Recently I started mulling over purchasing a Kindle 3, as I lead a fairly migratory lifestyle that is starting to challenge my book collections. I was really psyched to find out about the Pixel Qi screen though - if you haven't heard, PixelQi (which I believe spun out of the OLPC project) have released a 10.1" screen that can alternate between display types, including E-ink. I'm really excited about the technology, as the main reason I've avoided e-readers (and moreover e-boos) thus far is that my eyes can't take the amount of reading I already do on a computer.
So I'm currently looking at buying a netbook with the sole intention of dropping that screen into and having a super-e-reader, and I've been looking into the netbook edition of Kubuntu. It may be shallow, but one of the biggest draws of Kubuntu for me is that I can completely customize the desktop appearance/window behavior. I've spent a year working on my desktop aesthetics, but looking at reviews of the Netbook edition, I noticed that the default layout seems to focus on 3 icon-filled panels. My intuition says "it's linux, it can be changed", but can anyone confirm this for me? I still prefer a taskbar & application launcher a million-fold to anything resembling a smartphone layout, and I'd hate to abandon the feeling of a desktop OS interface.
Further, I admit that it's been quite a while since I was properly versed in hardware terminology. Reading a few reviews online, I get the feeling that most netbooks are considered underperformers and/or glorified email checkers? Most of what I do these days IS internet access and playing mp3s, but I do occaisionally use programs like Audacity and Gimp for creative projects. Also, as mentioned, I want my next compy to do a kindle imitation. Are netbooks truly THAT underwhelming in their processing power? Can they really not handle an occaisional 5-programs-at-once session? (Ie, Firefox, Amarok, Nicotine, Skype, OpenOffice).
So I'm currently looking at buying a netbook with the sole intention of dropping that screen into and having a super-e-reader, and I've been looking into the netbook edition of Kubuntu. It may be shallow, but one of the biggest draws of Kubuntu for me is that I can completely customize the desktop appearance/window behavior. I've spent a year working on my desktop aesthetics, but looking at reviews of the Netbook edition, I noticed that the default layout seems to focus on 3 icon-filled panels. My intuition says "it's linux, it can be changed", but can anyone confirm this for me? I still prefer a taskbar & application launcher a million-fold to anything resembling a smartphone layout, and I'd hate to abandon the feeling of a desktop OS interface.
Further, I admit that it's been quite a while since I was properly versed in hardware terminology. Reading a few reviews online, I get the feeling that most netbooks are considered underperformers and/or glorified email checkers? Most of what I do these days IS internet access and playing mp3s, but I do occaisionally use programs like Audacity and Gimp for creative projects. Also, as mentioned, I want my next compy to do a kindle imitation. Are netbooks truly THAT underwhelming in their processing power? Can they really not handle an occaisional 5-programs-at-once session? (Ie, Firefox, Amarok, Nicotine, Skype, OpenOffice).
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