Dearest social butterfly, Dell wants you to know that is has just the netbook for you, the Inspiron Mini 9. The default operating system is Ubuntu, with some sort of customized Dell interface. Other than that, it’s a netbook. You know what that means. The base price is a more-than-reasonable $350, and for that you get a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB solid state drive, and built-in Wi-Fi. The display doesn’t look too bad, either, coming in at 8.9 inches. You really would have to see the diaply in person to make a proper judgment call, though. And if Linux isn’t your thing, you can always upgrade to Windows XP. You might want to up the RAM if you’re headed in that direction. Would you hate me if I admit that it actually doesn’t look half-bad? → Read More
Well I’ll be—the Dell Mini-Inspiron doesn’t look half bad. Gizmodo broke into Dell headquarters, beat up the security guard, and stole the full spec sheet for the Internet’s enjoyment. That, or some dude just e-mailed a copy to Rothman. Either way, the specs are now out there. The raw: 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, up to 1GB of RAM, a solid state drive (4 to 16GB), 8.9-inch display with a 1024×600 resolution, Wi-Fi and three USB ports. A four cell battery rounds out the package. The best part? It comes with an Ubunutu configuration. Set up a lightweight window manager and you could have yourself a fine “I’m going to Starbucks, might as well surf the Web while I’m there” computer. Might be handy when covering trade shows, too. → Read More
If you read the paper version of Popular Mechanics, you may have already seen this. But on the internet, if you haven’t seen it, it’s new to you — as we are constantly reminded by recycled pictures of women in tubs. And this is more worth a look than that. Pop Mech has published a pretty straightforward how-to on getting Ubuntu to run on your big scary PS3. I don’t think there’s any risk of bricking your console, but losing game data is definitely an option so only do this if you’re sure about it. It actually looks quite easy, and once you install a nice big 250GB hard drive in it, it might be pretty sweet to be able to boot the thing up into an all-purpose media player unencumbered by Sony’s UI. You can also enter a drawing to win the thing, which I have done, because I really want it. → Read More
I’m a fan of the Nokia 800-series Internet tablets, and Nokia is making effort to keep them current. It recently bought Trolltech and is in the process of finalizing the purchase. Trolltech makes the QT applications platform that many devices use, and Nokia is no doubt planning on bringing QT to the N810 and perhaps future tablet devices. What’s also notable is Nokia is working on Ubuntu support for the N810. Right now it plans of allowing it to run off an SD card, but it shouldn’t be too hard to make it the default OS for the tablet. While I like the Maemo’s OS, Ubuntu’s the flavor of the month, so it would seem prudent to have a access to it. → Read More
The fine folks at Ubuntu have released version 8.04 (also known as Hardy Heron) of the popular Ubuntu Linux operating system. New features include… GNOME 2.22, Linux kernel 2.6.24, PolicyKit, PulseAudio, Xorg 7.3, Firefox 3 Beta 5, Brasero, Transmission, World Clock Applet, Vinagre, Uncomplicated Firewall, Totem, Inkscape, ActiveDirectory integration, iSCSI support, Memory Protection, SELinux Support, umenu, Virtualization, and the Wubi installation option for Windows users. Download Ubuntu [Ubuntu.com] → Read More
Installing Ubuntu is literally as easy as dropping in a disk. However, it is important to understand that Ubuntu needs its own clean drive to run correctly. If you are a beginner, we would suggest installing Ubuntu on an older machine or running it from CD-ROM which will give you a taste of Linux without endangering your hard disk. This is by no means an exhaustive examination of Linux but it does give you a quick and dirty description of how to install and run Ubuntu. Trust me: it’s easy. → Read More
[photopress:prec_m90ubuntu.jpg,full,center] Today I got to chat with Gerry Carr, a product manager for Canonical, the people behind Ubuntu, the very popular desktop version of Linux. Besides the merits of the Seattle and Portland areas, we talked about Ubuntu’s current status and its future in gaming, portable devices, and even desktop computers. CrunchGear So first off, which version of Ubuntu are you using on your personal computer right now? Gerry Carr I’m using the latest beta of the 804 LTS (Hardy Heron). It’s got a few known bugs still but overall it’s really good. CrunchGear What third party apps are you using with it day to day that you like? Gerry Carr The Firefox 3 beta 4 works really great with the 804. In fact, when it’s done, we’ll be the first major distributer to ship a distro with Firefox 3 bundled. That’s pretty exciting. It’ll also have our regular mail app. Adobe and IBM both have apps they’re working on specifically for 804, but they won’t be included. We’re looking to ship April 24 of this year. → Read More
Virtualbox is a Linux app that lets you run Windows applications in their own windows under almost any version of Linux (they’re using Gutsy Gibbon). The full instructions are over at Lifehacker and it only works with XP, but that shouldn’t stop you from running notepad. Run Windows Apps Seamlessly Inside Linux [Lifehacker] → Read More
Good news for Ubuntu lovers across the pond, Dell is now offering 7.10 on its line of XPS M1330 notebooks in the UK, France, Germany, and Spain. The program, initially launched last May, has been successful enough and people have requested the option enough that Dell decided to offer the open source operating system on more computer models. Dell’s UK site has the M1330 priced from £599, with the Inspiron 6400 laptop and the Inspiron 530 desktop priced from £329 to £449, respectively. Dell UK website [euro.dell.com] via ITPro → Read More
Dell has announced that Ubuntu 7.10, Gutsy Gibbon, will now be offered on its systems. The update comes only about a month after Ubuntu made 7.10 available. Also announced was the inclusion of LinDVD with all Dell Ubuntu systems. So now they can play DVDs straight out of the box. Starting at $499, the Ubuntu systems offer a significant price reduction over Dell’s Windows boxes. Unfortunately, the desktops have, for some reason, been castrated and only come with Core Duo, but the laptop comes with Core 2 Duos. Not really sure what that’s all about. Dellbuntu → Read More
Remember two days ago? That was when taskmaster John Biggs told us about the $200 Everex PC. Well today it’s been announced that Everex “will bring Linux laptops under $300 to users next year.” → Read More
Linux, to me, is like all the girls in college when you’re still dating a girl from back home. Free, good looking, easy to use, and with a lot of cool, unique features and abilities. After a while, though, you end up missing what’s familiar to you so you head back to what’s comfortable even though it’s expensive, unstable, and needs constant tweaking to keep things running smoothly. I don’t have the patience to go through a full install of Ubuntu but I also don’t think that running the Live CD does the operating system justice. If only there were an easy-to-use Windows installer that didn’t "require you to modify the partitions of your PC or to use a different bootloader." Enter Wubi. → Read More
It’s now official, dude, you’re getting Linux on your Dell. It seems the leaked internal document was correct and there are three Linux systems available today. The XPS 410n and Dimension E520n desktop PC along with the Inspiron E1505n notebook will run Ubuntu 7.04. All three rigs will be available today by 4 p.m. CST. Pricing and specs after the jump. → Read More
You so rarely get to see people actually happy about installing operating systems, but that’s one of the things about Linux — you stick in a disk and suddenly an old crappy computer running Windows ME is a real powerhouse. The video shows a librarian in Washington, Vermont installing Ubuntu. With the zydeco background music, her palpable excitement, and the fact that they make pee pee on a Windows logo at the end, I think this is the perfect anti-FUD tool for convincing the powers that be to stop whining about desktop Linux. do you ubuntu? [Librarian.net] → Read More
I should have paid more attention during my MIS classes in college because I wouldn’t be such a tard when it comes to Linux and I wouldn’t tinkle a tiny bit when Linux is brought up. Anyways, Ubuntu is collaborating with Intel, who is planning a new low-power processor and chipset, to revolutionize the Internet browsing experience on your mobile handset. Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded project, as it’s being dubbed, is slated to release in conjunction with Ubuntu version 7.10 in October. That’s not far off but developers already anticipate problems coming up in the design of the GUI and power management capabilities. Have you had enough Linux news this month? Ubuntu Plans Mobile Linux Version [Yahoo! News] → Read More
Sure, ripples touched the Linuxverse earlier today when reports surfaced on the Internets that Dell would likely be pre-installing Ubuntu Linux on consumer desktops and laptops later this year. The idea of desktop Linux is one shared by most Linux fans, and this is exactly the type of movement it’ll need to take hold. In addition to Dell, Motorola is laying the groundwork for a hard-working smartphone version of Linux set to hit later this year, as well. → Read More
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