Thank you, Lenovo, for sponsoring ActionAid Australia and Project TOTO. A few days ago I received evaluation units of the IdeaPad S10e netbook (pictured) and the ThinkPad X200 ultra-portable.
Apparently there’s more to come. Cool.
I’ve been too busy to do anything with them beyond a basic set-up, so a more detailed review will come later. However it did feel a bit weird flipping between a Windows XP Home netbook with a trackpad, a Windows Vista Business notebook with a trackpoint but no trackpad, and my usual MacBook Pro with OS X and a multi-touch trackpad and a mouse.
Interestingly, even though the X200 is more powerful and physically larger, it feels lighter than the S10e. Mind you, it’s four times the price. 😉
A new computer? Don’t forget to create the OS backup DVDs before you install Ubuntu!
@Eric TF Bat: Hah! Well, yes, if these machines were for my own personal use I’d most definitely be considering Ubuntu. However, since they’ll eventually be for someone else to use I’ll be sticking to what they’re familiar with.
I’ve been told the computers at ActionAid’s Tanzanian office are a mix of Windows XP and Windows Vista. Maybe, though, hooking them up with a Tanzanian Linux enthusiast would be the go.
Hey Stilgherrian – Chris Kelly here from Lenovo.
Wanted to pass on best wishes for the trip from all the crew at Lenovo.
We are excited to be a part of this mission and to be able to support you from a hardware perspective.
Look forward to following your adventures !!
@Chris Kelly: Thanks, Chris. You guys have been great so far, as has your account manager Lukas Picton over at Text 100 public relations. Let’s see how those computers survive the journey! 😉