“What is the best Linux for netbook hardware? My Netbook came with an operating system that isn’t Windows and I’m thinking about replacing it with Linux, I’m just not sure which one to choose.”
If your Netbook isn’t running Windows, there’s a good chance you already have a Netbook Linux configuration. Many of the computer manufacturers have installed a version of Linux with a dumbed down interface for things like email and music, in order to avoid paying a licensing fee for Windows. With most important apps running in the cloud these days, I installed Linux on my Netbook recently because it was more resource efficient than Windows, using less disk space and offering better performance overall. When choosing the best Linux for Netbook hardware, think about how you will use your computer. If you need to install apps, you might need to choose a different solution than if you access most of your data via a web browser.

When I first installed Linux on my Netbook, I looked at using a Linux distribution like Ubuntu Netbook Edition, but I ran into frustrations with the interface being a dumbed down configuration for small screens. I’m not a fan, because I want all the features of a full fledged operating system. Netbook Edition provides big buttons with access to the most commonly used features, similar to what the computer manufacturers have done with but this seems unnecessary, because there’s not much of a performance hit taken by installing the standard Ubuntu and using it on netbook hardware.
I also considered the fully featured version of Chromium OS, which is the open source project behind the new Google Chrome OS. This seems like a perfect Linux for Netbooks because it focuses on most data being access via the cloud. Ultimately I again turned to Ubuntu, because there are still cases where having standard ability to work with desktop applications works better than trying to work entirely in web-based software.
A handful of other Linux distributions got my attention, but ultimately I kept turning back to Ubuntu Desktop Edition as my choice for best Linux for Netbook hardware. Ubuntu is lightweight enough to avoid wasted hard disk space, but also flexible enough to handle any project you throw at it.