jenrob29 Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 I took a peek at Kmart BF ad scan. I see the notebook for $119 ( i think) anyone know any info about it. Looking for something for my 9 year old son. Im sure it doesnt have a disc drive, but that would be fine. Just need something to surf the net.
KoopawnKode Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 I personally think that Kmart is going to fool a lot of people with this "deal" The specs on this thing are no greater than a low end "smartphone" It has Windows CE, not XP nor 7. I believe it has a 2GB Hard drive and 128mb ram. Specs like those are unheard of these days!
sracer Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 I personally think that Kmart is going to fool a lot of people with this "deal" The specs on this thing are no greater than a low end "smartphone"It has Windows CE, not XP nor 7. I believe it has a 2GB Hard drive and 128mb ram.Specs like those are unheard of these days! For $119 it is a good deal if you know what you are getting. But for those who will mistake this netbook for the typical netbook by Asus or Acer, they will be sorely disappointed.
DLM Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 Everyone go to KMart to get this one - that gives me a better chance of scoring one I want with better specs - LOL
Marcster Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 To add to the others input... Windows CE is extemely long in the tooth and typically only used in previous generation smartphones (new smartphones use Windows Mobile 5.0, if they use a Microsoft OS). From an interface standpoint, Windows CE bears a striking resemblance to Windows 98: http://www.guidebookgallery.org/pics/gui/extra/windowsce/desktop.png It can view Office documents and pdfs, but you cannot load traditional Windows programs (such as games, Quicken, etc.) You'll have to find any needed programs on sites like this: http://www.hpc.net/ and this http://wince.pdatopsoft.com/, since programs would need to have been written specifically for Windows CE. To refer to it as the netbook equivalent of a low-end smart phone is 100% accurate. Traditional netbooks can function low-end laptops (because they are), but this Kmart job really is JUST for surfing the net. If you think you or your kids would be OK with that, then you should look at getting an Apple Touch -- that's a much better/useful device. You WON'T even be able to print from this thing. There's going to be a lot of disappointed kids on Christmas morning, "Gee, uhm, thanks... I guess..."
sracer Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 Also keep in mind that not all Windows CE devices can run Windows CE apps. Each WinCE device comes preloaded with a certain set of libraries. If an application requires a version of those libraries that are NOT installed on the device, then that app will be unable to run. When considering this device, do NOT assume that apps can be added.
Marcster Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 Also, the web browser included with this laptop is likely to be severely limited. It may or may not be able to play Flash-based games, Youtube videos, or even be able to access secured web sites (be able to access your bank account, for instance).
KoopawnKode Posted November 5, 2009 Posted November 5, 2009 If it had slightly better specs I would say it would be good for flashing Ubuntu or something similar onto it and get a cheap but much more usable netbook. I don't know if that would be possible with this however.
sracer Posted November 5, 2009 Posted November 5, 2009 If it had slightly better specs I would say it would be good for flashing Ubuntu or something similar onto it and get a cheap but much more usable netbook. I don't know if that would be possible with this however.It might be a possibility (since it doesn't look like the WinCE included is burned in ROM). The problem will be to find a Linux distro that supports that CPU and basic hardware. You may find yourself having to build a custom kernel. The netbook comes preloaded with a web browser, word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation. It is safe to say that this device might be fine as a first notebook for a young person with the proviso that "what you see is (all) that you get". Don't plan on expanding it by adding applications. don't expect do to anything other than simple, very simple tasks. don't expect to browse sites that are much more complicated than the classic Google page. I think that I just talked myself into getting one for the curiosity factor. LOL
Marcster Posted November 5, 2009 Posted November 5, 2009 It might be a possibility (since it doesn't look like the WinCE included is burned in ROM). The problem will be to find a Linux distro that supports that CPU and basic hardware. You may find yourself having to build a custom kernel. The netbook comes preloaded with a web browser, word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation. It is safe to say that this device might be fine as a first notebook for a young person with the proviso that "what you see is (all) that you get". Don't plan on expanding it by adding applications. don't expect do to anything other than simple, very simple tasks. don't expect to browse sites that are much more complicated than the classic Google page. I think that I just talked myself into getting one for the curiosity factor. LOLPuppy Linux might work. The entire OS will run from 64MB of RAM:http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=puppyhttp://www.puppylinux.com
biohazard Posted November 8, 2009 Posted November 8, 2009 I saw this in the glass display what a joke I think my 8yr ds hands would be to large and the screen is very small
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