Do not buy an Asus Eee PC 1101HA or any netbook/laptop having an Intel GMA500 (Poulsbo) video chipset if you plan to run GNU/Linux on it.
Unlike Intel’s other video chipsets, the GMA500 is not developed in-house, but it is based on Imagination Technologies’s PowerVR, which is barely supported under GNU/Linux. The GMA500 drivers are so messy that it is even challenging to get the native display resolution. You can read more about how Intel is ruining its relationship with the GNU/Linux community on Linux Journal and Ars Technica.
I spent about 3800 NOK (460 EUR) to buy an Asus Eee PC 1101HA last Saturday. Now I cannot return it to the reseller. In other words, I am screwed.
11 November 2010 at 21:50
It is true that if you have some savy with linux you can get things running, but why do we need to go through so much work. Intel really ticked me off with this move. I cannot fathom why they did this to us.
12 November 2010 at 00:13
I would consider myself a GNU/Linux savvy, and I can manage to get the GMA500 up and running. Unfortunately, there is no driver out there that enables any sort of hardware acceleration, and this is clearly unacceptable…
16 July 2010 at 11:06
Certain distros namely ubuntu pclinuxos mandriva are providing drivers/solutions for this ugly gma500/psb graphic device lately,Choose among them & enjoy!