[Arm-netbook] Looking for an ARM Netbook !

[Gordan Bobic]

On 07/04/2012 10:23 AM, lkcl luke wrote:
> On Wed, Jul 4, 2012 at 7:09 AM, Gordan Bobic<gordan at bobich.net>  wrote:
>
>>>   then you have to add tax, shipping, customs duty, tax and tax on
>>> customs duty.  realistically you're looking at a budget of about
>>> $220.
>>
>>   And if you follow that logic, you'll also have to build it yourself or
>>   wait for someone to do so. :)
>>   Meanwhile, back in the real world, most of us have stopped holding our
>>   breath and are making do with what is available - some of which is
>>   already more advanced (by at least an extra CPU core) than the described
>>   A10 solution.
>
>   sorry, i'm not following you, here.  i was referring to generic products.

Persactly - the OP was asking for an OTS available ARM netbook. :)

I have to say there is one good thing that came out of the recent wedge 
between the popularity of ARM and lack of RAM in most ARM machines - it 
has made people actually start paying attention to the blatantly 
unreasonable RAM requirements of various software. There's a lot you can 
scrape out of 512MB of RAM if you actually put your mind to it. I would 
never have considered using a 512MB laptop (not in nearly a decade at 
least), but the awesomeness of the AC100 made me look into it, and it 
really isn't too bad (OK, so mine is heavily modified:
Decent SSD:
http://www.altechnative.net/2012/02/07/morebetter-internal-storage-on-the-toshiba-ac100-part-2/

1280x720 Screen:
http://www.altechnative.net/2011/12/30/toshiba-ac100-screen-upgrade-to-1280x720/

Boosted to 1404MHz:
http://www.altechnative.net/2011/12/31/overclocking-the-toshiba-ac100/

but still...). And my DreamPlug servers are doing fine with 512MB, too.

It turns out what is crippling on ARMs isn't lack of RAM, it's the 
crippling speed of crap flash they all run from. Couple an AC100 with a 
SuperTalent RC8 USB SSD and it goes like the proverbial off a shovel. 
And you wouldn't believe how fast a DreamPlug goes when it's disk is an 
Intel SSD hanging off the eSATA port.

Gordan