Ubuntu Netbook Remix

Recently I traded my older laptop for a brand new Lenovo Idea Pad S10e. Needless to say, I was quite thrilled by the deal. However, Windows XP on a brand new 10" netbook seemed like a lame idea. Interestingly, it seems that Lenovo understood that to some degree as the netbook came preloaded with a seperate partition containing a Linux quick access area that would allow you to do basic things like web browsing without booting into Windows. I decided to take things a little farther, downloading Ubuntu 9.10, I reformatted the hard drive and installed a substantial version of Linux. 

After a few days of using Ubuntu 9.10 on my netbook, I realized that while I could do most everything there were a few issues to work out. The netbook has a weird and slightly random screen size of 1024x576, most programs are formatted for a different sized screen. Many dialog boxes for system settings would simply go off the screen. To apply settings, I'd have to do lots of tabbing and guessing. 
 

Ubuntu Netbook Remix to the rescue. Netbook Remix is available as its own distro which you can download from http://www.ubuntu.com/GetUbuntu/download-netbook however, for folks like me that already installed Ubuntu on their netbook, a better solution is available. Just go to your Synaptic Package Manager and add Ubuntu Netbook Remix to your system.

The great thing about UNR is that it is basically just a different way to handle menus and screen size on a netbook. Everything else is the old Ubuntu you have grown to know and love. You still have all the functionality you had before, but now you have even MORE! Finally, I can see all the dialog box screens. This is what UNR looks like on my machine. 

Icons get super-sized, and you get a nifty menu on the right hand side of the screen. I do have some complaints though. If you like your wall paper, well then this is a bit of a downer... There is no apparent way to make it all disappear and readily come back. Perhaps there is a way and someone will clue us all in. The other nifty feature is in the fact that Ubuntu UNR starts all programs full screen to help you utilize all of your netbooks tiny screen real-estate. Below I have opened four-in-a-row and you can see how it has engulfed the screen. 

So, if regular old Ubuntu isn't cutting it for you anymore on your netbook, give Ubuntu Netbook Remix a try!