Currently I have a rather big laptop; it’s a HP/Compaq 6710B weighting about 2.9 Kg with a 1680×1050 resolution. This laptop works very well with Fedora and it’s quick. The problem I’m facing is that I’m transporting it every day for about 40 minutes in a backpack and I really begin to hate its weight 
So I began to look for a lighter netbook (around 1 Kg); what bothers me about them is the 1024*XXX resolution., it’s almost unusable for me. A 1280*XXX resolution is an acceptable compromise, that’s what the 13.3″ Apple MacBook uses for example (unfortunately, it’s too heavy). A 10-12″ display would be nice too.
To my big disappointment, there doesn’t seem to be any laptop corresponding to my needs, the closest match is the underpowered HP 2133 Mini Note or the Dell Mini 12” that isn’t out yet in Europe. Am I missing something?
I could play with a HP 2133 at my local electronics store (they run SuSE Linux, which is a good indicator for Fedora compatibility), but it has 2 major problems:
- 8.9″ screen
- VIA C7 processor
Please HP, update your model to a 10″ screen with the VIA Nano CPU and I’ll be your first customer.
I’d go for the ASUS EeePC 1000H, which has a 10.2″ screen and an Intel Atom processor. Unfortunately, it’s 1024×600 tops and weights 1.45kg.
A 1280 resolution is in fact the critical factor for me, 1024 is just too low…The Dell Mini 12″ seems promising right now but I guess that it won’t be available in Switzerland for the next 2 months.
I’ve got an HP Pavilion dv6746tx which has 1280×800 resolution (nvidia). Everything works strainght out of the box using Fedora 9. Check it out. I think it is probably discontinued here in Australia (or anywhere for that matter). Only has a 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 duo and 2 Gigs of RAM. Good luck.
Its not a netbook – but have you considered ThinkPad X200? From the specs:
12.1″ widescreen WXGA with 1280×800 pixels
4-cell battery starting at 1.34 kg/2.95 lb
From a spec point of view, it would be perfect. The problem: it costs 4-5x more than a netbook :p
I was facing your dilemma this weekend and finally gave in and bought an Apple MacBook… Surprisingly enough, Fedora 10 works fairly well. At 2.04 kg, it doesn’t make your 1 kg ideal, but it’s a lot more powerful and much nicer to use than most any netbook I know of.
http://www.stick-online.net/2008/11/fedora-10-on-new-macbook.html
hej,
have you found anything yet ?
I’m looking for something for me with similar criteria. netbook with 1280x
I finally bought a Lenovo x301…
My search still continues, heres the criteria:
At least 1280 x *** wide screen
At least atom n270 cpu (1.6ghz)
At least intel 9300m graphics
About 10″ screen
1-2gb RAM
120-160gb HDD
Can anyone meet that (i now the asus n10j comes close)
Check out the new Samsung one, the Samsung NC20 netbook has a 1280×800 12″ screen. I’m thinking about getting one for my other-half.
Gigabyte Netbook M912V
8.9 inch, touchscreen, 1280×768, Intel atom n270
That’s the way to go. If you have a better alternative please let me know. My demands are simple: the screen has to be as small as possible, but at least 1280×768 resolution.
I have an M912v and have vista ultimate on it. By disabling some processes it is a perfect travel laptop/netbook. Touchscreen is great but probably a fad that will fade with time, otherwise using it as a tablet in the crook of your elbow is great. The The only thing that spoils it is the CCFL screen which is power hungry and makes for a washed out screen appearance.
That Samsung NC20 looked absolutely perfect until I realised it was a Via Nano.
Folks, hold out for a dual core Atom netbook, their performance boost compared to the single core makes a world of difference.
Hi Rich,
Have you found any better option than the Gigabyte Netbook? Im looking for the same, ie. 10” netbook with the 1280 x … resolution. Think 8.9” screen can be too small for such a res. What do you think?
In case anyone finds this thread, here we are a year later and finally some items are appearing:
Gigabyte T1028X
Gigabyte M1022X
Hard to get at the moment, and $600-$800. Curiously, the T1028X has a *single* touch interface and gigabit ethernet, and the M1022X has a multi touch pad and fast ethernet. Fast ethernet??? What gives? Surprisingly, it sports an Expresscard slot. Most disappointingly, industrial design in the computer world is hard to come by, but this one might do.