Here's the story. I dropped by the computer shop last December and saw that they had slashed P3,000 off the regular price of their Acer Aspire laptops. What caught my eye was the Aspire 4730Z -- Intel T3200 dual-core, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard disk, 14.1" WXGA screen, and no operating system. All these, and its price tag of P27,000, just a little bit more than the average netbook.
And, of course, cheapskate me, I kept holding off the purchase. My Thinkpad still works, I said to myself. It's slow but it works. But there were days, of course, when its underpowered 256MB RAM just couldn't cut it any more.
And almost every day, I'd be wandering over to the computer shop. "Has someone bought it already?" I would ask. "Last two units," the manager would say.
Truth be told, I was tempted to buy it elsewhere, yet another reason for my vacillation. At another computer chain, they sold the same model at the same price but with an added 1GB RAM. But then again, we had been neighbors with the next-door shop for so long. Out of loyalty and goodwill, I decided I would buy it from them or not at all.
A couple more weeks passed. The supplies were steadily dwindling. Today, when I finally decided to buy the unit, it was the last one on display. The manager cried her hallelujahs when I walked into the store and announced my intent.
I didn't even bother checking the default Linpus operating system that came with it. Installed Intrepid Ibex this afternoon and everything is working great. As in everything. No funky drivers to install, even the webcam works perfectly with
cheese. My only complaints are the keyboard whose layout I'm not used to (having worked with the Thinkpad for so long) and the touchpad which feels awkward. But I guess it's just a matter of time.
Specs of the machine:
aspire
description: Computer
product: Aspire 4730Z
vendor: Acer
version: V1.10
serial: LXAT90C03183605CF31601
width: 32 bits
capabilities: smbios-2.4 dmi-2.4
configuration: boot=normal uuid=76933E2A-E885-09FC-947C-001EEC5F769E
*-core
description: Motherboard
product: Aspire 4730Z
vendor: Acer
physical id: 0
version: V1.10
serial: Base Board Serial Number
slot: Base Board Chassis Location
*-firmware
description: BIOS
vendor: Acer
physical id: 0
version: V1.10 (07/29/2008)
size: 1MiB
*-memory
description: System Memory
physical id: 14
slot: System board or motherboard
size: 1GiB
*-bank:0
description: SODIMM Synchronous 667 MHz (1.5 ns)
product: 888888888888888888888888888888888888
vendor: Samsung
physical id: 0
serial: 75900A88
slot: DIMM0
size: 1GiB
width: 64 bits
clock: 667MHz (1.5ns)
*-bank:1
description: SODIMM [empty]
physical id: 1
slot: DIMM2
*-cpu
description: CPU
product: Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU T3200 @ 2.00GHz
vendor: Intel Corp.
physical id: 1d
bus info: cpu@0
version: 6.15.13
serial: 0000-06FD-0000-0000-0000-0000
slot: uPGA-478
size: 2GHz
capacity: 2GHz
width: 64 bits
clock: 166MHz
configuration: id=1
*-cache:0
description: L2 cache
physical id: 1e
slot: L2 Cache
size: 1MiB
capacity: 1MiB
capabilities: synchronous internal write-back unified
*-cache:1
description: L1 cache
physical id: 20
slot: L1 Cache
size: 32KiB
capacity: 32KiB
capabilities: synchronous internal write-back data
*-logicalcpu:0
description: Logical CPU
physical id: 1.1
width: 64 bits
capabilities: logical
*-logicalcpu:1
description: Logical CPU
physical id: 1.2
width: 64 bits
capabilities: logical
*-cache
description: L1 cache
physical id: 1f
slot: L1 Cache
size: 32KiB
capacity: 32KiB
capabilities: synchronous internal write-back instruction
*-pci
description: Host bridge
product: Mobile 4 Series Chipset Memory Controller Hub
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 100
bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
version: 07
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
configuration: driver=agpgart-intel module=intel_agp
*-display:0 UNCLAIMED
description: VGA compatible controller
product: Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 2
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
version: 07
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: msi pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=0
*-display:1 UNCLAIMED
description: Display controller
product: Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 2.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.1
version: 07
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=0
*-usb:0
description: USB Controller
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1a
bus info: pci@0000:00:1a.0
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:1
description: USB Controller
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1a.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:1a.1
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:2
description: USB Controller
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1a.7
bus info: pci@0000:00:1a.7
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm debug bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=ehci_hcd latency=0 module=ehci_hcd
*-multimedia
description: Audio device
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1b
bus info: pci@0000:00:1b.0
version: 03
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=HDA Intel latency=0 module=snd_hda_intel
*-pci:0
description: PCI bridge
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 1
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1c
bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.0
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=pcieport-driver
*-pci:1
description: PCI bridge
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 2
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1c.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.1
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=pcieport-driver
*-network
description: Wireless interface
product: AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:04:00.0
logical name: wmaster0
version: 01
serial: 00:22:69:93:cd:13
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
*-pci:2
description: PCI bridge
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 3
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1c.2
bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.2
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=pcieport-driver
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller
vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:05:00.0
logical name: eth0
version: 02
serial: 00:1e:ec:5f:76:9e
size: 100MB/s
capacity: 1GB/s
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
*-pci:3
description: PCI bridge
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 5
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1c.4
bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.4
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=pcieport-driver
*-system:0
description: System peripheral
product: SD/MMC Host Controller
vendor: JMicron Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:07:00.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm pciexpress msi bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=sdhci-pci latency=0 module=sdhci_pci
*-system:1 UNCLAIMED
description: SD Host controller
product: Standard SD Host Controller
vendor: JMicron Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 0.2
bus info: pci@0000:07:00.2
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm pciexpress msi cap_list
configuration: latency=0
*-system:2 UNCLAIMED
description: System peripheral
product: MS Host Controller
vendor: JMicron Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 0.3
bus info: pci@0000:07:00.3
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm pciexpress msi bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=0
*-system:3 UNCLAIMED
description: System peripheral
product: xD Host Controller
vendor: JMicron Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 0.4
bus info: pci@0000:07:00.4
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm pciexpress msi bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=0
*-usb:3
description: USB Controller
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1d
bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.0
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:4
description: USB Controller
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1d.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.1
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:5
description: USB Controller
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1d.2
bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.2
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:6
description: USB Controller
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #6
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1d.3
bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.3
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:7
description: USB Controller
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1d.7
bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.7
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm debug bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=ehci_hcd latency=0 module=ehci_hcd
*-pci:4
description: PCI bridge
product: 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1e
bus info: pci@0000:00:1e.0
version: 93
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pci bus_master cap_list
*-isa
description: ISA bridge
product: ICH9M LPC Interface Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1f
bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.0
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: isa bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=0
*-storage
description: SATA controller
product: ICH9M/M-E SATA AHCI Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1f.2
bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.2
logical name: scsi0
logical name: scsi1
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: storage msi pm bus_master cap_list emulated
configuration: driver=ahci latency=0 module=ahci
*-disk
description: ATA Disk
product: Hitachi HTS54321
vendor: Hitachi
physical id: 0
bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
logical name: /dev/sda
version: FB2O
serial: 080728FB0240LCGK11WA
size: 149GiB (160GB)
capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
configuration: ansiversion=5 signature=86f686f6
*-volume:0
description: EXT3 volume
vendor: Linux
physical id: 1
bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,1
logical name: /dev/sda1
logical name: /
logical name: /dev/.static/dev
version: 1.0
serial: 12776c79-c919-4651-907e-b320e17e13e4
size: 18GiB
capacity: 18GiB
*-volume:1
description: Extended partition
physical id: 2
bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,2
logical name: /dev/sda2
size: 130GiB
capacity: 130GiB
capabilities: primary extended partitioned partitioned:extended
*-logicalvolume:0
description: Linux swap / Solaris partition
physical id: 5
logical name: /dev/sda5
capacity: 1906MiB
capabilities: nofs
*-logicalvolume:1
description: Linux filesystem partition
physical id: 6
logical name: /dev/sda6
logical name: /home
capacity: 128GiB
configuration: mount.fstype=ext3 mount.options=rw,relatime,errors=continue,data=ordered state=mounted
*-cdrom
description: DVD-RAM writer
product: DVD RW AD-7560S
vendor: Optiarc
physical id: 1
bus info: scsi@1:0.0.0
logical name: /dev/cdrom
logical name: /dev/cdrw
logical name: /dev/dvd
logical name: /dev/dvdrw
logical name: /dev/scd0
logical name: /dev/sr0
version: SX07
capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r dvd-ram
configuration: ansiversion=5 status=nodisc
*-serial UNCLAIMED
description: SMBus
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) SMBus Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1f.3
bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.3
version: 03
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
configuration: latency=0
*-generic UNCLAIMED
description: Signal processing controller
product: 82801I (ICH9 Family) Thermal Subsystem
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1f.6
bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.6
version: 03
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm cap_list
configuration: latency=0
*-battery
description: Lithium Ion Battery
product: Li-lon Battery
vendor: -Virtual Battery 0-
physical id: 1
version: 10/12/2007
serial: Battery 0
slot: Fake
*-network DISABLED
description: Ethernet interface
physical id: 2
logical name: pan0
serial: 62:c4:fb:7d:1d:22
capabilities: ethernet physical
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