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View Full Version : Is it practical to buy this UMPC?



wersdaluv
December 31st, 2007, 11:51 AM
I'm thinking of buying a new mobile computer that would replace my laptop. I need a good computer that can be carried around, works well with Ubuntu, has a webcam, will suffice as my main and only machine. I am a student who does not play games and who does not like to run windows. What I want to do with my computer is to take notes in school, IM, Video Call, IRC, PIM, play music, use office suites, and browse the web.

I was thinking of buying the Eee PC earlier but I changed my mind because I can't live with an Eee PC alone (I will have to give my laptop away if I buy a new computer) because of its relatively low specifications.

A local vendor is selling the Blue H1 UMPC (http://ilikeblue.net/products/umpc.htm). I think, it is just a rebranded Gigabyte UMPC (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Notebook/Products_List.aspx?ScreenSize=UMPC). The problem is that, I do not know if it will work well with Ubuntu. First of all, its hardware is not very popular. Second of all, it is a tablet computer. Do touch screen devices work well with Ubuntu?

What do you think? :)

Paulmd
January 1st, 2008, 09:27 PM
I'm thinking of buying a new mobile computer that would replace my laptop. I need a good computer that can be carried around, works well with Ubuntu, has a webcam, will suffice as my main and only machine. I am a student who does not play games and who does not like to run windows. What I want to do with my computer is to take notes in school, IM, Video Call, IRC, PIM, play music, use office suites, and browse the web.

I was thinking of buying the Eee PC earlier but I changed my mind because I can't live with an Eee PC alone (I will have to give my laptop away if I buy a new computer) because of its relatively low specifications.

A local vendor is selling the Blue H1 UMPC (http://ilikeblue.net/products/umpc.htm). I think, it is just a rebranded Gigabyte UMPC (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Notebook/Products_List.aspx?ScreenSize=UMPC). The problem is that, I do not know if it will work well with Ubuntu. First of all, its hardware is not very popular. Second of all, it is a tablet computer. Do touch screen devices work well with Ubuntu?

What do you think? :)

I'm thinking no. The drivers on the website appear to be windows-only. That means linux is far from a guarentee.

They do have a support email address, and you could ask.

it looks as though they have a lot of nifty devices, A gps, a tv tuner, a webcam, and a touchscreen. it would suck to install ubuntu and find out none of it works.

ukripper
January 3rd, 2008, 12:55 PM
Eee pc rocks.. installed eeexubuntu my testimonial on here - http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=651049&page=2

I have two other laptops as described in signature below but i am using this as a main and even installed eclipse on it to develop apps in java and also doing PHP and MYSQL install today.

gn2
January 3rd, 2008, 08:25 PM
The core spec isn't significantly higher than the Eee.

But the price will be.

wersdaluv
January 4th, 2008, 03:06 AM
Okay. So it's NOT practical.

Thanks for the input!

:KS

HermanAB
January 4th, 2008, 03:37 AM
Well, I'm using an Eee PC right now. It works perfectly fine even with the default Debian Etch and I use it every day. I don't compile stuff on it though, since I don't want to fill the drive with crud. Instead, I have a VM with Deban Etch on another machine, that I can use to prepare a .deb for it. I could of course use an external HDD with it, but the whole idea of this thing is portability, so I don't.

BTW, the 'low' specs of an Eee PC is not really a problem. A few years ago, I had an IBM Stinkpad with lesser specs and I ran Linux on that one too - till it got stolen.

Cheers,

H.

jinx099
January 4th, 2008, 03:38 AM
I was thinking of buying the Eee PC earlier but I changed my mind because I can't live with an Eee PC alone (I will have to give my laptop away if I buy a new computer) because of its relatively low specifications.

I dont get it. Why would you have to give your laptop away? The eee pc seems like a good fit for what you want, but no touch screen. If you want a touch screen, you are probly going to pay a fair amount for a tablet-laptop. I have no idea if they work with ubuntu or not.

wersdaluv
January 4th, 2008, 05:17 AM
I dont get it. Why would you have to give your laptop away? The eee pc seems like a good fit for what you want, but no touch screen. If you want a touch screen, you are probly going to pay a fair amount for a tablet-laptop. I have no idea if they work with ubuntu or not.

The touch screen is not so important to me. I can get a lappy without touch screen and still be contented.

If my dad was to buy me a new computer, I need to give this lappy to my mom because we have so many computers already.