Ok, this is an offtopic editorial (hey, it's Sunday!):

The difference that optimization makes is simply staggering.

Just today, I finally took the plunge and installed Ubuntu 10.10 on my netbook. I've been meaning to do this for some time, but between finding the time, and a poorly organized/partitioned drive, the move was a little more complicated than it could have been. Fast forward to today, and the job is done.

I'm extremely impressed, to say the least. Sure, the UI is clean and it's easy to use, but its operation is BLAZING. Consider that my netbook is generally running far smoother on my 1st gen ATOM than my main notebook is running Win7* on a Core2Duo at 2.4GHz. Yes, optimization makes a huge difference. Sure these two machines are in different leagues when comparing raw computation, but the experience alone, mixed with my general low-demand applications, puts my 15"er to shame.

* as an aside: I *hate* windows. When I acquired my main notebook, it had windows pre-installed, and the upgrade to Win7 after all the media hoo-haw was enticing enough to use. As such, it slowly became my default system, a system in which I spend 90% of my time in a Ubuntu installation running in VirtualBox. Getting linux on my netbook is going to tide me over so that I don't have to forgo work while upgrading my main machine.

What does this have to do with Galaxy Tab or Android? Only that optimization can make a huge difference in user experience. Certainly the differences in the stock browser vs. Opera on the Galaxy Tab show that even given the Galaxy Tab's mobile SoC, it is capable of very impressive speeds.

That is all. (really, I just wanted to tell about my shiny new distro, but don't tell)

For the developers out there contemplating development for any platform, do yourself a favour and think about usability and not solely functionality. Your users will thank you! Often time, small changes can make very large differences!

As for me, I'm in the market for a new notebook. I'm not looking for much, but I want something thin, light, with a good display and extremely good battery life w/ Ubuntu. I'd take anything from 10"-13", and cost is a secondary concern (though it shouldn't be too high). I will not be buying this computer in the near future, but I'm keeping my eye open. I figure it would make a far better companion to my Tab.