Ubuntu
ubiquity package

What to install on Dell inspiron mini 1018

Asked by Kevin Clark

I have recently bought a Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 with the following spec,

Intel Atom N450 Processor 1.66Ghz
1 Gb Ram
160 Gb Hard Drive

It has Windows 7 Pre Installed and was running like a 2 legged dog (1 front 1 back opposite sides) and now has completely failed to BOOTMGR press Cntrl Alt Delete to continue.
I do not have the original disks and my partner who uses it did not get on with Windows 7. I now wish to install an alternative and I'm seeking advice as to the best O.S to use.

Cheers,

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Levan Chikobava (levan4mail) said : 		#1

Hello Kevin!
I would recommend you to install Ubuntu 11.04 on your netbook, because the Dell Inspiron 1018 has been awarded the status of Certified on Ubuntu 32-bit.

You can find more information about this here:
http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/hardware/201006-6072/components

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Chris (fabricator4) said : 		#2

Another possibility might be Lubuntu. Lubuntu is more of a minimal install, but is very quick on lesser hardware and you can configure it however you want it. I've tried it on my EeePC 901 but I went back to 10.04 LTS for now. I wasn't happy with the speed and performance of Ubuntu 11.04, and installing off a LiveUSB didn't work for me when it was first released - it took some extra configuration.

I would say try all three if you can - Lubuntu 11.04, Ubuntu LTS, and Ubuntu 11.04. See which one works best on the atom and for your partner. Another factor is battery life in real use situations and you should look at this carefully - I found it was one of the most important things. When travelling there's nothing worse than running out of battery before you're ready to stop working. The atom _should_ give long battery life on all three systems, but do test it. One of the biggest factors in battery life is the brightness level you set the screen to, so pay attention to that too when making comparisons.

Chris.

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