So a lil bit ago I blogged about ecto, a great blog package for OS X. The same folks make a package for the iPhone called iBlogger. I picked it up the other day and it’s very impressive. The UI is clean and the app is quick and stable.

In all, another win from these guys. Check it out.

Ok, y’all. It’s only several months behind, but I have released Billix 0.24 – the “Pull My Finger” edition! (a tribute to Jerry Jalava and his amazing USB finger). Here’s some of the changes I made to it..

Billix 0.24 - "Pull my finger!" (Tribute to Jerry Jalava and his USB finger)
Removed Ubuntu Gutsy (7.10)
Added Ubuntu Intrepid (8.10)
Updated CentOS 5 to Centos 5.2
Updated CentOS 4 to Centos 4.7
Updated Fedora to Fedora 10
Removed Debian Sarge
Added Debian Lenny (5.0)

Y’all can get it from Sourceforge. Have a good one!

I just gotta give a shout out to the folks over at illumineX. Back when I ran a Mac regularly, I was a huge fan of their ecto blog software. Once I cut back over to Linux fulltime, I was forced to leave ecto behind.

Now that I’m back on Mac again due to work reasons, I found myself craving some ecto love. Sadly, I couldn’t find my ecto license key. I emailed the folks at illumineX, and they looked up my old license and emailed it to me in short order. That’s service. Good software, good service… I’ll be buying their iBlogger software for the iPhone. :) Thanks, illumineX folks!

So… not too long ago I nabbed a used Acer AspireONE from a buddy. He wasn’t using it much and let it go for a song - it’s the base model with 512MB RAM, the 8GB SSD, and Linux. The first thing I did was rip that lil puppy open and jam a 1GB stick of RAM in its guts, giving it a very usable 1.5GB RAM.

I’ve been living with the lil fella ever since - it practically disappears in my laptop bag, even with the MacBook (yah, blasphemy, I know) in there. I’d mentioned the netbook a couple of times in the Arstechnica #linux IRC channel, so I figured I’d give Truck a hand and whip out a lil comparo of the physical size of the machine. Speed benchmarks are easily google-able, but overall size less so. So… here are some pics.

First, let’s see the netbook (it’s got Songbird stickers on it), lid closed, atop the venerable Fujitsu P7000 (FujiP). Keep in mind all my writing for Ubuntu Hacks was done on the FujiP.

Next, a top-down shot of the same setup. The lower left corners of both computers are lined up, and the FujiP is only a little deeper and wider than the AspireONE.

For comparison sake, the netbook atop a 14” IBM Thinkpad T42, one of the more common laptops out there…

Now, a side-by-side shot of the AspireONE and FujiP. Keyboard size is nearly identical, though the FujiP wins out on screen space by nearly an inch. Sorry for not having the FujiP powered up, but the battery was flat dead in the lil guy.

Another keyboard shot - this one head-to-head. The keyboard on the FujiP is nicer, but only marginally.

And for comparison, side-by-side shots of the AspireONE and the Thinkpad T42. The keyboard size difference is definitely more noticeable now.

To really drive the point home on how small this netbook is, I put it on top of the T42’s keyboard. Looks like the T42 could swallow the netbook - and the T42 was considered a “thin and light” laptop not all that long ago. How the times they are a-changin’….

Hope this helps you decide if you can use a netbook for daily tasks. For me, it couldn’t be my only system. However, as an extension of a desktop or fullsized laptop, or as a semi-disposable computer to take into questionable situations (on a boat?) it’s totally usable.

• Dunno whether to go to bed, or fiddle around some more. Wonder if I can see Tomorrow Never Dies for the 3rd time in a row on BBCA. #
• OK Tweeps, it’s time to call it a nite. Tune in tomorrow, same bat-time, same bat-channel. :) #
• RT @yoochild: A history of Star Trek logos http://is.gd/nxGE – can’t resist rt’ing this. Sucker for Star Trek. #nerd #
• Wow. Ubuntu on a N800 tablet. I’ll have to try this. :) http://is.gd/nwl5 #
• This is the best damn story I have read in a LONG time. Hotrods, booze, and stupid stuff, but told in an expert fashion. http://is.gd/nyMJ #
• Operation fix a washer complete. Had to hot wire the thing, but it works. :-D [?] #
• Monkey 1 and Monkey 2 playing with Cheese on my netbook. :). http://twitpic.com/266y0 #
• And they say Linux is hard to use. These two aren’t having any trouble…. http://twitpic.com/26738 #
• Aw crap. I just hit the Spanish button on the atm. Made the transaction ok, but can’t wait for TehWife(TM) to see this receipt…. Lol… #
• Seeing all the tweets from #sxsw and wishing I’d gone. But its ok, I’ll be at @penguicon with @shawnp0wers and the Ars Linux squad. :) #
• YES! God bless Tom McClintock for that *awesome* speech on the House floor!!! And thanks to @AandGShow for doing the postcard campaign. #
• Made it to the office. It feels like a Monday, despite yesterday’s antics with the washer. #
• Good god, yes. Happy Tuesday to me. http://twitpic.com/26q21 #
• Wow. I can’t get to arstechnica.com - the Apple event must have their stuff hammered. @ejacqui, everything ok there? #
• Installing the beta iPhone OS 3.0 on the iPhone. You can all envy me now. :P Yep, just the thing to do on a St. Patty’s Day nite. :/ #
• Ok. Another day. Coke Zero? Check. Charged phone? Check. @AandGShow on the radio? Check. Let’s rock. #
• RT @jnassi: Project Gummi Bear for March 18th is up! http://gummibear.tumblr.com #gummibear – This one is a bag of AWESOME!!!!! #
• Wow. Sun and IBM. Somewhere, Scott McNealy is turning circles under a hockey rink. Never thought I’d see *this* day. #
• Does anyone else find it odd that status.twitter.com goes to a tumblr blog? Seems… incestous. #
• Holy crap. I have a new hero, and it’s this guy: http://is.gd/nRLT #
• Awesome. My lunch order number is the answer to the question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. http://twitpic.com/2805k #
• Wildbill crashing and burning, badly. Need cafffeine and/or sugar infusion, stat! #
• RT @gdruckman: There are Hundreds of MRI machines in Houston, but for the 500k ppl in the Negev area there’s only ONE #aabgu #
• Whew. Just made it home. A good, if hectic, day. #
• RT @TechCrunch [News] Beejive IM Moves To Block Out iPhone Pirates http://twurl.nl/lsdi7p – as antipirate stuff goes, this is cool. #
• Well, once again I’m up too late. @jnassi, I’m gonna see Watchmen tomorrow w/ @0and1 at 7pm at Mercado. Ping if you’re in. Din @ tomatina. #
• And I’m spent. Night, Twitter. #
• Ok, it’s time to start the commute to the office. Gotta grab my caffeine and tune in the @AandGShow. Yay for beeping and creeping. #
• And…. It’s meeting time again. Yay. Where’s my baseball bat? #
• Quien es mas macho? Fernando Lamas, o Ricardo Montalban… #
• Van Halen “Little Guitars” http://twt.fm/6908 #twtfm #
• A closeup of my “luser adjustment tool”. (LART). An old gift from @jnassi that still sees use. :) http://twitpic.com/2950r #
• Burger King. Again. Yay. Maybe it’s Angry Whopper time. #
• Now provisioning two Blackberry Bolds. Can’t WAIT till I get one of these. Soooo nice. #
• Waiting for @jnassi to get his gummi ass over here and chill with @0and1 and I. #
• Gearing up for watchmen with @jnassi and @0and1. No tequila tho. Will have rum @ home, cuz I have 40 miles to drive. #
• I love california. Where else can you drive home with the sunroof open at 11pm in March? #
• After seeing #watchmen last nite, I am glad to know I can be a pudgy Rorshach or a short Nite Owl for Halloween. #
• #followfriday @jnassi @0and1 @AandGShow @daNanner @farwyde @jengrly @kattni @linuxjournal @matthiasvw @shawnp0wers @TechBabe @theuserpool #
• #followfriday @thehotlibrarian @yoochild @linuxjournal @KatherineD @shawnp0wers @JustinRyan @crredwards @LisaH @CandieB #
• #followfriday @tygerbaby @Mia @StoneTable @anthonymartinez @gdruckman #
• awesome. Leaving the datacenter. Fixed a sick server… Again. Deft hands and a pure heart triumph again! #
• Damn. Is Boston perhaps the best classic rock band *ever*? Well, them and #
• Foghat. Damn iPhone screwed up a decent joke. #
• This is ridiculous. I work for a gps company. I have gps everywhere. And I’m lost trying to find where by wife is. Amazing. #
• Ah I figured it out. The geocoder has the addresses off by more than two blocks. #
• Pet peeve #185: a blow off valve on your car does NOT make it fast. Neither does a fart pipe. When you wanna go fast let me know. #
• Watching BSG and am about 35 minutes behind everything. Also haven’t seen anything since season 3. This should be fun. #bsg #
• Wtf am I doing awake. #
• Heading to the horse barn to bring a forgotten something to TehWife(TM). Waving at Alpo and Purina - a high point of any Saturday. #
• http://twitpic.com/2bv2q Monkey #2 playing Tap Tap Revenge on the iPhone, on the car ride to dog food HQ. Think he’s my boy? LOL. #
• My DBI is 94.00 Find yours and manage your followers at http://tweetsum.com #DBI #
• OK, I’m bored. Entertain me, Internet. #
• And… I’m spent. ‘Night, Twitter. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. #
• ‘morning Twitter. *yawn* #
• Like father, like son: Conner watching Top Gear. He put it in by himself. The boy’s gonna turn out fine. :) http://twitpic.com/2cnv0 #
• I really should start working on my taxes. #

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