Gecko orders

I have just placed an order for two Gecko Edubooks. The manager Michael Barnes has offered one for free, but I am buying a second unit also.

I won't be keeping the second, I'll be donating it to a charity organization in India. A member of an NGO in India, someone I know, will be visiting Perth soon, and I'll give the laptop to her. Hopefully it will arrive in time.

So, it's kind of like the OLPC scheme where you buy one, and one goes to a third world country

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Comments

Good On Ya
Username: RockDove
I'd be curious to see the Hardinfo - esp. for the processor - for the Edubook. Kudos for your BOGO (Buy One Give One).

Gecko Edubook + Puppy Linux
Username: rhadon
"maybe you like it: http://www.liliputing.com/2010/01/norhtec-gecko-edubook-puppy-linux-thats-more-like-it.html ~ Rolf

Norhtec website
Username: BarryK
"The Norhtec website is: http://www.norhtec.com/ However it is very strange, I cannot connect to that site via my satellite Internet (company: Skymesh). My browser does say "connected" but that's it, just times out waiting for the page to load. I have tried many times over 5 - 6 days. So yesterday I used my fallback dialup account (company: Netbay) and no problem whatsoever accessing that site. ...isn't that interesting? anyone know any technical reason why I have this problem with my Skymesh connection? Anyway, that's how I ordered. went to their secure site, https://www.norhtec.com and paid by credit card. The cost per unit is 199 USD plus postage. For that you get a 8GB SD card with WattOS (Linux), 512MB RAM. I'm not sure, but I think the production models have two SD slots. Anyway, I will be reporting on usability. Especially on-the-go, as I'll be travelling a bit this year. If you are interested in a recent review: http://www.digitalreviews.net/reviews/pc-hardware/norhtec-xcore-gecko-edubook-reviewed.html There is also a forum thread currently active, discussing the Gecko. Someone posted some speed tests on the CPU/FPU/GPU -- prepare to be underwhelmed!

Gecko forum links
Username: BarryK
"Here are the forum discussions: http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=43544 http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=42315 Note, that 199 price does include an internal wifi module -- plugged into the internal usb socket. I never asked them what postage is going to cost me -- I presume around 50 USD.

Norhtec website
Username: Gulk
"Hi Barry, it might just be the DNS server you're using. I'd be curious to see the IP you get when you ping the norhtec website from your Skymesh connection and the one you get from your dialup. FYI, I use the openDNS servers (208.67.222.222 // 208.67.220.220) for my DNS needs :) Not only they are very much up to date, but also help correct the URL when mistyped in the browser address (and avoid ending up in phishing or scam websites)

travel plans
Username: x
"[quote]Especially on-the-go, as I'll be travelling a bit this year[/qoute] tell us of your travel plans some of us are experts in this feild perhaps we can give you some tips. i still fail to see how you lost/wasted money or became poorer by traveling to india.

Alternative Supplier
Username: Anonymous Coward
"Hello BarryK, I actually sourced the Edubook from an alternative supplier. It turns out that the Edubook is actually manufactured by DMP (see http://www.toypc.tw/), the same people who gave you the Vortex86MX aka MSTI PMX-1000, which NorhTec rebadges as the XCore86. Sandget Technology (http://sandget.en.alibaba.com) currently distributes the Edubook. I was quoted a price of US$192.50 for the model with 1GB RAM, 4GB SD and a pirated (and unwanted!) copy of Windows XP, and US$38 for shipping to Singapore. Hope this helps.

Hardinfo Report
Username: Kevin Bowers
""I'd be curious to see the Hardinfo - esp. for the processor - for the Edubook." For some reason Hardinfo's report generation fails on the Edubook, just outputs a blank file, but "copy to clipboard" works. Here's the processor output: -Processor- Name : 05/08 Family, model, stepping : 5, 8, 6 (Unknown) Vendor : Vortex86 SoC -Configuration- Cache Size : 0kb Frequency : 1000.08MHz BogoMIPS : 2000.16 Byte Order : Little Endian -Features- FDIV Bug : no HLT Bug : no F00F Bug : no Coma Bug : no Has FPU : yes -Cache- Cache information not available -Capabilities- fpu : Floating Point Unit tsc : Time Stamp Counter and RDTSC instruction cx8 : CMPXCHG8 instruction mmx : MMX technology up : smp kernel running on up The cache size finally explains why this machine is so sluggish: it doesn't have an internal cache at all! There's one more Forum topic on the Gecko Edubook: http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=50208. Yes, the screws are troublesome, but you only need one. I transport my unit in a small camera case with foam-rubber padding and have had no problems with the back cover coming loose while being held in place with only the center screw. Barry, I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine. Puppy turns the Gecko into a pleasure to use instead of a poor choice of equipment, and I thank you and the team for that, with special mention of pskin who configured Puppy 431 to work with the Edubook. --Kevin

The processor _does_ have a cache...
Username: Anonymous Coward
"At least, if the official diagram is to be believed... http://www.vortex86mx.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/mx-bd.jpg See also: http://www.vortex86mx.com/?page_id=199

Tags: general