Sub-$700 Linux laptops on the way

Linux laptop lovers who are searching for a rare bargain – a pre-configured Linux laptop for under $700, for example – may want to check out the latest offerings from Elitegroup Computer systems. The Taiwanese computer manufacture last week announced it is offering a line of laptop computers running the Linux-based LindowsOS for under $700.

ECS’s A535 laptop runs an AMD 4 1.4 GHz processor and ships with 128M bytes of memory and an 80G byte hard drive. The six-pound machine also includes integrated Wi-Fi-based wireless LAN networking capabilities, as well as four USB 2.0 ports built in. Also built in is a 1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet port (remember when 1G NICs alone were over $700?). The notebooks also have optional DVD/ROM drives, as well as a 14.1-inch 1024×760 resolution monitor.

ECS says 300,000 of the machines will be shipped for sale in the U.S. The laptops run the LindowsOS Laptop Edition operating system, which includes additional power management capabilities and native Wi-Fi support.

Getting a Linux-loaded laptop from leading notebook manufactures is no longer a simple task as many major vendors have pulled back their Linux laptop offerings. But Linux laptops are still popular especially with developers and a host of online resources and communities exist for the “do-it-yourself” crowd. Sites like http://www.linux-laptop.net offer comprehensive instructions for installing Linux on hundreds of notebooks from dozens of manufactures. There’s even a site (http://www.windowsrefund.net) dedicated to helping people get a refund on Windows operating system software from PC manufactures when replacing a notebook operating system with Linux.