Comments on: Optimizing your netbook (Or simply making it usable) http://ophthosurgery.com/2010/01/optimizing-your-netbook-or-simply-making-it-useable/ Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:28:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: ophthosurgery http://ophthosurgery.com/2010/01/optimizing-your-netbook-or-simply-making-it-useable/#comment-103 ophthosurgery Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:40:14 +0000 http://ophthosurgery.com/?p=942#comment-103 The netbook audience is self-selecting. Someone discovers that they are remarkably configurable at a reasonable price, and suddenly a bunch of geeks start opening them up. This gives technology a good advancement...and something for me to read while my patients are dilating. The netbook audience is self-selecting. Someone discovers that they are remarkably configurable at a reasonable price, and suddenly a bunch of geeks start opening them up. This gives technology a good advancement…and something for me to read while my patients are dilating.

]]> By: Jon http://ophthosurgery.com/2010/01/optimizing-your-netbook-or-simply-making-it-useable/#comment-102 Jon Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:21:35 +0000 http://ophthosurgery.com/?p=942#comment-102 Yeah - do you think it's because the netbooks are so inexpensive they're easy to hack? Also they're so portable so people probably want to customize stuff more frequently. Yeah – do you think it's because the netbooks are so inexpensive they're easy to hack? Also they're so portable so people probably want to customize stuff more frequently.

]]> By: ophthosurgery http://ophthosurgery.com/2010/01/optimizing-your-netbook-or-simply-making-it-useable/#comment-101 ophthosurgery Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:36:27 +0000 http://ophthosurgery.com/?p=942#comment-101 It's impressive how many websites are dedicated to tweaking the netbooks. I've been mostly referring to the forums on <a href="http://myhpmini.com" rel="nofollow">http://myhpmini.com</a>, which has its own forum. You can literally spend days modding these things. It's impressive how many websites are dedicated to tweaking the netbooks. I've been mostly referring to the forums on http://myhpmini.com, which has its own forum. You can literally spend days modding these things.

]]> By: Jon http://ophthosurgery.com/2010/01/optimizing-your-netbook-or-simply-making-it-useable/#comment-99 Jon Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:25:43 +0000 http://ophthosurgery.com/?p=942#comment-99 From what I've gathered, it depends on the netbook what kind of support there is for alternative OS's. There seems to be pretty good support for the Dell Mini 10v for Chromium and OS X in general. Chromium does not have a lot of apps, unfortunately. You may want to look online and see what resources there are for the compaq before trying OS X. This link seems to have pretty good sense of which netbooks work with OS X.<br><br><a href="http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/12/17/osx-netbook-compatib.html" rel="nofollow">http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/12/17/osx-ne...</a> From what I've gathered, it depends on the netbook what kind of support there is for alternative OS's. There seems to be pretty good support for the Dell Mini 10v for Chromium and OS X in general. Chromium does not have a lot of apps, unfortunately. You may want to look online and see what resources there are for the compaq before trying OS X. This link seems to have pretty good sense of which netbooks work with OS X.

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/12/17/osx-ne…

]]> By: Jon http://ophthosurgery.com/2010/01/optimizing-your-netbook-or-simply-making-it-useable/#comment-100 Jon Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:25:43 +0000 http://ophthosurgery.com/?p=942#comment-100 From what I've gathered, it depends on the netbook what kind of support there is for alternative OS's. There seems to be pretty good support for the Dell Mini 10v for Chromium and OS X in general. Chromium does not have a lot of apps, unfortunately. You may want to look online and see what resources there are for the compaq before trying OS X. This link seems to have pretty good sense of which netbooks work with OS X.<br><br><a href="http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/12/17/osx-netbook-compatib.html" rel="nofollow">http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/12/17/osx-ne...</a> From what I've gathered, it depends on the netbook what kind of support there is for alternative OS's. There seems to be pretty good support for the Dell Mini 10v for Chromium and OS X in general. Chromium does not have a lot of apps, unfortunately. You may want to look online and see what resources there are for the compaq before trying OS X. This link seems to have pretty good sense of which netbooks work with OS X.

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/12/17/osx-ne…

]]> By: ophthosurgery http://ophthosurgery.com/2010/01/optimizing-your-netbook-or-simply-making-it-useable/#comment-98 ophthosurgery Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:04:49 +0000 http://ophthosurgery.com/?p=942#comment-98 Yeah as you pointed out, there are basically 3 options aside from Windows: <br><br>1. Google Chromium OS - It looks just like the Chrome browser, and boots up insanely fast--5 seconds? In fact, it is just a web browser that boots up. WiFi detection is very slow on my Compaq Mini 110C (takes minutes to find a network). Not a great alternative yet.<br><br>2. Ubuntu Remix - Fast and full OS (boots in 30 seconds). It actually serves the basic needs (web surfing, audio [a little flaky for some reason on my netbook], pdf reading). I still get hiccups on occasion, which is likely due to the inferior solid-state HD.<br><br>3. OSX - Looks nice. But it's a beast to install. According to some of the forums I've read, the wireless card may or may not work, depending on the chipset. No wifi would be a dealbreaker on a netbook. I may attempt an install if I'm able to "obtain" some install disks, a usb dvd drive, and a free weekend. My netbook only has a 16gb drive, which may not be enough to fit OSX comfortably with media.<br><br>I don't think there's too much of a role for the netbook in the hospital, at least for me. I suspect that there may be a clinical application for the iPad in the near future, however. Yeah as you pointed out, there are basically 3 options aside from Windows:

1. Google Chromium OS – It looks just like the Chrome browser, and boots up insanely fast–5 seconds? In fact, it is just a web browser that boots up. WiFi detection is very slow on my Compaq Mini 110C (takes minutes to find a network). Not a great alternative yet.

2. Ubuntu Remix – Fast and full OS (boots in 30 seconds). It actually serves the basic needs (web surfing, audio [a little flaky for some reason on my netbook], pdf reading). I still get hiccups on occasion, which is likely due to the inferior solid-state HD.

3. OSX – Looks nice. But it's a beast to install. According to some of the forums I've read, the wireless card may or may not work, depending on the chipset. No wifi would be a dealbreaker on a netbook. I may attempt an install if I'm able to “obtain” some install disks, a usb dvd drive, and a free weekend. My netbook only has a 16gb drive, which may not be enough to fit OSX comfortably with media.

I don't think there's too much of a role for the netbook in the hospital, at least for me. I suspect that there may be a clinical application for the iPad in the near future, however.

]]> By: Jon http://ophthosurgery.com/2010/01/optimizing-your-netbook-or-simply-making-it-useable/#comment-97 Jon Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:59:32 +0000 http://ophthosurgery.com/?p=942#comment-97 Ubuntu is a reasonable option if you don't like Windows issues - they have a lite version for netbooks.<br><br>For the Mac OSX, I think the only updates that have problems are the big OSX updates. That's probably every 6 mos or so. The sleep problem on the Dell Mini has been solved. As for hospital networking, well at that point, I guess you're using the netbook for more complicated tasks than I would (general web browsing and email). Ubuntu is a reasonable option if you don't like Windows issues – they have a lite version for netbooks.

For the Mac OSX, I think the only updates that have problems are the big OSX updates. That's probably every 6 mos or so. The sleep problem on the Dell Mini has been solved. As for hospital networking, well at that point, I guess you're using the netbook for more complicated tasks than I would (general web browsing and email).

]]> By: ophthosurgery http://ophthosurgery.com/2010/01/optimizing-your-netbook-or-simply-making-it-useable/#comment-96 ophthosurgery Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:38:30 +0000 http://ophthosurgery.com/?p=942#comment-96 The way Apple software updates work, there is always a moderately high chance that your installation will break on every software refresh. It is a pain to be reconfiguring every 3 months or so. iTunes is typically the nasty culprit. The other tricky issue is enabling the Hackintosh to sleep properly with the lid closed. That said, if one is able to procure Hackintosh on a netbook, I'd recommend adding applications like Parallels and VMWare to make it compatible with most cruddy hospital networks. I am inching toward a Mac every day...<br><br>Btw, ChromeOS is nicely built, but there isn't enough support for it by 3rd party applications. The way Apple software updates work, there is always a moderately high chance that your installation will break on every software refresh. It is a pain to be reconfiguring every 3 months or so. iTunes is typically the nasty culprit. The other tricky issue is enabling the Hackintosh to sleep properly with the lid closed. That said, if one is able to procure Hackintosh on a netbook, I'd recommend adding applications like Parallels and VMWare to make it compatible with most cruddy hospital networks. I am inching toward a Mac every day…

Btw, ChromeOS is nicely built, but there isn't enough support for it by 3rd party applications.

]]> By: Jon http://ophthosurgery.com/2010/01/optimizing-your-netbook-or-simply-making-it-useable/#comment-95 Jon Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:55:56 +0000 http://ophthosurgery.com/?p=942#comment-95 The best bet might be to turn a Dell Mini 10v into a Hackintosh. It sounds pretty straightforward and using a refurbished model from the outlet store, I think it can be done for about $250. So goodbye crapplets and hello Mac Netbook! Of course, doing that would violate a number of user agreements and licensing codes, but this is something I've read about. The best bet might be to turn a Dell Mini 10v into a Hackintosh. It sounds pretty straightforward and using a refurbished model from the outlet store, I think it can be done for about $250. So goodbye crapplets and hello Mac Netbook! Of course, doing that would violate a number of user agreements and licensing codes, but this is something I've read about.

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