OStatic

As netbooks proliferate--based on both Linux and Windows--reviews are flowing in for many of the hottest models. Lenovo's IdeaPad S10, which, questionably, runs Windows and not Linux at this point, has been taken through its paces at Laptop Magazine (see the video). As a long-time user of ThinkPad notebooks, I'm not surprised to hear that they love the keyboard. Meanwhile, reviews are lukewarm for Sylvania's G Netbook Meso, featuring the Ubuntu Netbook Remix operating system. How do these compare to the Asus and Acer netbooks?

We've written widely about Asus' under $400, Linux based Eee PC netbook laptops, which have been having a lot of success and introducing a lot of users to bundled open source applications. We've also covered Acer's competitive response with its similarly priced Aspire One Linux-based netbook. I own one of the Asus Eee PCs and love it (although not as my primary laptop), and I have tried the Aspire One. Now, our sister blog JKOnTheRun has collected some excellent reviews of the Acer netbooks. Here, below the fold, are links to their findings.

If you've followed our recent coverage of Asus' success with its (primarily Linux-based) low-cost Eee PC laptops, and Hewlett Packard's Mini-Note, you know that Linux-based portables are seeing surprising success. Now, Acer--traditionally more of a hardware titan overseas than in the U.S.--is joining the fray with its new Aspire One Linux-based subnotebooks. Because of its distribution might, this could represent major competition for Asus, HP, and the OLPC project.