plwweasel gadget lover

HTC Evo 4g is pretty cool

2010-12-04T23:45:00.003-05:00

Just picked up an Evo 4g to replace my Palm Pre and pretty happy so far, 4 days of use. I will miss my WebOS but I still have the palm pixi for work to fill the void.
The Evo is a whole other world from the Pre, just based on the screen real estate alone. I will be posting more about the Evo and my use of applications on the Android platform in the near future.

official google reader in the Android market

2010-12-01T16:15:00.001-05:00

showed up on Monday but not much news about it. Checking it out now and looks pretty sweet for us google reader fans.

HP dm3t Ubuntu - toggle touchpad on/off

2010-06-21T21:22:00.001-04:00

I found the following fix on this website, http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1359140&highlight=hp+dm3

Step 1 - create a script to toggle the touchpad.

Create a script in /usr/local/bin named mousetoggle.sh (don't forget to make it executable)
Code:

#!/bin/bash

if [ -e /tmp/mouse-disabled ]; then
rm -f /tmp/mouse-disabled
xinput set-int-prop 'ImPS/2 Generic Wheel Mouse' 'Device Enabled' 8 1
else
touch /tmp/mouse-disabled
xinput set-int-prop 'ImPS/2 Generic Wheel Mouse' 'Device Enabled' 8 0
fi;

Step 2 - create a keyboard shortcut to execute this script when the key above the touchpad is pressed.

* Go to System > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts
* Click on Add to add a new shortcut
* * name = Toggle Touchpad
* * command = /usr/local/bin/mousetoggle.sh
* click the word 'disabled' next to the new shortcut and press the key above the touchpad
* close the keyboard shortcuts menu

HP DM3T Linux touch pad scrolling issue

2010-06-21T21:02:00.002-04:00

Ever since I loaded Ubuntu 10.04 on my HP dm3t laptop the scrolling on the right side of the touch pad has not worked. I found a fix on this web site, http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1467503.

sudo modprobe -r psmouse
sudo modprobe psmouse proto=imps

to make this permanent, place

modprobe psmouse proto=imps

in /etc/modprobe.d/options

JoikuSpot 3.0 released

2010-06-18T10:17:00.002-04:00

You can download this update from http://www.joikuspot.com/mobile/
This corrects the Nokia N97 Maps issue with the previous version of JoikuSpot.

Nokia N97 wireless static IP address

2010-06-17T15:53:00.000-04:00

Menu > Settings > Connectivity > Destinations

Enter the "destination" containing the access point that is your WLAN. Edit that access point.

Options > Advanced settings > IPv4 settings

Enter the phone's IP address and you will then be prompted to enter other key pieces of information such as the subnet mask, default gateway and nameserver addresses.

I really like my Nokia N97 camera

2010-06-14T14:31:00.004-04:00

I'm no photographer, but I like this picture taken with my N97 camera phone.

JoikuSpot and Nokia n97 BUG!

2010-06-09T15:32:00.002-04:00

I have found a serious issue with JoikuSpot Professional and Nokia n97 maps v3.04. Everytime I start up Maps and initiate a search, the screen goes white and the phone crashes. I have been able to duplicate this over and over. After uninstalling JoikuSpot, Maps works fine. I was running the latest JoikuSpot Professional.

N97 memory optimization

2010-05-31T01:25:00.003-04:00

I don't re-post other blogs much but this is a good one. I followed the recommendations and definitely helped to clean up my phone and get some memory back.
http://thenokian97.com/tips-tricks-optimizing-your-n97-internal-phone-memory/

What I appreciate about my Nokia N97

2010-05-24T15:10:00.002-04:00

I know everyone is down on Nokia and say they are running behind Android and the Iphone but I can come up with some things that I really like. I have an Android device and owned an Iphone and Iphone 3G but still came back to Nokia. I have owned a Nokia n95 (favorite), Nokia E62, Nokia E71, Nokia 5800 and now the N97.

Well, here they are:
- Battery life
- qwerty keyboard
- awesome camera
- tethering capability
- Gravity for twitter
- facebook just works
- widgets are cool
- d-pad, reason i did not go for the N97 mini
- free navigation
- slider and will sit on flat surface with screen up
- screen viewable in direct sunlight

I'm sure I can come up with a lot more but this was what I jotted down today while thinking about it for a few minutes. What I really, really appreciate is Battery Life!

Palm Pre - switch between apps faster

2010-05-07T15:03:00.002-04:00

Just found this little setting, not sure how I missed it before. By turning on Advanced Guestures you can swipe through full-sized cards. Go to Screen & Lock settings and change Switch Applications to on.

Pandora on the Palm - great use case

2010-05-05T08:56:00.004-04:00

I had some outdoor work to do this last weekend and found a great way to use Pandora while doing yard work around the house. My Palm Pre was able to stay on my wireless network while playing Pandora and therefore keep me entertained while trimming shrubs and other yard work. For those of you not familiar with Pandora, it is an online radio that plays music that is similar to what you request. It has been around since 2000 in the form of the "Music Genome Project" and you should really check it out.

HP to aquire Palm - what it means

2010-04-29T16:33:00.004-04:00

I'm avid fan of Palm and currently use a Palm Pre as my personal cell phone. (The Nokia N97 is used for my work phone.) I owned a 3com Palm Pilot, Palm III, and Palm V. I also have a close relationship with HP and I'm very familiar with the company and how it runs itself. I have owned several Compaq/HP Ipaq handhelds and definately think they had a good product for the time. Though, HP has struggled in the Mobile Smart Phone space for a while. I have owned several HP Ipaq phones and was far from impressed. Hopefully this is the opportunity that HP has needed to push to the forefront of the mobile web device, not to just include smart phones. WebOS is ground breaking and almost everyone agrees, even if they are not a fan of the Palm Pre/Pixi. So, I look forward to HP putting their financial power behind Palm and also look to see some exciting devices in the very near future. First and foremost, I'm really hoping for a WebOS HP Slate! Good luck HP and Palm.

my favorite N97 application

2010-04-29T12:56:00.003-04:00

By far, Gravity, a Symbian Twitter client is the best application I have ever seen on Symbian phones. I have used on both a Nokia E71 and now the N97 and the best design ever. Kinetic scrolling works flawless and all functions/menu are well though out. Check it out for yourself, http://mobileways.de/products/gravity/gravity/

my favorite Nokia N97 themes

2010-04-29T11:27:00.007-04:00

Maemo 5 - 5th edition

Horizon [Lite]

Lake Theme

New gadget for me - Nokia n97

2010-04-25T10:24:00.003-04:00

I sold my Nokia e71 and n810 on ebay and have just purchased the n97. Really like the form factor and of couse the keyboard. Some people have complained about the keyboard and the level of tilt for the screen but seems to work okay for me. Widgets on the home screen are pretty cool and the touch screen works well. I will write more as I explore the device.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet firmware v1.77.99 available

2010-04-25T10:20:00.004-04:00

Archos 5 Internet Tablet firmware v1.77.99 changelog:

Wi-Fi: fix disconnection occurring on some devices after a few minutes of web browsing.
Wi-Fi: correct speed is now reported in Settings
USB: fix crash sometimes happening when connecting USB in MTP mode
USB: fix Archos Multimedia Center not working during USBNET connection
Video: disable resume and bookmark features when video file is not in the "Video" directory
Tethering: re-enable user/password functionality
FM radio: Add button to force speaker output

Upgraded and no problems so far. I have also noticed that my suspend seems to be working better. I have been experiencing issues where if you just let the device sleep on its own, it shuts down.

Archos 5 IT new firmware 1.7.93

2010-03-23T11:24:00.002-04:00

New firmware available from the Archos web site. I have upgraded and will report any issues. So far, so good!

I am a Linux guy

2010-03-17T11:06:00.002-04:00

I've been using Linux since 1998 and have installed it on almost every computer I have owned since then. My phone is linux based (Palm Pre), I have been a huge fan of the Nokia Internet Tablets (have owned a n800 and still have a n810), my hp 2140 netbook runs Ubuntu 9.10, and my favorite tech toy of the moment is the Archos 5 IT running Android 1.6. I run a linux based server at home for file sharing, printing and VM machines. My kids are protected from the Internet via Dansguardian parental control system running on a virtual machine. I record and play back tv minus the commercials via a MythTV box and then stream to my multiple devices that run Linux. I have even swapped the firmware on my Linksys broadband router to the customized Linux based Tomato firmware

2010-02-12T12:26:00.003-05:00

Well, I sold the Viliv S5, just could not stand Windows XP on such a small screen. Very powerful device but I did not use it enough to keep. Especially after getting the Archos 5 Internet Tablet. It has become my main mobile device and actually plays movies better than the Viliv S5 and supports 720p youtube videos. Archos has been consistently providing updates to correct issues with the device and I'm extremely happy with it.

Man, I like the gadgets :)

2009-11-16T11:49:00.003-05:00

WebOS 1.3.1 new features

2009-11-14T12:23:00.005-05:00

Found some new features when you go to power off the phone by holding down the power button.

Used to just have the shutdown, now you hit power and get a different screen with several new options. Pretty cool. Good to see Palm putting work into the details.

Palm Pre WebOS 1.3.1 is here

2009-11-14T11:20:00.003-05:00

Downloaded last night and after removing all my patchs, upgraded this morning. Then I reloaded all the pertinent patches and everything seems to work okay. Very happy to have Yahoo Messenger now. I was really missing it since I have several good friends that use it.

2009-11-12T14:38:00.003-05:00

(Listening to Pandora as I type this)

Got the Archos 5 Android Internet Tablet Saturday and liking it so far. I'm used to bleeding edge, so the reported issues really don't bother me. Here are the apps I have running on it so far and lots more info to come and hopefully screen shots (if I can figure out how to do screen captures)
twidroid - twitter
last.fm
TasKiller - must have to manage memory use
NewsRob - google news reader (online or offline)
WiFi Buddy - wifi scanner and can be used to connect
Babbler Lite - facebook
AndExplorer - file manager
Documents to Go - MS Word, Powerpoint and Excel
Note Everything - note taking including voice and writing w/ stylus
TouchDown - MS Exchange Activesync
Quickpedia - wikipedia
Beautiful Widgets
ConnectBot - ssh client
Pandora - did not work the first time I installed but on second try, perfect

(pic showing some "Beautiful Widgets")

Archos 5 Android Internet Tablet

2009-11-06T15:49:00.002-05:00

My wife is buying me one for my birthday. Can't wait to play with this gadget. Supposed to play HD youtube and 720p videos. This just might be capable of replacing my nokia n810 tabet and the viliv s5. I really like the n810 but it is old hardware now and getting slow to use. The viliv s5 is pretty good but tired of fighting with windows xp and recently windows 7. They just do not function well on such a small screen device. More to come after I get to play with the Archos 5.

Viliv S5 install tablet pc functionality

2009-10-30T14:42:00.002-04:00

I have installed on my S5 and thought I would share the steps I took. I referenced this web page for the install instructions and I am listing below, since the web page can be confusing.

http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?/topic/21199-tablet-pc-input-panel-for-xp-pro-home-mce-and-original-windows-7-mat/

1. install dotnet 1.0
2. install dotnet 1.1 sp3
3. download and install TPRlite, http://www.4shared.com/file/61605471/ef2a9de4/TPRLiteEnglishUSSetup.html?dirPwdVerified=cc25d654
4. download and install Windows Journal Viewer, http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=fad44098-8b73-4e06-96d4-d1eb70eacb44&DisplayLang=en
5. download and install Microsoft Windows Xp Tablet PC Recognizer Pack (TPR/TRP/TPG), http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=080184dd-5e92-4464-b907-10762e9f918b&displaylang=en
6. download and install Tablet PC Input Pan for XP Pro/Home, http://www.4shared.com/file/73824094/a589a8fb/Tablet_PC_Input_Panel_For_Xp_Pro_Home_MCE_All_Editions__Ported_to_Xp_.html
7. download and install Floating TIP, this will allow the pop-up window when you select a text input window, http://www.4shared.com/file/131012916/83a6f6c4/tipexe__floattipexe_for_Xp_Tablet_PC_2005.html (follow the instructions included for install)
8. Reboot and you should be set. Leave msgs with any questions you have. ENJOY

my home workspace

2009-10-28T17:38:00.002-04:00

HP Mini 1000 install OSX

2009-08-15T09:28:00.002-04:00

I got brave last week and decided to install OSX on the 1000. Watched a couple of youtube videos and looks like it runs pretty well, so figured what the heck. I'll try to lay out the steps I took and want to be clear that I followed other people's directions and I'm not responsible for figuring any of this out on my own.
The install guide I used with a little deviation, http://myhpmini.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=1445

What you need:
- A USB mouse
- A copy of iDeneb v1.3 (NOT v1.4)
- The HP Mini OS X Essential Files attached to this guide in the link above

1. downloaded ideneb 1.3 (only 1.3 will work)
2. burned to DVD, I have an external dvd drive
3. Boot the DVD on the Mini 1000 and the installer will now begin. Wait at the apple logo until a language selection screen is shown. Select your language and hit next.
4. Go to the top of the screen where it says utilities. From this menu select “Disk Utility”
5. Click on the Mini’s Hard drive in the left pane.
6. Click on the “erase” tab
7. Under Volume format, select Mac OS Extended
8. Click Erase
8. After erasing is complete, exit the disk utility
9. Now click next and select your newly erased hard drive as the destination.
10. On the next screen you will see an option at the bottom that says “customize”. Click on it and apply the following patches:
a. Expand “fixes” and select: acpi, cpu, and remove firewire
b. Under “patches” expand chipset and select ichx fix
You can now continue with the installation.

After sitting at the install screen for a while your computer will reboot. There will be a countdown from 5 in which the migration assistant should appear. If you’re lucky, you can go through the assistant without a hiccup. (If you run into a loop problem, refer to the install guide link above. I was lucky enough not to.)

Installing Kernel Extensions

You should now be in OSX again. Now open up UInstaller.
1. Select your Hard Drive under Drives
2. Choose OSx86_Essentials as the package to install
3. Click “Apply kext package”
4. Click “Install PC_EFI v9 Chameleon Edition 1.0.12”
5. Hit Install

Now lets go ahead and apply the DST Patcher to get ready to update to 10.5.7. Open up the DST Patcher GUI.
1. Select “Darwin/Mac OS X”
2. Select “New HPET Option”
3. Select” Apply DSDT Patch to:”
4. Select your Hard drive.

Now let’s get wifi and all the fun stuff working. Open up OSX86Tools.
1. In OSX86Tools, click on “Repair Permissions”
2. Click on “Install kexts” towards the bottom right
3. Find the kexts folder on your flash drive. Select the THIRD(excluding AppleGMA950.kext and AppleIntegratedFramebuffer.kext)one.
4. Shift+Click the last one to select all (excluding the two mentioned).
5. After the installer completes it will ask you reboot. Just click on OK and Cancel on any dialog boxes that appear.

Update to 10.5.7
You should now be OSX again after reboot. Here’s where things could go horribly wrong, or awesomely easy. There are two methods that can be done. Update to 10.5.7 via Software Update or downloaded updater (DMG).

Software Update Method:
1. Connect to your wifi network. If you don’t know how, its should be the symbol farthest left at the top right of the screen. Looks like a wireless bar signal
2. Go to “System preferences” again.
3. Select “Software Update”
4. Click “Check Now”
5. After they all load, uncheck all of them EXCEPT for “Mac OSX Update”
6. Click “Install”
7. Go through all the prompts. It will start to download then reboot. The download may take a while depending on your Internet connection.

Mouse and Keyboard Fix
Plug in that usb mouse you have. Be thankful you did not set a password if you are not foruntuneaute enough to have a usb keyboard.
First, run the VooDooPS2 Controller package. When prompted, make sure to check that box that says trackpad. Go through all the prompts until it’s installed. Reboot.

Now with working trackpad and keyboard, Open up OSX86 Tools again. Go ahead and reinstall all the kexts in the kext folder.
1. Click on “Install kexts” towards the bottom right
2. Find the kexts folder on your flash drive. Select the first one.(this time select ALL BUT ONE kext -- Do not install the Intel GMA kext, it will disable your screen)
3. Shift+Click the last one to select all.
4. After the installer completes it will ask you reboot. Do it.
*Hint: To get sound working, you need to delete the AppleHDA.kext in the /System/Library/Extensions folder. (2009.06.05-This may not be needed as there was no difference after removing it - sound works with and without it).
*Hint: If you install the INTEL GMA kext, you should be able to go into safe mode by booting with -x in the command line)

Enable Quartz
To enable Quartz open OSX86 Tools and click the Enable/Disable Quartz GL button. It will tell you the current status. If its disabled, feel free to enable it by clicking the button that says "Enable Quartz GL".

Fix CPU (Allow dual-core)
If you start ActivityMonitor before doing this you will see that OSX only sees 1 processor (press the CPU tab below te process list). To allow it to use the second core do the following:
1) Open Terminal when logged in as an Admin user.
2) Gain root access ("sudo su -" and enter your user password).
3) cd /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration
4) Recommend backing up "com.apple.Boot.plist". Copy it to your home directory or somewhere else.
5) Edit "com.apple.Boot.plist". Use vi (ie: vi com.apple.Boot.plist). Move the cursor to the line that has "cpus=1 -f", then press lowercase d twice to remove it.If there are no other lines between the line with "Kernel Flags" and the next line, then delete the Kernel Flags line as well. Save the file by pressing uppercase Z twice.
6) Reboot
7) Launch ActivityMonitor and confirm OSX now sees both cores.

Enable Quartz Extreme (10.5.7 only)
1) Download these kexts (http://myhpmini.com/forum/download/file.php?id=248)
2) Go into OSX86 Tools, and select Install Kexts.
3) Browse to your download location, and install ALL of the kexts.
4) Once it is done installing, it will ask you to reboot. To avoid problems, click cancel, and, still in OSX86 Tools, go ahead and repair permissions. Be prepared for this to take a while, so don't get worried if it does. It is normal.
5) Reboot when Repair Permissions is complete.

*I take no credit for the above instructions. I just detailed the parts I used from the install guide here, http://myhpmini.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=1445

Vacation w/ the Viliv S5

2009-08-01T23:47:00.005-04:00

Just got back from the beach and took the S5 along for GPS navigation and for watching movies on the 50" TV that is at the beach house. Have to say that this device is amazingly useful. They had an old windows 98 machine with a 15" LCD and I was able to use it with the S5 to create myself a nice little desktop.

I loaded up a bunch of movies for the kids and for the wife and I and hooked the S5 up to the tv for watching movies via the S-video cable. Works great as long as you have a mouse connected for controlling. I used my bluetooth mouse which was convenient since you could control from across the room.

Firefox add-ons for netbooks/UMPC

2009-07-10T16:20:00.004-04:00

Here are some invaluable add-ons I use on my netbooks/UMPC:

fission - progress bar in the address bar (this allows you to remove the status bar at the bottom of the screen

hide menubar - hides the menu;)

xmarks - bookmark syncronization

adblock plus - blocks adds;)

Viliv S5 cheap desktop stand

2009-06-18T12:20:00.005-04:00

I saw this some where on the Pocketables forum, so no credit to me. Perfect solution for having your S5 sitting on a hard surface and maybe watching videos, ect. I went to OfficeMax and bought a business card holder for $1.99 and it works perfect. I have also used it for holding my Iphone. They have it in silver or black.

Viliv S5 and Linux (not good)

2009-06-10T13:35:00.002-04:00

For those asking, I have tested several live cd/usb without much success. I also tried Ubuntu MID and same results. They will boot/run just fine but no touch screen which kind of renders the device useless. Hopefully, someone will figure out the touchscreen drivers but that is beyond me.

Nokia N810 & Viliv S5 side by side

2009-05-20T16:34:00.002-04:00

I have the Viliv S5!

2009-05-20T14:44:00.002-04:00

Have been so busy, have not had time to post anything since I got it last week. Great device and unbelievable battery life.

So, Some of the customizations that I have done so far:
- I have loaded Grab and Drag extension to allow finger scrolling
- RocketDock for easy access to apps
- Yahoo Widgets for CPU, Battery, Wireless Meter and Weather
- No Squint (have found that leaving the zoom level in firefox @ 150% sure helps the eyes:)
- Tiny Menu for getting more viewing space in Firefox
- Xmarks for bookmark synchronization
- Speed Dial for easy access to my most visited web sites such as gmail, google reader, mobile twitter and my internal mythtv DRV.

Couple of other cool ways to get the most out of the small screen real estate:
- download useragent switcher extension in Firefox and use the instructions here to create an iphone profile that will allow you to view gmail and google reader in iphone format.
for GMail - http://mail.google.com/mail/x/gdlakb-/gp/, for Google Reader - http://www.google.com/reader/i/

Viliv S5 arriving today

2009-05-15T11:19:00.001-04:00

Checked Fedex this morning and it says "on Fedex vehicle for delivery".....Can't wait to get my hands on it.

Viliv S5 on it's way

2009-05-14T10:29:00.003-04:00

I attempted to order the Viliv S5 MID from dynamism.com on May 8th but could not get my order to go through like many people due to unprecedented demand. Dynamism contacted me and set up a pre-order for their next batch that is supposed to arrive on May 24 and orders start today @ 1:00et. Well, I got an email last night advising that they have shipped my order and it will be here on Monday via Fedex. I'm so excited! **Dynamism customer support is AWSOME** This little device is not much bigger than the Nokia N800 but is a full blown computer w/touchscreen, minus a keyboard. That's ok, I have a bluetooth folding keyboard. I will be installing Ubuntu on it immediately and will let you know how it goes. Should be interesting.

Nokia N810 - My Favorite App

2009-05-14T09:53:00.003-04:00

I watch a lot of videos on YouTube, mostly tech stuff, and have found the greatest app for viewing youtube.
Digia @scene http://www.digia.com/C2256FEF0043E9C1/0/405001937

I am only using it to view at this point but it also has the capability to upload videos and unlike most YouTube apps, allows you to sign in to your account.

Here are some screen shots of @scene in action:

Initial screen when you start the app:

Search screen:

Search results:

Video playing (non-full screen) (Of course the screen shot did not capture the video playing)

This program has many options and one is to start viewing in full screen when you select a video to play. Also, in my opinion, @scene plays video much smoother than any other youtube app available for the IT. Check it out, I think you will like it.

More on the Nokia N810 - gotta love it

2009-05-10T10:32:00.002-04:00

Here is a screenshot of my N810 desktop as of this morning.

Wow, isn't that beautiful!

Nokia N810 - recommended apps

2009-05-09T13:25:00.003-04:00

Here are a few apps that I use with my N810:
FBreader - ebook reader
BlueMaemo - remote control
Vagalume - last.fm
Rootsh - root access
Rapier - bible reader based on sword
Coverfinder - download album art from Amazon
Streamtuner - internet radio
X11vnc - vnc server (allows you to view your Nokia N810 from your PC)
Mauku - twitter
Conboy - note taking app based on Tomboy
gpodder - podcast downloader
canola - awsome app, media player, mp3, youtube, flikr

Back to the Nokia N810

2009-05-08T22:10:00.004-04:00

I pulled out my N810 the other day and now I remember why I loved it so much when I first bought it. I have continued to use it occasionally for quickly viewing my email and web pages but not like I did when I first got it. It truly is the coolest device I own and that's saying a lot. The slider keyboard works perfectly and after much use, it's still solid. I started hanging out on www.internettablettalk.com again and checking out all the progress and updates to programs. Things really have come a long way since I first got my N800 (sold it on ebay when I bought the 810). I decided to start over fresh and re-install everything so that I would have the latest updates. I will try to go over some of the apps I have chosen to install and why.

I did have a thinkoutside bluetooth keyboard that I used with the N800 but sold it along with the N800. I started missing it, even though the N810 has the slide out. The slide out is not practical for any lengthy typing. They have quit making the keyboard but I was able to pick one up on ebay and difinately worth it.

HP Mini 1000 success story

2009-03-28T18:10:00.003-04:00

I gave the 1000 to my wife when I got the 2140 and installed HP MIE OS on it (came with XP) to see how she would be able to adapt to it. She is used to using Ubuntu on her old laptop and she sometimes uses Vista on my gaming machine. But of course MIE is totally different than either. I let her start it up and follow the on-screen instructions for setting it up. It was very straight forward and she had no problem setting it up including her email account in Thunderbird. Really like how it shows your emails on the home screen. Her comments were that it was simple and easy to use and that she thinks she will like it. She only uses for web browsing, email and viewing documents that she receives in email. We then set up her IM account and she will have to get used to how one application comes to the front at a time and then you have to alt-tab to move from one application to another. Another comment she had was how great it is that all the apps she needs are already on the laptop and she did not have to install any additional software. I will continue to monitor her usage for any issues she runs up against. Just wanted to share the experience with everyone. I will definately recommend MIE for ordinary non-technical users.

I love my HP MIni 2140

2009-03-02T22:46:00.002-05:00

I've had it for a couple of weeks and it just keeps getting better. I can say that Ubuntu 8.10 runs better on the 2140 than the 1000. Couple of things to note, Suspend and resume just works, webcam works great with skype and cheese, external mic does not work under either the 2140 or 1000, OS responds better (I think it is due to hard drive speed) and fan is quieter on the 2140 than the 1000. Also, I am experiencing less heat with the 2140. I can vouch for the headphone volume being excellent. I watched a movie today while flying and it was great. I've had issues with other laptops not having adequate volume in noisy environments, even with in the ear headphones. The 2140 had no issue with VLC volume not even half way up. Another great feature of the 2140 that the 1000 does not have, is a powered USB port. Most people would wonder what this is used for. HP has released a few other laptops with the powered USB port, such ad the NC4000. I have a DVDRW drive that I got with the nc4000 that requires this type of port and it works great with the 2140.

HP Mini 1000 and 2140 Compared

2009-02-21T10:45:00.003-05:00

Okay, here we go, 1000 and 2140 side by side comparison:

Overall, I prefer the 2140 (I used to have a 2133). Mainly because of the look (very professional) and also because it just feels very durable. It definately ways a little more, especially with the 6 cell batter but not really a big deal to me. Also, I like the coating on the keyboard. I expect some people to say it makes the keys slicker but I like it. Both little laptops are great, expecially compared to other netbooks. I have owned an Asus 701, Acer Aspire One, mini-note 2133, mini 1000 and mini 2140.

New 2140 arriving today

2009-02-17T09:34:00.001-05:00

I ordered the HP Mininote 2140 and it is supposed to arrive today via FEDEX. I will be giving the HP Mini 1000 to my wife for her every day use and I will use the 2140. Look for more postings about the 2140!

HP Mini 1000 Ubuntu 8.10 Firefox test

2009-02-13T09:34:00.001-05:00

HP Mini 1000 MIE firefox test

2009-02-13T09:31:00.001-05:00

HP Mini 1000 Ubuntu 8.10 boot time

2009-02-13T09:29:00.000-05:00

HP Mini 1000 MIE boot time

2009-02-13T09:26:00.000-05:00

Here is a little video showing how fast MIE boots.

Install HP MIE Theme on Ubuntu 8.10

2009-02-11T10:19:00.004-05:00

Found a cool posting over at hp2133linux.blogspot.com. Gives instructions and download links for the files you will need to make your Mini 1000, running Ubuntu, look like the HP MIE. I have installed on my Mini running 8.10 and looks great.
here is my screenshot:

HP Mini 1000 tri-boot

2009-02-09T15:15:00.003-05:00

I have set up my mini 1000 to boot Ubuntu 8.10, HP MIE and Windows XP. Unfortunately, the only way I know of to have both HP MIE and Windows XP, is to also load Ubuntu 8.10 so that grub recognizes the previous installs of MIE and Windows XP.
- first step was to install HP MIE by downloading the usb image creator from http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=2020&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=3860346&lang=en. I used the Linux based image creator since I mostly use Linux and installed on a 2G usb thumb drive. I then booted the Mini with the usb drive attached and hit F9 to choose to boot off the usb drive and install MIE. This will erase all data on your hard drive and use the whole drive for MIE.
- I then booted the Mini from an external Ubuntu 8.10 CD (you could also use a live usb disk) and started Partition Editor to resize the 60G hard drive. I changed the MIE partition to 10G and left the 1G FAT partion as is.

- Rebooted and booted my Windows XP CD to install Windows. I created a 20G partion for Windows and installed.
- Now, you will have Windows XP but will lose access to MIE. That is why I also install Ubuntu 8.10, so that GRUB will automatically pick up the MIE and Windows installations.
- So, I boot Ubuntu 8.10 CD and install creating a 26G partition for Ubuntu.
- After installation, you will see in GRUB boot menu, all 3 installations.

AA1 Moblin Fast Boot

2009-02-06T08:29:00.001-05:00

I said there would be no more post about the Aspire One but I had to test Moblin on it before handing over to my son. Here is a short video that shows the 20 second boot time of Moblin on the Acer Aspire One.

Hello HP Mini 1000

2009-02-05T11:13:00.002-05:00

I have purchased a HP Mini 1000 and really like it. I owned a hp mininote 2133 for a short period of time and the keyboard was fantastic.

HP Mini-Note 2133

As soon as I saw the mini 1000 and knew it had the same keyboard, I had to have one.

HP Mini 1000

I've Moved on - sorry aspire one

2009-02-05T11:12:00.001-05:00

I've given the Aspire One to my son, so I will not be posting any more info on this blog.

AA1 Linpus - new applications from ACER

2008-10-24T15:29:00.003-04:00

Macles has posted details and link to download on his blog.
I have personally installed Filezilla, Gnomebaker, Skype and Unison.
New Apps:
egoboo
Filezilla
GIMP
Gnomebaker
Skype
Unison
VLC

AA1 installing software - dependency problems

2008-10-24T15:22:00.002-04:00

I forgot to mention that when you try to install tomboy and a couple of other programs, you may run into dependency issues. If you follow the instructions from Macle's site, you can correct them.

Acer AA1 Linpus - install xmms

2008-10-22T14:14:00.003-04:00

If you want a better music player than the default, which I have uninstalled, you should try xmms.

type the following commands from the terminal:
sudo yum install xmms xorg-x11-fonts-ISO8859-1-100dpi xmms-skins

you have to install the font package or xmms will show with a bunch of garbage in the menus.

AA1 - 6 cell extended battery

2008-10-09T13:57:00.003-04:00

I pre-ordered about a month ago and received it about 2 weeks ago. Just have not had time to post up the pics. I am getting over 5 hours of battery life which is really cool. I have been able to watch 2 full length movies and still have some battery power left over.

AA1 - disable touchpad while typing

2008-10-09T13:42:00.003-04:00

Found this solution here.

- open a terminal and type /usr/bin/syndaemon -i 1 -d
- to have this run automatically when you log in to xfce
Alt F2, type xfce4-autostart-editor

AA1 - enable GDM

2008-09-30T16:21:00.001-04:00

taken from here, http://www.aspireoneuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4120&p=27902&hilit=gdm#p27902

open terminal and type sudo nano /etc/rc.d/rc.S

Find the line '/usr/bin/xinit -- -br>/dev/null 2>&1 &' and comment it out (Stick a # at the start of the line).

On a new line after that, put

/usr/sbin/gdm

Save & reboot.

My Perfect Linpus on AA1

2008-09-27T18:01:00.010-04:00

I have been playing around with Linpus, trying to customize to the "just right" configuration and figured I would share. I take credit for none of the following. I found most of this on the http://www.aspireoneuser.com/ forums.

alt F2 type terminal (opens terminal;)

**UPDATE**
Livna is no longer available, use the following instead:
sudo rpm -Uvh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-stable.noarch.rpm
sudo rpm -Uvh http://rpms.kwizart.net/kwizart-release-8.rpm

1. Add extra repositories for additional software - sudo rpm -ivh http://rpm.livna.org/livna- release-8.rpm and then sudo yum install fedora-release (this updates the fedora repos)

2. Install my favorite CLI text editor, Nano - sudo yum install nano

3. install Tomboy (note-taking app) and gnome-do (application launcher like OSX quicksilver) - sudo yum install tomboy gnome-do

4. Enable right click menu - alt F2 and type, xfce-setting-show. Select Desktop, Behavior and check Show Desktop Menu on right click

5. Install xfce-mcs-plugins-extra for the ability to set up autostart applicatons - sudo yum install xfce-mcs-plugins-extra

6. Set up tomboy and gnome-do to autostart on login - right click on desktop, select Settings, then Settings Manager, and then AutoStarted apps. Add tomboy and then add gnome-do

7. Change the shortkeys for gnome-do (default is windows key + space) - sudo yum install gconf-editor. then type gconf-editor in a terminal and go to apps, gnome-do, preferences, change key_binding to space

8. Set up Compiz - sudo yum install fusion-icon. Add fusion-icon to AutoStart apps as described above. sudo yum install emerald-themes. This gives you additional themes for emerald.

REBOOT

more to come.....

9. enable ssh client - sudo yum install openssh-clients

10. install a better package manager for installing software - sudo yum install yumex

11. install Pidgin (WARNING, this will remove the Acer IM and Contacts) - sudo yum remove libpurple and then sudo yum install pidgin

12. How to change your username without screwing up everything (if you just change the username, Linpus freaks out due to links to the username user)
open a terminal and type the following:
sudo usermod -l YOURNAME user
Now if you have enabled GDM, you can use yourname as the username instead of "user".

AA1 Linpus and dual monitors

2008-09-19T08:52:00.004-04:00

Using the instructions from here, I now have dual monitors with the main screen on my 22 inch LCD and extending to the AA1 screen.

The LCD monitor on the right is my main Linpus desktop and you can see they both have the same background image and scaling to the correct resolutions. Pretty cool.

Acer Aspire One (150) tri-boot

2008-09-16T18:44:00.002-04:00

I have successfully configured tr-boot on my AA1 with windows xp, Linpus and Ubuntu 8.04.1. I used the instructions found on this forum, http://www.aspireoneuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=3043&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=linpus+image, with slight modification. Here are the steps I took:
I installed Win XP (or you can use your existing XP install on the 150) Just have to re-size.
I re-sized my windows partition, using either Ubuntu Live CD or some other partition manager (Paragon in my case). to 50G and I created a 1.5G Swap and used the rest of the space to create a logical partion that I divided between Linpus and Ubuntu. 20G for Linpus and the rest for Ubuntu. Then I formatted the Linpus partition as ext2 and Ubuntu partition as ext3. Be sure that both Linpus and Ubuntu partitions are under your logical extended partition.
Now you are ready to install the Linpus image as instructed in this forum. I installed Ubuntu and it automatically recognized my Win XP and Linpus installations.

Here is a screenshot of my partitions:

sprint novatel u727 and Ubuntu 8.04.1

2008-09-09T09:46:00.007-04:00

This is really cool. I have been able to get the u727 working with most linux distributions but not without have to compile until I just tried it on the Acer Aspire One running Ubuntu 8.04.1. I had to load 8.04.1 because it supports the Atom processor and when I plugged in my broadband u727, it just works. Also, it is using the airprime model, which is faster than the usbserial model.
All you have to do is after plugging in the usb u727, eject the virtual cdrom that it loads by default and then open a terminal and type apt-get install gnome-ppp. Then configure gnome-ppp as follows:

now, just click connect and should work....

if this does not work for you, try unmounting the virtual cdrom from command line using this command:
sudo eject sr0

Acer Aspire One laptop

2008-09-03T13:53:00.005-04:00

I just purchased an Acer Aspire One netbook and loving it.
Specs:
1.6 Intel Atom
1G RAM
120G HDD
8.9 inch lcd w/ OLED backlight

Price $349
Can't beat the price.

I originally got the 8G SSD version, mainly because it was cheaper and I knew I was going to run linux, but ended up returning. Performance of the SSD was horrible. Now I am dual booting ubuntu 8.04.1 and win xp on the 120G HDD model and works great. Love the screen. Very bright and glossy, if you like glossy. Everything is working under Ubuntu Linux except for the external microphone. No big deal, did not plan on using it anyway. Suspend and Hibernation work great, even network works after suspend. Another great thing with Ubunutu 8.04.1 is that my Spring Novatel u727 broadband usb modem works with the default setup and already has the airprime model which gives you faster speeds.
I'll be back with more as I continue to use this little netbook...

been a while

2008-09-02T21:32:00.004-04:00

I'm back, if anyone cares:) have been busy with work and not spending as much time on this site. I do have some interesting stuff to share.
I got really brave and added a touch screen to my eeepc about 3 months ago and have to say that I'm loving it. Really makes the eeepc much more useful and better than I even expected. I forgot to take pictues but will post a video. Lot's of people have added a touch screen, so not really that big a deal.

upgrade to Nokia n810

2008-08-05T21:59:00.002-04:00

Well, i had to take the plunge and purchase the n810 to replace my n800.

another pic of the bluetooth dongle

2008-03-11T09:11:00.005-04:00

more about the eee pc

2008-03-11T09:00:00.004-04:00

So, here are some of the things I have gotten to work with my eee pc:
1. 3G connection using my nokia n95 cell phone (connecting over bluetooth)
2. EVDO connection using a novatel usb U727
3 Bluetooth using this incredibly small usb bluetooth dongle

03112008065
Originally uploaded by plwweasel

Another toy - Asus eee pc

2008-03-10T15:23:00.003-04:00

I could not resist and had to take the plunge. I am not disappointed at all. I love this little laptop and it has exceeded my expectations. I have played around with the default xandros based os but now I am running eeeXubuntu. More to come on my experience.

new toy

2007-11-17T18:54:00.000-05:00

I purchased a Nokia N800 Internet tablet a couple of weeks ago after the n810 was announced. Of course this caused a huge price drop and influenced my decision. I will be sharing the details of my experience in the next couple of post. I am using the n800 right now to write this....how cool is that?

new laptop

2007-02-24T17:45:00.000-05:00

I'm now using a HP nc6220 and quite happy with it. Running Ubuntu 6.10 and pretty much everything works default but of course I have to customize. Great thing about HP laptops, at least the nc models, all the buttons work. So, wireless, volume and fn keys work without customization.
I just saw that the intel video card can run Beryl and had to try it. Works Great! Thanks to everyone who helped write the tutorial.
Here is an example of landscape mode, which you initiate by moving your mouse to the upper right hand corner of the screen.

More screenshots to come.

Sprint broadband wireless card

2006-11-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

I have recently been provided with a sprint novatel s620 wireless broadband card and have been able to get it working under Dapper without any issues. I will attempt to relay the configuration since I have seen a lot of people having issues with getting this card working under Linux or have gotten it working but are experiencing speed issues. I can't take credit but used serveral web pages for setting up my card. None of them really worked by themselves but by using serveral other configs I was able to work it out.
Reference web sites:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions//showthread.php?t=300962&page=4
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=188453
http://www.cs.drexel.edu/~kfu22/evdo/ (this site is the one I ended up using to get the card operational)
First steps, create the following files, and place them in /ect/ppp/peers.
Cut/paste in file name sprint.
#the USB serial device of the EVDO PCMCIA card.
ttyUSB0
lcp-echo-failure 0
lcp-echo-interval 9999
#your login information
user "sprintphone#"@sprintpcs.com
show-password
230400 # speed
debug
defaultroute # use the cellular network for the default route
usepeerdns # use the DNS servers from the remote network
-detach # keep pppd in the foreground
crtscts # hardware flow control
#lock # lock the serial port
noauth # don't expect the modem to authenticate itself
connect "/usr/sbin/chat -v -f /etc/ppp/peers/sprint-connect"
disconnect "/usr/sbin/chat -v -f /etc/ppp/peers/sprint-disconnect"
Next create file name sprint-connect.
SAY 'Starting Sprint\n'
TIMEOUT 120
#ABORT 'BUSY'
#ABORT 'NO ANSWER'
#ABORT 'NO CARRIER'
'' 'ATZ'
'OK' 'AT&F0'
'OK' 'ATE0v1'
'' 'AT+CSQ'
'OK' 'ATDT#777'
'CONNECT'
Then file named sprint-disconnect.
"" "\K"
"" "+++ATH0"
SAY "Disconnected from Sprint."

In the sprint file, you will need to replace "sprintphone#"@sprintpcs.com, with your sprint phone number. I found this by loading the provided Windows software on a windows XP computer and opened the Sprint PCS connection manager. Go to the menu, and then Device Info & Diagnostics. Verify your username, which is usually your sprint phone #.

Now open a terminal window and type the following to start your connection:
sudo pppd call sprint

update

2006-04-21T13:45:00.000-04:00

I've been slacking in my entries on this blog. I plan to expand to cover more laptops and will be focusing on installation of Ubuntu Dapper and Edgy.

Tips & tricks

2005-08-20T11:38:00.000-04:00

Couple of things that I have discovered and some features I have added that I thought I would share.
First, some have reported slow bootup when not connected to a network. Up to 30 seconds waiting for network to start. I found that if you do ctr-c when you see network trying to come up during boot, ubuntu will skip it. You would think that then you would need to manually start network after booting up but this is not the case. It seems that it starts automatically sometime after loading Gnome.

Another cool program I have installed is Gnome Artwork from the http://art.gnome.org/ web site. This little program gives you online access to download themes, backgrounds, GDM themes and splash screens. What is really neat is that you can preview them before installing and if you like, then choose install. Go to http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Environment/Tools/GNOME-Art-3680.shtml and follow the instructions for download. First you will have to load the following required packages via apt-get.
· Ruby
· Ruby-Gnome2
· ReXML
Then untar the download file and perform ./configure, make, make install.
Good luck.

Ubuntu Linux & GPRS

2005-05-05T18:26:00.000-04:00

I use an HP Ipaq 6315 PocketPC phone as my cell phone/pda and use Tmobile as my provider. I have unlimited Internet via GPRS data and was thinking that it would be cool to get my laptop to connect to the Internet via bluetooth to the phone, using the GPRS connection. Did some research on the Internet and found that the Belkin USB Bluetooth (F8T003) works well with Linux. Also used instructions from this page http://www.niemueller.de/wiki/?GPRSviaBluetooth.
- when you plug in the usb module you can check status by issuing the following command from a terminal window.
phwil@scully:~$ hciconfig -a
hci0: Type: USB
BD Address: 00:0A:3A:56:42:9B ACL MTU: 192:8 SCO MTU: 64:8
UP RUNNING PSCAN ISCAN

- Next run this command to find your phone (make sure your phone's bluetooth is turned on)
phwil@scully:~$ hcitool scan
Scanning ...
08:00:28:93:23:A1 Tmobile

- Then run the following command to determine what services are provided by you phone. You will want to remember the channel number for later configurations:
phwil@scully:~$ sdptool search DUN
Inquiring ...
Searching for DUN on 08:00:28:93:23:A1 ...
Service Name: Dial-up Networking
Service RecHandle: 0x10004
Service Class ID List:
"Dialup Networking" (0x1103)
Protocol Descriptor List:
"L2CAP" (0x0100)
"RFCOMM" (0x0003)
Channel: 3
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0x656e
encoding: 0x6a
base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
"Dialup Networking" (0x1103)
Version: 0x0100

- Now try pinging your phone with this command.
phwil@scully:~$ sudo l2ping 08:00:28:93:23:A1
Ping: 08:00:28:93:23:A1 from 00:0A:3A:56:42:9B (data size 20) ...
20 bytes from 08:00:28:93:23:A1 id 200 time 42.49ms
20 bytes from 08:00:28:93:23:A1 id 201 time 64.71ms

Next Step is to bind to the phone:
rfcomm bind 0 08:00:28:93:23:A1 3 (channel # from before)

You can set this up for permanent use by editing the following file:
sudo nano /etc/bluetooth/rfcorfcomm0 {
bind yes;
# # Bluetooth address of the device
device 08:00:28:93:23:A1; #(add your phone mac address)
# # RFCOMM channel for the connection
channel 3; #(add your channel)
mm.conf

Now you are ready to set up GPRS connection
Create the following file:
sudo nano /etc/wvdial
and then add the following:
[BluetoothMobile]
Modem = /dev/rfcomm0
Baud = 57600
SetVolume = 0
Dial Command = ATDT
Init1 = ATE1
Init2 = AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","wap.voicestream.com","",0,0
FlowControl = CRTSCTS
[Dialer GPRS]
Username = user
Password = user
Phone = *99#
Stupid Mode = 1
Inherits = BluetoothMobile

Now from terminal window just issue command:
sudo wvdial GPRS
--> WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.54.0
--> Initializing modem.
--> Sending: ATE1
OK
--> Sending: AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","wap.voicestream.com","",0,0
AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","wap.voicestream.com","",0,0
OK
--> Modem initialized.
--> Sending: ATDT*99#
--> Waiting for carrier.
ATDT*99#
CONNECT
~[7f]}#@!}!}!} }6}!}$}%\}"}&} } } } }'}"}(}"}#}$@#&4~
--> Carrier detected. Starting PPP immediately.
--> Starting pppd at Thu May 5 19:05:11 2005
--> pid of pppd: 29665
--> Using interface ppp0
--> local IP address 10.187.220.54
--> remote IP address 192.168.111.111
--> primary DNS address 66.94.25.120
--> secondary DNS address 66.94.9.120

You will see connection in the window and should get assigned IP address and DNS servers. The only problem I have is that /ect/resolv.conf is not updated with DNS. So I had to manually enter DNS for my provider.
to disconnect, ctr-c.

Your done and can now connect to the Internet (slowly) from anywhere you have cell coverage.

Using Ubuntu

2005-04-30T09:52:00.000-04:00

Another key feature of Ubuntu Linux is that it is a Debian based system and therefore uses APT for software updates. This gives us the ability to download extra software and also keep our system up-to-date. Ubuntu includes a GUI package called Synaptic for using APT.

But before using Synaptic, you should edit your APT sources config file, this is where you configure the apt repositories that you will be accesing from the Internet. Issue the following command from a terminal window:
phwil@scully:~$ sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
Now replace the existing text with the following:

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary main restricted
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary main restricted
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary-updates main restricted
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary-updates main restricted
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary universe
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary-security main restricted
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary-security main restricted
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary-security universe
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary-security universe
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary multiverse
deb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat stable main
deb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat unstable main
deb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat testing main

This will give you access to all the software you need.
I would also advise reading the following page about installing additional software that you may want such as DVD, media codecs, java and lots of other useful stuff: http://www.ubuntuguide.org/

Ubuntu install

2005-04-30T09:06:00.000-04:00

Ubuntu is very easy to install, even for an inexperienced Linux user. You first have to download the ISO and burn to a disk. The good think is that it is only one disk. It uses a text-based install but it just works. The only tricky part is the disk partitioning but I did a complete new install on this laptop and will not be dual-booting so I just chose the defaults.

Then just follow the directions and you will have a great Linux distro installed. You should see the following login screen after the last reboot.

One of the first things I should address before you get started learning Ubuntu is how it handles root logins. Basically it does not allow root access but uses Sudo instead. So when you run an application and it prompts you for a password, just use your username password. This is how OSX manages root access and is much safer than actually logging in as root. To most Linux users this can be confusing because we are used to root.

After logging in, the first thing you will want to do is ensure networking is up and running. For my example, I am setting up connectivity to my home wireless LAN.

on the Desktop Top menu bar go under System-Administration-Networking.
Now I select Wireless Connection and click Properties
Put in the Network Name, also know as your SSID and then put in your WEP key of your local wireless LAN. Now you are ready.

Now open up a terminal window and type the following command, ifconfig.
phwil@scully:~$ ifconfig
ath0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:0B:CD:5A:02:F8
inet addr:192.168.1.6 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::20b:cdff:fe5a:2f8/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:12747 errors:2772 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:2772
TX packets:8493 errors:1 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:199
RX bytes:16072193 (15.3 MiB) TX bytes:1285636 (1.2 MiB)
Interrupt:5 Memory:eeb40000-eeb50000

This will show if you have obtained an IP address from the network and you should be good to go for connecting to the Internet.

Ubuntu Linux

2005-04-27T10:29:00.000-04:00

I have been using Linux since 1998 starting with Radhat 5.2
Along the way I have enjoyed learning and overcoming the challanges with being a Linux early adopter. Especially since I usually load linux on laptops and that used to be quite a chore. Now it is becoming much easier and Linux has definately come a long way.
I recently loaded Ubuntu Linux on my HP/Compaq nc4000 laptop and it works great.

I will try to share with you some of my experience and hopefully be of help to anyone trying to run Linux on the nc4000 or any laptop for that matter. I really like this laptop and is probably the best ultra-portable laptop that I have used over the years. And I have had a lot of laptops from Toshiba, Compaq and HP. I also have the extended battery that allows for about 4-6 hours of continuous use. I have upgraded the RAM to 1 gig and it has a Pentium M 1.4 processor that is adequate for my needs. I mainly use this laptop for web browsing, IRC, Chat, email and watching movies. I have a car adapter that allows me to use it while in the car and this is really convenient. I plan to add a USB Bluetooth adaptor and then I can connect to the Internet via my cell GPRS connection.
Here are the specs for the nc4000:

Pentium-M 1.4GHz processor
1GB PC3200 DDR RAM, 32MB used by ATI Radeon IGP 340M video
30GB Hard Drive
USB DVD/CD-RW drive
Integrated 802.11b/g Atheros AR5212 Wireless LAN, Broadcom Gigabit ethernet, and ALi modem

Here are some pictures: