Back to Xandros with tail between my legs

Well, my enthusiasm for Ubuntu was a bit hasty, I guess. Everything was good for a while, but then I saw the extent to which things weren’t working. I though the microphone and video in Skype were working, but they weren’t, and the boot time was just too long (and suspend didn’t work). Worse yet, the sound controls are not integrated. The volume applet and the volume controlled by the keys defined in System > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts didn’t control the actual master volume. The whole experience of getting things to work was too frustrating, so I’m very happy I had imaged Xandros and put Xandros back on for now.

Eventually, if I get restless again, I’ll probably try out eeeXubuntu 7.10, or I may wait until Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) to see if the Ubuntu developers have worked to make an Eee-friendlier release; I realize it’s tough for them since Asus uses some proprietary components.

Well, it was worth a shot, and I may shoot again, too.

0 comments

  1. Sounds a little bit like trying out linux at first, some things don’t work, and you may find at this time it just isn’t suited. I hope the next ubuntu version is more friendly toward this eee pc, because I’m intrigued by it

  2. Yeah. The only difference, I guess, is that I don’t blame the Ubuntu developers or say Ubuntu isn’t ready for the desktop. I’m curious, too, as to how Intrepid Ibex works out on the Eee.

  3. With your experience with Xandros on the EeePC, would you recommend it for ordinary desktop use? I’m happy with Ubuntu, but I’m always looking to try something new and interesting.

  4. If by “ordinary desktop use” you mean “emailing, web browsing, typing documents, and listening to the occasional song,” then, yes.

    If you have particularly bad eye sight, extremely fat fingers, and the need to play video games and to do graphics and video editing, then, no.

  5. I think maybe I misspoke. I think what you read was “would you recommend the EeePC for ordinary desktop use.” What I meant was “would you recommend I install Xandros on a full size PC for ordinary desktop use?” I of course understand that all the disclaimers about Linux != Windows, don’t expect proprietary software to work, yadda yadda. As an Ubuntu user, do you find Xandros, independent of the hardware, to also be enjoyable? Or is it just particularly well suited to the Eee?

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