Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.10 Shines Bright - page 2

Optimized For Smaller Screens, Technical Advances

Our test netbook platform for this review was the Lenovo S10e. It sports a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 1 GB of memory and a 160GB hard disk. Unfortunately, it has the smaller 3-cell battery so don't expect too much time running without AC. We were able to get a little under 2 hours of use with a full charge and wireless networking enabled.

Speaking of wireless networking, there was "some assembly required" to get it working on the S10e. Fortunately, a quick Google search turned up several solutions including a pointer to the Broadcom website with a driver and README.TXT file explaining how to get things working. Armed with the files and instructions, we were able to get the wireless up in short order.

New Stuff

One big new feature for the 9.10 release is the Ubuntu One cloud storage service. Canonical provides 2GB of free storage for anyone that signs up. The service will sync files, contacts, Tomboy notes and more. You have to enroll each computer that you wish to keep in sync.

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We did run into one small problem after getting our account configured. The first time the netbook tried to sync with the cloud we got an error message informing us we were using a client that was newer than the server and not supported. It also said not to worry as they will be upgrading the server real soon.

Bottom Line

UNR represents a solid step forward for netbook users. It provides anyone familiar with Ubuntu the same basic commands and applications you'll find in the desktop addition. It also makes it a snap to sync your key files between your main machine and a second (or third) painlessly. In contrast, Moblin caters to the mobile user interested in quick access to their favorite applications coupled with a quick boot time. Both do what they do well and should meet the basic needs of most any netbook user.