Friday 31 July 2009

Friday count update

Updated counts for the different groups:


Thursday 30 July 2009

More successful reports for Acer Timeline and Linux after BIOS update

Another user has reported that updating the BIOS firmware to 1.20 in
the 4810T model solves all problems experienced before, including a
working Suspend/Resume now:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=7703101&postcount=173
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=7703165&postcount=175

Enabling VT on Sony Vaio Z-series with Linux

A user has reported a method to enable VT on the Sony Vaio Z-series laptops with Linux:
http://feature-enable.blogspot.com/2009/07/enable-vt-on-insydeh2o-based-sony-vaio.html

Updated counts for the different groups:


Wednesday 29 July 2009

Acer Aspire Timeline Wiki page and Linux Suspend/Resume

There is a great new wiki page for the AspireTimeline laptop model in Ubuntu:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AspireTimeline

The Fixes section details the procedure needed to get Suspend/Resume to work:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AspireTimeline/Fixes

Possible with new kernel on 64bit Ubuntu

$ wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.30/linux-headers-2.6.30-020630-generic_2.6.30-020630_amd64.deb http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.30/linux-headers-2.6.30-020630_2.6.30-020630_all.deb http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.30/linux-image-2.6.30-020630-generic_2.6.30-020630_amd64.deb
$ sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-2.6.30-020630-generic_2.6.30-020630_amd64.deb linux-headers-2.6.30-020630_2.6.30-020630_all.deb linux-image-2.6.30-020630-generic_2.6.30-020630_amd64.deb

Does not seem to work under 32-bit 9.04, 9.10 alpha 2 and alpha 3. Suspend seems to work, but resuming powers off the machine instead. BIOSes versions 1.04 and 1.08 (for 3810t) don't help. Using the "resume-trace" procedure described here does not yield any matches. Unloading all non-essential modules in single user (recovery) mode doesn't fix it.

Bug report: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/405120

Updated counts for the different groups:



Dell Adamo and Linux and updated counts

The Dell Adamo and Linux team is a group of Dell Adamo laptop owners and/or developers interested in getting it to work 100% under Linux. There are currently around ~5 users that have installed Linux (not only Ubuntu) on this laptop, most of them members of this Launchpad group.

Updated counts for the different groups:


Tuesday 28 July 2009

Acer Aspire Timeline BIOS update

Acer has updated the BIOSes for the Acer Aspire Timeline series. The latest BIOSes where uploaded to the support site on 2009/07/27.

A user reported they still don't fix the suspend to ram issue on the 3810T model:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=7690770&postcount=152

Updated counts for the different groups:


Monday 27 July 2009

Updated launchpad memberships

Updated counts for the different groups:


Acer Timeline and Linux bug report

There are 3 new bug reports for the Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T laptop under Linux:
These are very useful bug reports that contain detailed technical information, like:
  • http://launchpadlibrarian.net/29558772/BootDmesg.gz
  • http://launchpadlibrarian.net/29558773/CurrentDmesg.txt
  • http://launchpadlibrarian.net/29558774/Lspci.txt
  • http://launchpadlibrarian.net/29558776/ProcCpuinfo.txt
  • http://launchpadlibrarian.net/29558777/ProcInterrupts.txt
  • http://launchpadlibrarian.net/29558778/ProcModules.txt
  • http://launchpadlibrarian.net/29558779/UdevDb.txt
  • http://launchpadlibrarian.net/29558780/UdevLog.txt
They were run using Ubuntu's bug reporting tool: apport-collect -p {affected-package}

Updated counts for the different groups:




Saturday 25 July 2009

Wednesday 22 July 2009

Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T Linux Review at PC Advisor

Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T review - PC Advisor

The Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T is a great laptop if the portability of a netbook is appealing, but you are worried about the cramped keyboard, and you can't afford a powerful ultraportable laptop.

The Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T is substantially more expensive than a netbook, but it's also substantially more powerful and feature-packed, and it's not as expensive as high-end ultraportable notebooks such as the Toshiba Portegé R600.

See also: Acer Aspire Timeline 5810T review

Best of all, for a 14in laptop the Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T offers good battery life, so it will be great to use while commuting to work or if you want to take notes in a few university lectures.

On the inside of the Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T is a single-core Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 CPU, which runs at 1.4GHz. This doesn't offer as much power as a dual-core CPU, but thanks in part to the 4GB of DDR3 RAM this notebook easily has enough grunt for office tasks.

In the WorldBench 6 benchmark the Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T scored 50, which is a less than inspiring result compared to many notebooks that have Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs, and in the iTunes and Blender tests it scored 3min 23sec and 4min 12sec, respectively. You will probably be able to play a few games - as long as they're from the 1990s. The notebook achieved a poor score of 607 in 3DMark06

Don't let the relative lack of power put you off, however. We happily typed much of this review on the Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T with an instant messenger client and a web browser running in the background. You will be able to listen to MP3s while you type up documents, for example, and crop your photos without many problems. The 320GB hard drive spins at 5400rpm and copied files at 21.85 megabytes per second in our test.

Laptops reviews and buying advice

It's a well put together notebook. The Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T has a solid chassis and a stiff hinge. Our only concerns were some slight clicking in one part of the screen's bezel when we pressed it and some looseness in the DC connector (which we suspect is a flaw in our review unit only).

The Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T's screen is definitely a highlight. It's a great size for web browsing and word processing - diminutive netbooks like the Asus Eee PC 701 4G may look cute but their screens can tax the eyes - and it's LED backlit, so it's extremely bright. Unfortunately the Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T screen reflects office lighting and we weren't impressed with the vertical viewing angles. It's a high-definition screen, with a resolution of 1366x768.

We were very impressed with the Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T's keyboard, which is has isolated keys. The keys are full size with a few exceptions (the cursor keys and the function keys).

The touchpad is comfortable to use and a good size, although we wish it had separate left- and right-click buttons instead of a single strip of plastic. We were happy to see the inclusion of a button to disable the touchpad; we too often found ourselves moving the mouse cursor when we were typing.

Business IT reviews and advice

Sadly although the button worked fine in Windows Vista Home Premium, which was installed on our review unit, it didn't work in Ubuntu distribution of Linux (it disabled the touchpad but wouldn't re-enable it).

There were no major dramas running Linux on the notebook, though during installation we did have to re-enable the Wi-Fi radio in Windows before booting into Ubuntu in order to get it to work. It's a shame that there are no physical buttons to disable and enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, especially given the focus of this notebook on achieving a long battery life (hence the 'Timeline' moniker). The ease of getting a Linux distribution to run on the Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T reminded us of how far the operating system has come since the years when even getting X to run was a challenge.

In our DVD rundown battery test, which is conducted with no power-saving features enabled, screen brightness at full and Wi-Fi enabled, the notebook lasted 4hr 19min. This is a good result for a laptop this size. Turning the brightness down a few notches, disabling Wi-Fi and using some sensible power-saving measures will mean you're likely to get a lot more life out of it. Acer claims you can achieve up to eight hours of battery life from the notebook, and this may well be possible if you take the right precautions.

The Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T is much more feature-packed than a netbook, with fast 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet and pretty much every port you would expect: a multi-card reader, D-Sub (VGA), HDMI (great for connecting to an LCD TV) and three USB ports. It also comes with a DVD burner and a Kensington lock slot.

Apart from the connectivity options and the ease of use, what makes the Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T really stand out is its design. A 14in laptop often strikes a good balance between portability and usability, and the light weight of this notebook - 1.9kg - and the slim dimensions (it's only about an inch thick) make it a great choice for taking on the road or to your uni class. It doesn't get too warm to use on your lap, and it is also extremely quiet.

Verdict

This ultraportable Acer notebook should offer more than enough power, as long as you aren't planning to play recent games or edit videos, and it has an excellent collection of features (including 802.11n Wi-Fi). For students or business users who don't want to shell out for a more powerful ultraportable laptop but want something that's more feature-packed than a netbook, we think the Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T is perfect.



The 10 Thinnest and Lightest Laptops on the planet and Linux Compatibility

The 10 Thinnest and Lightest Laptops on The Planet » The Hottest Gadgets

Let’s face it. Size does matter. However, in the 21st century, smaller is definitely better when it comes to certain gadgets such as our laptops. Here’s a rundown of a few notebooks that are guaranteed to be easy on your back, and extremely easy to carry anywhere you need to go. They are actually pretty power packed, much more so than a netbook or UMPC.

These are the 10 Thinnest and Lightest laptops on the planet.

1. MacBook Air

apple-macbook-air1Also known as the MBA, the MacBook Air has brought the ultra slim trend closer to home. Apple’s tiniest laptop measures a very sleek 12.8 x 8.94 x 0.76 inches and weighs 3 pounds. A 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of DDR3 SDRAM flow through the Air. Although on the small side, the 120GB SATA hard drive should be more than enough to fit your everyday storage needs. The battery should also last you at least 5 hours.

Source: [Apple]

2. Intel Metro

slide1Intel’s new Metro laptop was designed by Ziba, and it measures just .7 inches thick. That’s a bout the size of a penny. It weighs just 2.25 pounds and it has flash based memory which is a big part of the reason why boasts a 14 hour battery life. The Metro laptop has not been released yet but it should be out by then end of 2009.

Source: [BusinessWeek]

3. Dell Adamo

dell-adamosmallThe Dell Adamo is the latest “MacBook Air killer” contender. Slightly thinner than its rival at 13.03 x 9.5 x 0.65 inches, the Adamo is currently the world’s thinnest laptop at 4 pounds. The keyword to remember here is “thin” since it is a tad longer and wider than the Air. The Adamo’s 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor is slightly slower than the Air while its 2GB memory and 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) keep the Adamo within striking distance. The average battery life is measured at 4.5 hours.

Source: [Dell]

4. Lenovo Thinkpad X301

thinkpad-x301

With Lenovo’s 12.5 x 9.1 x 0.9 laptop, you can tell that the corporate world has been bitten by the ultra slim bug. At 3.2 pounds, mindless drones will no longer have an excuse not to have their laptops stuck to their bodies. The X301 comes with a good Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 1.4 GHz processor coupled with 2GB of SDRAM memory. The 64GB SSD keeps its storage capacity small but terrible while its battery life can last up to only 4.3 hours.

Source: [Cnet]

5. Voodoo Envy 133 – NV4070NAhp_voodoo_envy_133_1-100608

Although the latest version of the Envy dates back to 2008, it’s thin 0.70” inch depth still makes it ultra slim worthy. The 12.65 x 9.04 x 0.70 dimensions complement its light 3.37 pounds. The SP 7700 Intel Core 2 Duo processor clocks in at 1.8GHz and is paired with roughly 2 GB of memory. The downsides to this gorgeous looking laptop are its low 80GB storage capacity and short life span of about 3 hours.

Source: [HP]


6. Sony VGN-Z598U/B

sony-vaio

The stylish VAIO measures a decent 12.4 x 8.3 x 1.3 inches and weighs about 3.42 pounds. It is enclosed with a 2.53GHz P9500 Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4GB worth of SDRAM memory. The best part about this laptop is that it has a 256GB SATA hard drive and enough juice to reach 5.5 hours.

Source: [PCWorld]

7. Samsung X360samsungx360laptop1

Where there’s a trend to be found, Samsung is bound to be in it. Their 12.2 x 8.9 x 1.2 laptop is the lightest of them all at 2.8 pounds. The Intel Core 2 Duo U9400 processor runs at 1.4 GHz while maintains a 3GB DDR3 memory. The X360’s 128GB SSD is similar to that of the Adamo’s but gives the Adamo a run for its money with its long lasting 6 hour battery.

Source: [Samsung]

8. Acer Timeline 3810t-8640acer-timeline

The 12.7 x 9 x 1.1 Timeline caters to the budget conscious corner of the ultra slim market. At 3.5 pounds, Acer provides you an Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor at 1.4 GHz. Memory is also decent with its 2GB DDR3 SDRAM and 250GB SATA hard drive. The 8-hour battery life kind of makes you wonder where they got the name Timeline.

Source: [Acer]

9. Fujitsu Lifebook T2020fujitsu-lifebook-t2020-tablet-laptop

Fujitsu’s T2020 Lifebook tablet measures 11.69 x 8.62 x 1.34 inches and weights about 3.5 pounds. It comes with a 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile processor and 1GB worth of memory. The T2020 is also paired with a 120GB hard drive and is expected to last about 6.75 hours.

Source: [PCWorld]

10. HP Pavilion dv2hp-pavilion-dv2

The dv2 is about 11.50 x 9.45 x 0.93 inches and weights almost 4 pounds. The AMD Athlon Neo Processor makes it the only non-Intel powered ultra slim laptop in the list. Fortunately, the dv2 has 4GB worth of DDR2 memory and a stunning 320GB of hard disk space. Battery might be an issue for some folks since it can only pump out about 3.5 hours at a time.



There is very good Linux compatibility for some of these laptops:


Tuesday 21 July 2009

Updated counts




Friday 17 July 2009

Updated counts



Thursday 16 July 2009

Mailing list activity

Sony vaio z-series launchpad mailing list: updated sony-laptop module for 2.6.31-rc; nvidia/intel switching details; HDMI output is reported to work with the nvidia configuration using the binary nvidia drivers (3 different versions); 64bit linux issues with shutdown/reboot.

Thinkpad X301 launchpad mailing list: reported keyboard delay after resume from suspend when using the new KMS-enabled drivers.

Samsung-x360 launchpad mailing list: keycodes for brightness control

Acertimeline launchpad mailing list: BIOS updates; suspend/resume working on different kernel/BIOS combinations; CD/USB installation details.


Saturday 11 July 2009

Suspend/Resume and BIOS updates

More activity in the different mailing lists, specially the Sony Vaio Z-series and Linux and Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T/4810T. Some suspend/resume successful reports for the Acer Aspire Timeline with certain versions of the Linux kernel:

https://lists.launchpad.net/acertimeline/