Subject: Re: Ultra-light notebook recommendations
To: Brian de Alwis <bsd@cs.ubc.ca>
From: Curt Sampson <cjs@cynic.net>
List: port-i386
Date: 07/08/2002 16:02:13
I and several other NetBSD developers use Toshiba Libretto L2 notebooks.
(Well, some may have an L1, L3 or L5.) These are 600 MHz Crusoe machines
(thus, not too fast) with a full-size (for a laptop) keyboard, 1280x600
display, and the usual goodies in a 1.2 kg. package. Battery life is
2-3 hours, but you can buy an extended life battery which will give you
about 3x the battery life.

The only real problem with this is that it's a Japanese-only model, but
there are retailers in the states from whom you can order it, and they
provide a warranty and all that.

Oh, and for you, another problem is that it uses the pointing stick mouse.

I've found it to be a great little machine; it (without external monitor
or keyboard) was my primary work and home machine for three months and I
found it reasonably comfortable, actually. (And I'm pretty fussy about my
work environment.)

Check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libretto-L1/ for lots of
info in English. I also run a mailing list for this:
netbsd-libretto@lists.cynic.net. Subscribe via majordomo@cynic.net.

If you do decide to get one, there are a few not-yet-integrated
kernel patches you need to make things run really smoothly. Send
me e-mail if you want a reference to them.

cjs
-- 
Curt Sampson  <cjs@cynic.net>   +81 90 7737 2974   http://www.netbsd.org
    Don't you know, in this new Dark Age, we're all light.  --XTC

On Sun, 7 Jul 2002, Brian de Alwis wrote:

> I know this is a hard question to answer, but I'm in the market for
> a(nother) ultra-light notebook to run NetBSD.  I had a Dell Inspiron
> 2100, and was pretty pleased with it (see my earlier report in the
> archives), though I would have liked a longer battery life (I could get
> about 2.5 to 3 hours).  Price does matter, but more important is
> NetBSD-compatibility.  I definitely do not like the touch-point mice
> thingies!
>
> Any suggestions, or non-recommendations?
>
>