A quick and dirty review of a Dell netbook running Ubuntu Linux

Over the last few weeks I've had on/off access to a Dell Latitude 2110 which I was offered to trial by a company working for Dell, in exchange for writing a brief review. I do not normally get distracted by this kind of thing, but when I idly asked if Dell could supply the review machine with Linux on it, and Dell said yes,  curiosity got the better of me.

Here is a rough and ready assessment of the device.

Features

1. Weight - 1.35 kg.
2. Construction - extremely solid with a non-slip easily gripped rubberized surface.
3. Keyboard - quiet action, with full-sized key, 250 x 100 mm, with trackpad.
4. Indicator lights - prominent and unambigious, for all the normal functions.
5. Security - Kensington lock point on either side of the device enabling a carrying strap to be fitted.
6. Resilient screen covering that looked like it would be difficult to puncture, but with a shiny enough surface to work badly in conditions of high ambient light.
7. Ports:
   • - on the sides not the rear - VGA, audio, three USB ports, network socket, power input;
   • - on the front - SD card reader.
8. Battery - removable 2.42 AmpH, with the option of a larger one, which would alter the keyboard and screen orientation, probably for the worse in both cases, by raising the rear of the machine, and possibly fowling the screen when opened to the maximum.
9. Power supply - rather bulky and weighing 380 g.
10. 144 GB hard disk; 1 GB? of RAM.
11. Video camera and microphone centrally positioned on the upper edge of the screen, and speakers positioned on either side of the screen.

Performance

1. Time to boot from cold - 45 seconds; time to load Firefox - 7 seconds.
2. Silent operation, but with slightly disconcerting barely discernable vibration from the hard disk.

The device in use

1. Strongly built, pleasingly designed, simple, and obvious, and perfectly satisfactory as a netbook, with the only stand-out flaws being the shiny screen and weighty power supply, with the latter only an issue for travellers.
2. Ubuntu and the supplied applications that I looked at worked OK but on the device supplied Firefox was not set up to play YouTube videos; I did not have the patience and possibly do not have the wherewithal to sort this problem out.
3. Several hours of operation using the standard battery.

Would I buy one?

For years I've spoiled myself with a series of top-of-the-range as light as you can get high specification laptops, usually with a docking station, full sized keyboard and large separate screen, doubling as a desktop machine, running Windows, and the Windows applications I am accustomed to and fluent in.  (The photo below is of the first of these, circa 1994. I think it cost about £1200, which is about £200o in today's money.) A netbook like the Latitude is not a substitute for my current set up (and nor is designed to be). But as a back-up or second machine, it would work well. As a device for student or pupil use I would consider it seriously, with the apparent build quality, good layout, nice grippy surface, and sensible positioning of ports all being points in its favour.

Value for money? This is not something I can easily judge given the big differences between bulk and single device prices.

Windows vs Ubuntu Linux? I would need to be confident that I would not be tripped up by the video problem I encountered, but my guess is that after a steepish and possibly enjoyable learning curve, I would become confident in problem solving, just as I have had to become with Windows. In a managed environment my guess is that you'd have a standard disk image organised via which everything could be made to work consistently.

1994 Dell 320 SLi - 1.6 kg, rubberised, running DOS and Ability Plus, with a mono LCD screen that worked worked well in direct sunlight. The then state of the art, and manufactured in Ireland.....