Although the screen is smaller than a traditional laptop’s, its resolution is higher.
Within a week I had a pretty amazing little portable to carry around.
Remote Windows XP sessions were surprisingly usable, perfect for checking Outlook or taking a peek at other files on my desktop. I also installed Gnome-RDP, a remote-desktop application.
One thing to note is that you’ll get errors about not having an Xauthorization file unless you install Xauth using apt-get, then issue the command ”xauth generate :0 . trusted.” You’ll also want to load up NetworkManager so that you can connect to secure networks and load CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) to print to network printers. With Xubuntu up and running, I used two common Linux tools for managing software, aptâ''get and the Synaptic Package Manager, to add new applications. Given the XO’s modest 1200-by-900-pixel screen resolution and 433-megahertz processor, I went with a lightweight window manager, Xfce. The SD reader is under the screen and awkward to get at.įor my operating system, I chose a distribution of Ubuntu known as Xubuntu. I found that an 8-gigabyte SD card had more than enough room for applications and files, but physically placing the card in the XO wasn’t easy. With the key installed, you’re ready to build a bootable SDâ''card image. To boot from an alternate device, you need to first access the OLPC’s boot loader, and for that you need to get a developer key. The new operating system goes on your XO’s secure digital card. I quickly found some great step-by-step instructions for installing alternative versions of Linux, including Ubuntu, my choice for this project. Luckily, plenty of XO owners before me seem to have felt the same way. Sugar, the XO’s preinstalled version of Linux, may be a uniquely great operating system for kids, but it really doesn’t cut it if you’re trying to do workâ''work.
Getting the software side of things right took a little more effort. If the built-in keyboard gets in the way, you can use the XO’s ”transformer hinge” to rotate the screen 180 degrees.
For all-day use, the keyboard is way too small for most adult fingers, and the touch pad is too twitchy, but a USB mouse and a folding USB keyboard solved those problems. It comes with Wi-Fi, and you can get a USB Ethernet interface if you prefer a wired connection. I quickly found that for casual use, the XO’s small size and builtâ''in handle make it a great workplace or travel companion. My hunch was that, with a little hacking, the XO could be as useful as an equally small Asus Eee PC, which also costs about $400 but comes with no charitable benefit. For US $400 I scored a second-generation XO, a $200 tax deduction, the presumed gratitude of an anonymous child, and a year of T-Mobile Wiâ''Fi service. So last December I took advantage of the OLPC ”Give One, Get One” program. The friendly green-and-white computer, with a truly glare-free screen, appealed to me right away. Pretty much everybody that gets one loves it - just look at this thread.I got an early look at the XO laptop, from the One Laptop Per Child Foundation, at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show. The perfect use case is somebody that wants a computer with them at all times, mainly for Internet related activities, and doesn't want to worry about said computer. But I have used it for many hours at a time and didn't want to rip my eyes out, so that's gotta say something. I'll have it beside me on the bed while watching a movie/tv, or playing some video games. Staring at the screen for a long period of time can strain your eyes, but is it any different than a regular computer? It's a little difficult to tell since you have a tendency to use the Eee in situations that aren't traditional "working" situations. It's something you have to get used to, but I'd say that I'm now 75-80% as fast as with a normal keyboard. I have pretty large hands and fingers (5'10, 195lbs) and I was worried about typing, but it's actually not bad at all. I think if you're doing hardcore Excel stuff then there really is no true replacement to Excel, but Open Office Spreadsheets is very powerful in its own right. On one moderately complex Excel sheet my coworker sent me one of the lines of a 3-line graph didn't show up, but that's the extent of it. Open Office handles all the files I've sent it, I don't even worry about compatibility issues. It comes with Open Office, and a shortcut to Google Docs from the desktop.