VodacomWebbook

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  • Vodafone brings ARM and Ubuntu together for South African Webbook

    by 
    Terrence O'Brien
    Terrence O'Brien
    10.19.2011

    If you don't know what Ubuntu is by now, we're not sure what tech blog you're reading -- 'cause it sure isn't this one. Ok, so finding a computer with the world's most popular Linux distro preloaded on it isn't exactly easy (there aren't any lurking in your local Best Buy, that's for sure). But, tracking down a machine running the Ocelot in South Africa will be getting a bit simpler. The country's Vodafone affiliate, Vodacom, launched the Webbook -- a 10-inch laptop running Ubuntu 11.10 on a Cortex A8-based Freescale i.MX51 processor (likely 800MHz). Inside is also 512MB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage, enough for basic browsing. The Webbook is available now, starting at R1,499 (about $190) for just the device, and climbing up to R1,899 (about $245) for the Webbook, modem and 100MB of monthly data for 12 months. There's also an on-contract option, which nets you the pile of hardware, plus 500MB of data for R189 a month and a two year commitment. Check out the pair of press releases after the break, as well as one more photo of the device