Today we're proud to announce the launch of the Kogan Agora netbook range. We're the first company in Australia to crack the $500 barrier for a 10-inch netbook. We have two units on sale as of today:
- The Agora Netbook (AU$499) comes with a 1.6GHZ processor, 1GB RAM, 3-cell battery, gOS operating system and weighs only 1.2kg.
- The Agora Netbook PRO (AU$539) includes 2GB RAM, a Bluetooth module, and 6-cell battery.
The Kogan Agora brand is based on open source principles. I'm a strong believer in the values of open source, which is where the Agora naming orginates. We have actively listened to you every step of the way in the design process for the Agora Netbook range. In doing so we've been able to balance the features you requested with the ongoing need to offer the best value for money product on the market.
Netbooks stormed onto the market with open source operating systems and cheap price points. Since then, they've adopted more demanding operating systems and crept up in price. The original promise of netbooks has been lost -- we're hoping the Agora Netbook brings it all back.
The key areas we have focussed on when designing the Agora Netbook range:
- Keyboard: We heard you loud and clear! A good, spacious keybord is key to the usability of a netbook. We looked at smaller chassis designs, which were very sleek, but the inclusion of an edge-to-edge keyboard in the Agora Netbook range means the product is very easy to use.
- Bluetooth: While most said they wanted Bluetooth in a netbook, we also noticed you use it very rarely. Because of this, we chose to include a separate Bluetooth dongle in order to save on power. Instead of having your Bluetooth unit constantly scanning while you’re hooked up to WiFi, you can use it when you need it. This dongle is absolutely tiny!
- Battery life: Between the smaller 3-cell and slightly larger 6-cell batteries, we believe buyers have a good choice in terms of meeting their power requirements. From our tests, the 3-cell last for 2-3 hours for general use while the 6-cell lasts for around 4-6 hours.
Netbooks and operating systems like gOS bring us one step closer to cloud computing as we no longer use hard drives to store most of our information. Having said that, we have included 160GB of hard drive space as well. The Agora range also runs very well on Windows 7™ and we are happy for customers to use any operating system they like. Our support team will guide you through the installation process if you wish to install other operating systems. So far, we’ve successfully tested Windows XP™, Windows 7™, Ubuntu Linux™ and Netbook Remix™, as well as KDE 4™.
We’re very interested hear what you think about the final product, and anything else netbook related. Your input through our blog was invaluable in allowing us to provide a solution that meets your needs at an affordable price point.
Join the discussion...
David says...
Awesome!
Posted at 4:09 p.m. on March 17, 2009
Paul says...
Looks great. :)
Well done on your effort and the price point.
My laptop died three days ago and I've been waiting for this announcement since then.
Paul
Posted at 4:11 p.m. on March 17, 2009
Paul Walker says...
Where's the 3G Modem (or at least as an option)?
How are you supposed to connect to the "Cloud"? WiFi hotspots are rare at best.
Posted at 4:23 p.m. on March 17, 2009
Ruslan Kogan says...
At this point in time we were unable to squeeze a 3G Modem into this at an affordable price point. As our business and buying power grows, this may be an option down the track.
All mobile broadband providers offer USB modems to access their service. One other thing we did after evaluating the feedback was to space the USB slots apart. We have placed two on one side of the netbook and one on the other. The two are not too close, so you can fit a USB modem as well as other devices.
The other thing I forgot to mention is we included a matte screen. Everyone said glossy screens were a pain to use outdoors -- we've rectified that with the Agora Netbook's LCD screen.
Posted at 5:33 p.m. on March 17, 2009
Tyrese says...
great work mate, you've managed to keep the price pretty low but i really think you should've made it with the intel atom Z5 series processors instead of the N2 series processors (was just checking out the specs and it appears that the Z530 processor uses less power to run at the same frequency of 1.6GHz which is how fast the processor you currently have, the N270, runs at) - all this means is that there would be greater battery life using the Z530 processor, another thing you should've done is to keep the 6-cell battery as standard across the 2 models instead of bothering with the 3-cell battery in the base model as very little people will buy this model, u could possibly omit the memory card reader inorder to keep the cost down (very few people would use the memory card reader as nearly all digital devices, eg cameras etc. come with usb cables that u can use instead) - anyways it was a good first try to bring a cheap netbook to australia with a linux OS
Posted at 5:43 p.m. on March 17, 2009
Dan says...
Just in response to Tyrese i think i memory card reader is essential on netbook. As it supports SDHC you can have access to a very portable 32gb of storage via the reader.
Posted at 6:07 p.m. on March 17, 2009
Rob says...
to Tyrese
agree with you about the memory card reader which is hardly ever gonna be used, but with regards to the battery, the 6-cell battery would've cost more and added to the weight than the 3-cell battery, so the 3-cell battery in the base model is designed to offer just a very affordable light weight netbook. I was hoping that the Pro model would've come with the Z530 processor instead of the extra GB of RAM (which is easily upgradable anyways), can you possibly make this upgrade before the dispatch of the first shipment of agora netbooks???
Posted at 6:08 p.m. on March 17, 2009
Paul says...
How much difference is there between the weight of the 3cell and 6 cell batteries?
Also, any idea if this can boot from a USB drive (for installing OS from usb key)?
Posted at 6:21 p.m. on March 17, 2009
Julian says...
definelty the Z530 processor should've been the pick of the choice as the standard processor, dell have just released their 10" netbook with these processors ...what's going on with all the hype about having the latest technology only to install the second best ...looks like kogan is up to his dirty old tricks again (citing higher costs for latest technology)
Posted at 6:28 p.m. on March 17, 2009
Derek says...
What is the weight of the unit with 3 cell, and 6 cell battery? Great product, with an even better price tag!
Posted at 10:04 p.m. on March 17, 2009
harald says...
plans for shipping to europe?
Posted at 10:53 p.m. on March 17, 2009
ven says...
why the matte screen glossy screens have better contrast and saturation depending on the finish they can perform just as well as a matte outside
Posted at 5:31 a.m. on March 18, 2009
Wilson says...
Nice specs for a nice price. Like harald some posts above me I wonder if you are planing to ship this product to Europe.
Tanx:-)
Posted at 8:33 a.m. on March 18, 2009
Socceroos says...
Great to see this Ruslan! I'll be eagerly awaiting its final release. I'm looking at getting one of these with KDE4 for my wife.
Posted at 10:58 a.m. on March 18, 2009
jones says...
does this have a cd/dvd burner?
can you put a cd in this? i cant see in the picture
Posted at 11:40 a.m. on March 18, 2009
Trent petro says...
Netbooks dont have cd drives.
Posted at 1:31 p.m. on March 18, 2009
Ruslan Kogan says...
Hi Harald and Wilson,
We will be selling some of the Agora Netbooks through eBay, which you'll be able to buy (and ship internationally) from: http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/Kogan-Direct/
Posted at 2:40 p.m. on March 18, 2009
Thomas David says...
Finally a decent netbook using linux at a very attractive price in Australia!
I have been waiting so long for something like this to come out,
cheers kogan.
Posted at 4:51 p.m. on March 18, 2009
Jax says...
I'd also be interested to know what the weight of the Pro version is, with its 6-cell battery?
I might be persuaded to replace my 7" eeepc, but I'm a bit concerned this could be somewhat on the heavy side (relatively speaking, that is).
Posted at 8:23 p.m. on March 18, 2009
Nikolaus Klepp says...
When will I see this in Europe? As Asus and others turned to Windows there is a unsatisfied market waiting.
Posted at 10:11 p.m. on March 18, 2009
Paul says...
I read on one of the news sites that the difference is 1.2kg for the small and 1.5kg for the larger battery.
Paul
Posted at 10:47 p.m. on March 18, 2009
Paul says...
Does anyone know if the touchpad is multi-touch?
Posted at 11:37 a.m. on March 19, 2009
cheapskate says...
the price is actually a bit of a rip off because really after adding delivery costs it becomes something like $560 if u live in brisbane, at this price it's only marginly cheaper than the big brand netbooks which come with better specs like built-in bluetooth and draft-N wifi instead of G-wifi, i'm sure kogan is gonna make a lot of profit out of this (at this price) - what happened to passing on all the savings to customers by cutting out the middle man ....it should really have been priced at around the sub $400 mark wouldn't everybody agree???
Posted at 12:11 p.m. on March 19, 2009
beefsack says...
Actually I'm very impressed by this, looking forward to the first reviews. Keyboard looks quite good, interested in the screen quality and battery life with a 6-cell.
Posted at 12:16 p.m. on March 19, 2009
trent petro says...
@cheapskate - yeah thats the only thing Kogan rapes you on is the postage.
Posted at 5:04 p.m. on March 19, 2009
Claudio says...
Damn it's great to see that gOS was chosen cause after i talked about it last time i had a play around with it myself and found it to be superb, so snappy and smooth to use. The price of this is freaking sweet btw, the best I could find was the MSI wind being sold at msy for $595, so a netbook with 2GB of RAM and a bluetooth dongle for $539 is a down right bargain and from what i've read at gizmodo with the prototype it seems to be a real contender ..... lucky I decided to hold out on buying a netbook ;). I only wish it ran on the nano instead of the atom (got a soft spot for the VIA nano) but oh well :( ..... all in all great job I really like this netbook.
Posted at 9:45 p.m. on March 19, 2009
Tyrese says...
hey kogan have u got any plans to make a nettop computer (like the dell studio hybrid and the asus eee box) anytime in the near future??? if not i reckon you should do one with similar specs as your current netbook (atom processor, linux OS etc.) cause the cheapest one u can get is from asus at around $429.00 and it doesn't even come with an optical drive
Posted at 12:09 a.m. on March 20, 2009
gerardo says...
why do not have a version whit a ssd drive ?
Posted at 12:15 a.m. on March 20, 2009
superman says...
hey smogan can u sell like heaps on ebay at $0.99 starting bid???
Posted at 4:14 p.m. on March 20, 2009
Billy says...
is the power connector on this netbook on the left side or the right side (its hard to tell from the pics)? standard is to have it on the left side so there is no obstruction when using a USB mouse on the right side
Posted at 4:23 p.m. on March 20, 2009
Rob says...
Hi guys, well I have joined the queue to get the pro model so am looking forward to the 10th April! Hopefully being an easier unit to deliver as in size, we wont have the dramas we had getting the 42' full HD's into our homes...
Some may remember I ran a blog about the experience of buying a Kogan last year http://kogantv.blogspot.com/ and am happy to say all is still going well with no complaints at all since delivery (we all know about that !)
So I thought I would do the same thing here for the "Netbook" having had pelnty of experience with computers, electronics and laptops etc. No crap, unbiased and I tell it how it is with a dash of humour so feel free to drop in and let me know (all of us) how your experience has been with Kogan and or if you are a first timer what you go through.
Anyway by for now, here is the blog again and remember I have nothing to gain or lose I'm just like anyone else who buys here...
Rob
http://kogantv.blogspot.com/
Posted at 7:10 p.m. on March 20, 2009
Rob says...
By the way, what is the go for these size netbooks? Are there bags available around the traps or is Kogan giving us one for nix in the deal??? (note for Ruslan...lol)
Posted at 7:12 p.m. on March 20, 2009
shrewdy says...
there's a few niches that the netbook market has yet to fill,
things to consider:
basic ATI / Nvidia graphics
touchscreen
this is a great basic netbook for a fantastic price, its on my shortlist.
Posted at 2:58 p.m. on March 22, 2009
The Beer Baron says...
Guys this is the most awesome netbook ever!
I'm gonna get my order in in a few days.
A few facts:
The Basic model w/3 cell bett lasts2-3 hrs, weighs 1.2kg
The Pro w/ 2gig RAM, 6 cell lasts 4-6 hrs, weighs 1.4 kgs
I'm hoping a future model uses an ARM processor as this uses tiny power and is super cool.
Cheers,
The Beer Baron
Posted at 7:51 p.m. on March 22, 2009
Jan says...
Ruslan,
this is really nice. Eventhough I don't need a netbook right now, I just want to say that this way how you lead your company is great. The way you let future customers design their hardware or at least give some input is awesome! This is a win-win situation. The customer is happy because he gets what he needs and because of that very reason you can sell more pieces.
Geat work, keep on doin' it!
Posted at 11:54 p.m. on March 22, 2009
timetraveller says...
the netbook seems great. also waiting for a 1080p 1920 lcd tv, built in hd digital tuner, usbs and a card reader for sdhc. able to access utube etc, and reasonably priced ofcourse.
Posted at 12:30 a.m. on March 23, 2009
TedJ says...
Rob, I'm not sure on whether or not there will be a bundled sleeve, but there are plenty of aftermarket items available. Over the last 2-3 months it seems nearly every major notebook accessory manufacturer has started releasing stuff for netbooks.
That aside, this looks like an awesome piece of kit.
Posted at 1:11 p.m. on March 23, 2009
aaron says...
can we change the wifi card for a draft-n card ?
Posted at 3:34 p.m. on March 23, 2009
Rob says...
@ aaron
agree with u mate, the G-wifi just doesn't have that good of a range than the draft-N
Posted at 3:48 p.m. on March 23, 2009
Dom says...
I have just ordered the pro, so I am looking forward to having a new toy mid april. Unfortunately I was late on the scene so I didn't get to input into the design. Gathering requirements is key to producing the right product so congratulations on successfully implementing this model.
I have no requirement for ethernet or VGA out or a mouse tracker. The hard drive is also overkill, smaller lighter solutions just to boot the OS would suffice. I think the keyboard is great, but would have preferred to see a graphics card capable of 1920x1080, small HDMI output, wifi 802.11N and touch screen pointing device for under $750. I am sure however that the ethernet and vga came with the motherboard and removing them wouldn't save money. One last point, somebody has already mentioned 3G. I hope that the kernel for the OS is built with support for the dongle modems and that the userland apps are ready to roll. This would certainly sweeten the deal!
Well done Kogan!
Posted at 9:41 p.m. on March 23, 2009
DexX says...
I vaguely recall a local pickup option for your TVs - will we be able to save on postage and pick up the new lappy in Melbourne?
Posted at 10:23 a.m. on March 24, 2009
joe says...
Finally one vendor that is not slavishly subordinated by Micro$oft. Every time I went to Dicksmith / OfficeWorks or any of the other vendors, I wanted to vomit every time I saw the WinXP logo on the notebooks.
Bravo!
Where / when can I buy one ?
Posted at 11:59 a.m. on March 24, 2009
Alan says...
Will this hardware configuration support any of the USB TV tuners on the market? I know Asus has released at least one that works on their EEE series.
Posted at 2:37 p.m. on March 24, 2009
Tyrese says...
yeah would definetly like to see touchscreen on future models
Posted at 9:02 p.m. on March 24, 2009
Trent Petro says...
Now all we need is information on the Agora- I would love to get the phone (I can't get the netbook because I looked over my finances and I can't afford it) but I do need a phone and it is something I'm interested in.
Posted at 9:22 p.m. on March 24, 2009
Kirk says...
Matte screen great! Card reader is awesome too! However I would have preferred it to have CF card reader, as to differentiate it from other netbooks on the market. Just such a shame that you have made another black ugly product.
Posted at 12:53 p.m. on March 25, 2009
Rob says...
I must say the specs are very similar to the MSI wind notebook (with the 2gb ram upgrade), but hey could be from the same factory...stay tuned
Posted at 2:38 p.m. on March 25, 2009
Geoff says...
I would use such a device when travelling so that I could check mail etc. I'd also need it to be able to connect to widows based machines back home via Remote Desktop Connections. Can you do that with this device and the OS?
Posted at 12:17 a.m. on March 26, 2009
Phil says...
Connecting to M$ Remote Desktop machines would pose no problems. Just use an app called rdesktop. I imagine it would be in the ubuntu repositories and thus able to be installed straight from the built in software manager.
Posted at 11:36 a.m. on March 27, 2009
Sebastian says...
The pricing on this is remarkable considering we're talking a 10" screen and a close to full-size keyboard. It's looks have taken a hint form the Aspire One with the chrome round hinges, but there are sufficient design differences to make this one stand out. Considering this is a first outing into the land of the computer, it is impressive. look forward to putting it to the test and seeing how it measures up against the ever increasing range of competitors in this market.
I would suggest that if the performance re on par with other similarly specced machines, there really is no good reason to buy any other machine. On-Site Warranty is a bonus too, not a commonly seen one at this price point.
Posted at 9:49 p.m. on March 27, 2009
Sebastian says...
Further on my previous post:
I have to add one negative comment. Kogan's explanation on why he hasn't included an on-board bluetooth module is a convenient 'out'! I have one of these exact little bluetooth dongles and while the 'next best' option if your laptop has no built in bluetooth function, they are still a pain. Try and slip your laptop in your laptop bag with this dongle in it and it will get stuck. It's a pain having to take it out every time you want to take the laptop anywhere. The argument that these modules take power unnecessarily is also flawed as the dongle will take the same if not more power from the machine and I have yet to see a laptop where the built-in bluetooth can't be switched of in a simple fashion by either a button, a switch, or an Fn key combination.
All this having been said. Simply still too good to pass on this one!
sebastiaan@gmail.com
Posted at 10:24 p.m. on March 27, 2009
Sebastian says...
Ruslan,
is this the same machine as the Olevia X10a?
cheers
Posted at 10:41 p.m. on March 27, 2009
chris says...
dude, update, the bluetooth dongle is tiny
Posted at 6:10 a.m. on March 29, 2009
Rick says...
Hi, just wanted to know if kogan were considering releasing one of their machines with 4gb ram? I am in need of a new laptop, and something with more ram around the 10-inch size would be perfect.
If it can be upgraded, how much would it cost?
P.s. It's only a Bluetooth dongle!
Posted at 12:33 p.m. on March 29, 2009
Dent says...
Hi Kogan,
Is there a plan to get software on it that works with your GPS watch? No idea if it's possible via a download, but the two to are a perfect match, IMO. I'm presuming the Bluetooth aspect is a non-issue, but getting the data and being able to upload to Google Maps would be brilliant.
Posted at 11:44 p.m. on March 29, 2009
Tyrese says...
hey kogan will you be able to release some tv's (in say 20, 22 and 24") size with tilt adjustable capabilites for use as computer monitors and if possible make these full HD resolution to defer it from your current 22 and 26" tv's???
Posted at 4:55 p.m. on March 30, 2009
Hitler says...
hey agree with you tyrese, maybe, kogan you can have 2 different range of tv's (one range with full HD resolution and the other with just standard cheap normal HD resolution)
Posted at 4:59 p.m. on March 30, 2009
the SunnyApe says...
I was just about to buy a MSI Wind U120 when I accidentally found a mention of this netbook. It is exactly what I've been looking for, especially the matte screen. The Pro version with 6 cell battery + 2Gb RAM will be my choice. No bluetooth is not the end of the world for me as I can use the dongle. Not bothered about 3G, as I already use my Palm as a 3G modem device. Does it require any funky OEM drivers for Vista or Win7?
Posted at 4:59 p.m. on March 30, 2009
cheapskate says...
kogan looks like you changed your courier company (and this has been reflected upon by reduced postage costs), what can i say ....well done, this is definetly beneficial for customers since your previous postage costs were way too expensive especially to send items to brisbane
P.S. do you have only 1 warehouse in melbourne???
Posted at 5:41 p.m. on March 30, 2009
Where is the Kogan Phone? says...
I just wanted to know if a Kogan phone is coming out soon, or if it will still be a while in development?
Posted at 7:10 p.m. on March 30, 2009
Dom says...
Kogan,
If you really want to support open source and foster a community around these netbooks, why not offer some functionality on your website that we can use to share our configurations and maybe some howtos. They could even be used in specific tuning of the product you ship. An example would be a Three wireless broadband configuration. Imagine if you provided a range of (ubuntu?) packages specific to this hardware. All users would simply have to add kogan packages to the gOS system (or the product is shipped with the packages url) and they would have the precise configurations needed. It seems to me that you are attracting an intelligent and technical enough crowd and I guess we are all going to have the same hardware and if we are in Australia, probably similar requirements. Anything that might be useful to the rest of the world could also be propogated through gOS community..but we don't care too much about that as those forums already exist...The thing we all will have in common is the hardware and probably some requirements. Something to think about especially as you are selling a linux system...some users might not be up to speed and if you have packages ready to roll specifically for these netbooks, it will help them and they will tell others how easy it is. Those others will buy netbooks.
Posted at 9 p.m. on March 31, 2009
Dan says...
It would be nice once the ion platform is released if you could release another pro version featuring that. As the performance is significantly better than the standard atom netbooks. It would make the specifications dramatically stick out from the crowd.
Thanks
Posted at 11:08 a.m. on April 3, 2009
Phil says...
Will it be possible to purchase a 3-cell battery separately? I will be getting the Pro version, but it would be nice to have a 3-cell battery for when you don't need the extra uptime since it makes the unit a little more compact.
Posted at 8:34 a.m. on April 4, 2009
phil says...
will the netbooks be shipped on the 10th its a public holiday or will we have to wait till tuesday
Posted at 8:47 p.m. on April 6, 2009
Trent Petro says...
Maybe hes working on shipping them through out the week before the holidays?
I have the same questions about the Agora Phone that the guy a few posts above raised- seriously I want to play with some tech, but I don't need a netbook.
Posted at 9:44 p.m. on April 6, 2009
liam says...
Intresting to see how delivery plays out.Any one know about this and windows7
Posted at 10:55 p.m. on April 6, 2009
senara says...
regarding delivery: ordered one yesterday & a fella called me up to verify the purchase, during which he mentioned that due to april 10 being good friday, postage won't go out til next tuesday, with anticipated arrival of wed/thurs.
all depends how efficient the warehouse / courier staff are, i s'pose.
Posted at 2:49 p.m. on April 7, 2009
Sweetpea says...
1024 x 600 is not upto the task IMHO. 1280 x 800 would be egselent!
No dig at just Kogan - all of them are like that - stupid really.
Posted at 10:58 p.m. on April 7, 2009
Trevor says...
Hi Ruslan,
Just wondering if there are plans to release a white version in the near future?
Posted at 9:11 p.m. on April 8, 2009
liam says...
thanks senara
Posted at 10:41 p.m. on April 8, 2009
tom says...
why the change in date from the 10th to the 17th without letting the people who ordered one know thats pretty low the least they could have done was send us an email
Posted at 10:42 a.m. on April 9, 2009
Nick says...
Is it still shipping friday morning?
Posted at 4:25 p.m. on April 9, 2009
liam says...
Whats going on with netbook pre-orders.?WithTom on piss-poor feedback.Anybody here, cause cant get you at support.Yours nervously,liam
Posted at 11:34 p.m. on April 9, 2009
Bucky Ball says...
I am eagerly watching this space. On the brink of ordering one for awhile but would really rather wait to read some user reviews so ...
Doesn't sound good about the lack of support, Liam, but then they are probably flat out with the launch ... still. No replies to any questions on here for awhile.
Posted at 5:56 a.m. on April 10, 2009
Trent Petro says...
Interesting that the dates have changed to Tuesday next week for the normal model and Friday next week for the Pro.
It is easter after all too- maybe thats why they are not responding :P
Posted at 1:13 p.m. on April 10, 2009
ozzy says...
Just seems a bit strange that no reps have posted here or updated prospective customers for quite awhile. Dont think I will be ordering anything from them for awhile.
Posted at 1:34 p.m. on April 10, 2009
tom says...
is the 6 cell battery removable
Posted at 10:21 a.m. on April 11, 2009
rockofclay says...
God dammit. I need this netbook for uni and its been delayed to next friday! I wish he didn't already have my money!
Posted at 10:53 a.m. on April 11, 2009
Alastair says...
Changing the shipping date without warning -- how unprofessional! Now I'm worried because I've just paid for a laptop from a company that can't handle a product launch. I wonder what else might happen.
Posted at 1:48 p.m. on April 11, 2009
Kogan supporter says...
big deal that the netbook's dispatch date is being delayed, i'm sure they just forgot that the 10th April fell on a public holiday - get over it, after all you are getting a good deal on this netbook right? maybe he should've priced it at $400 - $450 range (sounds like a really cheap netbook, no windows licencing costs, cheap casing from china, the atom processor is very cheap at $US44 plus the cheap labour cost in china to assemble all this together ....dammit looks like he is ripping us off just like the big brand company's, geez what happened to cutting out the middle man and passing on that savings to the customers)
P.S. i am no longer a kogan supporter anymore
Posted at 2:45 p.m. on April 11, 2009
Trent Petro says...
The last few comments just make me sick.
People are forgetting for starters that its Easter and are still expecting people to do stuff for them during the holidays.
The last guy probably is right that maybe they could get it down to around $450 AUD without profit margins but the fact is- who cares?
Posted at 3 p.m. on April 11, 2009
RockOfClay says...
No, this is ridiculous. The netbook should have been prepared and given to Aus Post before good Friday.
People who run smooth businesses are aware of public holidays before they happen.
The site mentioned that the netbook would be dispatched BY (as in "on or before") the 10th of April. That date has not been met, no contact with those who have paid has been established.
I purchased a netbook on the condition that I would be receiving it early next week at the latest. I need to install software on the device before I am back at uni.
I don't expect people to work for me on the holidays (even though I have just returned home from work now), but I do expect that they stick to their time-lines.
Posted at 5:10 p.m. on April 11, 2009
tom says...
I think its understandable that there are unforeseen delays to a product launch especially for a smaller company but not to foresee a public holiday or to inform the people who ordered a netbook that there was a delay is a major oversight, but that being said i'm guessing they don't have alot of experience with product launches and in the caotic rush to get their product out they forgot about informing they customer. not a good way to launch a product, it however doesn't take anything away from the fact that they are releasing a very cheap netbook that we had a say in and even with poor customer communication it is still a bargin
Posted at 10:10 p.m. on April 12, 2009
Don says...
are you gonna release a cheap nettop (a desktop equivalent the current netbook computers like the asus Eee top) computer too, i'm interested in getting one, if you are then definetly have this customer input thing for building it - i think it's an excellent idea letting the customers decide how and with what features it should be built with
Posted at 1:31 a.m. on April 13, 2009
wehn says...
Whats the noise like? How's it compare to MSI wind?
Does it have a fan? Does the fan run only on demand?
Looks like it has great potential, trying to decide between this and the MSI Wind.
Posted at 1:49 p.m. on April 13, 2009
Bucky Ball says...
Wehn, I reckon the only difference is the price. The Wind is quite a bit more expensive and the 2Gb version with 6 volt battery of the Wind is more expensive again (extra Gb and 6V battery optional extras, not standard). Spec-wise, they are virtually identical though (down to keyboard size).
Another Agora unknown is durability. Is this built to last? The Agora has the price point to indicate it might be yet another throw-away consumer item that will just end as landfill in two or three years. Kogan seems to have no policy for the environmentally responsible disposal of these products and no Energy Star logo to be seen. In fact, I see no mention of Energy Star on any of their products and the power consumption of the monitors is kinda high considering the technology that is currently available (just bought a couple of Acer 18.5" LCD screens for $150 each that use 17watt, less than one watt standby).
My feeling is that manufacturers should be getting responsible, and many are; Kogan don't seem to be one of them. Shame as there are so many great ideas in other areas, just a bit of a blind spot regarding energy efficiency and responsible manufacture and disposal of consumer electronics.
Posted at 12:02 a.m. on April 14, 2009
Derek says...
Anyone in Melbourne have their Netbook arrive today? Love to hear your review/comments. Also itching to find out if the touchpad supports multi-touch... Waiting, waiting, waiting!!
Posted at 1:28 p.m. on April 14, 2009
John says...
Paid for mine yesterday....hope its worth it. I would love to hear reviews or any comments at all from anyone that has received theirs.........
Posted at 4:11 p.m. on April 14, 2009
John says...
I just received the tracking advice for what I assume is my Netbook Pro... should be here tomorrow so maybe the early orders are shipping before the 17th.
Posted at 5:41 p.m. on April 14, 2009
liam says...
same john..hopefully all on way
Posted at 7:05 p.m. on April 14, 2009
Denley says...
the shipping status has now changed to in stock so they should be on their way soon. i also got the tracking advice. can't wait
Posted at 7:25 p.m. on April 14, 2009
John says...
Just got the pro and fired it up. First impressions of the physical build and the OS are good. Will report further as I get the chance to play with it!
Posted at 10:31 a.m. on April 15, 2009
John says...
I won mine on a ebay auction from (kogan_direct), no tracking advice just a confirmation that i paid. I will probably get my kogan (hope this catches on) after you guys. :(
Posted at 10:31 a.m. on April 15, 2009
John says...
Hey john, are you located in melbourne....................?
Posted at 10:34 a.m. on April 15, 2009
John says...
I'm in Sydney... it came to the office this morning after the tracking advice arrived 3.15 yesterday.
Posted at 10:51 a.m. on April 15, 2009
Denley says...
Got mine about an hour ago (Adelaide). Build is good. Strong and light. I don't like the OS tho. chuggy and keep having to refresh the desktop. I'm gonna try putting windows 7 beta on it
Posted at 10:58 a.m. on April 15, 2009
John says...
Awesome if you guys could upload some youtube videos.....hows the design?
Posted at 11:10 a.m. on April 15, 2009
Trent Petro says...
Yeah I really think a better OS might be in order- yes gOS is nice for some things, but otherwise its very weird- heck its not even built on the latest build of Ubuntu.
Saw how good these where in midnightupdate- windows 7 runs super fast on the device. Danley putting it on- might not be a bad idea after all.
Posted at 11:28 a.m. on April 15, 2009
John says...
i was thinking of windows 7 as well....any idea how to as it has no optical drive. USB flash drive being the most viable option.
Posted at 11:35 a.m. on April 15, 2009
Nick says...
Thats a really good point, I suppose I'll have to download Windows 7 on the Netbook to install it.
Posted at 11:40 a.m. on April 15, 2009
John says...
Yeh that sounds simpler then it really is...i was doing abit of research and you need to configure your usb stick inorder for it to be recognized when booting, inabling the installation of windows. Kind of confusing....
Posted at 12:07 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Thomas David says...
Just got the netbook pro version and I'm very impressed, well done Kogan! The keyboard size is perfect an I specially like your choice in OS, GOS works great. The only problem that I have found is the touchpad is very sensitive, I often touch is with a second finder while trying to left click.
Regardless I recommend this amazingly cheap laptop!
Posted at 1:01 p.m. on April 15, 2009
John says...
if you guys could post pictures that would be fantastic....thnx in advance
Posted at 1:13 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Denley says...
I'm about to be very critical but I will start by saying that for the cost I am very happy with this netbook at the moment. However, here are some issues i've found:
1) the wireless adapter is not as responsive as others (less able to get a signal from far away)
2) youtube videos run smoothly in window but laggy fullscreen
3) when playing an avi it occasionally crashes the display
(there is setup option to increase graphic memory allocation that i havent tried yet tho)
4) when busy, the OS is often unresponsive to clicking (an OS problem tho obviously)
some good points:
1) keyboard is nice size. easy enough to use
2) very light, even with 6 cell battery
3) good size and durable and ports are not cluttered
4) screen is nice and doesnt glare easily
in all good value i think. happy with the purchase but will change OS when i figure out the best way to. i will post some pics when i figure out how to get the gadgets back on
Posted at 1:34 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Nick says...
Got my tracking advice yesterday but still no package... how can it be that people in other states get there package before me? I'm in Melbourne which is where they're being shipped from.
Posted at 1:38 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Derek says...
Guys, touch-pad, is it multi-touch? If not surely it supports web page scrolling by running finger down right side or base of touch-pad to move across??
Posted at 2:54 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Denley says...
touch pad is fully customisable for multi click dragging, and both scrolling (horizontal scroll is off by default tho)
Posted at 3:45 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Rob says...
Hi guys, just got home and found a card from courier in my box, rang them and said I could come pick it up or wait and they will deliver tomorrow.So as I did when I bought the 42 inch HD telly I will cover from the delivery on in my blog I set up for the telly. Will include pics and my thoughts. Here is the address http://kogantv.blogspot.com/
My son has a MSI Wind with 160GB and 2GB of RAM so will offer some comparisons on my blog too guys.
Cheers
Rob
Posted at 4:05 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Bucky Ball says...
Why not just install Ubuntu proper? That is what I was intending to do ...
Posted at 4:23 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Bucky Ball says...
Forgot to mention, there is a version you can download to USB and boot from that. :)
Posted at 4:26 p.m. on April 15, 2009
John says...
lol I just got my tracking info. Cool i get mine tmmrw hopefully....
Posted at 5:08 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Jan Newmarch says...
What colours are/will be available? Or is it just the Model-T Ford choice?
Posted at 7:49 p.m. on April 15, 2009
liam says...
has arrived and all good but .getting head around os ..stoked delivery stepped up.a forum on these pages would be invaluable.unit arrived with zero information.and i mean zero
Posted at 8:21 p.m. on April 15, 2009
waldo says...
so whats it actually come with ?
should have mine thur/fri : )
gunna grab a usb tv tuner : D
anyone got one they can try on it
Posted at 9 p.m. on April 15, 2009
liam says...
netbook,charger.dongle.nothing more
Posted at 9:31 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Nick says...
Anyone else had major problems getting the wireless to work with Windows 7? It worked when I tried it in gos, and all my other wireless devices connect, but I just can't seem to get windows 7 to see the access point.
email at outloudthinker(at)hotmail(DOT)com if you can help me out!
Posted at 10:03 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Dom says...
liam speaks truth...nothing resembling user docs or even a welcome getting started type doc. The system is ok, although I think I would prefer sabayon. I may try installing this from a USB stick. Those ppl that want to go for windows might be able to use an external optical drive and then see if you can configure the bios to boot from it. I agree that the touch pad is over sensitive and I think I will try to work out how to disable the toucpad click. I have been able to connect a three broadband usb key by using 'sudo wvdialconf', 'vim /etc/wvdial.conf', deleting the semi colons and changing the phone number to *99# and then 'sudo wvdial', all from a commandline. Note that the system must be started before plugging in the key. I had initially connected to the home wireless network, but after using synaptic to update the packages and stopping the networking service, I was unable to get eth1 (wireless) back. I am not sure what part broke it, but I have disable networking GUI app. I plan to wait for more updates to see if that fixes it, but I will be interested to see if anybody else has these problems. There are also some missing bits to the OS like fails to load the bluetooth browser. Probably needed more time n confguration and testing. I think these would have been more useful than branding everything kogan. I guess the configurations will be left to us. In general, I am happy with my new toy, a little unhappy with some aspects f the OS, but great first effort. Lets see how the Kogan business responds to the feedback. For others who bought, I reccommend 'sudo passwd root' to make sure you really own your netbook and hitting F11 on browser to get a nice experience.
Posted at 10:17 p.m. on April 15, 2009
liam says...
Dom.Keep talking Dont know OS and expect problems.At east I'm not paying for them.Your knowledge appreciated.Forum these pages would be wonderfull.Compatible ext dvd?
Posted at 11:15 p.m. on April 15, 2009
Bucky Ball says...
liam, the gOS system should be compatible with whatever you plug into the USB. If it doesn't work straight up there will no doubt be a work-around.
Its relationship to Ubuntu means you might be able to get some clues searching those pages.
This looks like it is the forum for the moment.
Posted at 1:13 a.m. on April 16, 2009
tom says...
any one have xp drivers
Posted at 7:09 a.m. on April 16, 2009
John says...
lol i just received mine and am waiting for the right time to install windows xp or 7. Just received the kogan netbook support email. Did anyone manage to install windows without a external dvd drive?
Posted at 9:51 a.m. on April 16, 2009
tom says...
yeah i installed it from a usb hdd btw the 6 cell battery was a bit cheap only 4400 ah im kinda wishing i got the eee 1000ha
Posted at 10:01 a.m. on April 16, 2009
Nando says...
tom>> btw the 6 cell battery was a bit cheap only 4400 ah im kinda wishing i got the eee 1000ha
It would be 11.1V@4400ma. The 1000ha is 7.4V@6600ma. Both use 6x2200ma cells. The only one's better are the Samsung NC10 with its 2600ma cells and the asus 1000HE, with it's 2900ma cells.
Posted at 10:07 a.m. on April 16, 2009
tom says...
thnx 4 the info thats nice to know i retract my statement
Posted at 10:14 a.m. on April 16, 2009
SunnyApe says...
Can the RAM be upgraded? I heard that the RAM is either not a DIMM or the case is sealed, so if you go for the non-pro version that you are stuck with 1Gb RAM.
Posted at 12:17 p.m. on April 16, 2009
Thomas David says...
Does anyone know what Wireless driver this laptop uses? I installed kubuntu 9.04 beta thinking it would just work.. The only info I can find is when i do lsusb -vv and that only tells me its a VIA VNT USB-802.11. No model number or anything.
Also the trackpad doesn't work either... any ideas?
Posted at 2:01 p.m. on April 16, 2009
John says...
Regarding the Ram I just took the bottom off My Pro (one screw) and it appears to be a perfectly normal 200pin Sodimm. Can only assume that the 1GB would be the same.
I just bought a second unit and this time went for the normal one rather than the pro. Why? Well, because on Ebay the regular ones are going for between 400 - 415 (I paid 404) while the pro's went for 497 (do a search on completed listings). These are from Kogan Direct and the only hitch is postage is $4.50 more. I think that low 400's is an absolute bargin. Seriously... try your luck at auction and hope that not too many people read this.
Posted at 2:29 p.m. on April 16, 2009
rob says...
just got mine so will take some snaps and video and let you know, as I have an MSI Wind netbook to compare with (look nearly identical) will post all tomorrow!
Posted at 4:27 p.m. on April 16, 2009
jordan says...
does capable of multi click dragging mean it has multitouch? Waiting eagerly for more reviews ...
Posted at 4:50 p.m. on April 16, 2009
rhino says...
Hi John,
I'm trying to install windows 7 on here and not having much joy doing it from the usb stick. If I get a solution, I'll post here.
Posted at 6:38 p.m. on April 16, 2009
Bucky Ball says...
SunnyApe: Kogan say both machines will take 2Gb of RAM.
Thomas David: Try 'lspci' and that will show you the inbuilt wireless card, should be at the bottom of the list somewhere.
'lsusb' will only pick up usb devices. :)
Posted at 7:22 p.m. on April 16, 2009
Splinter says...
Ok after following the set up sent to us all. Remember to update the OS with latest patches...
From the gOS menu select
- System Preferences
- Administration
- Synaptic Package Manager
Type in your password..
- Press Mark All Upgrades
- Then hit apply
Say yes or ok to any messages.
Posted at 8:19 p.m. on April 16, 2009
Splinter says...
... or run the update manager :)
Posted at 8:35 p.m. on April 16, 2009
rhino says...
Hi John,
Thanks for the tip, I read quite a few instructionals online with the same advice. Finally got it working. Was stoked to see the Windows 7 install screen at bootup, only to have my hopes dashed when I found out that it would only install on NTFS partition. So it's back to do more reading to find out how I can do that. Looks like I might have to make a GParted boot usb so that I can make a NTFS partition but most of the tutorials have lost me with the linux language required. This is starting to really hurt now and is nowhere as easy as it was made out to be. :-)
Posted at 10:11 p.m. on April 16, 2009
lee says...
anyone know of any cpu throttling software thats compatible like on the eeepc
Posted at 10:24 p.m. on April 16, 2009
Splinter says...
ok for some reason my wireless device is not being detected. typing in lspci returns info on the ethernet device (and others) but no wireless.
Posted at 11:10 p.m. on April 16, 2009
Denley says...
im in the same boat as you rhino. got win7 to boot from usb but cant install it cos of linux partitions. let me know if u manage to get around it. GPartition wont let me shrink the volume or do anything really
Posted at 11:59 p.m. on April 16, 2009
Denley says...
ok. so i got windows 7 installed. changed the partitions using fdisk in the root shell. didnt really know what i was doing so i ended up losing gOS
Posted at 1:21 a.m. on April 17, 2009
Dom says...
Splinter, I had a similar problem as you after updating...I checked lshw and likewise no wireless device. I know it was there because that was how I connected to the web to get my updates. I will mail support the output of 'sudo lshw' and see what comes back. There seemed to be modifications to files in /boot/ after I updated and I have a ....23 kernel as well as a ....19 kernel. Anyone who hasn't updated yet got a ...23 kernel. My guess is that those ppl who know what a kernel is have already updated
Posted at 1:28 a.m. on April 17, 2009
Dom says...
Rhino and Denly,
You will need to first install windows and then reinstall linux using partitioning. Then you configure grub to get dual boot. The reason is that windows owns the whole disk if you install it. This is if you want both systems. If you only want windows, then you should be able to use a windows program (fdisk?) to do this. If such a program is not part of the installer, try copying the program to a second usb stick or get it from the net or external optical drive while booted to windows. Note that I have not attempted to install windows myself, just thought I'd share experiences with previous versions of windows together with linux
Posted at 2:22 a.m. on April 17, 2009
Dent says...
Dom, that issue is around two years old (April 2007 thread) - on the laptop that I'm using at the moment (not a Kogan, admittedly), there's no problem at all.
Posted at 11:25 a.m. on April 17, 2009
Derek says...
How does win 7 run? How about battery time on 6 cell?
Posted at 12:24 p.m. on April 17, 2009
outsideworld says...
Does the Graphics card have the ability to ROTATE the operating system when sending signal via the VGA output to an external monitor?
I want to be able to plug in any standard DELL Monitor (that can pivot 90degrees), and then rotate the operating system to display Word Docs, and PDF Files on the external monitor in their natural ratio.
If anyone knows or has tested this, please advise. Thx
Posted at 1:02 p.m. on April 17, 2009
Denley says...
windows 7 runs much smoother that gOS. can fullscreen youtube no probs now and actually responds to my clicks.
Didnt try it out but i went past the option to flip and rotate monitor
Posted at 3:27 p.m. on April 17, 2009
John says...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAO93AmOX4U kogan netbook running windows 7
Posted at 3:36 p.m. on April 17, 2009
waldo says...
anyone know how to go abouts overclocking this thing ?
whether eee/wind apps work ?
Posted at 10:07 p.m. on April 17, 2009
liam says...
Wish I had of read whole blog..updated and lost wireless.Any luck yet Dom
Posted at 9:52 a.m. on April 18, 2009
Bucky Ball says...
waldo, this is a Linux machine. Linux applications will run natively by you will need to attempt Windows programs using Wine.
Dom and Liam, try:
iwconfig
... in a terminal. Tell you anything or no wireless extensions?
Posted at 3:48 p.m. on April 18, 2009
Bucky Ball says...
One thing about re-partitioning using Gparted, the reason you need to boot from the Gparted Live disk is that the drive you are working on needs to be unmounted. You can unmount any drive except the one the OS is running from, naturally, whilst you are running gOS, but to change the partition where gOS is installed, you need to unmount it. That is why you need to boot from Gparted disk. :)
Posted at 6:52 p.m. on April 18, 2009
Travis says...
I was wondering if anyone knows how to use the inbuilt webcam to make a video call to a Windows user with MS Live? I can use Pigdin fine to communicate with other MSN users.
Do I need to add a new program from the Ubuntu list to achieve this. If so, which one will allow me to make video calls?
(That said, I've found the touchpad very very sensitive, but otherwise no complaints).
Posted at 8:15 p.m. on April 18, 2009
Thomas David says...
Travis
I would use skype, or if you really want to do a video call over msn you will need install either amsn or kopete
Has anyone got the touchpad working in ubuntu or any other linux distro?
Posted at 9 p.m. on April 18, 2009
Owen says...
Dom, I too have updated already, and my wireless has disappeared.
I have noticed the different 19 kernel and 23 kernel. It seems to me that the 23 kernel boots as the default, so I tried booting from the 19 kernel at the GRUB menu, and it appears that the wireless options at least show on the network menu. I don't have a wireless connection to test if it actually works though, but it might solve the problem in the short term for people that need the wireless.
I am new to Linux and don't really understand why there is a 19 and 23 kernel, or what the difference is.
Is the 23 a later version? If so why is 19 still there?
Posted at 12:58 a.m. on April 19, 2009
Rob says...
Hi guys been pretty busy last few days but got mine and have posted my thoughts and observations so far in my blog http://kogantv.blogspot.com so feel free to comment or ask me anything folks...
There is a video of me setting it up but the sound didnt upload so will fix that, but in short the unit is what I expected, the OS is ok (except I hate the x and minimise buttons top left rather than right, but thats prob because Im used to it.
Cannot get wireless connected yet but having said that I cant get our MSI Wind or Lenova thinkpad wireless either...grrr A wireless virgin im afraid so going to need help with that.
Any new buyer will be surprised by the barebones package on arrival though here is what you get
Netbook
Powercord
Battery
Dongle for bluetooth
and that is it, not one word on what to expect, the contents, safety warning etc Paerless office gone too far in my opinion but it is easy to set up anyway!
Posted at 1:50 p.m. on April 19, 2009
Bucky Ball says...
Owen, I did post about this but it seemed to disappear.
23 is the current kernel. The next option, the 23 recovery kernel, can help you fix a broken kernel. If all that fails, 19, the last working kernel (hopefully) is still there and the 19 recovery also. You can hide this option in the grub menu but not always wise. Two kernels in the grub menu is normal and expected on a fresh boot.
What you can do is check how wireless is set up in the 19 kernel, then compare with the 23 and see if there are any anomolies.
Posted at 2:12 p.m. on April 19, 2009
liam says...
Thanks Owen,got everything ,cept understanding instructions in download.Might have to wait for kogan quickfix[hopefully].Bit lost in any os let alone linux
Posted at 6:45 p.m. on April 19, 2009
Splinter says...
Owen.. THANKS... works a treat
Posted at 7:33 p.m. on April 19, 2009
Owen says...
Liam, the instructions in linux.txt are pretty crappy.
What I did was right click the zip, choose Extract Here.
Rename the extracted folder to: vntwusb
Then open up a terminal, from Accessories.
type following commands:
cd Desktop
cd vntwusb
make clean
make install
You will need to have the compiler gcc installed, if you don't you can go System Preferences>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager.
Search for gcc.
scroll down to gcc and mark it for install.
you may also want to right click on the gcc and then Mark Selected for Installation and select all of them.
I hope that solves your problem.
Posted at 8:38 p.m. on April 19, 2009
Owen says...
Sorry, I forgot to mention that you will need to type: sudo
in from of all the make commands
eg.
sudo make clean
Posted at 8:39 p.m. on April 19, 2009
liam says...
Thanks Owen.Will have to try tomorrow as time limited.Making sense at the moment so thanks for lifeline.Appreciate help heaps.All else is good so will keep you updated
Posted at 8:54 p.m. on April 19, 2009
Neerav says...
Hi guys
I've had a media loan unit of the Kogan Pro for a few days and have posted my review at http://www.bhatt.id.au/blog/kogan-netbook-pro-review-10in...
I am updating the review over time with info sent to me by Kogan owners on Whirlpool & OCAU
Feel free to chip in your thoughts as well. thx
Posted at 11:56 p.m. on April 19, 2009
syd says...
Awesome! always wanted a Linux on netbook. What color will it be available? Pink? i'm a girl~~
Posted at 2:20 p.m. on April 20, 2009
liam says...
Owen,I right click zip and get extract..... not extract here.After that cant figure out how to rename file.Sorry to be a pest
Posted at 3:43 p.m. on April 20, 2009
liam says...
any shade of black you like Syd
Posted at 4:10 p.m. on April 20, 2009
Owen says...
Liam, No problem.
I found extract here 5th option from the bottom of the right click menu.
To rename the folder, right click on the folder and there should be an option Rename about 7 down.
Let me know if you still have problems.
Posted at 1:10 p.m. on April 21, 2009
Travis says...
Has anyone managed to use their Agora (gOS) connected to a public wireless network ie McDonalds/Starbucks etc?
I just can't seem to get mine working. Desktop is not showing any signal, but the blue light (bottom right corner) is on. Nothing in the netbios settings.
I am pretty sure the public wireless network where I am is up and running as everyone around me seems connected!!
Any tips would be much appreciated.
Posted at 5:44 p.m. on April 21, 2009
Owen says...
Travis, In the top right of the screen (system tray) there should be a picture of 2 computer screens (network manager). If you left click the icon, there should be about 5 or more options, and list available networks.
If there are only 2 or so options on the list then, in a terminal you can use the command iwconfig and it will tell you if there are any wireless devices. If there are no mentions of wireless devices, check the Hardware Drivers under the Administration menu. If there are none displayed, it is likely that the driver has disappeared. See my earlier posts on how to fix that.
If you updated the operating system, then the drivers need to be re-compiled. This is the problem I had, and my posts above describe how I fixed it.
Hope this helps.
Posted at 12:12 p.m. on April 22, 2009
Travis says...
Hi Owen -
Thanks for the pointers - much appreciated. Looks like you've taken on the role of de-facto Angora expert.
I'm still using gOS that was pre-installed on the Agora and can confirm that only 2 network options are listed.
I haven't made any changes to the OS but I have run the Synaptic Package Manager, so perhaps I have in fact changed the OS causing the loss of the Wireless. A straight internet connection to the router works fine though.
Anyway, I'll give it a try and get back to you...hoping to call on your expert advice if I get stuck. I'm a born and bred Windows mug and must say I'm enjoying the Linux experience and alternative programs.
Posted at 1:08 p.m. on April 22, 2009
George says...
Just ordered my Korgan Pro to NSW, 2 days wait!!!! can't wait!!!, will also give update when package arrives
Posted at 1:12 p.m. on April 22, 2009
George says...
Question? If formatting the Netbook, can we re-install gOS again as factory? for there are no CD's or downloads from Kogan's Website
Posted at 1:14 p.m. on April 22, 2009
kr says...
ordered a pro on monday morning, still waiting for it to be delivered to melbourne CBD :(
received tracking advice yesterday, but it is still not delivered!
Posted at 1:57 p.m. on April 22, 2009
Travis says...
Hi Owen -
Have installed the v1.19 driver and installed it. Looks okay and will test the wireles tomorrow.
I think I followed the gcc instructions correctly, but not 100% sure. Went to Synaptic Package Manager. Searched for gcc. Scrolled down. Selected gcc (none of the many gcc-related options), right click and selected for installation. Not too sure about the part selecting all of them.
Anyway, my question is do we need to re-install the network driver each time we update the gOS?
Posted at 10:13 p.m. on April 22, 2009
liam says...
Bugger.Can`t get download to work.Thanks for help Owen but dont know where going wrong.Just don`t get same option as you then get lost.Requested detailed step by step from kogan and even more in a hole.Computer will fall over before I figure this out.God I need reset instructions.Windows looking so good but how to do it?
Posted at 11:14 p.m. on April 22, 2009
alan says...
Has anyone managed to get a USB TV tuner working on their kogan netbook? Which brand? Which OS? In a Linux variant or the installed gOS?
Posted at 9:49 a.m. on April 24, 2009
liam says...
hey Owen,Finally worked out which stupid mistake I was making.Works a treat now.Many thanks!Would buy you a beer if I could.Also thanks for suggestion kr.
Posted at 11:53 a.m. on April 24, 2009
waldo says...
alan, i have got a leadtek/winfast dongle gold going on mine, with vista 32bit installed, all sd channels play perfect, but hd channels stutter every couple sec. anyone know how to overclock these tihngs ?
Posted at 4:52 p.m. on April 24, 2009
the cheese says...
have any of you win7 users tried setting up multiple readyboost on your kogan ? was their noticeable difference ?
Posted at 7:28 a.m. on April 25, 2009
kayno says...
hi all
i have now tried several versions of ubuntu on my agora pro, and cannot get the touchpad to work. i just tried gOS via live usb, and it is still not working!
i figure kogan has loaded a driver to support the touchpad, however i cannot find it.
could someone who has an agora with gOS (or other linux distro with a working touchpad) please help me out by providing some of the config info, so I can determine the driver/module?
if you could execute the following commands in terminal, and post the output of:
cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf
and
lsmod
it would be much appreciated :)
thanks
kayno
Posted at 11:29 a.m. on April 25, 2009
Craig@Chippendale says...
LOST WIFI AFTER UPGRADE
Like several others here, I lost my wifi when I did a gOS equivalent of "Windows Update". I followed the detailed instructions in the following thread and got the wifi back after reboot:
* http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7124053
Note that every time you update the kernel you will need to repeat the make clean and make install steps so the driver is reinstalled in the new /lib/modules directory corresponding to that kernel. This will continue to be the case until the drivers are re-added to the ubuntu distribution (they were removed I believe because the source for the drivers provided by VIA was not released under an open source licence.
USING A THREE USB MODEM WITH YOUR NETBOOK
This is a common problem with many linux distributions. You need to upgrade NetworkManager to version 0.7 (the version supplied with ubuntu is 0.6.5 or something which doesn't support USB modems).
To do this under ubuntu based systems like the Kogan, add the following three lines to your /etc/apt/sources.list:
# NetworkManager for Three USB Modem support
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/network-manager/ubuntu hardy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/network-manager/ubuntu hardy main
Then execute on the command line:
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
After you reboot, you should be able to use the NetworkManager applet to add your Three Broadband modem:
Number=*99#
APN=3services
And off you go.
Cheers,
Craig
Posted at 2:19 p.m. on April 25, 2009
Owen says...
Travis, From my limited understanding of the way the update process work, as Craig@Chippendale said, we will need to recompile the drivers after each major kernel version change until the drivers are included in the distribution.
Glad you all got the wireless working again :)
Posted at 3:05 p.m. on April 25, 2009
Owen says...
Kayno, below is the output of the commands. Hope it helps.
cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf
# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "0"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "Intel Corporation 82945G/GZ Integrated Graphics Controller"
Driver "intel"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
Option "MonitorLayout" "CRT,LFP"
Option "DevicePresence" "True"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "MyMonitor"
Option "DPMS"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Intel Corporation 82945G/GZ Integrated Graphics Controller"
Monitor "MyMonitor"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection
Posted at 3:11 p.m. on April 25, 2009
Owen says...
Kayno, this is output of lsmod (part1):
lsmod
Module Size Used by
ipv6 267908 10
i915 32512 2
drm 82452 3 i915
binfmt_misc 12808 1
af_packet 23812 2
rfcomm 41744 2
l2cap 25728 13 rfcomm
bluetooth 61028 4 rfcomm,l2cap
ppdev 10372 0
acpi_cpufreq 10796 0
cpufreq_userspace 5284 0
cpufreq_stats 7104 0
cpufreq_conservative 8712 0
cpufreq_powersave 2688 0
cpufreq_ondemand 9740 2
freq_table 5536 3 acpi_cpufreq,cpufreq_stats,cpufreq_ondemand
sbs 15112 0
container 5632 0
sbshc 7680 1 sbs
dock 11280 0
iptable_filter 3840 0
ip_tables 14820 1 iptable_filter
x_tables 16132 1 ip_tables
parport_pc 36260 0
lp 12324 0
parport 37832 3 ppdev,parport_pc,lp
ath_pci 101024 0
wlan 207728 1 ath_pci
ath_hal 192592 1 ath_pci
joydev 13120 0
usbhid 32128 0
hid 38784 1 usbhid
vntwusb 202892 0
uvcvideo 60936 0
compat_ioctl32 2304 1 uvcvideo
videodev 29440 1 uvcvideo
v4l1_compat 15492 2 uvcvideo,videodev
v4l2_common 18304 2 uvcvideo,videodev
serio_raw 7940 0
snd_hda_intel 346136 3
snd_pcm_oss 42144 0
snd_mixer_oss 17920 1 snd_pcm_oss
Posted at 3:18 p.m. on April 25, 2009
Owen says...
Kayno, lsmod (part2):
battery 14212 0
snd_pcm 78596 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss
snd_page_alloc 11400 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
snd_hwdep 10500 1 snd_hda_intel
ac 6916 0
evdev 13056 8
video 19856 0
output 4736 1 video
snd_seq_dummy 4868 0
psmouse 40336 0
button 9232 0
snd_seq_oss 35584 0
snd_seq_midi 9376 0
pcspkr 4224 0
snd_rawmidi 25760 1 snd_seq_midi
iTCO_wdt 13092 0
iTCO_vendor_support 4868 1 iTCO_wdt
snd_seq_midi_event 8320 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 54224 6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer 24836 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 9612 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd 56996 17 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_hwdep,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
shpchp 34452 0
pci_hotplug 30880 1 shpchp
soundcore 8800 1 snd
intel_agp 25492 1
agpgart 34760 3 drm,intel_agp
ext3 136840 1
jbd 48404 1 ext3
mbcache 9600 1 ext3
sg 36880 0
sd_mod 30720 3
ata_generic 8324 0
pata_acpi 8320 0
ata_piix 19588 2
libata 159600 3 ata_generic,pata_acpi,ata_piix
scsi_mod 151436 3 sg,sd_mod,libata
ehci_hcd 37900 0
uhci_hcd 27024 0
usbcore 146412 6 usbhid,vntwusb,uvcvideo,ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd
r8169 33156 0
thermal 16796 0
processor 36488 4 acpi_cpufreq,thermal
fan 5636 0
fbcon 42912 0
tileblit 3456 1 fbcon
font 9472 1 fbcon
bitblit 6784 1 fbcon
softcursor 3072 1 bitblit
fuse 50708 3
Posted at 3:19 p.m. on April 25, 2009
kayno says...
thanks owen :)
so far i can't see any difference between your output and what i have in ubuntu 8.04.
i can't see any extra modules that would affect the touchpad that you have that I don't, so I am guessing there must be some module options that you have that I don't to make the touchpad work.
can i get some more info off you? if you could execute the following commands, which will create a file in your home called "touchpad.txt", and email it to me (kayneo@gmail.com) or post it here, that would be much appreciated:
cat /etc/modprobe.d/* > touchpad.txt
cat /etc/modules >> touchpad.txt
thanks again :) if i find the solution, i will post it back here.
kayno
Posted at 4:41 p.m. on April 25, 2009
kayno says...
please ignore my requests - problems solved. i had to add "i8042_nomux" to the kernel options. will post more info once i get the latest version of ubuntu setup and working with this.
Posted at 6:41 p.m. on April 25, 2009
liam says...
Kayno,why move from gos?What advantages ubunto?
Posted at 7:38 p.m. on April 25, 2009
George says...
Just got My Pro, great Netbook, gOS system is great, i have also installed XP on it without a problem.
The only issue is that the Wireless Card signal is very weak. I will try to turn off the Windows Power Managementin the Wireless to see if the boost it up, I am only 10 meters away and the signal is weak, hope its not a faulty card, but next that Access point the signal is 100%, will update when have changed settings, all in all, very nice Netbook
Posted at 9:02 a.m. on April 26, 2009
liam says...
Any one know proper battery care to prolong life.?Can these batteries be overcharged and what goes wrong?Couldnt find detail in user manual.Any help appreciated.
Posted at 9:37 a.m. on April 28, 2009
rob says...
Big thanks to Kayno and others as this netbook\linux base has left be stumped...Not my thing so I have been unable to provide much to potential buyers, but listen up KOGAN
It is unfortunate that we have been left to fend for ourselves whilst we without fail see "Live support Off-line" and the promised PDF support files flying with those flu virus infected pigs somewhere.....
KOGAN take not don't promise something that you cannot fulfil.Dedicated guys and gals on here should not BE your source of support for people seeking answers...
For me it amounts to FREE product support. NOT something you should consider saving money on mate, get fair dinkum and follow up peoples concerns please!
http://kogantv.blogspot.com/
Cheers
Rob
Posted at 3:44 p.m. on April 28, 2009
debbie says...
please please please tell me you can get it with a matt screen instead of one of those eyestrain inducing glossy ones? That and the battery life are my two criteria for buying.
Posted at 5:34 a.m. on April 29, 2009
rongil says...
I too find that the wireless signal is very very weak. Any suggestions?
Posted at 2:01 p.m. on April 29, 2009
rob says...
Hi guys well in case anyone didn't know(including me,see last post) the Kogan Netbook manual is now available.Yet to look through it but here it is for direct download...
http://www.kogan.com.au/media/uploads/Kogan-Agora-Netbook...
Posted at 2:16 p.m. on April 29, 2009
George says...
Wireless still has very weak signal, i am going to try in a StarBucks or Macas public areas to see what strenght the wireless has. If not i might return the netbook, for the wireless is one of the most important features on a netbook
Posted at 3:56 p.m. on April 29, 2009
rongil says...
Yes George. I think for the most part the netbook is very good except for the wireless capability. It really lets the computer down. I hope there is a simple solution to this problem. I am waiting.....
Posted at 4:28 p.m. on April 29, 2009
George says...
Please feel free if anyone else is experiencing weak wireless signals, if so what process have you gone by to resolve. I have sent a suuport email, they are suggesting to sed the netbook back to check the Wireless card, but i need my netbook at the moment.
Posted at 5:49 p.m. on April 29, 2009
MM says...
Hey,
do you know if there is space to add a 3G module to the netbook? Can we replace the Wifi Module with a 3 G module as you can with the MSI Wind?
MM
Posted at 10:03 a.m. on April 30, 2009
rongil says...
If it were possible to add a 3G module, how would that bear on wireless strength or weakness?
Posted at 10:16 a.m. on April 30, 2009
kayno says...
If you find yourself 'brushing' the touchpad whilst typing and moving th cursor elsewhere, you may find this useful: http://agoranetbook.kayno.net/2009/05/02/disable-the-koga...
Posted at 3:48 p.m. on May 2, 2009
Jan Newmarch says...
Well, the competition is hotting up: in Thursday's Age (April 30) at least one company was offering a Lenovo S10 at $519 (3 cell, 1Gb, 160Gb, black or white) and an Asus EEE 1000HA at $565 (6 cell, 1Gb, 160Gb, black/white). They include the added costs of Windows XP (and it is very hard to get a refund from Microsoft for unused Windows). With the Kogan in black only, with a $30 mailing cost, it doesn't look so attractive any more.
Posted at 11:29 a.m. on May 3, 2009
Peter says...
Ah..have you looked at the Korgan Agora Pro, Jan?
Posted at 2:02 p.m. on May 4, 2009
kayno says...
took some photos of my agora pro over the weekend - the 3G SIM slot is boarded up - looks like the cover is part of the case molding...
http://agoranetbook.kayno.net/2009/05/03/kogan-agora-netb...
Posted at 2:30 p.m. on May 4, 2009
Jan Newmarch says...
Hi Peter,
The Agora Pro is $539+$30 postage (6 cell, 2Gb, 160Gb, black, Linux) whereas I can get an EEE 1000HA (6 cell, 1Gb, 160Gb, black/white, Windows XP) for $565 from a store. Difference in specs is 2Gb+Linux vs 1Gb+Windows XP, cost almost identical. So I guess the question is whether 1Gb of RAM is worth a (legit) copy of Windows XP plus choice of colours. I've seen RAM at $25 for 1Gb, while Amazon sells Windows XP Home for US$99.
I'm a Linux person, so the choice for me would be the Agora (but I would prefer white or blue rather than black). But if you were unfortunate enough to prefer Windows and didn't have a "spare" copy of XP lying around, then the economics would favour the competition.
Posted at 6:56 p.m. on May 4, 2009
outsideworld says...
How do people find typing on the keyboard?
I’m wanting to use it for tutorials and lectures at Uni… need to be able to type fast, and concerned about the full stop key being smaller, and not standard size.
If I have to spend twice as much time editing all my notes, to fix up the miss typed end of sentences, it will not be worth it.
Comments please.
Posted at 3:25 p.m. on May 5, 2009
outsideworld says...
Could someone please tell me what the MAXIMUM resolution the Kogan Pro can display on an external monitor.
Thanks
Posted at 3:27 p.m. on May 5, 2009
kayno says...
outsideworld - the maximum seems to 1024x768.
see http://agoranetbook.kayno.net/2009/05/05/connecting-an-ex... for more info.
Posted at 7:05 p.m. on May 5, 2009
outsideworld says...
Hi Kayno,
Thanks for the update regarding the resolution... I was hoping for 1280X1024.
What's your opinion regarding the using the keyboard for typing?
I have concerns regarding the full stop key being 1/2 sized.
Posted at 10:29 a.m. on May 6, 2009
screwed up again says...
geez how much more power was the built-in bluetooth gonna consume to have it offered as a stupid dongle, you surely didn't listen to your customers on this feature did you kogan, cause i'm pretty sure nearly everyone agreed to have built-in bluetooth???
Posted at 2:27 p.m. on May 6, 2009
kayno says...
outsideworld - the full stop key is at least two thirds the size of the letter keys, not half. I haven't really found it to be an issue at all, and I have made most posts on http://agoranetbook.kayno.net using the agora.
the biggest issue I had was brushing the touchpad whilst typing and moving the cursor, however I was able to solve that one (see http://agoranetbook.kayno.net/2009/05/02/disable-the-koga...)
Posted at 3:33 p.m. on May 6, 2009
Lauren says...
can the webcam be used independantly of skype/used to take still pictures?
Posted at 4:20 p.m. on May 6, 2009
. says...
also, the word "your" should be spelt "you're" in the first instance - "PREVIEW YOUR COMMENT
MAKE SURE YOUR HAPPY WITH YOUR COMMENT "
Posted at 4:23 p.m. on May 6, 2009
kayno says...
lauren - yes it can. there is an app called "cheese" that can easily do this.
Posted at 5:26 p.m. on May 6, 2009
waldo says...
for resolution question.
i have had mine hooked up to my monitor, and running it at 1920x1080 res, playing vids n tv fine, and web browsing
Posted at 8:56 p.m. on May 6, 2009
kayno says...
waldo - which OS?
Posted at 9:57 p.m. on May 6, 2009
Sonia says...
Is anyone having problems with the mic recording levels? I wasn't able to pick up any sound from the mic until skype was set up. Audacity will now record but the volume is very low. Thanks.
Posted at 11:53 p.m. on May 6, 2009
kayno says...
Has anyone tried the 'koganised' gOS iso (from the user manual)? You can boot the agora using using a live USB drive without it changing your hard disk, but I found that the touchpad didn't work: http://agoranetbook.kayno.net/2009/05/07/restoring-the-ko...
Anyone willing to try creating (as per the instructions in the manual) and booting the iso on their agora off a live USB drive and seeing if the touchpad works?
Posted at 9:37 p.m. on May 7, 2009
liam says...
Lauren,say cheese.That's the program your looking for in add/remove for webcam pics
Posted at 9:39 p.m. on May 7, 2009
outsideworld says...
Hi Waldo,
Can you explain in detail how you managed to run 1920 X 1080 resolution on an external monitor?
Which OS did you use?
Also, are you able to ROTATE the OS for portrait display on an external monitor, that has been pivoted 90degress?
Thx Kayno re: your comments regarding the full stop key.
Posted at 1:16 p.m. on May 9, 2009
waldo says...
hi, sorry should have said, i have vista 32bit installed on it.
and to set the resolution, i just do it through the display settings, you have to install the intel graphic driver of course.
i tried the rotate screen thing, 90,180, and 270(left,right,upsidedown)
all worked perfect.
i would presume you can do it all in windows 7 too.
derek i have lost scrolling since switching to windows, im yet to look into it getting back, will let you know if/when i get it sorted
Posted at 2:11 p.m. on May 9, 2009
kayno says...
for those asking about multitouch - i have tried in ubuntu, and from what i can tell, the hardware doesn't support it: http://agoranetbook.kayno.net/2009/05/13/multitouch-on-th...
Posted at 10:44 p.m. on May 13, 2009
George says...
Anyone using XP or Winsows 7 on the Kogan Netbooks, and want the scroll to work, I emailed Support and they gave me a link http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/hcw41z that has all the drivers, including the mouse drivers, works great.
the touch pad supports scrolling horizantal and vertical in XP and 7
Posted at 8:24 a.m. on May 14, 2009
rob says...
getting xp onto agora? Hi guys I have tried all I know (google being our friend) but have not been able to get it to work.Can anyone who HAS been successful please share your technique with us please? (all my attempts were with versions of XP with SP3...)
Posted at 7:07 p.m. on May 14, 2009
waldo says...
george, could you put up just the mouse drivers, as its all im after
Posted at 7:09 p.m. on May 14, 2009
George says...
Unfortunately you do have to download the whole zip folder, just unzip and only use the Mouse folder and just delete the rest
Posted at 10:19 a.m. on May 15, 2009
DexX says...
Is there any way to boost the wireless connectivity? I'm loving my Kogan (now with Windows 7 RC1) in almost every way. The only thing that I hate is its flaky wireless. Can I get a small external antenna or something? Right now it won't stay connected when the wireless modem is two rooms away, despite every other wireless device in my house having no problems at longer range.
Bad wireless is unforgiveable in a netbook - it's a core function of what netbooks _do_. Please tell me there's some way to improve it...
Posted at 10:22 a.m. on May 19, 2009
Tyrese says...
was looking forward to buying one of these netbooks except the only thing holding me back is the LCD screen (which is not LED backlit therefore reducing the battery life compared to a normal CCFL backlit LCD screen) and the damn wireless which is only a wireless-G (this should've been draft-N wireless which has better coverage and faster data speeds) and also the placement of the power connector on the side the netbook is just wrong it should've been placed at the back of the unit so that it doesn't intefere say when using a usb mouse for example, comeon kogan what's going on (i thought you were a technology person who knows about design and technology- looks like the only thing you're good at is ripping people off)
Posted at 2:50 p.m. on May 21, 2009
rongil says...
A friend got rid of gos and installed windows xp. I now have a Netgear wireless stick and connectivity is amazingly good. Before it was appalling. Also, curiously, the sound is much better.
Posted at 5:42 p.m. on May 26, 2009
Derek says...
I was having some issues with the wireless running win 7 at first. Just kept dropping out and generally poor signal but Win 7 found wireless card in one of the optional updates and now works great with strong signal!
I love the Kogan but would have liked better battery life and multi-touch pad like on the EEE 1000HA. The cost of the Kogan with postage is more than the EEE from MLN ($556 - BARGAIN!!)
http://www.mln.com.au/product/?itemID=583&typeID=
Kinda wishing that I got the EEE based on features but I can't fault the Kogan
Posted at 7:47 p.m. on May 26, 2009
George says...
Has anyone have any issues with the Mic. Can't seem to get it working,
Posted at 11:59 p.m. on May 26, 2009
kayno says...
George - which OS?
The mic works fine for me on Ubuntu, I was using it for skype just the other day.
Posted at 11:48 a.m. on May 27, 2009
George says...
It's on Windows 7 at the moment, I also have remix on there, but have not tested it.
On Windows 7 the Camera works fine but they can't hear me
Posted at 1:32 p.m. on May 27, 2009
ila says...
Yes I am having problem with the sound when I plug the headphone can't hear a thing but without the heardphone sound is fine, Mic is all deferent ussue no sound recordign, not in skpe.nothing.
Posted at 2:29 p.m. on May 28, 2009
outsideworld says...
Hi Kogan,
Any chance that your company will look to make a netbook to compete against the following:
Samsung NC20 12inch and MSI U200 12inch.
This looks to be like a developing market, as screen resolution is better, aslo, full size keyboards, no half or two third sized keys, yet still light weight. Both are under 1.5kg.
If Kogan can stick a 6, 9 or even 12 cell battery into the design, it should dominate the market for this size netbook by offering upward of 10hrs battery life. These are the perfect specs for the student and traveller market.
Being a student myself, I need light weight design, but I can't cope with a crappy keyboard, that compromises the size of important keys... It is so frustrating that no company is putting out a more practical netbook design until now with the Samsung and MSI 12inch offerings. These should however be improved upon. One idea is putting a DVI or HDMI output into a netbook instead of the low quality VGA port. VGA has been around since prehistoric times, and I think its time to bury it in tech history and move to DVI that has also been around for years now.
The most important thing though to bring to a netbook, is the ability to be able to output via the VGA/DVI/HDMI output a higher resolution to the external monitor. Think about it... lots of people, will use this computer for uni, or travelling, however instead of having two computers, a desktop at home and a netbook, some people only want one computer. They can use a wireless keyboard and mouse at home with an external monitor, and just plug the netbook into that. Presently though, the netbooks output very low resolutions to external monitors. By providing a higher quality output, more netbook users will be able to use the netbook as there one and only computer, which is much more convenient then having to transfer files back and forth constantly using USB keys between a netbook and a desktop.
The MacBook Air has been around for ages now. It packs heaps into a slim designed case, and weighs nothing. Why is it taking so long for low budget component PC companies to replicate or improve on the MacBook Air... seriously, the entire netbook/laptop industry should pull the finger out and get on with it... It’s 2009, and the laptop has not changed much in 20 years... most are still heavy brickish lumps, except the macbook air. Netbooks are nice and light, but are very very underpowered in all respects.
KOGAN why not put out the Kogan Netbook Air??? I’m sure you can source some value for money components from China and sort something out. Create something that Apple would be jealous of!
Love to hear your thoughts on this. Also love to hear what other people think regarding these models, and whether Kogan could do better.
Posted at 10:34 p.m. on June 2, 2009
LnddMiles says...
The best information i have found exactly here. Keep going Thank you
Posted at 7:30 a.m. on July 22, 2009
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