ASUS Eee PC
 

I just bought one of these gadgets; it came on the big brown truck today. I had a HELL of a time getting it to connect to my wireless router (2 desktops and 1 other laptop connect, no problem) but finally got it working and I hope it's not just a fluke. I also hope it has no problem connecting to Wifi hotspots elsewhere, because that's the whole reason I bought the thing - portable Internet.

It's such a cute, tiny little thing - weighs about 2 pounds, about the same dimensions as a trade paperback book. Cramped keyboard, but do-able for those with small fingers (women and kids?); as it said in a review I read, "OK for e-mail but you wouldn't want to write a novel on it." 4 gig hard drive, Linux OS, no cd-rom but it does have a port for memory cards.

I got it to take to college with me this fall; the school's all wi-fied, and since I'm a middle-aged mom trying to run a business and everything else while going to class full time, being able to get online and work on projects between classes is a godsend. And nifty too, not having to haul a regular sized laptop around; my books are heavy enough. (I got one today in the mail that is 4" thick, no joke!) The 2 gig version is less, but the 4 gig cost me $375.

Just wondered if anybody else had one of these little critters, and what do you think? Tips, tricks, caveats?

Wow. And I thought I was busy lol.

The gadget lover in me thinks I may have found my 12 yr olds Christmas gift

I'm seriously considering getting one for work. It's time for a new computer, and for the stuff I do a desktop and a basic portable for word processing, surfing, etc. seems to make more sense than a "desktop replacement" laptop. (And the cost would be about the same.)

Well, I'll tell ya, that keyboard really is too small for sustained typing. And I have small fingers. It's almost not even worth it to try and type normally, but if you're a decent typist you know where the keys are anyway and it's not so bad. I've managed a typing style just a little better than the two-thumb style required for cell phones.

It comes with Open Office, which is supposed to be compatible with MS Word, we'll see about that. Got a good PIM included, Kontact, though I wish I could figure out how to make it display 12-hour time instead of 24-hour. (meaning, 5 pm is 17:00.)

Took it to a friend's house today and it connected almost instantly with his unsecured wireless router, then back at home, figured out I wasn't there anymore and hooked up to mine.

I took a thumb drive and filled it with MP3's from my "real" PC, plugged it in and played them on the new gadget - need to find out if it'll plug into my car stereo like a normal MP3 player, if so that would be great for our upcoming road trip. I can listen to tunes, read e-books, play some silly games.

Seriously, who cares about the small hard drive? It takes memory cards and has two USB ports. As long as the hard drive holds all the applications you need, just store your other files elsewhere. I'm glad I sprung for the 4 gig instead of the 2 gig, which was about $75 cheaper.

Oh, and get this -- it has a built in webcam, mounted right at the top of the screen. Takes still pictures too, very cool feature.

I'm really happy with it so far!

The eee PC
 

I've got a keyboard the size of the EEE that I can take into data centers to hook up to servers. It's not good for anything but touch typing at best.

However, OpenOffice, as you'll find out, is about 95% compatible with Word, and actually can recover many corrupt Word and Excel documents because it's been built by reverse-engineering Office documents.

You can put up to 2GB RAM in there, and I recommend you do so. Also, you can put in SDHC cards (up to 16GB I've read), and I recommend that. You can also plug in a keyboard, mouse, and monitor via USB and VGA if you wish to have a bigger screen.

This is a nice little PC, and it fits in smaller places than used a laptop :).

How amazing is it that the limiting factor in the size of our computers is the keyboard? This goes back to my belief that the number one challenge in technology is to design a better interface. All the functionality we need for full-blown "magic" is already available; we just need slicker, more intuitive (and smaller) ways to access it.

Been working part time with one. I believe its wifi is weak. With some time, will be moving attennas to compensate for what I suspect is weak Wifi reception.

Meanwhile, the owner loves it. Has no problem with the smaller keyboard. Missing data storage components are make irrelevant by a good sized USB Memory stick.

I now have the EEEEEEEE... the model 900 with Linux and the 20GB drive. I've only used it about 1/2 hour but so far the touchpad button placement is more of an adjustment than the actual keyboard.

Congrats, SD. I hope you like it! I'm just thrilled with mine so far.

Now every time I see this, I think ANUS. Thanks scam-baiter.

I can't help if your mind is in the gutter. (Or other places.)

please keep us updated on your thoughts on this laptop. I'm considering getting one.

Can you surf all sorts of pages? Do they fit on the screen? Scroll bars needed?

I've wanted a laptop to keep on the coffee table so when I'm watching tv and it's not keeping me interested, I can pick up the laptop and surf. Maybe take it with me to empty the pictures off the digital camera. Not looking to replace our desktop.

This Asus is a Windows look-a-like that uses public domain software such as Sun's Office and Firefox. It's Wifi is better than I originally thought. The one I was working on contains an 8 Gig semiconductor drive.

This is a system for dedicated work. You cannot (as best I can tell) install any programs. It runs only software provided by Asus which makes it malware resistant (not malware proof). This one had an ethernet port, Wifi, external video port, and USB ports. Modem option exists (but was not installed). Don't know yet if it can support an external keyboard or mouse (USB). Don't know how long the battery lasts OR how many recharge cycles are possible. Don't know if it supports an external battery pack.

For most functions involving 'on the road' data entry and data download, this is a perfect machine. Even the 'chicklet' keyboard is not a problem.

Well, some sites will not work with Firefox. That could be a problem. This is truly a portable computer - a perfect secondary system for the road.

It's available with Windows XP, and I think you can install anything that's compatible with the OS - either via download or by connecting an external drive. Yes, it will support a keyboard, mouse and also a larger monitor.

Battery life depends on your model. The 4G Surf has a battery life around 2 hours; I opted to pay a few bucks more for the one with a 3.5 hour battery.

If you're on the road a lot, it's a simple matter to get one of those doodads that make your lighter plug into a regular electric plug - we have one and it works great. Easier than fiddling with car adapters for everything.

Apparently you can do a whole lot more with it if you're familiar with Linux, which I am not. Check out asus.com and eeeuser.com for more info.

Our only complaint is that we can't play on Webkinz because of screen size issues. There aren't even any scroll bars. But most sites don't have a problem. I've gone just about everywhere else I need to go on it, including this board, Web CT for school, news sites, etc. Yes, a little bit of scrolling is needed, but once you get used to it, it's not that big of a hassle. IMO the size of the cute little thing is well worth putting up with the other size issues. :)