Zlaxfish Network

I have been trying for a long time to find a way to image Macs from our WDS server to no avail…Macs don’t have PXE boot!  WDS has had a feature to allow you to create a “Discover” image and a resulting disc to boot from.  However, typically when just using the GUI to create this disc, it boots up with a command prompt window, runs winpeinit and then that’s it.  After some deep searching, I found a blog with accurate instructions for how to actually create a disc that will not only boot up to winPE but also launch straight into the WDS deploy on a given server.  It does require command line but the latest WAIK has some very verbose and useful tools, making it not too hard even for a WDS novice.

Thanks to David Bolton’s blog: http://www.davidbolton.com/?p=24

I also had to extract the network drivers from the Snow Leopard bootcamp disc but for general purposes, adding all of the drivers from the latest LAN Driver Pack to the disc image will make sure to cover a wide variety of machines.  Check out my previous post for the easiest way to add these via command line!

The Aspire One is not a multimedia powerhouse, but my primary use for it is to take it to school and work with me as an alternative to lugging my Macbook Pro around.  However, it isn’t my primary machine, which brings up the issue of how do I keep my data together without having to swap files around on a flash drive or something?  Most of these apps I use the most address this issue.

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The goal of getting this Acer Aspire One was to create, in essence, a Macbook Mini that would be light, fit my daily needs at work and class, and have great battery power.  While I love my Macbook Pro, I can’t deny the battery issues…in one year of ownership, the battery capacity has dropped to 50%, giving me barely a 1:45 hour runtime with lowest power settings.  Also, lugging it around all the time with books can’t be good for my back.

Enough blabbing, onto the install!

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I recently have been thinking about the sudden surge of Netbooks we have seen and how nice it would be to have such a portable device with great battery life.  The recent realization that my Macbook Pro’s battery in one year has become barely able to get through a single hour and a half class made this clearer than ever that big, powerful laptops have their place but are not a catch-all.  So, after some eBay hunting, I found a sweet deal on an Acer Aspire One:

2.3 Lbs, 6-cell battery for a rated 6 hour battery life, Intel Atom 1.6Ghz Processor, 1GB RAM, 8.9″ Screen

Clearly, not a speed demon but powerful enough for most non-gaming or video needs…

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