[Arm-netbook] Looking for an ARM Netbook !

[lkcl luke]

On Wed, Jul 4, 2012 at 7:04 AM, Gordan Bobic <gordan at bobich.net> wrote:
>  On Tue, 3 Jul 2012 21:32:57 +0300, Alexey Eromenko <al4321 at gmail.com>
>  wrote:
>> Hi All !
>>
>> Just as the list name implies, ARM-netbook, is what I'm looking for.
>>
>> I plan to install Linux+KDE into it, and remove Android, or
>> dual-boot.
>>
>> Required parameters:
>> 1 GB RAM (KDE will not run on 512 MB RAM... will swap like crazy)
>
>  Depends on what you intend to run. I am typing this on a Toshiba AC100
>  (512MB of RAM, 510MB after you allow 2MB of RAM for the 1280x720 frame
>  buffer) running KDE and Firefox, and I have 250MB free RAM with no swap
>  used. It would start swapping in linking stages of big compile jobs, but
>  with a SuperTalent RC8 USB SSD fitted internally (
>  http://www.altechnative.net/2012/02/07/morebetter-internal-storage-on-the-toshiba-ac100-part-2/
>  ) swapping isn't particularly painful (2000 4KB IOPS on both random
>  reads and random writes, Sandforce flash controller, see:
>  http://www.altechnative.net/2012/01/25/flash-module-benchmark-collection-sd-cards-cf-cards-usb-sticks/
>  ).
>
>  The only decent option you really have is the Asus Transformer, but
>  unlike an AC100 that you can get for ~ £170 new, the Transformer will
>  set you back more than double that with a keyboard.

 gordan: we've since been made aware that they're under some rather
extreme and very real hacking attack conditions which require them to
be able to audit and verify every single piece of source code.  the
asus transformer, having the tegra 3 and thus having a locked-down
boot BIOS, cannot be trusted because it cannot be verified.

 the reason why they're interested in the A10 is because it does not
have ARM "Trustzone" and it can be forcibly made to boot from SD/MMC
at the hardware level.

 there's only a couple of other SoC families i know of like that - i'd
have to check, they have e-fuses you can blow to disable any on-board
"secure" boot NAND capability: one's the OMAP series and i think the
other's the samsung S5Pxxxx series.

 but, yeah, anyway: tom says he's got a suitable A10-based laptop that
meets the requirements, removable WIFI module.

 l.