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JR Tyner
December 2nd, 2008, 02:27 PM
My laptop's screen was damaged. I have no other way to get on-line than the local library now. I have finals coming up, and I need to finish my projects. I doubt I can afford to get the screen replaced, so I'm looking for the cheapest netbook I can find to get me though the holidays.

As far as OS, I can't afford to pay anything. So I did some research and I found this at Linux Journal:

Xubuntu is an official Ubuntu distribution for old or slow systems. The main difference between it and Ubuntu is that Xubuntu uses the Xfce window manager instead of GNOME. An X-less Ubuntu or Kubuntu installation should have the same performance results as an X-less Xubuntu. With X running, Xubuntu requires at least 128MB of RAM, but the minimum requirements for the Xubuntu Alternate CD without X are 64MB of RAM. It uses the Ubuntu repositories, which are filled with programs that satisfy nearly every system administrator's needs.

Opinions?

JR Tyner
December 2nd, 2008, 07:48 PM
What options do I have?

How cheap do they get?

Should I get my laptop screen fixed?

Where can I buy a Netbook with Linux installed?

snowpine
December 2nd, 2008, 07:57 PM
Hi JR,
Not sure where you are located. I am in the US and there are a few different options under $300 such as the Asus eee PC 700 series (the price on the 2g surf is down to just over $200). If you can go a few dollars more, the eee 900ha has a 160gb hard drive--that's the model I'm using--making it a pretty good bargain at around $329 (from newegg.com for example).

Here is a great resource for eee pc netbooks: http://forums.eeeuser.com

The best "bang for your buck" is always going to be purchasing something second hand. People are always upgrading to the latest and greatest model and selling their old stuff to cover the cost. I learned to use Linux on an older (pentium 3) laptop that was given to me for free. Perhaps you can beg/borrow someone's old laptop to get you through finals...

Regarding Linux, most distros are free, so that's a good thing! Many of the eee's come pre-installed with Xandros Linux, which I've heard a lot of bad things about. I am currently using Crunchbang linux on my 900ha (http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/topic/11/crunchbang-on-the-eee-pc/). Xubuntu is also a good pick. Be aware that most Linux distros will not support all of the eee's hardware unless you do some tweaking, for example: http://array.org/ubuntu/

Good luck!

JR Tyner
December 2nd, 2008, 08:18 PM
I live in North Carolina, and I'm use to ordering from new egg.

Where can I buy one second hand? I'm sceptical of eBay, because I got ripped off pretty bad, and the seller got away with it because of the way they worded the discription.

I would rather buy the cheapest netbook I can than borrow, because I won't have to worry about anything happening to it.

snowpine
December 2nd, 2008, 08:43 PM
I am up in Massachusetts. We have Craigslist, Freecycle (I've given away two computers), mom & pop computer stores, the local newspaper, etc...

With a local seller, you can try before you buy.

JR Tyner
December 2nd, 2008, 10:41 PM
Buying a new one for less than $400 is tempting.

The Asus eee PC 700 series I can not find on New Egg.

Here is what I found for less than $400: Link (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=50001315%2040000772&Description=Asus&name=Netbooks)
Toughness, battery life, and memory are most important to me. After I either replace or repair my laptop, I'll take this Netbook camping, that's why the first two are important. Till then I'll need to be able to handle around 50 open webpages, so it needs memory.

ASUS Eee PC EeePC4G-BK029 Black Intel Mobile CPU 7" WVGA 512MB
Memory 512MB
Solid State Drive 4GB
Battery 4-cell lithium ion
WLAN 802.11b/g Wireless LAN
$299.99

ASUS Eee PC Eee PC 900HA XP - Shiny Black Shiny Black Intel Atom
Memory 1GB
HDD 160GB
Battery 4-cell lithium ion
Battery Life 5.3 hours
WLAN 802.11b/g Wireless LAN
$329.99

ASUS Eee PC Eee PC 904HA XP Fine Ebony Intel Atom N270(1.60GHz)
Memory 1GB
HDD 160GB
Hard Drive Spec +10GB Internet Storage?
Battery 6-cell lithium ion
Battery Life 7 hours
WLAN 802.11b/g Wireless LAN
$349.99

ASUS Eee PC 1000 40G – Fine Ebony Intel Atom 10.0"
Memory 1GB
SSD 40GB
SSD Spec + 20GB Internet Storage
Battery 6-cell lithium ion
Battery Life 7.5 hours
WLAN 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN
$399.99

ASUS Eee PC 900 16G – Pearl White Intel processor 8.9" Wide SVGA
Memory 1GB
SSD 16GB
Battery 4-cell lithium ion
WLAN 802.11b/g Wireless LAN
$399.99


Is it true that a Solid State Drive runs cooler and is tougher?

What does it mean by:
SSD Spec: + 20GB Internet Storage?

the3dman
December 3rd, 2008, 04:18 AM
It means it has a Solid State Hard Drive which is has a lower capacity (usually between 4 and 8 gb). And they are giving you access to an online storage service (probably to make up for the small hard drive) I personally dont recommend a SSD until they get much better. Another netbook you can try is the Sylvania g meso from Amazon.com. This is a great netbook, very quick and comes pre-installed with ubuntu. Has 1gb ram and 80gb hd. Hope this helps.

Yellow
http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-GNET28001SO-Netbook-Processor-Ubuntu/dp/B001DIY2D4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1228274152&sr=8-2

Black
http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-GNET28001ON-8-9-Inch-Netbook-Processor/dp/B001FTD1VU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1228274152&sr=8-1

White
http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-GNET28001SN-Netbook-Processor-Ubuntu/dp/B0002GO60M/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1228274152&sr=8-3

JR Tyner
December 3rd, 2008, 06:36 AM
How does the Sylvania g meso compare to the ASUS Eee PC Eee PC 900HA and ASUS Eee PC Eee PC 904HA?

Too bad it's Amazon and not Books-A-Million, I could use my discount card. :)

Yeah this is really helpful, that's why I've hit the thanks medal on every message. Also I've hooked an old PC monitor up to my laptop, it's no longer mobile, but it works.

jlc
December 3rd, 2008, 05:30 PM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220369

ASUS Eee PC 1000 40G – Fine Ebony NetBook Intel Atom 10.0" Wide SVGA 1GB Memory 40GB SSD Integrated Graphics

I just ordered this last night and a 2GB stick of ram to swap out.

Some links I've found:

http://wiki.eeeuser.com/

http://www.ubuntu-eee.com/index.php

http://tombuntu.com/index.php/2008/11/17/installing-ubuntu-810-on-the-eee-pc-901/

Can't wait to get it!

the3dman
December 3rd, 2008, 09:28 PM
The best option for you depends on you. If you are good with ubuntu and good at figuring things out if they dont work out of the box then Asus is a good one to go with. If you dont want to mess around with that and want phone and email support in case you have any issues then the g meso comes pre installed with it and sylvania's customer support is great. So like I said it depends on you.

The g meso is also at newegg.com
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834204003

Here is the manufacturers website:
http://www.sylvaniacomputers.com/

JR Tyner
December 4th, 2008, 05:03 AM
I can figure it out, I just want the cheapest option that allows me to have dozens of pages up, the best connection, and not having to worry about battery life.

jlc
December 4th, 2008, 05:38 AM
I can figure it out, I just want the cheapest option that allows me to have dozens of pages up, the best connection, and not having to worry about battery life.

We all do. ):P

JR Tyner
December 4th, 2008, 06:47 AM
No and I can't even spend more than a few seconds typing a post without losing my connection and everything I type! I have to type, submit, reconnect, edit, save, reconnect, edit, save, reconnect, edit, save, then reconnect to read replies. No one else on this network has problems, I just have a weak wireless card.

andreasis
December 4th, 2008, 08:16 AM
I see a lot of EEE fans here, but I should mention that the Acer Aspire One offers more bang for the buck at $299 at futureshop in Canada, which is owned by Besybuy (bigger screen and better processor than the cheapest EEE that you can get). I live in Canada though, and I wasn't able to find a similar deal at bestbuy.com. My only concern is that a screen smaller than 8-9" might be way too small for school. Hope I helped somehow.

OK Tyner, not that I condone these types of things, but let's face it... what's Bestbuy's return policy? How long do you need the laptop for? If you only need it for two weeks you can get any laptop and just return it if you're comfortable doing that. In the meantime you could arrange for your screen to be replaced. I love my Acer Aspire One but I would never recommend it as a primary machine. I would never recommend any netbook as a primary machine. The latest Atom chips and the screen size are simply not enough to be able to do research on and do more complicated tasks. The resolution of the Aspire is 1024x600 which is good, but it's nowhere near ideal as a main computer.

jlc
December 4th, 2008, 04:38 PM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220369

ASUS Eee PC 1000 40G – Fine Ebony NetBook Intel Atom 10.0" Wide SVGA 1GB Memory 40GB SSD Integrated Graphics

I just ordered this last night and a 2GB stick of ram to swap out.

Some links I've found:

http://wiki.eeeuser.com/

http://www.ubuntu-eee.com/index.php

http://tombuntu.com/index.php/2008/11/17/installing-ubuntu-810-on-the-eee-pc-901/

Can't wait to get it!

This is back up to $499 now, guess I got it at the right time :D

It was $399 when I ordered it Tuesday.

JR Tyner
December 4th, 2008, 06:14 PM
This will not be my "main computer", just a replacement for my laptop.

Thanks for the Acer Aspire tip. I need to see if I can buy it in North Carolina.


My only concern is that a screen smaller than 8-9" might be way too small for school. Hope I helped somehow.

I don't know, that's one of the reasons I'm posting here. :p

I may permentaly replace my laptop since I don't play games on it and it's always muted so a lot of it's potential is being wasted.

How much does it cost to have the screen replaced?
Is it worth replacing if the WLAN card is weak and the fan sounds like a weed eater?

I am not looking for s primary machine and the most complicated task is research.

jheaton5
December 4th, 2008, 06:47 PM
Another option: You can get a decent CRT for less than $100.00.

Genester
December 4th, 2008, 07:41 PM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220369

ASUS Eee PC 1000 40G – Fine Ebony NetBook Intel Atom 10.0" Wide SVGA 1GB Memory 40GB SSD Integrated Graphics

I just ordered this last night and a 2GB stick of ram to swap out.

Some links I've found:

http://wiki.eeeuser.com/

http://www.ubuntu-eee.com/index.php

http://tombuntu.com/index.php/2008/11/17/installing-ubuntu-810-on-the-eee-pc-901/

Can't wait to get it!

I don't blame you, I have one from New-Egg ($480) SWEEEET!!
I bumped the memory to 2Gig and I have loaded XP Pro on it too. Man is it nice! With low intensity on the monitor AND the WiFi enabled I have gone 2+ hours for less than 20% battery ussage! My next try is two-fold, pull the 8Gig ssd for another 32 (Comes with 8 gig primary and 32 gig secondary)and load both Ubuntu and XP Pro. Wish me luck.

JR Tyner
December 4th, 2008, 08:43 PM
Another option: You can get a decent CRT for less than $100.00.

What does CRT stand for?

andreasis
December 4th, 2008, 09:38 PM
CRT stands for Cathode Ray Tube and by that, jheaton5 is referring to a CRT monitor.. the big heavy ones that resemble a 90's tube tv.

Whichever laptop that you decide to go with, make sure that there is a decent return policy and warrany on it, because there's nothing worse than spending the money on something that you realize two days later that it's now what you needed/wanted.

I have also just found an amazing deal for you:

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-8-9-Inch-Processor-Battery/dp/B001FBW1NC

this laptop even has a 6-cell battery, which will give you insane battery life. I have a 3-cell battery on my aspire one and it lasts for about 3.5 hours. Just imagine how long it would last with a 6-cell battery.

As a bonus, Amazon is offering free shipping on it, too!

[EDIT] and you can also get an additional 9-cell battery for this laptop, which lasts for over 9 hours
http://www.amazon.com/Aspire-One-Battery-6600mAh-NetBook/dp/B001K2L2RC/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1228423233&sr=1-11

the3dman
December 4th, 2008, 09:39 PM
It Means "cathode-ray tube" it is one of the old big monitors.

I don't know about anyone else but I do more on my netbook than on my main computer, there is nothing other than games and burning dvds that I do on my main comp that I cant do on my netbook. So unless you are going to school for Multimedia Production a netbook should work great for you. As far as which one? The Acer Aspire One, Asus, and the Meso G are all great netbooks. Here is why I decided on the g Meso though.

Acer Aspire One : Great keyboard/quick/webcam/But unless you get the XP version it has a small solid state hard drive, and I will not give my money to Microsoft for a bigger hard drive.

Asus : I heard that they have pretty bad customer support, other than that pretty good reviews, also at the time I bought mine again the Linux version had a small solid state drive.

g Meso: Bigger Hard Drive (80gb not huge but enough for me), Ubuntu Pre-installed, Webcam, Price was cheaper at the time. There were alot of bad reviews about this product, which worried me a little, but I have had no problems with it. Their customer support is fast and good.

JR Tyner
December 5th, 2008, 01:08 AM
Did you mean this one?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834204003

It's "deactivated".

How much was it?

And does it come in a different color?

JR Tyner
December 5th, 2008, 07:28 PM
Acer Aspire One : Great keyboard/quick/webcam/But unless you get the XP version it has a small solid state hard drive, and I will not give my money to Microsoft for a bigger hard drive.

Asus : I heard that they have pretty bad customer support, other than that pretty good reviews, also at the time I bought mine again the Linux version had a small solid state drive.

g Meso: Bigger Hard Drive (80gb not huge but enough for me), Ubuntu Pre-installed, Webcam, Price was cheaper at the time. There were alot of bad reviews about this product, which worried me a little, but I have had no problems with it. Their customer support is fast and good.

Where else can I buy a "g Meso"?

the3dman
December 5th, 2008, 10:47 PM
Newegg (The black one sold out)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834204004&Tpk=g%20meso

Tiger Direct
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/search.asp?keywords=meso+g&searchbtn.x=0&searchbtn.y=0

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=g+meso&x=0&y=0

Data Vision
http://www.datavis.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?key=sylvania+g+meso&x=0&y=0

J&R
http://www.jr.com/sylvania/pe/SVV_GNET28001ON/

RCS Experience
http://www.rcsnet.com/www_site/catalog.cfm?cat=0067&fmg=&mfg=E542

CompUSA (Is owned by the people who own tiger direct now)
http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/search.asp?keywords=sylvania+g+netbook+MESO

Overstock.com
http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/Sylvania-G-Netbook-Meso/3447859/product.html


These are selling really fast that is why the one at newegg was deactivated

gn2
December 5th, 2008, 11:05 PM
My laptop's screen was damaged.

It's fairly straightforward to replace your laptop's screen yourself.
Usually you can pick them up cheaply on eBay.

In the UK the cheapest netbook is the Acer Aspire One, but you can get a reconditioned full size Centrino laptop with warranty for less.

magmon
December 5th, 2008, 11:15 PM
Yeah, Id say replace the screen. I imagine it would cost about $50-$100, so you'd save alot.