Netbook

OK i decided to join the netbook club and buy an ultra portable, i wanted two main features a 10.1 inch screen with pre installed Linux, finding a model with linux is getting harder and harder the Micro$oft world domination team have been working the manufacturers hard of late i think.

I plumped for a Lenovo S10e from ebuyer priced at £210, I was tempted by the lovely Samsung range at £300, however finding a linux enabled model was difficult. As you can see in the picture its a nice well made model and seems a quality build. The SuSE Enterprise 10 desktop operating system integrates well and runs very quickly with the ATOM processor and the 1 gig of RAM. However there are some niggles....

• Wireless Features - To enable bluetooth and WiFi you need to use a Function-f5 key combination and a custom green button to toggle both services, only the indicator LED gives any sign of sucess.
• The keyboard and the SuSE SCIM feature seem to conspire to someimes produce double typing, i am looking into this issue
• The Touchpad is rather over sensitive and you seem to use the scroll function when you don't really want to, that may be due to my clumsy use of course.

Also there are some highlights

• The battery indicator software works 100%, many linux distros struggle with this.
• The integrated audio and webcam work straight of the box as long as you run a SuSe registration program and refresh your software with the latest updates
• also the gnome (www.gnome.org) network manager makes networking and WiFi operation really simple....OK not a lenovo feature but certainly a resaon to get users to adodpt linux more widely.
• SuSE supply a Citrix client straight out of the box with the SLED 10 desktop, if you like me, may have to work remotely this is a great addition.

Whats missing

• A cisco VPN client would be nice
• A simple WiFi on/off switch in the hardware
• A 3g modem as an optional extra would be a price worth paying, however i can use my 3G phone via bluetooth easily enough
• A preconfigured Blackberry sync, again i am preparing a home grown sync using the software provided by SuSE.

Overall a nice purchase, which i am pleased with, this model replaces my apple powerbook 12 inch which frankly had served me well without a hitch since 2004 (i think). I use portable computers for a variety of tasks but the new Atom proceesor has made working on the move a reality at a really low cost entry point, well done to Intel on that front.