I’ve compiled a hacked version of the X11 Synaptics driver that includes a fudge factor for the Y component.  It does hw.y *= 0.6 internally, and this pretty much compensates for the incorrect coordinates.

Here’s a link to a modified replacement Ubuntu .deb package.

Just download that file, and then run:

dpkg –install xserver-xorg-input-synaptics_0.15.2-0ubuntu7_i386.deb

And you should be good to go.  If/when the Ubuntu maintainers publish a new or upgraded version of this package, this version will be overwritten, so you’ll be SOL.  So, be careful with those autoupgrades!

In other news, there are patches underway to do this in a more configurable way, and its possible that future versions of the Synaptics driver will include the ability to adjust the vertical sensitivity.

Here are my first thoughts:

1. The screen is actually more functional than I thought it was going to be.  1024×600 is just fine for pretty much everything.  There’s a little more scrolling than normal, but nothing huge.  I do find that I am running Firefox in fullscreen mode more, so maybe that makes up for it.
2. The keyboard is actually quite good.  There are only a few weird things.  The number keys are offset to the left a bit more than I’m used to, and that means I hit 2 instead of 1, for example.  There are some other keyboard quirks, like the ~ key and PgUp/PgDn buttons, but I’m sure I’ll be able to get used to those.  The key autoreapeat happens a bit faster than I’m used to, and doesn’t seem to be adjustable in Ubuntu.  (Although repeat on/off does work).  I’m just tapping faster than normal.  The keyboard is large enough that I can touch type at full speed with nearly no problems at all.  Excellent!
3. The synaptics track pad works, but the vertical motion is way too fast, and I’m tracking an xorg bug and discussion on mailing lists about the patches that are proposed to fix it.  As soon as I can get a build of the .deb for people to check out, I’ll do so.
4. Battery life.  I only have the “3-cell” version, and people complain a bit about the battery life.  It seems to be working for 2.5-3 hours for me, which is really just great for what I’m using the laptop for.
5. The CPU is plenty fast, the graphics are plenty fast, and 1GB seems like plenty of RAM.  It really doesn’t feel like it needs an upgrade.  I’ve even been doing some ./configuge && ./make stuff for the drivers, and it works speedily and well.   The Atom shows up as Dual Core, due to hyperthreading.  CPU Frequency scaling works, and the steps are 800Mhz, 1.07GHz, 1.33GHz, and 1.6GHz.
6. It’s very light, and seems very well built.  The LED backlit display is very bright (on full brightness, which I don’t really use at night).

There are a couple of weird quirks, that I’ve mentioned above but will reiterate here:

1. Touchpad vertical movement is too fast.  I’m getting used to it, but it would be nice for it to be “normal”.
2. Screen brightness is very dim after a resume from suspend.  (Dimmer than anything I can set with the brightness buttons, and it returns to normal when I adjust brightness manually)
3. I haven’t tested video (webcam) or microphone yet, but sound works great.
4. Keyboard quirks (~, PgUp, Home, F12, are all hard to press.  There are buttons unused by Ubuntu (The ‘Home’ button and Windows Menu Button)
5. I’m having a bunch of trouble with 3-button (middle mouse button) emulation in X11.  Supposedly the synaptics driver does it automatically, but I haven’t delved into this much.  It does work, but just not predictably.  I’d like to just set some key+click combo to middle mouse.
6. Keyboard key repeat rate is too fast and delay is too short, settings under Ubuntu don’t seem to take effect. (this is minor, and I’m sure I’ll get used to it)

Here’s my rebuttal to their 3 main points and their conclusion:

1. Too Little CPU.

Really? Is a 1.6GHz modern-day processer really “too little” for running a web browser? Thats funny, because web browsers on mobile devices (iPhone, Android) work just fine with about 1/3rd that many cycles, and with CPU Frequency Scaling, my 2.1GHz laptop is usually running at a measly 800MHz, and that seems just fine as well.

I’ll admit that it likely has too little CPU for fancy window effects in Vista, or under compiz for Linux, but those features are pure glitz and no substance, so they don’t really count in my book. I’m fine having a simple window manager and running pretty much nothing but a full screen browser.

2. Too small of a screen.

Well, if you want a small laptop, you have to have a small screen. I really think the Lenovo S10, with its 10.2″ screen, is one of the best out there. Just like most laptops, the screen is pretty much the same size as the entire top cover, so without compromizing size (and thus portability) I’m not sure what the actual complaint here is other than “they’re too small”.

3. Too small of a keyboard.

I think this is being fixed, and quickly. The original Asus Eee machines have horridly small keyboards, but the newer models (again, like the Lenovo S10) are 85% of “full size” and I suspect that the next generation of machines will be 90%+. Again, this only comes with a compromize in size, and thus portability, but it may be worth it. An 11″ screen may be the optimal for netbooks, but thats not really a formfactor that’s hit the market yet.

Their conclusion: You should just buy a full size laptop.

I don’t get this point at all. Saying that one should buy a $600+ plus full sized laptop instead of a $350 netbook is just a crazy argument. They’re two totally different machines. The full size is fast, heavy, and doesn’t last on batteries. The netbook is small, light, but slower, and lasts much longer on batteries.

I’m not arguing that netbooks are the best laptops on the planet, I’m just saying that for $350-$450, they seem like a pretty sweet deal. If you want something as small and light, but with a bigger screen and better CPU, you end up going into the $1500+ range. Given the choice between a MacBook Air (or similar, Lenovo X300) for that price, or a $400 Lenovo S10, I think I’ll choose the netbook any day.

Caveat: I haven’t actually gotten my S10 yet, so I’m really not one to say whether this is a great machine or not, but I’m hopeful. I’m mostly just going to use it for hacking on the couch, where something small and quiet will be just perfect.