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Elonex "One" laptop
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29-02-2008 7:56pm#1
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AlmightyCushion wrote: »That's insane. €150 for a laptop. Does anyone know what the specs are for it?
I could dig out The Times from the recycle bin, but I've a few beers on me, along with a humungous pizza, so I may not make it back out of the bin. Plus it's very windy outside.
Have a look on times.co.uk.0 -
Join Date:Posts: 33566
A bin can actually make a very comfy bed, Tom.
Here's the story from the times.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article3374812.ece
Here's a pic.A new laptop computer for just £99 sounds like the kind of offer found in a spam e-mail or on a dodgy auction website. But the British company Elonex is launching the country’s first sub £100 computer later this month and hopes to be making 200,000 of them by the summer. It will be aimed at schoolchildren and teenagers, and looks set to throw the market for budget laptops wide open.
Called the One, it can be used as a traditional notebook computer or, with the screen detached from the keyboard, as a portable “tablet” – albeit without the planned touchscreen that Elonex had to abandon to hit its £99 price tag. Wi-fi technology lets users access the internet or swap music (and homework) files between computers wirelessly.
Personal files can be stored on the laptop’s 1GB of built-in memory or on a tough digital wristband (1-8GB, from £10) that children can plug into the USB socket of whichever computer they happen to be using, be it the One, a PC at school or their parents’ laptop.
So how can Elonex make a computer for so little? After all, UK consumers paid an average of £477 for a new laptop in 2007, according to the retail analyst GfK.
The secret is simple: open-source software. The One runs on Linux, which is a rival to Windows but completely free to use. Open-source software can be freely swapped or modified by anyone who wants it. In the past such operating systems (there are several of them) have been outgunned by the more sophisticated Windows programs. However, an open-source operating system is ideal for low-cost devices as it performs well on less powerful, cheaper hardware.
Naturally, the One is more basic than all-singing, all-dancing notebooks. Nonetheless, it includes a free word processor and spreadsheet, a free web browser and free e-mail software. It has a 7in screen, a rubbery little keyboard and no CD drive. And it all runs on an ageing chip that was designed before its target audience of seven-year-olds were even born.
InGear had an exclusive hands-on look at a preproduction One. The keyboard was slow and spongy and the built-in speakers could be louder but the screen was bright and the software package impressively varied (if rather sluggish) on this prototype.
Preloaded programs ranged from instant messaging software and a photo editor to games and an MP3 player. Moving files to and from the USB wristband was easy enough – and there’s a Bluetooth version with 2GB of memory (£120) that lets you swap files with mobile phones too.
Elonex will be launching the computer at the Education Show at the NEC in Birmingham at the end of this month, and is targeting schools as potential buyers.
The Elonex One isn’t the only low-cost educational laptop out there, however. Asus launched an open-source laptop in the run-up to Christmas last year. The Eee PC (about £200) has proved popular with adults as well as children, with its first shipment selling out nationwide within hours of its November release.
The One Laptop per Child initiative, which began in America, hopes to offer a “Give one, get one” event this year in Britain, where consumers can buy two computers – one for themselves and one for a child abroad – for about £200.
But open-source software has its problems. If no one owns it, there’s no one to complain to when things go wrong – and the One has no antivirus or firewall software built in. The old-fashioned feel of the One’s programs could also flummox modern cyber-kids used to the slick menus, wizards and plug-and-play simplicity of Windows.
Of course, in the context of laptops costing more than £1,000 – and even copies of Microsoft Office software retailing at as much as £120 – paying £99 for a fully functional, internet-ready laptop packed with software isn’t a huge risk to take.
And it’s this magic price that is the One’s biggest asset. The more that parents choose to buy Ones, the more music and games their kids will share, and the more sought after it will become. A laptop as the coolest thing in the playground? Stranger things have happened.
I'd much prefer the eee pc but at this price tag it really does have a serious edge over the eee pc.0 -
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Join Date:Posts: 33566
Boards wasn't enough for him so cloud had to make his own laptop.I'm doing a side by side comparasin of one to an Everex Cloudbook at the mo'. I think the unit I have is an RTM model but I'm unsure. I have only played with it for about an hour but I've seen scathing reviews by peers in the industry. Couldn't hold a torch to the Eee, and is underpriced to compare fairly with the cloudbook.
What's the cloudbook?0 -
This is the Cloud Book, made by some company called Everex, specs. It's pretty nice, keyboard's a bit small even for my 4 y/o sister though. It's a very "googlish" form of Ubuntu which is nice though. Kinda better than an Eee, more pricey though I think.0 -
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Jack B. Badd wrote: »Mine was dispatched on Monday according to an email they sent me
The dslshop site doesn't allow for parcel tracking (despite saying that it does) so I've no idea when it should be arriving - hopefully today!
Is that the regular One or did you use the free upgrade to the One-T?0 -
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how much is the onet?if thats only £99 i'l allmost defientely get one
Good question- doesn't look like they are officially selling them at all as yet.
I paid the following:
ElonexONEt+ Pink 1 £ 119.00
ElonexONEt+ Green 1 £ 119.00
Neoprene Case Black 1 £ 10.00
Neoprene Case Pink 1 £ 10.00
USB External Keyboard 2 £ 20.00
USB Optical Mouse 2 £ 10.00
Deposit / Delivery charge
(previously paid) £ 20.00
Total £ 288.00
I hasten to add- the pink one is not for me!!! 0 -
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how much is the onet?if thats only £99 i'll allmost defientely get one
Ha! Fraid not, without the free upgrade the OneT costs £179 (upgrade version £199). At that price, you may as well go for an Asus EEE.
The register misquoted the price - I think a few people commented to that effect.0 -
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smccarrick wrote: »Its some bizarre Chinese reduced instruction processor that they ripped off- there are apparently instructions on how to get Puppy Linux (or even Ubuntu) up and running on it (obviously with a reduced footprint) but it doesn't support it natively.
I'm awaiting the One-T+ which has the same hardware in a different chassis, so do please post your experiences!
Apparently the processor on the OneT(+) is reduced instruction set, however the processor on the One(+) is 486/Intel compatible - I have no idea how accurate this statement actually is and I can't remember which blog/forum I read this on, there are only a few so I might have a gander tonight and link to it. I'm also curious how they found out about the processor on the OneT(+) since none have been shipped yet. I presume they're just taking the specs from the machine it was based on.
The lack of an install/recovery disk is a bugger because it means if I change the OS and it goes tits-up I'm knackered until Elonex can sort me out. However, it was suggested that Deli (linux specifically for older machines - 486 to Pentium III) would be a good bet. I may be brave during the week and try it out...
Edit: Found it!Let's emphasise a consequence of that - we cannot guarantee that the same software will be on the ONEt as there is on the ONE! The ONE appears to use a processor that is compatible with an earlier Intel machine, making it that little bit easier to find compatible software than the ONEt that appears to use a "reduced instruction set" processor. This may make the available software on the ONEt more restricted and make it harder to get the very latest version.
Yet another edit: Someone over on the Puppy Linux Forum queried Elonex on the processor specs for the One and received confirmation that its an x86 chip... Things are looking up 0 -
Arse
Can't boot either Puppy linux or EEEdora from a USB stick on the Elonex One. Going to try DSL next... Fingers crossed!
...
DSL doesn't work either. Might try with one of the live CDs tomorrow if I can get my hands on an external CD Reader.0 -
Jack B. Badd wrote: »Yet another edit: Someone over on the Puppy Linux Forum queried Elonex on the processor specs for the One and received confirmation that its an x86 chip... Things are looking up
That is *not* what I have been told by one of the original techies (i.e. one who has been with them since before the restructuring last Nov). She was quite emphatic that its not x86 compatible. What she said is that its compatible with the ARM processors in some of the smart phones- and might be cajoled into running one of the light o/s designed for that platform.
Please let me know what the result of your experiments are- my pair of machines aren't slated for delivery for another week or so.........0 -
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Well, I finally got a response from Elonex on one of my questions - received the following last night:Please go to the following link to download the recovery file for the Elonex One / One +
Once downloaded copy to a blank USB storage device or wrist vault that was supplied with your computer.
Then follow the instructions attached
http://www.elonex.co.uk/support/products/lnxone.shtm
Regards
Support
The good news is that it doesn't completely fubar the OS.
However, having considered my options I've decided to return my unit as today is my last day of the cooling off period. I'm going for the EEE 701 instead which fortunately, due to my waiting for the One+, has come down in price and will be arriving tomorrow
My One+ is going back tomorrow too. Elonex have organised collection quite helpfully so it's back in its box... Btw, it's a bit of a mixed bag at Elonex's customer care line so if you're looking for someone helpful, ask for Jamie.
Hopefully, the OneT(+) will be better. I'm curious about people's experiences with it in comparison to the One(+) so please post.0 -
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