OTA and Linux

Meng Cheah meng-D1t3LT1mScs at public.gmane.org
Sat Jun 3 03:47:52 UTC 2006


D. Hugh Redelmeier wrote:

>| From: phiscock-g851W1bGYuGnS0EtXVNi6w at public.gmane.org
>
>| The March product flyer from OTA on College Street shows a 'feature item'
>| which is an Acer laptop AS3623NWXMI loaded with...Linux. No mention of
>| Windows.
>
>Interesting.  I have wondered if this is a way to sell a laptop
>without the MS Windows tax, fully expecting that the buyer would load
>up MS Windows after purchasing.  Perhaps Legitimately: many businesses
>have a site license anyway (I think).
>
>OTA's page for notebooks does not mention this model
>  http://www.otapc.com/systems.php
>but using google I found that the main page does have it (duh), in two
>variants http://www.otapc.com/
>
>    AS3623NWXMI Celeron-M370
>    256MB,40GB,DVDRW14"
>    LINUX$660
>
>    AS3623WXMI CELEREON-M
>    1.5GHz,512MB,40GB,DVDRWM
>    14.1"WXGA,XP$790
>
>acer.ca does not describe this model.  The name seems to imply "No
>Windows" rather than "with Linux".
>
>I wonder what distro?  This link mentions "Linpus Linux LE" (in
>Thailand): http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=22967
>
>This seems like a fairly weak notebook.  But getting a mainstream
>notebook running 100% under Linux is a real crap shoot.  This one
>ought to be better supported.
>
>On the other hand, look at this model no longer sold by NCIX
>(Vancouver mail order):
>  http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=15092&vpn=LX.A500C.022&manufacture=Acer
>It says "No OS" and "LINUX BOOT-UP OS", so who knows.  It list this:
>
>    Included Software
>
>    Installed:
>
>	* Acer� Arcade
>	* Acer� eManager
>	* Acer� Launch Manager
>	* Adobe� Acrobat� Reader
>	* CyberLink� PowerProducer,*
>	* Norton AntiVirus�*
>	* NTI CD-Maker*
>
>    On CD shipped with system:
>
>	* Acer� System Recovery
>
>    *OEM, not full-featured, version.
>
>Notice no Linux.  But what do Acer Arcade etc. run under?
>
>Canada computers has this model, maybe.  Description is sparse; it
>includes "wo/Windows".
>  http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=007086&cid=896&PHPSESSID=a4fd180d4aa60b10c5bab4e1b1966aa1
>A bunch of other local stores carry this model, or carried it (as
>discovered by a google search).
>
>It sure looks as if Acer is trying to travel below someone's radar.
>Microsoft's?  Consumers'?
>
>| (I like the Acer laptop AS3613WLCI that I got at Canada Computers, but the
>| battery life is pathetic, something like 20 minutes when operating a
>| wireless connection.)
>
>That sounds defective.  This notebook has a Celeron M, which is a
>reasonable CPU for notebooks (not like my notebook -- it has a
>non-Mobile first generation AMD 64).
>

When I dropped off some flyers re the Linux World show at Canada Computers,
I asked if they were into supporting Linux.

I was informed that the people who wanted Linux knew what they wanted 
and how to get it.
I understand at least one of the employees use Linux.

Meng
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