netbook compatibility

[Chris Kottaridis]

I've never used a netbook before but am looking at the
Eee PC 1215N-PU27

I want as much portability as possible, but I also want it to have full 
Linux capabilities, so tablets are out for now. Specifcally, I want to 
run Linux as the base OS and use vmware to run Windows as a virtual 
machine when needed. When I checked out netbooks a couple of years ago I 
didn't see anything I thought could handle that. This looks like it 
might be able to do that.

It has:
Atom D525 dual-core 1.8 GHz (with hyperthreading can have 4 threads)
2 GB RAM, expandable to 4 GB (I'd do this upgrade)
Bluetooth
Wireless N
HDMI port
3 USB ports
12.1" screen HD resolution
500 GB Hard Disk

It gets shipped with 64 bit Windows 7, but I'd prefer to run Fedora 16 
and then run Windows as a Virtual Machine when needed.

Anyone have any experience running Fedora 16 on this machine ?

Also, I suppose I can connect an external DVD player via USB to do an 
install that way. I prefer to install from DVD's rather then the network 
and I assume a netbook can boot from a USB device.

Thanks
Chris Kottaridis

[Bill Davidsen]

Chris Kottaridis wrote:
>  I've never used a netbook before but am looking at the
>  Eee PC 1215N-PU27
>
>  I want as much portability as possible, but I also want it to have full
>  Linux capabilities, so tablets are out for now. Specifcally, I want to
>  run Linux as the base OS and use vmware to run Windows as a virtual
>  machine when needed. When I checked out netbooks a couple of years ago I
>  didn't see anything I thought could handle that. This looks like it
>  might be able to do that.
>
>  It has:
>  Atom D525 dual-core 1.8 GHz (with hyperthreading can have 4 threads)
>  2 GB RAM, expandable to 4 GB (I'd do this upgrade)
>  Bluetooth
>  Wireless N
>  HDMI port
>  3 USB ports
>  12.1" screen HD resolution
>  500 GB Hard Disk
>  
I currently have three ATOM based devices. They all run Linux 64bit 
fine, none have hardware virtualization. For what you are doing, I 
suspect that vmware, virtualbox, or just qemu (the non-hardware 
emulator) would work fine, since the user process runs directly on the 
CPU, not by emulation. I booted XP once for a goof, it worked as well as 
XP ever does, haven't tried Win7.

I've been very happy with these, although FC16, or rather GNOME3, does 
have one real drawback, based on a sample size of four laptops, none 
have working "edge of the touchpad is scroll wheel" functionality, which 
really rots. Worked on FC14, works with Mint, doesn't with GNOME3. YMMV.

Love my netbook, don't know what the battery life is, but I have used it 
for all day, forgot and suspended overnight rather than hibernate, and 
it still ran for about two hours and had power left. First portable I 
have ever owned I take without the charger. Don't need it.

Good luck with your little machine, I think you're going to love it.
>  It gets shipped with 64 bit Windows 7, but I'd prefer to run
> Fedora 16
>  and then run Windows as a Virtual Machine when needed.
>
>  Anyone have any experience running Fedora 16 on this machine ?
>
>  Also, I suppose I can connect an external DVD player via USB to do an
>  install that way. I prefer to install from DVD's rather then the network
>  and I assume a netbook can boot from a USB device.
>
>  Thanks
>  Chris Kottaridis 

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen(a)tmr.com&gt;
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot

[Gilboa Davara]

>  I am only really going to need Windows for some trading apps I have
> that are
>  only available on Windows. I have a desktop I dedicate for that, but if I
>  travel it'd be nice to be able to keep up on things and have all the tools I
>  am used to. There are some other Windows tools that only run on Windows also
>  but I use them very infrequently. 
In this case, I can offer something radical:
If the application still supports Windows 2K, ebay for a used copy of
Windows 2K and install it under VirtualBox (no use in wasting an
expensive VMWare license for that) and limit the use of this VM to the
trading application and nothing else.
In my experience, if you limit the Windows 2K usage to a single
application and surround it with a good firewall (saving the need to
install A/V and F/W software on the VM), you'll get host-like
performance - even on a low end netbook.

- Gilboa

[Gilboa Davara]

On Wed, Apr 4, 2012 at 6:27 AM, Chris Kottaridis <chriskot(a)quietwind.net&gt; wrote:
>  I've never used a netbook before but am looking at the
>  Eee PC 1215N-PU27
>
>  I want as much portability as possible, but I also want it to have full
>  Linux capabilities, so tablets are out for now. Specifcally, I want to run
>  Linux as the base OS and use vmware to run Windows as a virtual machine when
>  needed. When I checked out netbooks a couple of years ago I didn't see
>  anything I thought could handle that. This looks like it might be able to do
>  that.
>
>  It has:
>  Atom D525 dual-core 1.8 GHz (with hyperthreading can have 4 threads)
>  2 GB RAM, expandable to 4 GB (I'd do this upgrade)
>  Bluetooth
>  Wireless N
>  HDMI port
>  3 USB ports
>  12.1" screen HD resolution
>  500 GB Hard Disk
>
>  It gets shipped with 64 bit Windows 7, but I'd prefer to run Fedora 16 and
>  then run Windows as a Virtual Machine when needed.
>
>  Anyone have any experience running Fedora 16 on this machine ?
>
>  Also, I suppose I can connect an external DVD player via USB to do an
>  install that way. I prefer to install from DVD's rather then the network and
>  I assume a netbook can boot from a USB device.
>
>  Thanks
>  Chris Kottaridis 
Hi,

I've got an F16 running on a number of Asus 1201N more-or-less issues
free (with or w/o the nVidia binary driver).
The only major issue is broken suspend on some machine since the
release of v3.2 (The irony that 3.2 finally got hibernate working so
we're OK for now... :))
I'll report it once I'll free some time to confirm this issue isn't
nVidia driver related.

As for virtualization, as far as I remember, much like the Atom 330 on
our machines, the D525 doesn't support VT-x, meaning:
A. qemu-KVM is out of the question (You plan to use vmware; we use
VirtualBox from time to time).
B. Guest performance can be iffy (at least under VirtualBox).

Again, I never tested vmware on this netbook (which version do you
plan to use?), but in general, if you plan to use Windows VM as an
actual desktop OS on this netbook, I'd consider buying a Windows XP
license and stripping it to the core instead of using Windows 7.
Alternatively, I'd search for a stronger notebook that has VT-x/AMD-v
capable CPU. (In my experience, finding an AMD-v capable
notebook/netbook is usually easier)

- Gilboa

[Chris Kottaridis]

On 4/3/2012 9:55 PM, Gilboa Davara wrote:
>  On Wed, Apr 4, 2012 at 6:27 AM, Chris
> Kottaridis<chriskot(a)quietwind.net>  wrote:
> > I've never used a netbook before but am looking at the
> > Eee PC 1215N-PU27
> >
> > I want as much portability as possible, but I also want it to have full
> > Linux capabilities, so tablets are out for now. Specifcally, I want to run
> > Linux as the base OS and use vmware to run Windows as a virtual machine when
> > needed. When I checked out netbooks a couple of years ago I didn't see
> > anything I thought could handle that. This looks like it might be able to do
> > that.
> >
> > It has:
> > Atom D525 dual-core 1.8 GHz (with hyperthreading can have 4 threads)
> > 2 GB RAM, expandable to 4 GB (I'd do this upgrade)
> > Bluetooth
> > Wireless N
> > HDMI port
> > 3 USB ports
> > 12.1" screen HD resolution
> > 500 GB Hard Disk
> >
> > It gets shipped with 64 bit Windows 7, but I'd prefer to run Fedora 16 and
> > then run Windows as a Virtual Machine when needed.
> >
> > Anyone have any experience running Fedora 16 on this machine ?
> >
> > Also, I suppose I can connect an external DVD player via USB to do an
> > install that way. I prefer to install from DVD's rather then the network and
> > I assume a netbook can boot from a USB device.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Chris Kottaridis
>  Hi,
>
>  I've got an F16 running on a number of Asus 1201N more-or-less issues
>  free (with or w/o the nVidia binary driver).
>  The only major issue is broken suspend on some machine since the
>  release of v3.2 (The irony that 3.2 finally got hibernate working so
>  we're OK for now... :))
>  I'll report it once I'll free some time to confirm this issue isn't
>  nVidia driver related.
>
>  As for virtualization, as far as I remember, much like the Atom 330 on
>  our machines, the D525 doesn't support VT-x, meaning:
>  A. qemu-KVM is out of the question (You plan to use vmware; we use
>  VirtualBox from time to time).
>  B. Guest performance can be iffy (at least under VirtualBox). 
Bummer.

>  Again, I never tested vmware on this netbook (which version do you
>  plan to use?), but in general, if you plan to use Windows VM as an
>  actual desktop OS on this netbook, I'd consider buying a Windows XP
>  license and stripping it to the core instead of using Windows 7.
>  Alternatively, I'd search for a stronger notebook that has VT-x/AMD-v
>  capable CPU. (In my experience, finding an AMD-v capable
>  notebook/netbook is usually easier) 
I'd be using vmware 7.1. I keep getting emails to upgrade to 8.0, but 
was planning to wait for 8.1 unless there is some specific reason to 
switch. Kind of hate those .0 releases if I don't specifically need it.

I'll see what I can find out about D525 VM support for VMware and 
consider lookign at alternatives depending on what I find.

I am only really going to need Windows for some trading apps I have that 
are only available on Windows. I have a desktop I dedicate for that, but 
if I travel it'd be nice to be able to keep up on things and have all 
the tools I am used to. There are some other Windows tools that only run 
on Windows also but I use them very infrequently.

Thanks
Chris Kottaridis
>  - Gilboa