Tuesday, December 22, 2009

$99 Netbook

You really can't get much cheaper than this. As the company says, it's "Small, Slow, Sufficient":
The 7" Cherrypal was designed with developing countries in mind. The Africa is powered with an 400 MHz processor, 256 MB DDR / 2 GB NAND-flash and runs Linux (GMo) or Windows CE. Here are some more basics: Screen: 7 inch high-resolution TFT .(800 x 480 pixels) LAN:10/100M Ethernet Access WIFI: IEEE 802.11 b/g Ethernet RJ-45 Keyboard: QWERTY 86 keys Mouse&Touch pad:build-in touch panel, set two shortcut key,and support usb port mouse USB Port: USB 2.0 x 1 (aid external memory) USB 1.1 x 2 (aid keyboard & mouse only) External Memory : SD card , U-Disk , USB-HDD Card port: SD / MMC card slot (8GB) Battery: 7.4 V 1800Mha built in Lithium battery 1800MAH Last time:4 HRS Sound effect:build-in realtek sound effect chipset, Built in 2 x 0.5W Built in speaker 1 x microphone Weight:1.2kg Size: 213.5 x 141.8 x 30.8 mm
I'd hate WindowsCE (but you knew that). Linux would run just fine on this, though. If you wanted very inexpensive, portable browsing and light duty applications, this would do the trick. I'd think of this as an alternative to a pocket computer like an iPhone.

Via Slashdot.

7 comments:

Weer'd Beard said...

Just PERFECT for playing nethack on buisness trips!!!

Brad_in_IL said...

BP,

A coworker once questioned the logic of Microsoft naming an o/s as wince --> WinCE. Just sayin'.

- Brad

Anonymous said...

That is cheaper than a digital photo frame of the same size!

Jim

Toaster 802 said...

these are affordable enough to take a couple to place in long term EMP protected storage along with USB hard and disc drives with your knowledge library. Wonder if you could reload Ubuntu on it though..

TOTWTYTR said...

Great idea. Give all the little kiddies in Third World Nations computers. Which their bigger brothers can take to use to figure out how to destroy the great Satan.

Brilliant. Nothing like giving the enemy the weapons to kill you with.

No good will come of all this do gooderism. None at all.

If you doubt me, look at what the insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan have done with cheap consumer electronics. Hack into a surveillance drone? Mere child's play. Wait until they figure out how to screw up the command and control network with cheap laptops.

But I'm just suspicious and cynical. Not all caring and compassionate, like good liberals are.

Borepatch said...

Weer'd, it would be useful for all forts of things.

Brad, LOL

Jim, I didn't think about that, but it would be true.

Toaster, the shielding would be the tricky part. You need some pretty good grounding/Farraday Cage action for EMP. But yeah. Wonder how Ammo cans work? ;-)

TOTWTYTR, I'm not so worried about insurgents running a huge Beowulf cluster, I'm worried about our Air Force not encrypting downlinks. Maybe it's just me.

Anonymous said...

Toaster - Eeebuntu.

Jim