Sorting it out: Laptops

I have never been one to not say something contrary to common opinion about many things, technology included.  Devoting the past several decades to working on technology, I have seen much evolve.  Sometimes de-evolving is also visible as long as people don't close their minds regarding new technology, companies and people in general. When we open up to new people and new ideas, we could very well be bringing a new channel of happiness into our lives. 

Sorting It Out: Lapotops

            There is probably no single piece of technology that has a greater impact on the average household than the computer that is brought in to connect to the world.  Modern society uses it for communication, banking, shopping and entertainment, regularly.  Education has worked its way onto the computer so that it is now possible for people to get a degree from a college across the country, as long as they have good access and can meet the work requirements.  There are times where the household computer just does not meet the mobility demands of the modern person and the smaller, more portable version becomes necessary to maintain the vital link to the network that has become such a vital part of so many lives.  The choice of the correct laptop can make the difference between survival and network death, so it is important to narrow down the field by choosing the features that are the best match to the consumer

            A good starting point is to look at the general form of laptop.  Putting them into the category of laptop, netbooks, and tablets divides them into groups that allow the user to pick a few basic features.  “Laptop computer” on Amazon produces, with a partition checked of “over $200”, a mere 18,000 choices (Amazon.com [1], 2011).  Looking at every one could take a little bit of time.  Most of these are the larger format, which usually weigh from 6 pounds up.  The average brick weighs just shy of 6 pounds (2.7kg) (TradeIndia.com).  This seems like something rather unpleasant to carry around on a regular basis.  Another issue is operating system.  Most computers these days appear to ship infected with the Windows 7 operating system.  Like Mojave, it is still Vista.  This is not exactly a motivation to buy it to anyone who has spent hours trying to find nonexistent drivers for something common,  such as a Canon 20D camera, which was supported on the XP operating system.   There is nothing quite like purchasing a really expensive computer and making it further resemble the brick it feels like by adding an operating system that can render the thing useless at a whim.  Dumping Microsoft’s latest insult on the consumer is a good start at making a very expensive brick. “Linux Netbook” is a search criterion that limits the size and operating system.

            Having sorted through the tens of thousands of returns from the search, it is now possible to pick a few likely candidates out of the “Linux netbook” category.   Eliminating refurbished also drops the numbers.  The Mini 1120NR, Starling edubook, Hoverboard x30,  and Lenovo fell into the search criteria.  It now becomes necessary to partition the machines further.  The Lenovo, at 15 inches, seemed too good to be true (Amazon.com [2], 2011). Despite the search criteria, it was an attempt by the Microsoft virus that obviously infests everything to sneak one of theirs under the radar for consideration.  The partition it belongs in, from a weight perspective of one and a half bricks (nine pounds) plus the OS partition, Windows7 virus infestation it ships with clearly eliminates it.  This leaves three interesting units to look at and consider.          

            Since “partitions deal with one thing only”, computers have been passed through two partitions: one weight and the other operating system (Lannon, 2008, p. 167).  Classification, or” using an assortment of things” to further categorize the machines can begin with the processor, ram, price and specific Linux operating system (Lannon, 2008, p. 167).  The Mini has to be eliminated as it has an HP unique version of Linux instead of a true open source OS (Amazon.com [3], 2011).  The general features on the Edubook and Hoverboard put them into the same category in most cases.  There is only a third of a pound weight difference, but the Hoverboard has a screen that is three inches bigger (Zareason, inc., 2011).  The trade off is the Edubook comes loaded with software on top of the Ubuntu OS, which they both share, and is three hundred dollars less (System76 inc).  Both have a VGA port, so when using at home the ability to use a monitor eliminates the apparent size advantage of the Hoverboard; A choice can be made based on price. 

            It is interesting to find that by first partitioning portable computers a couple of times it became possible to narrow the choices from tens of thousands down to a manageable handful. Categorization based on important features made it possible to logically sort through the remainder and come up with a machine that fills a need based on a logical choice rather than an emotional reaction.  The Hoverboard was the prettier of the two with the larger monitor and though the weight was negligible for the size, there was an ugly duckling that seems a better match.    It would appear the Edubook is the best match to determine if Linux can replace the lifeline to the internet in a Microsoft owned world.

References

Amazon.com [1]. (2011). Electronics, Computers & Accessories, “laptop computer”. In Amazon.com. Retrieved January 16, 2011, from http://www.amazon.com/‌gp/‌search/‌ref=sr_kk_1?rh=i%3Acomputers%2Ck%3Alaptop+computer&keywords=laptop+computer&ie=UTF8&qid=1295205256#/‌ref=sr_nr_p_36_4?rh=n%3A172282%2Cn%3A%21493964%2Cn%3A541966%2Ck%3Alaptop+computer%2Cp_36%3A1253507011&bbn=541966&keywords=l

Amazon.com [2]. (2011). Electronics, Computers & Accessories, “laptop computer”. In Amazon.com. Retrieved January 16, 2011, from http://www.amazon.com/‌Lenovo-15-4-Inch-Laptop-Black-Matte/‌dp/‌B0032ALW5M/‌ref=sr_1_20?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1295163775&sr=1-20

Amazon.com [3]. (2011). Electronics, Computers & Accessories, “laptop computer”. In Amazon.com. Retrieved January 16, 2011, from http://www.amazon.com/‌HP-NB135UA-ABA-Mini-1120NR/‌dp/‌B001P9RDVO/‌ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1295167663&sr=1-4

Lannon, J. M. (2008). Technical Communication (Custom ed.). New York, NY: Longman.

System76 Inc. (n.d.). System76. Retrieved January 15, 2011, from http://www.system76.com/‌product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=103

TradeIndia.com. (n.d.). Clay Brick. In TradeIndia.com. Retrieved January 15, 2011, from http://www.tradeindia.com/‌fp97773/‌Clay-Brick.html

Zareason, inc. (2011). Zareason. Retrieved January 15, 2011, from http://zareason.com/‌shop/‌Hoverboard-X30.html