I am looking for reasons to get a webbook over and above the straightforward “I wanted one, so I got one”.
One of my friends got one because he wanted a broadband dongle for his Macbook Air and this deal meant he got the webbook for free so he could give it to his mum.
Someone else I know wants one to fit permanently to his boat to run navigation software and link to his GPS (unfortunately the software is Windows only and won’t quite work under WINE so we are still hunting for a Linux based charting solution before this idea gets off dry land.)
Post your reasons and share your ideas here in a comment.
Have a look at this site for Opensource GPS / Chartplotter software http://www.eit.se/chartplotter/ Should work fine on the Webbook with a serial to USB converter for GPS NMEA input.
Details on how to install / enable a USB to serial adapter in Ubuntu can be found here http://blog.mypapit.net/2008/05/how-to-use-usb-serial-port-converter-in-ubuntu.html
Also Seaclear is reported to work well with Wine on Linux http://www.sping.com/seaclear/ Wine report here http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iAppId=3659
I got one because I’m a freelance researcher with AQA (Any Question Answered) and wanted to be able to work when I’m away in my campervan. A full-size laptop takes up too much room; the webbook & dongle is the perfect combination to do a bit of work when I have an odd hour to spare without taking up valuable space. I was already an Ubuntu user so was delighted to find it used this OS. It is also, of course, great great fun!
thanks for the info Craig. It was the Admiralty charts http://www.admiraltyleisure.co.uk/ that don’t work so well I will see what he thinks of those other options.
I recommended one to my sister over an EEE because of the storage space, as she planned to use it to store her photos and videos on, and because it was a Windows machine, which she would be familiar with, and because she wanted to use a webcam reguarly, and according to this review ( http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/index.cfm?reviewid=2142&pn=2 ) it had a webcam. What a mistake that was! Firstly, the webcam hole appears to be filled in with black plastic!!! That’s one major use out the window then.. Secondly, despite being advertised as an XP machine it came with ubuntu, which has rendered it pretty much unusable for other tasks too. can you imagine a user of normal ability managing to install skype on it?? And what’s with not being able to play videos or use the wireless without having to scour the internet for tutorials?? Thanks by the way, but your site really shouldn’t be necessary, and I guarantee you that Mrs Smith aged 45 didn’t figure out to look here.
As a final insult, if this had been ordered online normally then there would be the mandatory cooling off period and it could have been returned on the grounds of being rubbish. Unfortunately though there was a lengthy phone contract attached. Nice.
Hi Ian, the lack of a webcam is a shame. Not my decision unfortunately. The review was a preview and the spec changed since then. It should not have been advertised as an XP machine in store. The in store models are Ubuntu, the first ones sold online had XP. Installing Skype is pretty easy actually, just go to http://www.skype.com and download the Ubuntu package rather than the Windows one.
You do get a cooling off period on the contract. I don’t know how long it is but there certainly is one.
I picked up a Webbook yesterday in CPW Bognor. A very friendly salesman called Stephen who was impressed that I was already sold on Ubuntu. Anyway, I decided to go for the 3 Mobile deal, which is a 18 month contract with 5Gig downloads a month. Also included is 150 SMS text messages. Can anyone tell me how to get some software working to send /receive SMS with the 3 modem and ubuntu please? The windows software has this functionality included.
Cheers
Jon
We are working on the SMS messaging, I will give an update here when it gets a little further (hopefully with screenshots).
Does anyone have information on how to load or back up the OS on the webbook as wife using it and she has problems with linux as used to windows!
@Chris
I can confirm that the operating system has been fully wife tested (and children tested for that matter). Can you be a bit more specific about the problems? What does she miss from Windows?
i just tryed installing KDE, then switched back to Gnome, and synaptic and “add or remove programmes” has dissapeared from the menus.
how do i get it back?
allso, would it be possible to get a factory restore disk of some kind?
thanks.
@will
try going to a terminal window and doing
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop
that should reinstall all the gnome bits and bobs I think. I am working on the restore solution. Right now you can install a regular Ubuntu CD (or pretty much any other distro) and then replace the xorg.conf with one that works with the 1024×600 screen. The restore solution we will be providing is likely to be a 2GB wristvault USB stick that totally nukes the drive and drops a fresh image of the partitions on it.
tryed the above, it asks me for password, i type it in and i get “username is not known to sudo”
also, the graphics are now all messed up, with big ugly lines down the screen.
so i tryed installing ubuntu off a USB stick following these http://www.eeeguides.com/2007/11/installing-windows-xp-from-usb-thumb.html instructions,
and i just get a black screen, will not install.
sorry, corection, the error message is:
“shadowlight (my username) in not in the sudoers file.”
got round the “username unknown” with “su root”
but sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop didn’t work
can you be a bit more specific than “didn’t work” please! It does sound like a rather unhappy Ubuntu at the moment.
The reason I got my webbook is that I actually work for the Carphone Warehouse and would like to make sure I can offer the best possible service and follow-up care to customers.
Up until now, I have been a Windows user and feel very comfortable using that OS. I’ve always told customers that if they have any problems that they are free to bring their laptop down to the shop with them, and thus far I have been able to fix all of their problems. Linux, on the other hand, I am completely unfamiliar with.
Of course, there was a large-scale training drive to prepare retail staff for the launching of the CPW Wireless World scheme. However, during our training for the laptop initiatives brought out by the company there was no example of a webbook for us to have a good look at. I’ve always felt that I learn the technology with greater ease if I can simply get my hands on it to have a play about. So, in order to better help customers, I figured it would be a good idea to use a webbook myself and learn how to use Ubuntu.
Despite one hiccup trying to get online, I’ve loved the webbook. Among the new pieces of advice I will now be offering to all my customers, I will definitely be giving them the address for this incredibly comprehensive yet easy to understand blog.
@Sheona it’s nice to see a staff member who wants to know the product. Didn’t have that luxury at my local CW…sales guy said, and I quote, “I know bugger all about this.” Great.
Good job I didn’t need to rely on his advice.
Anyway, got it as an alternative to my eeepc; I’m a freelance trainer, and I have a number of machines to do different jobs; and this one doesn’t pull my shoulder out of its socket while I’m travelling.
Cute little machine, shame about the silver colour scheme, but it’s a small price to pay.
I first heard of the Elonex webbook when I read a comparative review of netbooks in the 11-18 September issue of Micromart. The webbook received the highest rating, and the reviewer, who had no previous experience of using Linux, was full of praise for “the fantastic Ubuntu package” on it, stating that it would be criminal to delete it.
I had been reading up about ‘small cheap computers’ for several months and initially had been attracted to the elusive – and overpriced – eee pc 1000. For me, the webbook, available from CPW, was an unexpected bird in the hand. I was not going to let it fly away!
What decided me were the following:
-the 10.2 inch screen (a minimum requirement for me)
-the genuine Ubuntu Linux OS (I would not touch Microsoft Windows with a barge pole!)
-the availability of compatible USB modems for mobile broadband
-the low price (£239)
-the convenience of buying from a high street store
-the availability of technical support from the Geek Squad (albeit at a price)
I had been on the threshold of purchasing my first computer for several years, but in the past something always held me back. The webbook succeeded in luring me over that threshold at last….
I had a Webbook with an Orange mobile broadband contract because I wanted a light portable laptop to take on business trips. I like the compact design of the Webbook – it sits discreetly at the bottom of my overnight bag, so I don’t need a separate laptop bag. (I bought a zipped padded case for the Webbook from CPW, to keep it pristine.)
I was also curious about Linux (I had only ever used Microsoft products before I had the Webbook) and I liked the challenge of trying something new.
The salesman in CPW assured me that the Webbook and Firefox were compatible, so it was a done deal.
The Webbook has had a lot of use since I got it 2-3 months ago. I think it is well worth the £25 per month.
Why did I get a Webbook? Because I yearned to have a machine with Linux installed rather than adding it myself as a dual boot. Also it makes great sense to run this on a machine with low RAM resources and a short battery life. I reckon it will go faster for longer without the Windows bloat.
Mostly I just like to sit and type the stuff that comes in to my head, with a little dabbling in databases. I am hoping that with my Webbook I can do this in the car, in the cafe, in the sunshine, without breaking my arm lugging it around. I do like the format, the eePC is too small. An article in one of the computing mags gave this model the thumbs up and I went for it.
I am looking forward to trying all the software available with Ubuntu, which beckons as I am hoping to use most of the toys in ‘lazy’ mode, without having to use the command line and other geeky fixes, though I like to think I can if I have to.
As indeed I did to fix the wifi light as instructed by Alan Bell. Couldn’t we have found out about this in the help pages? You shouldn’t have to get on another computer to start up a nice new shiny one you’ve just paid for upfront!
Still not quite online but optimistic.
Thanks Alan, may come back to you if I the MacDonalds free wifi doesn’t do it for me.
I recently got a webbook as i travel alot with work and it works fine when i am not using the dongle. WHen i use the T-mobile dongle after 5 mins- 10 mins it turns the computer off. I have tried everything including changing the webbook and changing the modern and still the same. I do not recommend this at all as carphone warehouse have give me very little help and explanation on why this is the case. I would suggest getting the webbook from somewhere other than carphone warehouse where you can help from ppl who know about the computers rather than just the selling tool lines.
hi there, bought a minibook for my mate for birthday, it runs on linux but after an hour of being switched on all of the icons dissapeared off the screen.. we didnt do anything at all to the settings or anything, so couldnt have delted them maunually.. what shall i do??
@Lisa there should have been just two icons on the desktop, one a link to Geeksquad (who apparently refuse to support the webbook now) and one launches the mobile broadband client which you can find under Applications-Internet-Mobile Broadband. Are there any other problems other than the lack of icons on the desktop?
its not a webbook, its a minibook run on linux, it had alot of icons on one screen, then 5 tabs on the top, each one u clicked on gave u different icons, ie settings etc.. nothing at all works on it now as i cannot open interent etc as there is no icon for it! please advise x
um, OK, so you don’t have an Elonex/Carphone Warehouse webbook then. err, what do you have exactly? Is it an Asus eeePC? RM branded some of them and called them minibooks. I think Maplin may have referred to their 7 inch Xburst/MIPS based thing as a minibook, that is pretty much the same thing as an Elonex ONEt so I might be able to help you a bit if that is what you have.
yes thats what we have, it is exactly the same one as they sell in maplins.. thanks so much, be great if you could help in any way x
@lisa, OK, that is completely different to the webbook then, totally different processor architecture, user interface and everything. There is loads of information about that computer at the little linux laptop site. It sounds to me like you need to use the recovery procedure here http://littlelinuxlaptop.com/software/recovery.htm
I got one (yesterday) because it was the only laptop Carphone Warehouse and 3 Mobile were not charging for. when I got burgled they took my last laptop (a gorgeous Toshiba) and (a) I didn’t want to wait till payday to get a full sized laptop and (b) I can’t save up for a new one because I’m too impatient!
I see people mentioning Ubuntu…. never heard of it, which is why I’m glad mine came with XP.
Also I have the white one….. does the black one have a webcam? I’m sure mine doesn’t.
I’m not too bothered about it not having a CD drive because I only really used that for uploading music CD’s.
The one thing that annoys me (so far) is that it didn’t come with anti-virus already installed (it just seems like a laptop designed for net use would have it) but I can always just buy a Norton disc.
So… so far quite happy!
My excuse to having got one – IT COST ME NOTHING! Apart from £30 a month
Just thinking about my last comment…. I can’t install a Norton disc DUH!
Anybody know I go about anti-virus?
If you used ubuntu you probably wouldn’t need anti-virus…
Of course, if you really wanted it, you could use Synaptic to search “Clam” and select ClamAV from the list that appears…
Yeah go to http://sourceforge.net/projects/clamwin/ and download the latest version.
As we do on here, everything promoted is open-source, which means it’s free to use, free to distribute, and free to change. Free as in lunch, and free as in eggs!
Thanks for your reply, I’ll try it when I get home. I’m scared of downloading stuff I’ve never heard of though……
sourceforge.net is a big site full of Free and Open Source software projects. I have never heard of an problems associated with spyware/addware/malware hosted on sourceforge, but it is prudent to do a bit of additional research such as looking at the project activity, release history, forum posts and also check on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ClamWin I have used clamwin on computers before. Ubuntu doesn’t really need it though.
I bit the bullet and downloaded it….. it seems to be ok but windows doesn’t recognise it (but I’m guessing it wouldn’t).
Thanks so much for recommending it to me I really appreciate it. xxx
I got a webbook, because whilst staying at a travelodge in Durham, the room got burgled, and they took my eee, and 3G pay as you go modem. As well as being on holiday, I was on call, so I had 2 choices, cancel my holiday, come home and do my usual on call work from home, but why should I, that would mean that the burgulars had won.
I did think about forking out for another eee, and 3G pay as you go modem, but that is really quite a large sum to pay out all at once. I needed Linux, as the tools I use to connect into work are Linux based only.
So, into the CPW in Durham I went, and there on display was a webbook with Ubuntu on, 10 minutes later I’d left the shop. Got as far as the station at Durham, turned it on, plugged my 3 3G modem into it, and voila, instant connection, I could connect back to home, and connect into work, so I could now continue my holiday, fulfill my on call commitments, and to top it off, I had a ‘netbook’ that I found to be better than the eee.
Unfortunately, if the same were to happen now, well, I wouldn’t have a webbook, as XP is useless to me.
Such a shame, come on Elonex, strike up deals, with ubuntu installed, with other distributors, please.
CPW have now lost at least 2 more customers, because they no longer stock the linux version.
Cheers
Like I said, I was considering making it the laptop of choice for Medical Admissions staff/volunteers doing webmastering, presentations, and general online work (email helpdesk, database updating, documents, and so on)…
Oh well, good think we’ve got Alan’s USB boot-and-nuke to sort out the vile XP problem!
Installing third party software
I have to install software that will allow access to pdf files of ebooks i have purchased from a particular supplier.
I’ve downloaded it but it’s a tar gz file. Can’t remember how to install this – is there a quick fix or do I have to do it from the command line?
Hi Roslein, what supplier? PDF files should just open fine with the evince software pre-installed. You can also run Adobe Acrobat reader on the webbook. A tar.gz file is like a zip file, you can just right click on it and select “Extract here”. That will give you a folder of stuff, have a look for a README file in it to tell you what to do next.
Thanks Alan, I’ll give that a go. My books are from Publishers Row, an American site. The pdf’s are password protected and encrypted, so that they won’t open if the software from the site is not running on the computer.
Another Title…
I saw this really great post today….