Over all, this machine runs Linux extremely well. Sure it took quite a while to install Linux without an optical drive connected, but it can be done, and it doesn't have to be an ISO or FAT based installation like most of the solutions posted around the web require. I'll be posting a tutorial sometime later.
The only problem I'm having right now is finding a way to calibrate the touch screen. I'm sure it can be done, but I haven't figured out how yet. That said, it works just like a mouse without doing anything (though grossly inaccurate.)
Even though I ordered this computer sans-OS, it had XP installed on it already but no CD. That was fine; XP never booted all the way and I erased it. I'm running slamd64 from an SD card and I'm using the hard drive strictly for data (with encryption.)
The screen is amazingly clear for a touch screen with high DPI.
The keyboard takes a little getting used to, but it is a 7" notebook. Some of the keys are in strange places, making passwords remembered with tactile or spatial memory very difficult to reproduce. Not a huge problem. I could use a caps indicator LED, a "print screen" button, and a "scroll lock" button. I'm pretty sure they can be emulated, but I haven't gotten that far.
The wifi requires a firmware download, which isn't too difficult. It holds a connection at -85dBm (haven't tried anything less than that.) I also got the portable charger/ethernet peripheral. The ethernet works with the mcs7830 driver included with the kernel.
Take a look here for more information (JS seems to mess up the link; replace the
& with the ampersand sign):
http://www.umpcportal.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=thread&topic_id=5032&forum=18
The vendor is Korean, which provides a nice change over American and Japanese; however, they seem to be a small company with very little information on their site. That's a fair trade-off for the system they provide and their explicit support for Linux, however.
I'll post my slamd64 tutorial in the near future.
Kevin Barry
edit:
Here is the
slamd64 tutorial.
