Getting up to speed with Moblin 2.1

I have entered the world of Moblin with my Asus Eee 1005HA netbook, and I am loving it so far! I've been move productive on the go this week and I am having a lot of fun doing it!

For anyone that has a compatible netbook and wants to check out Moblin, download the newest Moblin image and follow the simple instructions -- you'll be started with your own Moblin OS in no time at all. I was up and running in 15 minutes after copying the image to my USB key. Just make sure you read the instructions on how to install the image properly before you begin.

Installation and setup of the OS is so easy you will be left staring at the screen saying "That's it?!" I definitely was! A bloated Windows installation this is not.

A frustration I experienced tonight was spending about an hour configuring my Windows Live MSN email account. This would have happened with any non-Windows OS, though. It was frustrating because my ISP (Cox Communications) does not allow outgoing SMTP traffic on port 25. For anyone who may encounter this same problem, use the following configuration for an MSN/Hotmail/Live Mail email account:
INCOMING: pop3.live.com, port 995 (connection security SSL)
OUTGOING: pop.west.cox.net, port 25 if you're on the West Coast; see other areas here

The only bug I'm encountering with Moblin 2.1 so far is having a sporadic internet signal from my home wireless N router (e.g. connected for 20 minutes, disconnects for 20 seconds, reconnects for 20 minutes, etc.). If anyone has any ideas what this might be, let me know! It may be an Asus Eee 1005HA issue and not a Moblin OS issue. It also was happening at my friend's house this afternoon. I hope I'll have a solution soon because Moblin.org has a great bug reporting system and someone's already reported my particular bug.

All the other setup on Moblin was a breeze -- I've got my Twitter account on the "myzone" homepage; I've updated my tasks and calendar; I've used the Bluetooth connection to transfer files to my netbook; I've set up my chat clients; I've changed my desktop background; I'm web surfing and adding favorites -- AND I'm even writing this blog from the Moblin web browser right now! I've also installed a Mahjongg game and an email client from the "Moblin Application Installer", which is an area where Moblin owners can download free apps for their netbook. I can't wait to try a few new apps each week!

Are you running Moblin yet? What are your tips, tricks and first thoughts of Moblin 2.1? Leave your comments below.