Comment by jdub

16 hours ago

Alan Cox had a pre-netbook netbook smaller than a VHS tape at linux.conf.au 2001, and milled about chatting with colleagues and fanboys while his kernel builds scrolled by in the background. Everyone would gawk at the strange little machine.

It was Japanese, naturally.

At linux.conf.au 2007 we chose a smaller conference bag, designed to carry your electrical accessories and nick-knacks... it turned out to be the perfect size for the new EeePC (and later the MacBook Air 11").

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jdub

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d3Xt3r  6 hours ago

Speaking of which, is there ever going to be another IRL linux.conf.au? I really miss those, and the good old LUG meetups. I'm surrounded by Microsoft people at work day in and day out and I'm desperate to reconnect with my kind.

  • jdub  4 hours ago

    Perhaps one day...

    A few things contributed to its demise: less industry money sloshing around for travel and sponsorships, a growing sense that "Linux" didn't represent the entire community, and a pandemic.

    Which left "Everything Open" launching weaker in every sense.

    But I don't think Linux or Open Source feel sufficiently radical or inspiring to sustain that kind of community-building (local or global) these days... maybe a "Fuck AI" tech conference. :-D

paradox460  16 hours ago

HP used to have extremely small laptops in the early 90s, specifically the omnibook 300

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_OmniBook