIOS and finally an 11 inch screen.
:guitar:

-Red

[forrestcupp]

The key word here is "quietly". It probably won't do any better than the Dell computers that were launched so quietly that you couldn't hardly even find them if you tried.

[drawkcab]

It only took them five years to figure this out.

RIP Xandros

RIP Windows XP

[Max Blyss]

I've got an Asus laptop and two desktops with Asus boards in them, all of which run Ubuntu like bosses. I love their products and would buy this thing in a heartbeat if I was on the market for a new machine.

[ExSuSEusr]

ASUS is king.

I love that company and their products... Sorry Canonical you're second ;)

[Max Blyss]

ASUS is king.

I love that company and their products... Sorry Canonical you're second ;)

Merger!? AsuNonical!? I can only dream...

[KiwiNZ]

Too little, too late. The Netbook ship has left port.

[Dr. C]

Too little, too late. The Netbook ship has left port.

I would not dismiss this at all. It has an 11.6in screen so the keyboard will be comfortable for an adult male to type on. It is actually larger than the 11in Macbook Air which was the smallest laptop that made ergonomic sense. Anything smaller, such as the OLPC products, only makes ergonomic sense if the target market is children as they have smaller hands.

The trouble with the Windows netbooks is that they were constrained by the licensing of Windows 7 starter to a 10.8in screen and were tipically shipped with a 10.2in viewable screen. The result a keyboard that was too small to type on and an ugly thick bezel around the screen. It is no wonder they failed in the marketplace.

[Copper Bezel]

Too little, too late. The Netbook ship has left port.
As a method of getting Ubuntu some users, yes, that's true, and no one should be getting their hopes up.


The trouble with the Windows netbooks is that they were constrained by the licensing of Windows 7 starter to a 10.8in screen and were tipically shipped with a 10.2in viewable screen. The result a keyboard that was too small to type on and an ugly thick bezel around the screen. It is no wonder they failed in the marketplace.
Wait, what? Netbook bezels have to do with the license requirements? Could you link to more info?

[azangru]

The key word here is "quietly". It probably won't do any better than the Dell computers that were launched so quietly that you couldn't hardly even find them if you tried.

Exactly!
And of course they put Linux only on their low-speced machines :(
(and of course both Asus and Dell keep recommending Windows 7 on their web sites)

[KiwiNZ]

I would not dismiss this at all. It has an 11.6in screen so the keyboard will be comfortable for an adult male to type on. It is actually larger than the 11in Macbook Air which was the smallest laptop that made ergonomic sense. Anything smaller, such as the OLPC products, only makes ergonomic sense if the target market is children as they have smaller hands.

The trouble with the Windows netbooks is that they were constrained by the licensing of Windows 7 starter to a 10.8in screen and were tipically shipped with a 10.2in viewable screen. The result a keyboard that was too small to type on and an ugly thick bezel around the screen. It is no wonder they failed in the marketplace.

When the Netbooks first appeared they served a purpose for a niche market, unfortunately for the Netbook the Tablet and Tablet like devices soon appeared and took their market place and have eaten into the mobile computing market in general.

Like them or not the Tablet is the now product and for the medium term.

[Dr. C]

As a method of getting Ubuntu some users, yes, that's true, and no one should be getting their hopes up.


Wait, what? Netbook bezels have to do with the license requirements? Could you link to more info?

Yes http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/22/microsoft-publishes-maximum-windows-7-netbooks-specs/ Maximum screen size 10.2in I was incorrect when I said 10.8in. So in order to create a keyboard size that is kind of usable by an adult male manufacturers create wide bezels as a compromise. One of the byproducts of this is that the industry standardized for a time on 10.2in screens, so even netbooks with GNU/Linux were affected.

[Copper Bezel]

Frack. So that's why even expensive netbooks came with just one gig of RA and had to be upgraded. Damn. I had no idea.

[mastablasta]

the manufacturers were stupid enough to follow microsoft in this. when netbooks started they came linux preloaded. but the idea was that people NEED widnows so we should stick windows on it. well ipads and Android pads show us just how much exactly people NEEDed widnows on a "ultra" portable device which was probably not a primary device anyway.

[forrestcupp]

the manufacturers were stupid enough to follow microsoft in this. when netbooks started they came linux preloaded. but the idea was that people NEED widnows so we should stick windows on it. well ipads and Android pads show us just how much exactly people NEEDed widnows on a "ultra" portable device which was probably not a primary device anyway.

But let's wait and see what happens when the new Microsoft Surface tablets come out, and people see they can get Windows on their tablets.

[Copper Bezel]

It's not Windows until it runs MS Office. The Metro version of the office suite is going to have to be fairly impressive.

[BrokenKingpin]

Looks really nice... they should advertise this more.

[Copper Bezel]

Yes, they should put a poster in a second storefront window.

While they're at it, they might actually want to make the item available for sale.

[weasel fierce]

This looks quite promising.

[neu5eeCh]

Too little, too late. The Netbook ship has left port.

Possibly.

However, I know three women with Netbooks, two of which are running Linux (I installed for them). They love their Netbooks, have no desire to buy a tablet, and two of them have been offered cash for their Netbooks. Not sure how that jibes with the dismal sales of Netbooks, but there you have it. Ultrabooks is probably where that pent up demand is going to turn. Not everybody wants a tablet.

[mathew.chacko]

Seeing this news, I arranged 1225C - DOS version to give a try. Sorry to say that with 12.04 display is only at 1024x768 and not 1366x768. Asus must be having customized Ubuntu. Can we get those image? How to get full display?

[Artemis3]

http://www.asus.com/Eee/Eee_PC/Eee_PC_1225C/

I would like to purchase this. Hope i can find it.

I don't really like tablets or android, I'd like a real keyboard and a real OS ;) I have been happy with the 701 (Xandros didn't last 48 hours in my possession) and this looks like a nice upgrade.

Yes, Asus should have gone with Ubuntu from the beginning.

[Artemis3]

Seeing this news, I arranged 1225C - DOS version to give a try. Sorry to say that with 12.04 display is only at 1024x768 and not 1366x768. Asus must be having customized Ubuntu. Can we get those image? How to get full display?

Try to change display properties, disable mirror, and the new resolution should appear.

I found this in another Atom machine, it defaults to mirror (VGA1 with LVDS1), and locks resolution to 1024x768. Disable mirror and you can now choose your screen resolution.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Config/Resolution/