EE PC
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Posted on 11/28/2007 8:28:36 PM PST by goldstategop
A couple of weeks ago, we featured the Sony Vaio TZ21 range of ultra-portable notebooks. Little bigger than a sheet of A4 paper, the TZ21 series is perfect for mobile workers and "hot-deskers", because it's packed full of applications, and fits easily inside a briefcase or a handbag. The only downside is price: at almost £1,500, there's a premium for its tiny proportions.
The Eee PC Small but perfectly formed: Asus's Eee PC
But what about those people who already have a desktop computer, or perhaps a chunky but reliable laptop that works perfectly well at home but causes hernias and sciatica when it's taken on the road? All they want is an ultra-portable, inexpensive device to open and edit documents, surf the net, and write emails on the go. Sure, they could make do with a smartphone or a PDA, but what people really want is a true, laptop-like user experience on a device that won't break the bank or their back.
The continued success of the One Laptop per Child project, which aims to provide schoolchildren in developing nations with a sub-$100 computer, shows that the technology and expertise exists to build inexpensive, robust, basic machines that nonetheless boast solid functionality. The problem is, very few of these are available to general consumers, although the One Laptop per Child machines may eventually go on sale worldwide, with the caveat that you have to buy two computers and donate one to the project.
So the arrival of the Eee PC 701 from Taiwanese computer makers Asus is both timely and welcome – launched in the UK on November 12, it's about the same size as the TZ21, but almost ten times cheaper. I had a chance to test one of the full retail units earlier on in the week, and was very impressed by what I saw.
First, the Eee PC might be compact, but it's by no means ugly. The model I tested had a glossy white finish reminiscent of Apple's MacBooks, but if that's too clinical for your tastes, you can opt for the shiny black model, or perhaps those in pink, green and blue pastel shades. Tipping the scales at less than a kilogram, and measuring a diminutive 22.5cm by 16.4cm by 3.5cm, the Eee PC is portable, surprisingly robust and easy on the eye. Despite internet speculation that the Eee PC would cost less than £200, it will retail for about £219 when it goes on sale in the UK. Regardless, it remains a highly affordable and surprisingly useful bit of kit. advertisement
Asus has kept the cost down by using open-source software – it runs a Linux operating system rather than Windows, although future versions will be available with Windows; uses OpenOffice (oppenoffice.org) for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations; and has the excellent Firefox web browser for surfing the internet. And rather than using an expensive hard drive in the unit, Asus have opted for 4GB of solid-state flash storage, a "disk" with no moving parts that means the computer can boot up in double-quick time. It also has 512MB of memory – rather low for modern computers, but more than adequate for the processing functions demanded by this stripped-down device.
Rather than a traditional desktop dotted with icons, the Eee PC has tabbed "home pages" divided up into sections along its decent 7in screen – the "Internet" section, for example, contains icons with clear and simple labels that will take you straight through to the internet, web-based email accounts and Wikipedia with a single click, while the "Play" section has links to games and media managers and the "Work" tab provides quick access to OpenOffice programs. It has a built-in webcam and messenger software, and comes with Skype pre-installed. The Eee PC is Wi-Fi enabled, so you can connect to wireless networks that operate on the 802.11b and 802.11g protocols, or connect it directly via an ethernet cable.
It has a VGA port, so you can hook the laptop up to an external monitor, plus three USB ports into which you can plug peripheral devices, such as a Skype headset or external hard drive. There's even a combined SD/MMC card slot that you can pop memory cards straight into from your camera – Asus assures me that most peripherals, such as printers and iPods, will work fine, as long as you download the necessary Linux driver.
There's plenty to recommend the Eee PC to mobile workers in need of a cheap second laptop, or even though who have no desire to splash out hundreds of pounds on a computer when all they want to do is surf the net, write the occasional letter, and send the odd email, but it does have its limitations.
Its compact proportions are both a blessing and a curse: the screen, although clear and crisp, feels as though it should be bigger: rather annoyingly, there are black speakers on either side, which create the impression that you haven't stretched the screen to its maximum dimensions; some users may also struggle to type on the small keyboard, although it definitely gets easier with practice; and the mouse, which is operated by a trackpad, is awkwardly situated slightly too far towards the bottom of the unit to be truly comfortable.
And of course while some people may appreciate the simplified "what you see is what you get" desktop and quick-click icons, others will crave greater flexibility and customisation, or the ability to download additional software. Although that may be available on later devices that run Windows, for now, you can make some very basic, limited tweaks to settings, but on the whole, you're stuck with what Asus gives you, good as that may be.
Psychologically, the price may also put some people off – had Asus manage to sell a laptop below the magic £200 mark, I think people would be buying it in droves, viewing it as an inexpensive, almost "disposable" device, perfect for travels or even as a second computer at home purely for surfing the net. At just over £200, people may be weighing it up against other options, such as an entry-level "normal" laptop, compromising an element of portability for additional computing functionality. Dell's laptops, for example, start at around £329 if you opt for one running the Linux Ubuntu operating system, or £399 for one running Windows.
Still, Asus finds itself in a strong market position: with Palm's plans for a similar device, the Foleo, shelved a couple of months ago and other projects still in the early stages, the Eee PC 701 has little competition, but plenty of uses.
EE PC
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I've struck out at four online stores now. They're supposedly "in stock NOW!" until you place an order, only to find out days later that they're on backorder.
Rumor has it that a better, larger 10" screen, 8GB memory and 1GB RAM version is coming in early '08. Think I'll wait for that one.
Look for the flash drive to go up to 16gb in early 2008. Its a hot product here on the island with many happy users in its present form. It runs Thunderbird as its email client and open office. Linnux OS.
It is a good thing.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I think I will budget for this in February. I have been looking for something like this, but either the screen is to small(PDA) or is to pricey. After working on computers and servers all day, the last thing I want to touch is a computer at home. So something simple like this to surf the net and check my Gmail ideal.
I think a poster on that link that Martin posted had it right. That the screen is that way so that they can use the same casing with a bigger screen later on. The closest to this that I like is the HP TC1100, but those are $1,000 brand new and only have 802.1b and I don’t think HP makes them anymore. I have doctor offices that use the TC1100 for purely mobile RDP sessions. A similar device with a Flash Hard Drive could do the same and cheaper. Hopefully this will have RDP/Citrix client on it.
Correction, that is a TC1000 with 802.11b. The TC1100 has a 802.11 a/b/g WiFi.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
The big MacWorld Expo will be in mid-January. According to the rumors, Apple could debut a sub-compact Mac portable with solid-state storage.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
bump
I was under the impression that flash memory has limitations as far as durability.
Isn't flash storage meant for static storage and that continuous access and usage will result in a very short life span?
I know these Jornadas (Jornadae?) came/come with MS Internet Explorer on them. Does that mean that they had/have wireless networking capability? Or must they be linked to a PC to access the internet?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
bump
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Not anymore. You can get a decent one on eBay for 50 bucks. But without a decent ethernet connection...what's the point. My cell phone does more.
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