Saturday, August 27, 2011

exactly..

there is a reason I refused to spend more than $200 on a netbook.

cuz it just sits here.. if I need it, or want it, it is there.. if someone else needs/wants it, it is here..

but it hardly gets used. and I'm not too worried about it.

Monday, August 15, 2011

netbook memory upgrade

easy as pie.

I followed these directions:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26855544/Gateway%20LT28%20Series%20Netbook%20Repair.pdf

took me seriously 10 minutes total, and most of that was being careful not to bust anything.

unrelated:
the memory card reader on this netbook is not yet supported by Ubuntu. not a big deal right now, but would be nice if it worked.. still searching for a work-around. still looking for a way to allocate more memory to video as well. BIOS says 8MB only, and I want it to have more than that.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

welcome, new friend!

I sold the laptop for $450, and I only wanted to pay $200 for a netbook. and running something other than Windows, I didn't need anything super duper.

I found what I wanted/needed at Best Buy for $199.99 plus tax, and picked her up this morning.
Gateway LT2802 Netbook
Intel Atom N455 1.66GHz- 667MHz FSB, 512KB L2 Cache
1GB RAM (for now)
Intel® GMA 3150
250GB hard drive
6-cell (6-8-hour) battery
WiFi, Ethernet, 3xUSB 2.0, VGA, card reader, headphones, mic, webcam



the screen is crisp and clear, and not too annoying regarding size, love the trackpad, and I will easily get used to the keyboard (the enter key is smaller than I would prefer- I keep hitting the ' key). the size and weight is perfect. tethering with the G2 was very smooth. install of Ubuntu 10.04.3 was surprisingly easy- in comparison to the Dell, that is. it runs snappy in Windows and Ubuntu- you seriously can't tell it's a 1.66 single-core processor with only 1GB of RAM. no graphics issues as of yet, and I don't really see any in the future.

very pleased with my purchase, so far... exactly what I was looking for and runs like a champ. the trackpad disable button even works in Ubuntu. score.

one complaint: entering BIOS/CMOS is a pain.. you need to start pumping the F2 key as soon as the screen goes black on a reboot, or as soon as you hit the power to turn it on. need to change the timing.

leaving Win7S alone, aside from removing some shortcuts off the desktop. installed Chrome, of course.

after I get some homework done, going to see about triple-booting with Chrome OS Linux. the RAM will be upgraded after the semester ends.

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interesting.. there's a Vista bootloader installed on one of the partitions.

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f that.. the dual-boot install split the 250GB hard drive between Win7 and Ubuntu.. and I don't care for that. I tried to erase the Vista partition (12GB) and install Ubuntu there, while making another partition for all files to be stored, but it didn't work the way I wanted. so buh-bye Win7Starter. all Ubuntu now.

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2GB stick ordered. not that I've noticed I need it, but just because it was under $20 shipped from Kingston.

and this is great- when the lid is closed, it goes into Suspend mode- turns off the wifi, etc.. practically ZERO battery drain.. for hours and hours and hours.. this really is an all-day netbook. very happy with my purchase.

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poop. the memory card reader is not yet supported. not a big deal right now, but may be at some point- them things are damn handy.

Monday, August 1, 2011

how to fall back in love with the G2

..take the screen protector and shell cover off.

feel that rubbery coating.. admire the brushed and engraved battery door.. let the snap of the natural, uninhibited movement of the z-hinge make you giggle.. just like it did when you first opened the box.

someone on craigslist is looking for a G2, and I started up the conversation. I thought about it.. asked TMo for the SIM unlock code.. called Best buy to make sure I could walk out with the MyTouch 4G Slide for the same price as upgrading online..

and in cleaning him up, I realized how handsome and well-built he is.. and how plasticky the MT4GS probably is.. sure, it would be an even exchange, money wise.. but even with the FF camera and better camera.. I hate Sense.. might be a downgrade in reality. and I don't need another distraction..

I just needed to take the case off. get him all nekked.

but we have some issues to overcome. notifications are not what they should be. sometimes homescreen folders won't open. I've stayed out of the forums- probably time to revisit.

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uh-oh.. I went into Best Buy killing some time today.. and the MT4GS is not a piece of plasticky junk. then I played with the new Sense on an HTC Flyer.. I'll be getting back into the forums.. but perhaps not for the G2.