So, here I am now, having lived with - and used when I can - an Ubuntu Linux laptop for the last couple of months. I've been trying it out alongside my usual laptop (Sony Vaio running Windows XP), my new MacBook Pro, and a Vista notebook that we also have in the house.

Sony has brought a new mini-notebook to the market that is small, light, stylish and with Windows Vista, although its instant-on feature is Linux-powered.

I've been running Ubuntu Linux on my notebook, a Sony VAIO TX model, for some time now. I'm impressed with how stable it's been and how a whole raft of features like action-key support (for things like dimming the display) are available directly out of the box, without having to install additional stuff that I needed to download from Sony's site. But because getting used to Linux itself can be jarring for Windows folks, I decided not to just dive in and hope I'm able to swim. Instead, I'm using a gradual approach: I take it to bed with me.

The MacBook Air went first; a tiny Fujitsu laptop running Vista was hacked on the last day of the contest; but it was Linux, running on a Sony Vaio, that remained undefeated as conference organizers ended a three-way computer hacking challenge Friday at the CanSecWest conference. Article and video.

A British Columbia-based startup called InkMedia announced an under-$300 notebook that runs embedded Linux. Based on a Via chip, the Ink Mobile Computer (Ink MC) depends on flash-based storage and offers an 8.6-inch SVGA display, four USB slots, Ethernet, and WiFi.

There's an interesting comparison on CNN Money between the Apple MacBook Air, the Everex Cloudbook, and the Sony VAIO Tz 298N. Cost wise the Sony was at the top at nearly 4 grand, while the Everex nailed the low end at $400. A nice order-of-magnitude cost spread there. I'll let the Gentle Reader find out on their on what the writer's favorite machine was, but it wasn't the Cloudbook:

Shenzen-based Science and Technology Co. Ltd. has released a $100 netbook that runs Android, Linux, or Windows CE 6.0 on a Via-manufactured ARM SoC (system on chip). The 1.87-pound device includes a 10-inch screen with 1024 x 600 pixel resolution and and two hours of battery life.

The Asus Eee PC 1008HA is a thin and light netbook that weighs just 2.4 pounds and measures just an inch thick. And it’s currently only available with Windows XP. But this weekend Asus did something interesting.

I e-mailed Sony to ask about their Blu-ray burner... their response was (to read) the official system requirements for the drive. The official system requirement is Windows XP. Sony does not support the drive on Windows Vista... MORE->