I installed Linux on a mini laptop, and it brought me back to the Netbook's golden days

If given the opportunity, I would much rather use a desktop over a laptop or phone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I have my Android, but typing on phones has never been easy for me. I like touch typing and I’m very good at it (I should be, given how much I write). 

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On the few occasions I have had to actually write and edit on a phone, it was horrible, so I avoid it at all costs. But what do I do when I’m on the go and I don’t have room in my bag for a full-sized laptop?

I go mini. Or, shall I say, tiny.

The Piccolo N150 Netbook is an eight-inch “mini laptop” that looks sort of like a tablet or one of those old-school electronic organizers from the ’90s. When I first received this device to review, I was giddy upon handling it. I always loved miniaturized things as a kid, and the Piccolo speaks to something nostalgic. 

This eight-inch laptop isn’t a toy, however. Upon picking it up, you can feel the metal chassis has a surprising amount of weight to it. When I turned the N150 on, I was greeted by Windows 11. It should come as no surprise that I dislike Windows. So what did I do? Obviously, I installed Linux.

To be more specific, I installed KDE Neon. I knew I’d prefer the KDE Plasma UI because I felt it would be the easiest to use on the small touch screen. The installation was as easy as installing any Linux distribution (which is to say… very) and there was only one issue with the audio. 

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After a full KDE Neon upgrade, the onboard sound card was detected and everything was fine. I could use the Piccolo N150 as well on Linux as I could on Windows and I was a happy lil’ penguin.

The first thing I realized, however, was that it would take me a while to get used to the keyboard. The Piccolo’s layout is strange, and my fingers needed a moment to get used to it. 

I’ve experienced this before, so know that it’s very common for such tiny devices. You simply cannot cram a full-sized keyboard onto an eight-inch frame. Because of that, I see the layout as a clever work-around to keep the majority of the keys full size. If the keys themselves were bite-sized, it would be far worse.

As far as the rest of the hardware, the display is much nicer than I would have imagined for this form factor, and it has a solid build despite its miniature stature. The only thing (and this is to be expected) is that the sound is very small and tinny — but at least it’s clear. 

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During my testing, I installed the Ollama/Msty combo to see how the N150 would handle local AI and I was surprised it performed pretty well. It wasn’t nearly as fast as my System76 Thelio, but that’s comparing apples to oranges. Even so, queries were answered quickly and I only heard the fan kick on briefly.

I didn’t benchmark this tiny laptop but that’s not really of concern for such a small device. You don’t buy a laptop of this size for its performance, you buy it for its portability and convenience. That the N150 was able to run Linux to perfection was a major bonus for me.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Laptops of this size aren’t for everyone. If your fingers can adapt to the keyboard layout, it would be a great device to carry with you in your purse or bag, so you could write your novel while traveling on the bus or even work on some code.

The Piccolo N150 netbook isn’t a toy but it’s also not something you’d use for anything too serious. If you’re okay with the form factor and you can get used to the cramped keyboard, this mini laptop would be a great addition to the tech you use. That being said, it’s not an ideal gaming laptop, although I imagine one could install Steam and play some that aren’t too graphically-intensive. 

Piccolo N150 netbook specs

• CPU – Intel Alder Lake N100 with 4 cores, 4 threads, and a max turbo frequency of 3.6 GHz
• GPU – Intel Graphics 24EUs 1000 MHz
• Size – 7.9″ x 5.142″ x .70″
• Weight – 1.45 pounds
• Display – IPS LCD at 1920 X 1200 with a 16:10 ratio
• Battery  Polymer 7.4 v/300 mAh with a 6-hour life on a full charge
• RAM – 12GB on board.
• Storage – 512 GB
• Camera (front only) 2.0 MP
• Speaker – 1 W x 2.
• Connectivity – Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6
• Fingerprint read built into the power button
• Ports – MicroSD, 1 x USB 3.0 1 x USB 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 mini HDMI
• Price $389 on the X-Plus site