Technology Fail: You Can Help!

[tamaranth]

[sent home from jury service til afternoon session, so am availing myself of the lovely bugshaw's laptop, on which she has set me up.]

Okay: dead laptop, dead PDA, slow and grudgeful EEE ...

1. I am going to uninstall Windoze on the EEE, and (re)install Linux. I have external drives aplenty but no CD drive. Can anyone point me at an easy how-to (especially, at what stage do I remove Windoze and how?) BEER for any Cambridge person who's prepared to do this for me, ideally in the next few days!

2. If anyone has a Palm T3/T5/TX that they would like to sell me for £30 or less, speak now!

3. Am about to phone Dell and see if there is an alternative to on-site service -- otherwise I'll have to pend laptop until after jury service.

Thanks in advance!

Comments

[despotliz.livejournal.com]

I am sure there are more techy people in Cambridge who may have advice, but I installed Ubuntu Netbook Remix on my netbook, and it is lovely and the install was easy. There's a compatibility chart (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport/Machines/Netbooks) to see how well it works on your machine, and this guide (http://www.ubuntu.com/netbook/get-ubuntu/download) takes you through downloading the image and making a bootable USB stick on Windows, and if you install from that it takes you through removing the old operating system while it installs. You can also run it without installing to check that all the important bits will work after you install.

If the Eee is too wheezy to make the bootable USB stick, I can bring one round and help install it, but I'm not free until Wednesday.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

You are a star! This sounds like exactly what I need. And hopefully the EEE will manage the USB stuck (if not, I should be able to make one on B's laptop).

[ajshepherd.livejournal.com]

Adding my recommendation for Ubuntu Netbook.
I did the same thing with my EEE (Mine is the 4Gb 701 - the 7" screen early model), and it's a HUGE improvement over the EEE's original Linux install.

Gives the Eee a complete new lease of life!

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

I'm very tempted by that solution - I've got a 901, which is getting a bit sluggish. Slight downer that I have no real 'nix experience other than clicking icons on the Eee, and it looks like the Netbook Remix doesn't necessarily work with all features of the 901, although there is an update note there.

Does anyone know whether Eeebuntu or Easy Peasy is any better?

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

see my more recent post ....I have a 900, and it all seems to be working smoothly and quickly (though I couldn't get it to boot from USB while Windoze was lurking, so had to use Esc and insist).
Have to admit I have not done a huge amount other than point and click (though am dead impressed that I could set up wireless, load video drivers and update absolutely everything just by clicking 'ok' occasionally).
But I haven't found anything that doesn't work yet!

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Cheers!

am dead impressed that I could set up wireless, load video drivers and update absolutely everything just by clicking 'ok' occasionally
OK, that's impressive!

[shui-long.livejournal.com]

I'm still using my TX, though I've had to replace the digitiser as the original one was getting very erratic - not too difficult a job, and parts cost about £12. I also replaced the battery.

Its predecessor, a T3, is still around here somewhere but I'm not sure if it's working as it hasn't been used for several years. I'll see if I can find it - if it's useable I'd be happy to pass it on to a good home. I also have a folding (pocketable) external keyboard for it.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

If you do find the T3, I would be happy to give it an appreciative home! Otherwise, I'll hold off until I have a working laptop again (all software / backups etc are on that, and I'd rather not attempt to recreate my setup on my fab new Linux install), and grab a T-something from eBay -- they are coming down in price (Buy It Now under £50).

[shui-long.livejournal.com]

The old T3 appears to be in working order (screen and built-in software). I think Palm used better quality screens for the T3 than for the TX; I've had two TXs, and both developed digitizer problems. The T3 is now plugged in, so I can check that the battery is holding a charge. Then I need to find the software CD and the various bits and pieces that go with the Palm... and sort out how to get it to you.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

You are marvellous! How much would you like for it? (Or donation to charity of your choice.) I'm honestly not too bothered about the CD etc, I have multiple sets of peripherals from previous Palms.
Drop me an email at tamaranth, a gmail dot com account, and I'll provide address etc.

And I'm glad it's not just me re TX digitiser -- I ended up Freecycling the last one, it was just so frustrating not to be able to get out of the digitiser loop after reboot.