interesting discontinued netbook LG x120-N

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

So I got this netbook, the LG x120-N.CSBAA8, from Tiger Direct this week.  
I think that it is a good deal.

I'm top-posting my previous message because most of it still applies but I 
now know more.

- I really like the 1366x768 resolution.  Much better than the normal
  netbook 1024x600.  The pixels are quite small, of course (150DPI).

- the "Smart On" is a special fast non-disk boot of a modest and limited
  linux-based tool.  What I find useful is to get to the web quickly
  and then shut down again.  No ssh, dammit.  Might be hackable.
  It even supports Skype (but I don't). <http://splashtop.com/>

- "Smart Link" is a goofy thing that lets this notebook (when running
  Window) connect to another PC running Windows, using a supplied
  USB cable.  Why Windows-only?  To the computers, it looks like a
  little mass-storage device containing auto-run driver software which
  provides access to the real hardware.  It allows sharing files in
  some way that I haven't bothered to figure out.  Google gets me nothing 
  useful.

- Windows7 Starter Edition is what is bundled.  A rather handicapped
  version of Windows (eg: cannot play DVDs, cannot extend desktop to a
  second monitor, cannot even change wallpaper).  I didn't really want
  Windows anyway, so I don't care.

- I had very little problem installing Ubuntu 9.10:

  + on first boot, the Windows setup thingee lets you split the disk
    between c: and d:.  I made d: as big as it would let me and later
    let Ubuntu take over the space of d:.  That still left ~50GB for
    c: (too much, I think).

  + Windows first-boot / setup takes quite a while as it sends a
    backup to another partition.  It must be easy to screw up Windows
    because the system provides a bunch of different ways of resetting
    everything back to fresh-from-factory state (except for probably
    retaining your EULA consent etc.).

  + 3 primary partitions were tied up by the standard load.  Two kinds
    of maintenance partitions and one Windows partition.

  + Ubuntu had to live within logical partitions: the one remaining
    slot for primary partitions had to be used as the extended
    partition (i.e. the container for logical partitions)

  + I let Ubuntu take over the master boot sector.  Windows7 seemed
    to accept that.

  + the Ralink RT3090 wireless card was not recognized / supported by
    Ubuntu.  There is a driver package here:
	<https://launchpad.net/~markus-tisoft/+archive/rt3090>

- The netbooks seems large and heavy to me.  It has a 6-cell battery
  which definitely adds to the weight.  I've not used other netbooks
  so I cannot compare.

- the x120 seems solidly built.  The keyboard seems good to me.

- the x120 is a series.  Or maybe several series.  There is scant
  coverage of this model on the internet, even on LG's own sites.
  I think that the LG x120-N is quite different from the more commonly
  covered variants (one of which is subsidized by AT&T in the US with
  a mobile contract and a built-in card).

- the documentation that came with the machine (printed, on the DVD,
  and on the hard drive under Windows) is pretty limited.

- I'm really glad the Ubuntu just worked because I don't see a
  community of x120 users that can help

- there is even a tiny slot in the case, underneath the battery, to
  install a SIM card.  But, of course, mine doesn't have the mobile
  card to accept that SIM.

- the bezel is larger than I'd like.  If they made it smaller, they
  could have made the whole computer smaller

- the screws that hold the thing together are Phillips, but smaller
  than any driver that I have.  So I haven't been able to figure out
  the memory configuration and whether it is easy to add more.  Unlike
  many netbooks, there is a door on the bottom for access to the
  memory.  Nice touch: the case labels which screws are for the
  keyboard.

- I haven't tried the web cam in Linux.  I saw that it worked in
  Windows but didn't pay much attention.

- the computer came with a fake suede padded pouch.  No room for any
  accessories.  A nice touch.

- stereo speakers.  SRS WoW.  Microphone.  Two audio jacks.

- VGA out

| Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:58:33 -0400 (EDT)
| From: D. Hugh Redelmeier <hugh-pmF8o41NoarQT0dZR+AlfA at public.gmane.org>
| 
| LG X120-N.CSBAA8 Netbook $329 (free shipping because it is over $100):
| <http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=5732581&sku=L49-1210%20CA>
| 
| Things I noted:
| + 1366 x 768 resolution screen
| + LED backlight
| + 6-cell battery
| - one bar for trackpad buttons so pressing left and right at the same time 
|   (to simulate middle button in X) cannot be done.  What does one do 
|   instead?
| + uses gma 950 -- Linux support
| + "Smart On", some kind of quick-boot minimal Linux (on disk?)
| + bluetooth and 802.11b/g

also supports 802.11n, single band

| + room for 3g radio?  MiniPCI slot? (Some models come with one.)
| - 1G RAM; 160G HD

disk is actually 250G

| + 3 USB (more than some netbooks if I remember correctly)
| + 1.3M webcam
| + flash card reader built-in.  SD listed but SDHC is not.  I hope that 
|   that is a mistake. [sales person says it should do SDHC]

Some specs on the machine itself say it does SDHC.  I have not tested.

| - OS: Win7 Starter
| 
| This is a year-old model.  Newer is better.
| 
| I'm not clear what the warranty is.  It appears to be 1 year parts and 
| labour from LG, but perhaps only in the US.  On the other hand, the 
| tigerdirect writeup refers to "Canadian English" Window 7 Starter
| Edition.  [Sales person says that support should be from LG Canada.]
| 
| I cannot find this model on the LG web site.
| 
| I wonder if it has a bilingual keyboard.  It seems to be unavailable on 
| the tiger direct US website.  [The site does not specify the layout so the 
| sales person thinks it should be US layout.]

The keyboard is US.  In theory, I'd prefer bilingual, but in real life
I really really prefer US.

| I just ordered one (after I typed the above).

They have them in stock in Richmond Hill, so delivery is fast.  They
are not offered in the US.
--
The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://gtalug.org/
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists