The Quest for an Ubuntu Netbook
Netbooks don't offer quite as many options as a full-blown computer, so there's not as much to think about when purchasing one. Moreover, I like to think of myself as a flexible guy, so I'm not looking for anything too specific. My only requirements are:
I recently came into the market for a new Ubuntu netbook, and have been scouring the Internet looking for the best deal. It’s been a fun experience, but also one replete with frustration at certain large computer vendors with byzantine websites that treat Linux as a dirty word. Read on for details.
Netbooks don’t offer quite as many options as a full-blown computer, so there’s not as much to think about when purchasing one. Moreover, I like to think of myself as a flexible guy, so I’m not looking for anything too specific. My only requirements are:
- at least 2 gigabytes of memory
- a built-in webcam
- a solid-state drive
- something that’s not Windows–ideally Ubuntu–needs to be preinstalled, because I don’t want to pay for a license I won’t use
Not surprisingly, my research has led me to conclude that the only realistic offerings in my prince range (around $350, before shipping) involve the three major vendors that include Ubuntu among their official operating system choices.
Here’s a rundown of these manufacturers’ respective offers as of December 7.
Dell
Dell, which famously became the first large PC vendor to start offering Ubuntu as a pre-installed option in 2007, was the first place I turned in my search for a netbook. Unfortunately, although the page I found by googling “Dell netbook” suggests that Ubuntu is an option, it was nowhere to be found when I clicked the link to buy (nor was it a customizable option):
It turns out the only way to purchase an Ubuntu netbook from Dell is to start from Dell’s Ubuntu page. Presumably this decision is intended to prevent non-geeks from accidentally purchasing computers with Ubuntu, then returning them. If so, fair enough. But the main netbook page shouldn’t mention Ubuntu if it’s not accessible there, and it shouldn’t take careful sleuthing around Dell’s site to find the Ubuntu options.
When I did finally find the part of Dell’s website that I was looking for, I priced a netbook with a 16-gigabyte solid-state drive and webcam at $309. Unfortunately, Dell limits the memory option to 1 gigabyte, presumably because Microsoft has decided no one can ship Windows XP on a netbook with more than that much memory, which is really dumb.
ZaReason
After my frustrating experience with Dell, I visited ZaReason, which ships its computers exclusively with Ubuntu pre-installed.
Zareason’s netbook, the Terra A20, is available with 2 gigabytes of memory and a 16-gigabyte SSD for $437. It also comes with a 6-cell battery (Dell’s was 3-cell) and b/g/n wireless card (Dell’s was only b/g), which partially explains the higher price. But that still seemed like a bit much, so I kept looking.
System76
My third major consideration was System76, which also deals solely in Linux machines. Its netbook option, the Starling, can be configured with 2 gigabytes of memory, a 6-cell battery and a webcam for $359. Unfortunately, an SSD drive is not an option, which is a major disappointment. Nonetheless, the price is not bad for a Linux-oriented vendor that will likely offer better support to Ubuntu users than Dell.
Concluding the quest
None of these vendors offers exactly what I was looking for. Dell is cheapest, but its convoluted website and reluctance to help customers purchase computers without Windows are obnoxious, and I’d have to add the extra memory myself if I want to get above 1 gigabyte. System76 offers a decent price, but its lack of an SSD option is a deal breaker. And the pricing for ZaReason, the only manufacturer offering all the features I want, seems a bit steep.
I haven’t made a purchase yet. I’m still exploring a few alternative options, and am hoping–perhaps vainly–that someone will offer a deal on netbooks before the holiday. Stay tuned for my final decision.
Hi Chris (and readers): I ultimately purchased the ZAReason netbook because of the SSD option. Overall I like it and I’ll be using it tonight during business travel in NY City. But I also have System76 and Dell Ubuntu offerings in my house. Budget allowing, WorksWithU tries to use a range of Ubuntu solutions.
@Joe: no kidding, I work in NY City (Midtown) 🙂
@Christian: if I were you I’d buy the Dell Vostro A90 @ Dell Outlet for business: $220 with an 8gb SSD (smallish but more than enough for the OS), and 1GB RAM (you can get a 2GB stick if you need it for about $25 or so.
I bought one a few months ago and I couldn’t be happier! The RAM is DDR2800 running at 533, but interestingly with the timmings (listed at CL6-6-6 running at CL4-4-4). Both the RAM and SSD are much faster than on my EEEPC 701. I popped in an SDHC I had in my (now mostly dead) EEEPC, and I am done. I don’t really need more than 1GB RAM so far …
ooops, meant to say Christopher!
Hmm, I’m not that much in a hurry and will probably cling to the hope of seeing Tegra-PixelQi models come out fast next year. They promise a radically different experience (12h+ autonomy on 3 cells, great graphics, screen for outdoor use, 100% silent, super light amp; sturdy) and no Ubuntu compatibility issues… That really sounds like a quantum leap to me. MS does not show much interest for those little smarties, while GoogleOS is aiming squarely at them: these could become legendary devices, and a perfect hardware match for Ubuntu.
Just out of curiosity, why is no SSD a deal breaker?
Leo: thanks for the suggestion on the refurbished Vostro A90s. I didn’t realize Dell sold any of these with Ubuntu preinstalled, but apparently there are a few. I’m not sure how I feel about the tiny, tiny screen on the A90, plus it appears that only a 4-cell battery is available, but everything else looks great and I will add this to my list of considerations
hsp: I want SSD because it will be faster and more reliable. You could hack up a similar solution using a USB stick, which I’ve considered, but it still wouldn’t be quite as fast or reliable and certainly not as convenient.
Oh NO! A USB stick would be very many times slower than any decent SSD! I don;t think that’s an option for the system. And for storage, I think SDHC’s are best.
HSP: SSD’s also draw less energy (no moving parts), they are lighter, and they are much faster at seeking little files at random places. This makes application start up and boot real fast (unless the SSD is really bad, of course). Just anecdotical experience, but my Dell Vostro A90 with a lowly Atom boots considerably faster than my desktop with a 32MB cache HD, and a powerful Phenom X3 @ 2.6 Ghz. In part because I have a leaner install, but all in all it’s Kubuntu Karmic in both.
I won’t go all out defending Dell, but I had quite a long conversation with one of their Sales people on the phone recently. It turned out that he was very interested in Linux, himself, so we got into the situation about finding Linux pre-installs and he gave me what I thought was a sensible explanation.
He said that many non-technical people who visit their website are only looking at one thing….bottom line price for a new computer. As such, with Linux being a bit cheaper in most cases, with no “Microsoft tax,” they select the Linux system, not having a clue what they have ordered. To them, a computer is a computer….they all are the same. Then, once they receive the new Linux computer and start it up…there is immediate confusion, starting with no Windows splash screen.
These people are immediately frustrated…think Dell did something wrong and want a refund. They aren’t interested in hearing about alternative operating systems, nor the wonderful qualities of Linux. They just want something with a Microsoft splash screen and familiar icons. They are not open to explanations and feel Dell has done them a disservice.
As such, he told me that when someone wants to order a Linux system, they now attempt to ask, in a polite way, if the person really knows what it is they are ordering. It saves Dell a lot of angry, misinformed customers who only “looked at the bottom line price.”
For whatever, it made a lot of sense to me.
Get a Toshiba NB205 and load UNR Karmic on it yourself. Everything works out of the box, except audio and I think there is a kernel patch floating around for that.
Great machine, incredible battery life (at least 6 hours). I’d recommend it.
Did you look at the Dell Latitude 2100? It’s another 10″ Atom netbook, and it seems to fit all your requirements; available with Ubuntu, configurable up to 2GB RAM, wireless N, 16GB SSD, webcam, etc. Of course, most of these are options, but after configuring it up to your specs (plus the wireless N, I threw that in too), it comes out to just over $400; not too bad. Plus, for something like $40 more you can get a touchscreen too!
http://www.dell.com/us/en/business/notebooks/laptop-latitude-2100/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-latitude-2100amp;s=bsdamp;cs=04amp;~ck=mn
@zenarcher: The explanation given to you makes a lot of sense. I know there’s a lot of higher ups at Dell that really want to give Linux a fair chance; they even sell a “developers” edition of their Mini 10v with Moblin, and one of there analysts has been uploading Chrome OS images for their netbooks for daring geeks to play with. It’s a tricky market to play in, and you can bet Microsoft isn’t exactly a fan of Dell’s linux moves…
@zak89 amp; zenarcher: I agree with both of you. Dell is contributing at many levels to Linux development, and it’s enough to look at their Linux page and browse their projects. They would certainly benefit from an open software market. They just need to be cautious in what the hope is a transition into a market where nobody (including Microsoft) dictates how they build their systems.
I also think you hit the spot with the Latitude 2100! I would personally buy the base system with 512Mb and find a deal for a 2GB stick. Hell, it has two mem slots! But really for a desktop replacement this is a better fit. My only gripe with the A90 is not really the screen size, as much as the weird location of some keys in the keyboard, which makes it easy to have a little “accident” while typing and end up in a key sequence that kicks you out of what you are doing. It’s not an issue for me because I use it mostly as an internet device. Sorry I missed that bit when I recommended it. I just didn’t remember.
[…] The Quest for an Ubuntu Netbook My third major consideration was System76, which also deals solely in Linux machines. Its netbook option, the Starling, can be configured with 2 gigabytes of memory, a 6-cell battery and a webcam for $359. Unfortunately, an SSD drive is not an option, which is a major disappointment. Nonetheless, the price is not bad for a Linux-oriented vendor that will likely offer better support to Ubuntu users than Dell. […]
I’ve had a Starling for 6 months now; you can read my rather lengthy review at http://tr.im/wYOg. Hope it helps.
Another option (though not actually a netbook) is the Dell Vostro V13 laptop at http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/vostro-v13?c=usamp;l=enamp;s=bsdamp;cs=04. It’s notable to me because Dell offers Ubuntu and Windows 7 options side-by-side on the main product page. First time I’ve seen that from Dell.
You should look at the new Dell Vostro V13 for $449, pre-loaded with Ubuntu. Looks pretty nice for the price, though the Celeron processor could be better. http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/vostro-v13?c=usamp;cs=04amp;l=enamp;s=bsd
I, too, have often been annoyed by the schizophrenic nature of Dell’s Ubuntu support. But I think there are at least two valid reasons.
For one thing, it’s seldom wise to get into a head-on fight with a colossus like Microsoft. (Google, for example, is choosing as its battleground netbooks, the consumer market and the cloud — frontiers where a rebel might stand a fighting chance.)
But perhaps more importantly, Ubuntu isn’t ready for prime time. Right now my system — a seven-year-old Dell Dimension 2350 desktop — is kaput because I put it in hibernate mode. And witness the glitches reported by some who upgraded to 9.10.
Granted, the experience would be much smoother if Ubuntu was installed OEM. But what happens six months later when you want to upgrade your Dell, System 76 or ZaReason system to the latest version of Ubuntu? All bets are off once you try to upgrade to the next version, right?
I’m not knocking Ubuntu, which I love and hope to continue using. And the fact that a non-techie like me could successfully install it in the first place is an enormous achievement for Ubuntu. I doubt that a Mac OS X installation would have been any easier.
But none of this changes the fact I’m now at the point where I might have to pay someone (Cannonical support or a local Ubuntu-supporting professional) to rescue my free OS from hibernation. Helpful people may offer command line advice, but Dell could legitimately respond that if Ubuntu wants equal treatment with Windows, it should be just as reliable and easy to troubleshoot, and that means never having to resort to the command line unless you want to.
@Pat: I believe you have some valid points and some significant misconceptions. I’d like to briefly address both, but I do respect your opinions and thus trust you can accept my comments in the friendly fashion intended.
I too admire Dell for boldly offering non-Microsoft products in the shadow of the giant. Good move, too, IMHO, given free software’s momentum in the market place.
Objectively, Ubuntu is *much* easier to install than Windows 7. I give a thorough competitive analysis at http://ricegf.posterous.com/, and an exhaustive blow-by-blow comparison at http://tr.im/FIyt. If you see something I’m missing, I’d appreciate a pointer.
My main disagreement with you, though, is this. That you had a problem with Ubuntu, and saw some reports on issues with upgrades, isn’t proof that Ubuntu “isn’t ready for prime time”.
Did you miss the “eternal reboot” fiasco with Windows 7 upgrades? Have you never visited a Windows 7 support forum? Or been asked by numerous friends for free Windows tech support? Or heard of the Geek Squad and other quite profitable businesses that perform Windows upgrades, clean viruses, and rescue Windows machines from various issues?
And if you’ve ever debugged a significant Windows problem without resorting to its command line – because it’s much, MUCH more convenient than “death by a thousand clicks” – or the registry editor, which is blessedly never necessary in Ubuntu – then you’ve never debugged a significant Windows problem! 😉
Operating systems are complex products, but given extensive professional experience with both, I’m confident Ubuntu is no harder to install, upgrade or manage than Windows. It is *different*, however, and that’s sometimes mistaken for “not ready for prime time”. But different is good. Trust me. 😉
Whether it is “ready for prime time” is pretty subjective, though – I think it is when pre-installed, but Dell is rightly careful to ensure that those who buy pre-installed Ubuntu know that “it’s not Windows”. I respect your opinion that it’s not. I think we can both agree that Canonical’s “hundred paper cuts” initiatives are a Really Good Idea, and move Ubuntu in the right direction.
Hope this gives you some food for thought, as your post did for me.
Isn’t it reamarkable that folks here posted already to great Dell computers not listed in the Dell Ubuntu page? I wonder if we are missing anything else? Would it be possible for WWU to try to contact Dell and see what’s going on? In the end, I agree with ricefg, this is a great positive (for Dell to naturally offer Win7 and ubuntu side by side)
Asus eeePC 1101HA
$329 at Best Buy
Install Ubuntu 9.10
Works great including wireless.
Have not explored built-in camera.
@Algot: do you need to pay a Microsoft Tax for that deal? Also, I had a terrible experience with the ASUS EEEPC 701 (in terms of durability)
Have you considered the Lenovo Ideapad S-10-2. I don’t know if you can have it with SD.
Almost all your article was copied here: http://www.ubuntugeek.com/the-quest-for-an-ubuntu-netbook.html
The Dell Vostro V13 Linux option has NO customization options. Want a Core 2 CPU rather than that Celeron, pay the MS tax. Want 4 gigs of ram rather than 2, pay the tax. Want a larger HD, pay tax. Want a better wireless card than Dell’s flaky 1397, tax.
Thanks Dell. None of these options effect the ability of the system to run Linux. Heck the wireless option actually limits it quite a bit if past experience with Dell’s wireless offerings is any indication. I will stick with Intel wireless thank you very much (An option on most other “Business” oriented models like my Latitude).
In my view Dell is only playing lip service to the Linux crowd.
Charlie
Can you get hold of an eee PC 1000, maybe 2nd hand? Mine is now well over a year old and going strong. 8+32GB SSD, Ubuntu goes straight on. My only quibble is the SSD performance profile, which takes a little getting used to: quick response but bulk transfers can be slow. I prefer XFCE myself (as used by Xubuntu), which is snappier.
Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions. I was made aware of a lot of options that I hadn’t considered. I finally made a decision and hope to write another post about it in coming days.
Hey Chris, interesting article!
Dell isn’t a terrible option if you know your way around their site. You can actually configure the Mini 10vn with 2GB if you order it through the Dell Business division. Currently your spec plus the 2GB upgrade comes to $359. Sounds like a better option than your alternatives.
http://www.dell.com/content/products/RBIredirect.aspx?rbi=EESJuqJJunKzV5pVrEFOw3wYxiHXb2uK9L/JIV67WOU3UkEJeYpQS9tWl0gNmEwJ+ZN+mAnfTBzucYifbs+ZgMf9zjNU0SGjp/CwTvdf7fMTcDmUSnmNiteLjRLlQa8r5XZFM45AgQg1/mYFpICVQU8Kl96X6Si35EbG1U0BTLI=
How’d I get here?
Dell.com
“For Small and Medium Business”
“Laptops and Netbooks”
(Choose 10v)
Click Ubuntu build in the far left column
I bought an EeePC and promptly replaced the 4gig SSD with a 32Gig SSD. I then trashed the OS that came on the 900A and replaced it with various versions of Ubuntu and finally settled on Xubuntu and the best choice. Easy Peasy and others were too much like the OS that came on the 4gig SSD. I have yet to upgrade the RAM to 2GIG as the system runs fine without it.
You can get EeePC’s without Windows so I recommend checking them as a starting point.
Can anyone comment on the keyboards of the various models? Ease of typing is a major consideration for me, and the manufacturers give little or no information about keyboards.
I bought 2 Dell Mini10V models refurbished for $259, with WinXP pre-installed. I think it is foolish to demand a Windows-free computer. There are still way too many programs that must be run on Windows. Case in point: the Pimsleur language learning SDHC chips require Windows Media Player. Good luck trying to run that combination under Wine. Also, the tax for WinXP was miniscule, because MSFT was terrified of the Linxu threat when the first EEE was released running Linux (the tax for Win7 is much higher). It has been months since I lasted booted up with WinXP, but it is very nice to know it is there if I need it.
I fail to see the issue with SSD’s. Modern hard drives are not that unreliable. A netbook won’t last forever. The lithion-ion battery will eventually wear out, you’ll probably break some of the keys banging on them or spilling food on them eventually, the various sockets will eventually break from plugging in and removing cords, etc. A better idea is to buy cheap and then plan to replace when it breaks. $259 is quite cheap.
The one thing that doesn’t work on the Dell Mini10V is the 4-in-1 card reader (SDHC, etc). It sort-of works, but then stops working. I don’t need this thing, so it doesn’t matter to me. Maybe there is a fix out there. The Broadcom wireless might require some tweaking during installation–there is a huge amount of documentation on this in the help forums. I recommend creating your own syndaemon start-up, with a 10 second or more timeout, rather than using the built-in vesion, which hardcodes the timeout at .5 seconds (yes, half a second). This is a Ubuntu bug, nothing to do with Dell, but it is annoying as hell given how close the Dell touchpad is to the keyboard. I use a USB RF mouse myself, and so disable the touchpad entirely with a start-up app (synclient TouchpadOff=1). If I really need the touchpad (because the mouse is missing) I can also re-enable using the keyboard.
The last person asked about the keyboard. I’m pretty happy with my dell keyboard and I’m a touch typist from way back. It took a week or so to get used to the new layout, but that’s been true of every laptop I’ve every bought. Most of the manufacturers offer a photo of the keyboard online, so you can see how the special keys are arranged, which is what matters. I’m assuming you get at least a 10″ screen (keyboard 90% of full-size). Keyboards on the smaller models are going to be quite cramped if you have big men’s hands, like me.
@Fred: “I think it is foolish to demand a Windows-free computer”. Calle me a fool, but I don’t need windows, so I don’t want a computer with Windows. Moreover, I won’t accept MS bullying. They threatened the HW manufacturers after the scare you mentioned, they literally gave up XP initially to folks using the EEE with Linux, then they decided not to EOL Win XP, and finally they gave it away to the threatened hardware manufacturers. Later on, they announced that “people prefer windows on netbooks”. If you are happy being part of that story, so be it, I would not. I only buy hardware with Linux preinstalled, and otherwise with no OS.
I agree with everything else you say. I payed $200 for my refurbed netbook, and I’ll be happy if it makes it for two years. Then I’ll have the choice of a new battery for a 100, or a full netbook, much better than the old one, for 200. Decisions, decisions 🙂
@christopher: according to the linked page at ZaReason, the terra A20 gets only about 3.5 hours of battery life which seems drastically low. What has your experience been with the battery? Is that accurate?
andrew: I didn’t end up buying the Terra A20; I bought a Latitude 2100 from Dell. It has a six-cell battery (which cost thirty or forty dollars more than the standard three-cell, I think) that provides really phenomenal battery life. I can get six hours (at least in theory; I’ve never let it drain to the end) easily with the screen turned up all the way, or almost eight hours if I turn the screen down and kill the wireless.
If the A20 has a three-cell battery, I would think that 3.5 hours of battery life would be about what you’d expect. If you want more runtime, ask if you could upgrade to six-cell.