Previously, I mentioned having bought an ASUS UL30A-X5K--a 13.3" ultraportable.
I thought I'd update everyone on progress...
I had some difficulty at first with trying to load 64-bit Linux on it from a
USB key. For whatever reason, unetbootin did not wish to cooperate with that
attempt.
However, I burned an ISO file onto a CD (using the external LiteOn drive I
bought, since this machine has no internal DVD unit), and it loaded fine. I
tried several different versions, but went back to Kubuntu--in this case. 10.10.
One known glitch being worked on--for some reason, these machines may
occasionally freeze and have to be power cycled when running Linux. With me,
that seems to happen perhaps once or occasionally twice in a three-day span.
Note, though, that at present I am on the Internet with this box perhaps
sixteen hours a day.
On the other hand, the machine is very handy--at 3.7 pounds and less than an
inch thick, it is very easy to carry anywhere I wish to use it. Also, the
battery lasts quite a while. ASUS rates it at "up to 11 hours"--but with WIFI
active and a few processes running, I think a good rule of thumb is about six
or perhaps more. A few minutes ago, on battery, I was running Chrome with
multiple windows open (including some that are periodically auto-refreshing),
the Dolphin file manager, KTorrent actively in peration donwloading and
uploading files, and a VLC session playing a video although at a relatively
small size. Powertop said it was using about 10.4 watts in total, and estimated
a time remaining on battery of 5.6 hours (and the battery was full).
The AC adapter, too, is quite small and light--the same physical size and
weight as the ones ASUS uses for their Eee netbooks, in fact.
The keyboard is full size, although it lacks a separate number pad--which only
gets in my way, generally. The keys are the "chicklet" style and the keyboard
works quite well.
The machine ships with 4 GB of RAM and a 500 GB hard disk; I pulled that disk
and placed it in an external case and replaced it with a Seagate 500 GB hybrid
drive that has a 4 GB solid state component; it is also a 7200 rpm drive in
place of the 5400 rpm Hitachi unit that came standard. I suspect the hybrid
drive consumes a fair amount more power than the standard disk would, but it is
also much faster.
In my eyes the primary drawbacks are that the glossy screen is glare prone, and
thus a poor choice to use outdoors, while the anodized, brushed aluminum case
and the glossy plastic keyboard surround (as well as the screen) are all
fingerprint magnets. Thus, I carry a microfiber cloth which makes short work of
the fingerprints. However, I admit that it is gorgeous when clean! Still, I'd
rather have had a matte screen and case.
This uses the SU7300 ultra low voltage dual core CPU, and it has integrated
Intel 4500 series graphics--which are fine for video watching and typical
day-to-day tasks. The units with Nvidia discrete graphics as well as Intel do
not (yet) switch easily and smoothly back and forth; moreover, since I don't do
video editing or other graphics-intensive tasks, that would have been overkill
for me. The model which switches manually between graphics systems was almost
exactly as much more as the hybrid hard drive ran me (about $130); I decided
I'd rather get the faster drive and have one to use externally as a backup unit
than have the switchable graphics I really didn't need. Thus far, I have not
regretted the decision.
Amazon is running this machine as of yesterday for $579.99; I consider that a
very good price and I would buy one again knowing what I know now.
If you are in the market for a new machine, you could certainly do
worse--especially if you need a machine that is highly and easily mobile.
David
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