Update: SD memory card with Ubuntu Eee preinstalled

Isn’t US$100 too much for third world countries?… it is almost half the price of the Eee PC itself… :(

The idea seems good for improve donations with sales, but the price is not attractive…

AFAIK hibernate does not work if running Ubuntu from SD (that is at least my experience) Also the installation on a SD does not work out of the box ( https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-eee/+bug/238780 ) . So there is more to do then just package and deploy.

So it’s not possible to install it on a SD card just now? I wanted to do it today…

Thanks very much Jon! :D I will try it tomorrow. I want to use the default Xandros on the 4GB and use another 4 GB SD for this great Ubuntu-eee ^^

I would pay a few bucks for just a sticker to put on my eee or on the sdhc I have in my eee that has the ubuntu-eee logo. (either a nice one fairly large (3X3?) to put on the front computer or a small one like the ones going on the sdhc)

Hi, before jumping into those sd cards buy, I would recommend a quick look at the folowing url: http://reviews.ebay.com/FAKE-FAKE-FAKE-Kingston-4GB-50x-Elite-Pro-SD-cards_W0QQugidZ10000000002771721.

Now compare the picture shown in your url with this one http://ak.buy.com/db_assets/prod_lrg_images/290/10393290.jpg and check the resemblances.

When I first saw the picture, I thought it resembled a product i had seen/had.

Hi. I think this is a great idea, but a bit risky on your side, for the same reason, I will explain.

SDHC cards tend to be problematic on many Eees. Google around for “eee SDHC issues” or similar. It seems to depend on temperature, as they starts warming, some Eees start having problems writing (but also reading I am confident) to many SDHC card models.

I have installed eeeXubuntu, full Gutsy, and full Hardy on my 3 types of SDHC cards (4, 8 and 16GB, classes from c2 to c6!) and had problems with ALL of them. The same cards run ubuntus smoothly if inserted into an external USB reader (and when the Eee is cold), just to clarify that it’s not installation or OS problems.

That said, if you find a card that is tested to run smoothly on *all* the EeePcs, you’d do a double favour to all of us: 1st it is a SDHC tested to run smoothly, 2nd it has Ubuntu preinstalled. So double gain, double advantage. Id buy it instantly.

But.. what if people start complaining that their smooth and cool “OsOnCard” starts freezing when the computer gets warm? Can you afford having thousands of people returning you “defective” cards (actually their computers are defective not the cards, but can you explain it)?

So the idea is great, just be careful in choosing the type and have it tested around A LOT..

If I were you, I’d go for option 2, that might let also users choose different formats like 4GB/8GB. They pay x2 and you ship the right one. Or you may start with one format and then, as the costs fall down, you migrate to a larger card. In the middle users may choose both. With option 1, one day there will be one last user that donates 50$ and gets a 4GB and the following user donating 50$ will get an 8GB.. someone might get angry. Or you may stick forever with 4GB but someday someone might start thinking that 50$ for a small card is too much.

P.S. how will you handle shipping to .. hem.. for instance, let’s say Italy? You will ship to Italy, will you?

Francesco

This is a great idea. I’d definitely buy one.

Jon,

I think $50 is a lot better. I dont believe everybody here in Brazil would buy it, but a lot may and will (myself included), but the points mentioned by Francesco are important, because not everyone will understand that donation plus gift is different from buying.

Bruno