Blame sparse updates on Yeeloong repo

The problem with missing an update is that one you miss one, it’s harder to do the next one. Once you miss two … well, it’s time to give up the Web site.

Well, maybe not that extreme, but I’ve certainly been far more productive than the site would suggest.

First off, I owe a huge apology to Jan Ask, who made a very generous WineLocale donation last month. I have been feeling extremely guilty about not having the beta out yet. Jan, I hope you’ll forgive me for that one.

What happened was my laptop. And then the laptop. And then the Linux group. And then the laptop again.

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Entering dragon land—the Loongson laptop

If you follow any tech blogs or news sites, you’ve probably heard of the Loongson CPU, China’s home-grown processor which is always listed beside some unbelievable technical feats. The chip has been met with skepticism and curiosity mainly because, prior to this month at least, you could not get it.

That was until this month. The laptop I ordered two years ago finally arrived, now in the shape of a netbook bearing the latest Loongson 2F CPU. I’ve spent a week hacking on it, and have come to the conclusion that this is a really fun computer to own. It’s stable, passes the drop test, and is open enough where you can do … basically anything.

This laptop has an open source BIOS based on a souped-up pmon, which allows the user total access to the memory map. If you have the patience, you can go right in there and cause some trouble.

No matter how fun it is, this is not a laptop for regular users, and I believe Lemote is doing itself and incredibly disservice by marketing it as such. At first glance, it looks like something for the trash bin, but that’s until you start hacking.

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Loongson orders still open

It seems my Loongson is still a long ways from arriving. A company spokesman said they were still taking pre-orders, and that orders would be accepted until March. There was no word on shipment date, so it is likely “after March.”

My guess is May or June.

I am currently looking at the Eee PC series by Asus. They have been available here in China since December and are currently sold in Gome appliance stores for 2,999 yuan. I need to find out if they are available in Bainaohui or Zhongguancun, and if they are, what the prices there come to.

The Eee PC is basically the same as the Loongson 8″. The key difference is that it is slower, and it has a solid state hard disk. That aside, I think it would be an excellent system to have as a portable x86 and to help restore my Gateway when it breaks, thus avoiding the debacle that destroyed my girlfriend’s Dell.