The 2.9 pound $800 LinspireMobilePC laptop

The CPU may leave something to be desired (it's a 1 GHz Via Antaur), but eight hundies isn't bad at all for an ultralight laptop now, is it? The LinspireMobilePC (aka the eNote UltraLite) comes with a 12.1-inch 1024x768 resolution screen, 256MB RAM, a 40GB hard drive, an Ethernet port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and as you may or may not have guessed from the name (it depends on your level of geekiness) runs on the Linspire (formerly known as Lindows) version of Linux. Corners are cut, like you have to add WiFi yourself, but then again, if you're buying a lappy that runs on Linux, that jazz cannot possibly faze you. 

[Joshua Ochs @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

This impresses me with its weight; however, if I want a cheap UNIX computer (and I'm not ideologically tied to Linux), I'd pick up an iBook for a couple hundred more. It's heavier to be sure, but you get Mac OS X and some better features - notice that ultralight is missing a CD-ROM or DVD of any kind?

[Catt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

Looks like a nice deal but without a DVD/CD player and a 1Ghz processor from who? Gosh I would save a bit more of my moulah and get a Mac. You get next to nothing with the 2.9 lbs no wonder its soooo cheap.

[Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

I can live without the CD or DVD drive (really), but all Linux laptops need to advertise their power management capabilities. Also, could you kill Linspire on this and install, say Fedora? I personally would rather run Fedora/GNOME than OS X (yes, I've spent a lot of time with it -- I don't like it), but built-in WIFI would have been really nice.

[Micah Wylde @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

As far as I can tell, "if you�re buying a lappy that runs on Linux, that jazz cannot possibly faze you" one wouldn't want to use Lindows.

[TheZodiac @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

or.............

http://tinyurl.com/3odg9

one day only!

[motech @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

2 pounds more,
$200 more,
1.25 ghz G4
built in WiFi
Built in slot loadig Combo Drive
usb 2.0
firewire
video out to tv
built in mic
ethernet
12" 1024x768
OS 10.3 panther
will be able to run Tiger when it comes out
(which is an AMAZING uprade)
these laptops are very comparable . . .
and the 2-3 lbs doesnt bother me a bit to get full functionality

id be happier with the mac - unix capabilties and real world everyday
capabilities (ms office etc. . . )

[Cody Walker @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

WinXP - 2 of my friends bought this bad boy. I went for an ultralight Dell, looking back on it I wish I would have gone with this. It Runs WinXP just fine, the battery last about 2 hours with brightness down and you can always get a battery from batterygeek anyways. I'd say this is a great buy. If you have any questions about specs or how it handles feel free to email me. [e-mail]

[bebopredux @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

The site advertises they can install SUSE, Debian, Xandros and other Linux distros but, really, anyone can do that! Get the external CD drive, install Debian or Xandros or even Mandrake. This is a cool little laptop. Most users just want WiFi and email/web. I'd put Firefox on this and use Thunderbird for my email client. You're all set and it's all FREE!

[chris @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

I'd have to agree with motech.

An iBook is $999 and comes with a simple
slotty loading CDRW/DVD drive
super port action
super unix and mac os x action
and has a ton of application support

fancy

[noob @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

can u install window on it by urself??? cuz i don't know how to use linux

[Sohier @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3504708&cat=179113&type=19&dept=3944
Hmm, just noticed this one on slashdot, a bit better a price, not as small, or light, but its got a bigger screen, and a cd drive.

[MaxSMoke @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

As long as you can format it with Windoze, it should be a usage machine. But really, you might be better off just hitting Ebay and looking at some slightly-outdated Notebooks there. I see some nice Dell and Toshiba notebooks up for sale.

[Evan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

I think this posting is incorrect, I couled have sworn I read somewhere that the walkmart linspire laptops were $498, not $800. In fact I did some research and I was right, here is the link:

http://www.forbes.com/facesinthenews/2004/12/20/1220autofacescan05.html

Now that its 498 and not 800 it blows your iBook arguments out the window.

[Dan Wu @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

This LinspireMobilePC is the ultralight model, the Balance model for $498 is not the same model, and probably heftier.

[motech @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

and besides all that,
your lindows laptop will have horrible resale value ,
where macs retain very very well.
not saying everyone should have a mac,
just saying id be much happier with the iBook

[James Liu @ Dec 19th 2005 1:48AM]

Actually, I think the whole damned point is the sub 3 lb weight-point. That's why you need an external CD drive. I dualboot an Thinkpad X30 (at 3.7 lb, heftier than this, but lighter than an iBook) and find it muuch more suited to travel than if my old Thinkpad T20 (4.6 lb travel weight, barely more than a 12 in. iBook, and with 2 extra inches of screen)

The major improvement I could forsee is changing the screen to a tiny wxga, so you can watch DVDs on more of the sceen, and so you can attach a fuller keyboard...