"That means automatically writing less data to the main drive to prevent undue wear on its write-limited memory cells."

Would that be the same type of memory cells which Vista's ReadyBoost feature uses for... er, constantly writing loads of data to? I need someone to clarify this for me. Are flash drives: -

1. great for applications that read and write lots of stuff, because they're very fast, or

2. terrible for applications that read and write lots of stuff, because they wear out really easily?

And if the answer is "both of the above", I can see that might be a problem.

EEE PC is a Windows killer. As a long time Windows programmer, I'm hedging my bets - There is an EEE PC with me now at all times, and I'm brushing off those old Linux skills...

Will this work with RMs CC3 software which most school domains use?

I doubt the linux version will very much.

I wonder how long they spent trying to think up that name?

(I'm guessing that they don't have any legal department at all.)

Next week they will be changing the entire company name to: minMicroSoft

"the RM machine matches the spec of the Asus-sold model exactly" - That's probably because it's the same machine. We bought some of the first RM miniBooks (Asus Eee PC 4G) and they're exactly the same as the Asus. RM seem to have abandoned their normal re-branding policy for laptops with these, as my miniBook has an Asus logo on the lid and came in an Asus box. The only RM branding anywhere was on the RM site and the receipt.

"That means automatically writing less data to the main drive to prevent undue wear on its write-limited memory cells."

They turned memory paging off then...

A sensible school will buy Acer Aspire Ones with Linux, and use it as the thin end of the wedge to push Microsoft out of the school. Now that ICT means 'using Office', OpenOffice will be fine for getting all your students A*s.

Paris, 'cos even she could get an A* these days.

So it's just an Eee minus the beach babe? Was she really that expensive?

Paris, because she's all that and more.

"automatically writing less data"

Shouldn't that be 'fewer data'..?

It is widely accepted that the English word "data" in its computer sense is most commonly used as a mass noun (like "bread", "sand" or "money").

Part of the reason for this is that it is impossible to quantify a "datum" in computing terminology. Is it a bit, a nybble, a byte, a word, a float,... an ASCII character, a Unicode character, a character string.... It is each of these things and more, depending on the context.

Given the variability of the term, it is essentially meaningless. How can a word exist without meaning? So the word "datum" died, leaving "data" as an orphan. How can you have a plural without a corresponding singular? You can't -- and thus "data" became uncountable.

There are academic (non-computing) contexts where a "datum" still exists, and in such contexts "data" is treated as a plural, but these are rare and in a very restricted domain.

No windows-domain-ability in XP home?

Well there's a reason for the linux version linux all on its own!

Something ironic about that!

so the education authorities still aren't educated on OSes ? Do they realise they are playing into the Beast-of-Redmond's clammy hands by creating a generation of Windoze consumers?

still this is government , and I've long worked out that most of the people there couldn't survive outside of their cosetted existence.

I have to educate my children to the fact that there are other OSes than what is fed to them at school.

oh so much for the future , our Grandkids will all be sucking Bill Gates and Steve Bulmer's grandkids cocks FOR EVER !!

"WIll this work with CC3?"

Why should it be the first?