Netbook Choice

[bmwracer0]

I am trying to decide between the Lenovo S10, and the Acer Aspire One. Has anyone tried the aircrack suite on either one? Any results? Anyone have a personal preference and a reason why? Help!

BMWracer0

[SWFu]

Personaly, I'm unsure.

I decided on the Asus 901 in the end after a lot of thought, I needed to change the Wireless card to a descent Atheros to get Aircrack-ng up an running with the onboard card. This might also be the case with the Lenonvo and Acer.

My point is that you should be able to just change the card to get it running with Aircrack-NG etc, anoying but not the end of the world.

[DeepN1KE]

I have the Acer Aspire One.

I went for the 8GB SSD version, and upgraded the RAM to 1.5GB.

I was running the standard Linpus OS, but just changed to Ubuntu at the weekend.

I also use it almost daily with BT3 running of USB, and have no issues with aircrack etc.

[Xarf]

I have an Aspire One, unlike the EEEPC they have a full-sized querty keyboard which is really great when taking notes in class.

Also the network & GFX chipsets work with BT3 for all of your pen-testing needs.

Additionally as mentioned above the Aspire 1 can be upgraded to 1.5GB RAM with a pretty simple disassemble.

[bmwracer0]

Thanks for the replys. I thought the AA1 should work, but I wanted to check before I did anything. Anyone attempt OSX86 on it? I don't think that is works well, I am just curious what my options are.

[triage]

Hi, I have an Acer Aspire one, and OSX86 works well on it, there is a modified version that was designed for another manufacturer's netbook, which will run on it with a little work. The atheros card in the aspire is not compatible currently with OSX86 (from what I've read and tried, may have missed something). Since I already have a Macbook pro, didn't feel the need to keep a limited OS on it. I have the 3cell 120gb version that I swapped in extra ram, and a WD 320GB scorpio black drive, and can't complain dual booting Win XP and ubuntu 8.10. Perfect little system for studying on my commute daily. Will second Xarf on BT3 support, runs beautifully from a pen drive, excellent hardware support.

I will say that the system is a fingerprint magnet.

[digip]

I don't endorse any model or brand unless I own it and use it on a daily basis.

If I wanted a small network appliance, I'd probably mod a DS for my needs, but I personally have a nice, big, fat wide screen laptop with dvd burner, 1 gig ram, 2.6 ghz 64bit AMD CPU, 80 gig hdd for all my needs, including running Windows and Backtrack on the same machine. If you are looking for a small form factor with all the bells and whistles, shop for what you really need and want, then compare prices. There are SO many new laptops and smaller netbooks these days, it comes down to what features do you need vs what the price is. Don't compromise on necessity vs size and price. If you need an optical drive with burning capabilities, if you need a larger hdd, if you need a better keyboard, sturdiness and reliability, power consumption and battery life, etc, etc, then pick one you find yourself comfortable with, then narrow the list to what is in your budget.

[Lord C]

Specs wise, the only netbook that makes sense to me is the EEE PC 901.

6cell battery is the big seller here, also the large solid-state hard drive, and the high-res (for a netbook) webcam - oh, and did I forget to mention the Intel Atom processor? :).

The size/weight and price are all still netbook-ish (unlike higher models like the 1000), and every other brand has poorer specs.

I've ordered one myself, should be here Friday morning. ^^

[triage]

Lord C

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_netbooks

You'll notice that: the lenovo S10, Dell 910, Acer Aspire one, MSI Wind, Asus 901, All have the Intel Atom processor at 1.6Ghz, Solid state drive options, and webcam options of .3 to 1.3MP. Also they are all configurable with either a 3/4 or 6 cell battery. I'm glad the 901 from Asus is your choice, its an excellent system, but also more costly than most at ~450. Though slick deals posted a link yesterday to zipzoomfly with the Asus 901 on sale for 420 with an instant 40 off for a total of $380 shipped.

If you have any references to netbook performance, I'd love to see it, I should hopefully have a S10 and 910 in the office for testing in the next few weeks, and would love something to compare to. I'm still leary of the SSD drives in general, so I went with a netbook that took a standard HD.

[dr_octagon]

I went with the Acer Aspire One

1GB RAM

160GB HD

6 Cell battery

and the 1.6GHz atom

Just purchased it today

http://cgi.ebay.com/ACER-ASPIRE-ONE-ATOM-W...id=p3286.c0.m14

[digip]

People keep talking like the Atom processor is somehow revolutionairy?? Its a low powered, low speed processor, but there were plenty of better processors with the same speed rating years ago. They offered more performance with lower power consumption on older technology.

Compared to Intel’s Atom, which runs at 1.6 GHz, the Athlon 64 2000+ is clocked at 1 GHz—60% lower. Despite this, the Athlon 64 outperforms the Atom in several benchmark tests as a result of its more efficient K8 architecture. In addition, the energy consumption of the entire system is lower, and that’s what really matters most.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/Atom-A...cient,1997.html

And this from a processor that has been on the market for years. Granted these are desktops, but the chips are the same. I personally think the Atom name is just a marketing ploy and doesn't offer any real value other than its cheaper for Intel to make the device.

[triage]

Digip - Your points are all valid, but show me a laptop in a 9 or 10" form factor that offers the performance/power ratio the atom does. That link shows that AMD chip wins...but that configuration isn't available in the form factor we're discussing. As far as 'netbooks' go, the Atom processor offers the best choice. Via's Nano processor shows promise, but their design won't be entirely viable for a possibly a year or more (needs a die shrink+). There is a reason why all the netbook systems by the major laptop manufacturers are running on atom chips.

Granted I also think the average use span of a netbook will be 1-1.5 years before they're upgraded. If you look at dell's recent back to school promotion, if you purchased a 'studio' laptop, you could get a mini 9 for $99. I'd expect that to return next year and from more manufacturers. My aspire one will last me a year or so, but I will certainly buy a new one when the next major revision arrives...some thing similar to asus 700-901 leap. The current one would be used for some other role, or for a mini box to deploy. Running my killawatt, the unit draws an average of 17W, when charging the battery, 13W when not. For $350, I think a new one every 1-1.5 years isn't too bad.

Also for what the netbook laptops are designed for, processing power is not a high priority. I have a 1-1.5hour commute each way to work via train, and it fills the spot perfectly as a light (2.2lb) study laptop. I have a higher end desktop and laptop for when processing power or gaming is important.

Sorry if this is kinda incoherent, but I've been drinking a wee to bit much.

[digip]

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/09/amds-ne...digital-everun/

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/03/amd-jum...ents-to-a-duel/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22046787@N03/2756320757/

The everrun doesn't have the same 1ghz chip, but the point is, there are chips like the Atom, lower speed with better performance and lower power power consumption.

There is also one called the Puma AMD is working on(Might already be out, i haven't bene following up on it).

The most noteworthy -- no pun intended! -- thing about Raon's Everun Note may be its use of a dual-core AMD Turion 64 X2 processor, clocked at 1.2GHz. This processor promises to outperform the Intel Atom N270 used in typical netbooks, and, says Paine, it delivers.

Using a variety of benchmarks, Paine discovered CPU performance that was approximately twice as fast as the 1.6GHz N270. At the same time, he adds, the integrated graphics provided by AMD/ATI's RS690E graphics chipset outperformed the Intel GMA950 used on most notebooks by about 30 percent.

My current laptop has been with me for over 2 years, and still like new aside from a little wear aroudn the hinges on the monitor. Mostly because I drag it around so much in a softcase, I really shoul dhave went out and gotten the hard case and it probably wouldn't have happened.

[triage]

found the notebook you linked for sale,

http://www.mobilx.hu/index.php?target=prod...amp;aff_id=1344

I like the specs, but when you dig into the reviews, when the system is unplugged it clocks the proc down to 800mhz (from the same review you quoted, goes on to say 'atom like' performance on battery), and still only gets the average netbook life of 2.5hours on the standard battery. plus a current currency conversion shows the system selling at: 790.80 + shipping. That should hopefully come down when it is released stateside (note, my point of reference is as a US consumer). I like the added feature of an integrated touchscreen, but don't know how practical it is (I type faster than I scribble).

As for the AMD 'Puma' platform, the most recent update on it I found was from June, from ars technica

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080...ile-market.html

their conclusion:

Puma is a major initiative from AMD, and a comprehensive refresh of the company's mobile product line, but AMD has a long struggle ahead of it when it comes to building on its low mobile market share. Intel has long held the high ground in this area, and AMD's previous attempts to dislodge the company have proven largely ineffective. Furthermore, the market isn't exactly focused at the moment on the >12" laptops Turion is aimed at. Atom, Nano, and the 7-10" devices they power are currently the hot topic, and Turion is not designed to fit within this space.

How much of a problem this turns out to be depends on how popular these new netbook/MID products become. Standard notebook form factors will continue to dominate sales in the near future, especially in the enterprise, but the netbook market could prove problematic for AMD to the extent that such devices begin to eat into mainstream notebook sales. At the moment, AMD lacks an equivalent product to Intel's Atom or VIA's Nano. Sunnyvale could, of course, develop its own architecture from scratch (or attempt to adapt current IP to the market's requirements), but any such effort will take time. For now, Puma is impressive, but AMD will have to stay on top of the development of the netbook market very carefully, or risk missing out.

Nothing against AMD, but I don't have a loyalty in this. give me the best performing system that meets the requirements of the job (this can include but not limited to: performance, battery life, cost, warranty(length and typical turnaround times)). I would love to build a new system with an AMD chip, (maybe shanghai?) and they have definitely shown they are still competitive in the graphics dept. (48XX series). Hopefully the new split from AMD and 'The Foundry Company' will allow them the ability to get fully competitive.

gah I write too much when I drink...but I get better at sourcing :). Please don't take this as being harsh, I'm just trying to help answer why the Atom chip is popular. Give me the next best new thing in netbooks, and I'll switch...like the celeron to atom progression from Asus.

[Lord C]

Really happy with my EEE901. The only downside is that wifi injection isn't possible with this card yet.

[vector]

I have an HP mini note 2133, i got it back in june right after it first came out, and i have to say that other netbooks are just now starting to catch up, solid construction, very nice specs, and fucking looks badass, none of that plastic bullshit. also i think alot of you are missing the point, you keep bringing up graphics chipsets as if these were meant for gaming or something, you can see from the pic that the via chrome 9 performs just fine in vista with aero and custom theme settings. performance isnt all about how many Ghz you can squeeze out of a proc, you have to consider all of the components, harddrive, FSB, amount of ram, cache, etc etc. but anyways i would recommend the mini note, not to say that other netbooks arent adequate, but the mini note is top of its class.

and runs multiple apps without a hiccup.

[Saxon]

I was in maplins the other day (UK's radio shack) an they had a netbook for about £150 I am hoping that they have them in next week when i get paid as I am gona get down there after work on friday an buy one or two (one to hack to death an another for a backup or a ell cheep'o laptop that i don't mind if it gets batterd about).

If thats not there i might get the aspire one, funny thing i have noticed is the netbooks with real hard drives come preloaded with windows rather than linux (which i would prefare).

[Swathe]

The only gave the UK the windows option iirc.

[Rab]

A guy at work has the AA1, I've been very impressed, that would be my choice.

[gcninja]

I LOVE my new AA1, the people i work with are from china and when i told them bout it, the all moaned and roaned, specaially about the 377 dollar price (w tax)

EDIT: WTF

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=...amp;dcaid=15889

800?!

and yet http://www.rm.com/Secondary/Products/Produ...080418161452520

£296.01 = $512