[wplug] Any thoughts on Alpha 400 MIPS Linux Ultralite Notebook

[Paul Armor]

On Thu, 28 Aug 2008, Eric Cooper wrote:

> On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 10:25:51AM -0400, David Tessitor wrote:
>> I just noticed a week or so ago that Geeks.com now has an Alpha 400 MIPS
>> 400MHz 128MB 1GB 7" Linux Ultralite Notebook for $199.  That's half the
>> price of the Nokia n810.  Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts
>> about the  MIPS Ultralite as opposed to other comparable things on the
>> market now.
>
> It looks comparable to the 7" Eee PC. But I'd be cautious about a
> couple of things.
>
> Hardware: looks like no built-in wireless?  That's a big drawback.
> Also, 128MB of RAM is too little.  The EeePC starts with 512MB, and
> most people put 1 or 2GB in it.  I couldn't tell from the specs
> whether it's expandable or not.
>
> Software: Asus was (eventually) very open about the source code of
> their Eee PC software. There are multiple communities that have put
> Debian, Ubuntu, etc. on it instead of the vendor's Linux version.  I
> couldn't even find a site for the manufacturer of this device, let
> alone specs or a community of Linux users.  For example, the resellers
> say it has a 2.4 kernel, not 2.6 -- that's a huge red flag.

It isn't quite as "beefy" as the Eee PC (can one use beefy and Eee PC in 
the same sentence?!?)... I'd shell out the >=$50 for one of the Eee models 
(disclaimer, I have a 4g surf, and LOVE it!).

Cheers,
Paul