I'm a non-techie, but I've used the internet since you turned on the computer and got a dos prompt, used a mail program called Pine, a browser called Lynx, and could find out if your friend was online with "finger." For several years I've used Mac laptops, but my latest one is dying, so I've set up a desktop with Ubuntu Linux. I need something for email and internet and offline maps when I travel, so I bought a refurb Acer Iconia a500 from ebay. Not that I'm cheap, or anything. (I save my money for birding trips.) My specific interests right now are an accessory keyboard, maps to put on a card for offline use, and getting this thing charged so I can try it out.