OT: "take-up of netbooks has been staggering"

[Richard Gaskin]

Bernard Devlin wrote:
> I think the keyboard size is ok (I can touch type on it).  The only thing I
> think is bad are the trackpad buttons - they're in an uncomfortable place
> (either side of the trackpad), and they are very stiff.  I have to use a
> mouse with it.  From what I've read, it looks like others feel the same way
> about that.  Maybe later versions of the AA1 will sort that out.  Mind you,
> there are going to be so many of these netbooks, so I expect the quality of
> them to improve still further.

True.  It's now been one year since the EeePC first premiered, and that 
product line has come a long way.  Same with the Acer.  One of the 
things I love about buying computers:  this is one of the few industries 
that consistently rewards procrastination. :)

> I bought the AA1 to do Rev development on, but unfortunately that didn't
> work out.  Maybe others will have better luck with that (could be it will
> work better on other versions of Linux).

Was it issues with the Rev Linux engine, or just dealing with 1024x600?

> If the growth in netbook sales
> continues, in a year or so I can see there being more Linux laptops sold
> than Mac laptops.  Rev could be very well positioned to take advantage of
> that.  Whilst there are obviously masses of free dev tools for Linux, there
> is no easy route to visual programming (unlike Applescript or VB).

Agreed.  Netbooks may well be the killer app to move Linux forward with 
consumers, esp. in the current economic climate where every dollar 
counts and the extra cost of a proprietary OS can add as much as 25% or 
more to the total cost of a cheap computer.

I think sometime in the next five years we'll see the dawn of the Golden 
Age of Linux.

I've been lurking on the Gnome UI list for some months now, and I'm 
impressed with the quality of the discussion there.  If work slows down 
here in my office I'd love to have the time to help contribute to their 
next HIG.  This is a very exciting time in OS evolution.

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Managing Editor, revJournal
  _______________________________________________________
  Rev tips, tutorials and more: http://www.revJournal.com