So, I've been considering getting one of those Atom-processor powered netbooks from a couple or few years ago for super cheap on Craigslist or eBay. My desktop and main laptop take care of my main music hobby stuffs.
But...you know how it is. There you sit at some computer and suddenly you hear something or see something on a movie or show and you just suddenly have to play something,etc.
So, I'll need to have some music-creation stuff on this weak, little thing.
(my girlfriend has an Aspire One she accidentally stepped on a few years ago and all it needs is a replacement screen which I've seen is easy to replace after doing some reading and watching YouTube vids, so it's that or something similar)
If I get one that already has Win7 then what? My usual go-to is Reaper. More often than not the first synth I launch when in doubt is Synth1. I even still dig the ancient mda JX-10.
(Honestly, my main laptop is just a simple, little HP 2000 with one of those AMD Vision dual-core CPUs and only 2GB RAM. Honestly again, my 'biggest' track is something on the order of 11 tracks with about 16 VSTs and at the project's 'height' this simple, little laptop is only running at around about 35% cpu. So part of me wonders how I possibly can not do at least a little something with an Atom processor.)
But, if I score one with no OS or just otherwise feel wild and crazy and want to get the most out of it otherwise, I'll likely drop Lubuntu or some such on it.
Then what?
Is this doable at all on such a machine? In Windows? What about Lubuntu or something similarly lite in the Linux arena?
If Linux on a netbook... then what's the shortest and easiest route to synth-sketching bliss? Seq24 and Qsynth or ZynAddSubFX or some such? My ignorance is rampant here.
Have I had too much whiskey?
Old netbook as sketchpad? (possibly with Linux?)
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- KVRAF
- 35436 posts since 11 Apr, 2010 from Germany
I have a netbook with a Atom N550 processor, which is a dual core 1.5 GHz with 2 virtual cores. The Windows 7 Starter which came with it was an imposition with all the pre-installed software which also started on system startup, so i installed Ubuntu on it, which works much better. But don't expect too much from that either, older generations of Atom processor are not high performance. Nowadays they already build SoC's (which were usually used in mobile devices like smartphones or tablet PC's) in the net- or Ultrabooks, which are much more performant, and even consume less power.
Personally, i wouldn't touch Linux for audio stuff, the software is unstable, the setup is PITA, and there's very few to none decent instrument or effect plugins which run natively under Linux. Even ZynAddSubFx i wouldn't use, because the GUI makes me want to run away. But then, entirely your decision of course. I'd make sure my hardware is compatible to Linux before installing it though. Audio interface, midi keyboard and other stuff, if you want to use it. Hardware compatibility is always a bit of an issue, also with the netbook itself.
Oh, btw, i had some audio apps running on the Windows 7 Starter which was on the netbook when i got it, as i had the same idea to use it for audio stuff. A big problem is the display resolution. If you know how instrument plugins hardly work on a 1367x768 resolution, you can imagine how it is on a 1024x600 display.
And usually, the old netbooks had a resolution like that... scroll-a-licious.
Personally, i wouldn't touch Linux for audio stuff, the software is unstable, the setup is PITA, and there's very few to none decent instrument or effect plugins which run natively under Linux. Even ZynAddSubFx i wouldn't use, because the GUI makes me want to run away. But then, entirely your decision of course. I'd make sure my hardware is compatible to Linux before installing it though. Audio interface, midi keyboard and other stuff, if you want to use it. Hardware compatibility is always a bit of an issue, also with the netbook itself.
Oh, btw, i had some audio apps running on the Windows 7 Starter which was on the netbook when i got it, as i had the same idea to use it for audio stuff. A big problem is the display resolution. If you know how instrument plugins hardly work on a 1367x768 resolution, you can imagine how it is on a 1024x600 display.
And usually, the old netbooks had a resolution like that... scroll-a-licious.
Last edited by chk071 on Fri May 08, 2015 1:26 am, edited 2 times in total.
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- KVRAF
- 3186 posts since 18 Mar, 2008
Investigate how Reaper actually works on Linux and all that, that would be my first consideration in situation like this.
If you want my opinion, just get something with Windows and make music instead.
If you want my opinion, just get something with Windows and make music instead.
This entire forum is wading through predictions, opinions, barely formed thoughts, drama, and whining. If you don't enjoy that, why are you here? ShawnG
ShawnG-
- KVRAF
- 35436 posts since 11 Apr, 2010 from Germany
I guess if you have the money, a used iPad might be a better idea for a sketchpad. Lots of audio apps, and you won't run into the problems you will have with a netbook.
