# Anyone have an ESUS  Eee PC  laptop?



## Dottie (Jan 17, 2008)

Walter Mossberg had a somewhat favorable review on this 2lb laptop in todays WSJ.  It does have some normal laptop deficiencies but looked to me like it might make a great travel laptop for email and internet. I have been looking at small devices for years but wanted one that did not require a special internet provider and monthly fee.  Looks to me that this might be it.


----------



## Passepartout (Jan 17, 2008)

*Asus Eee Pc*

I have one ordered. It was supposed to ship 'Mid January' so far not. The manufacturer said they have been selling one every 6 seconds. I too have been looking for a small, simple, internet capable device for traveling. For those who haven't seen one, this is about the size of the usual portable DVD player. 7" screen, no hard drive, just flash memory, running Linux, built-in wi-fi and web camera. They say on the 8GB model it includes the drivers for Windows XP, so I don't know that I won't attempt a minimal Windows installation, but probably won't.

Stay tuned, I'll post a report when I get it in hand. Hopefully before we  head to Mazatlan in 2 weeks.

Jim Ricks


----------



## hvsteve1 (Jan 17, 2008)

Buy.com is selling them. Nobody seems to discount, but at least it's free shipping and, probably, no sales tax. The reason I'm mentioning this is there is at least one user review on that site. I think it's from somebody in the UK who picked up an early model in Taiwan. You may also find user reviews on the Best Buy and Circuit City web sites. I'm considering one as I travel most every week and want something for checking e-mail and, of course, TUG, but don't want to lug a big laptop such as what I now have. The Eee looks as though it would fit in my business case so nobody even know I have a laptop with me.


----------



## JudyS (Jan 17, 2008)

I'm considering buying one.  A few days ago, the daily deal on www.woot.com was a tiny Sony Vaio for about $1300.  A number of Wooters said that there was no way they'd spend $1300 for the Vaio when the Asus Eee starts at $299.  In general, the folks on Woot (who are very techno-savy) thought the Asus Eee rocks.  However, several people said that the 4 GB model is kind of small for running Windows XP, and that they'd wait until the 8 GB model was available.

Since most people here probably haven't heard of the Asus Eee, here's the scoop. The Eee is a tiny and cheap laptop. It weighs 2 pounds. It has no hard drive -- just flash memory. This means it can't store much data, of course, but also means you won't lose your data if you drop it and it boots up fast. The lack of a hard drive also makes it cheaper and lighter.  The Eee doesn't have a CD, floppy, or DVD drive, either; you load info into it via a USB connection or WiFi. 

The Eee costs $299 for the 2 GB model and $399 for the 4 GB model.  The 8 GB model is supposed to be out soon. The main drawback, from my point of view, is that it runs Linux, not Windows, and I really need to access MS-Office on my laptop. Window XP can be added, if you have the memory available, but doing this requires some knowledge of computers (plus you have to own a copy of Windows XP.)  However, even without Windows, the Eee should be fine for web surfing and email. Also, there are "Open Source" versions of Office that should run on this, so that might be an alternative for people who want to access Word, Excel, etc. while on the road. 

There are some other small, cheap laptops in development.  The One Laptop Per Child project has one, as does Intel's Classmate project.  But, I don't think there are any plans to offer these to the US public, and anyway, they won't use standard software.  However, there is at least one machine similar to the Eee that should be marketed to the US Public soon -- the Everex Cloudbook.  

I've been waiting for something like this for years!


----------



## JudyS (Jan 17, 2008)

Passepartout said:


> I have one ordered. It was supposed to ship 'Mid January' so far not. The manufacturer said they have been selling one every 6 seconds....


Jim, did you order the 4 GB or the 8 GB? And did you order directly from Asus? Amazon says they have 2 and 4 GB models in stock or shipping in 3 days.  

Amazon has 30 reviews of the Eee, and they are generally very favorable.


----------



## Emily (Jan 17, 2008)

As a mac addict, I'm going to wait for one of these . . MacBook Air w/ 80g . . the only thing that would make it better is a dual OS  . . maybe . .


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jan 17, 2008)

*New Apple Laptop*

I just saw a picture in yesterday's local paper of Steve Jobs introducing a new very light and very thin Apple laptop at the MacWorld Convention in Las Vegas.  It's less than an inch thick and turns on when you flip up the 13.3 inch monitor. It comes standard with an 80-gigabyte hard drive, with the option of a 64GB flash-based solid state drive as an upgrade.

The machine doesn't come with a built-in optical drive for reading CDs and DVDs, a feature Jobs says consumers won't miss because they can download movies and music over the Internet and access the optical drives on other PCs and Macs to install new software. They can buy an external drive, however, that will retail for $99. 

Cost will be $1,799 when it goes on sale in two weeks but Apple is taking orders now.

With the cost differential between the Asus Eee Pc and the new Apple Laptop, I don't think they have anything to worry about. It looks like the Apple Laptop sales will be brisk.

Richard


----------



## Icarus (Jan 17, 2008)

That would be the MacBook Air that Emily mentioned.

Like their consumer devices, it has an internal battery that can't be replaced by the user. Just something to consider.

-David


----------



## Passepartout (Jan 18, 2008)

JudyS said:


> Jim, did you order the 4 GB or the 8 GB? And did you order directly from Asus? Amazon says they have 2 and 4 GB models in stock or shipping in 3 days.
> 
> Amazon has 30 reviews of the Eee, and they are generally very favorable.



Judy, I ordered the 8GB from Dynamism. Just got a delivery update today. They are saying (white) 2 and 4 GB 'early to mid February possibly late Feb.'(black) March.  And that they were delaying production on the 8GB until the 4GBs production has come closer to keeping up with demand. Damn!

I checked on some of those that claimed 'in stock'. When you click to order, it suddenly becomes 'back ordered'.

Oh, and Judy, it has Open Office installed so it should be able to handle MS Office documents.

Sooooo, waiting patiently, and planning to take the Gateway on the next trip.

Jim Ricks


----------



## JudyS (Jan 18, 2008)

MULTIZ321 said:


> ...
> With the cost differential between the Asus Eee Pc and the new Apple Laptop, I don't think they have anything to worry about. It looks like the Apple Laptop sales will be brisk....


Who doesn't need to worry -- Apple, Asus, or both?  (Personally, I bet neither company needs to worry and both models will be popular.  More functionality with the Apple, but much higher price point.)



Passepartout said:


> Judy, I ordered the 8GB from Dynamism. Just got a delivery update today. They are saying (white) 2 and 4 GB 'early to mid February possibly late Feb.'(black) March.  And that they were delaying production on the 8GB until the 4GBs production has come closer to keeping up with demand. Damn!
> 
> I checked on some of those that claimed 'in stock'. When you click to order, it suddenly becomes 'back ordered'.
> 
> Oh, and Judy, it has Open Office installed so it should be able to handle MS Office documents....


Thanks very much for the info, Jim.  (And bummer that the "in stock" models actually aren't!) 

Sounds like if I want an Asus, I better get in line.


----------



## Passepartout (Jan 18, 2008)

*Thinking out loud here....*

After reading Walter Mossburg's review on the ASUS Eee, I may rethink my order. With the prices falling almost daily on flash memory, and surely other builders looking at the success of the Eee, it might be a good time to wait a year. Apple is offering their new laptop with optional solid state 'hard disk', and I have seen another from Sony Vaio. Could others be far behind?  Maybe with 2-or more GB of flash memory to support a full Windows install, and a port to plug-in and use an i-pod or other small portable hard drive when additional storage is needed.

I have never thought of myself a an 'early adopter', but looking at the closet full of 8086 PC's, 8 tracks, Betamax, hard-wired, in vehicle car phones, big, boxy, 2mb digital cameras and the like, it's just possible......

OK, soap box modeff. The ASUS is still ordered. I will try it if- and when- it comes. With the demand, it won't be hard to put on e-bay so some other impatient early adopter can do the same. 

Jim Ricks


----------



## Dottie (Jan 18, 2008)

Thanks to all for the comments.  I had read some other reviews as mentioned but I always value tuggers opinions the most.  I have decided to pass on it.  I was hoping for cheap, convenient internet connect while traveling in timeshares and on cruises.  Looks like convenient yes, cheap to connect, no.  I will stay with internet cafes.


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jan 18, 2008)

JudyS said:


> Who doesn't need to worry -- Apple, Asus, or both?  (Personally, I bet neither company needs to worry and both models will be popular.  More functionality with the Apple, but much higher price point.)



Judy,

I admit my post was poorly worded. My intent was to say I don't think Asus needs to worry about Apple competition. Actually, I think you're right - these two computers are for different market niches and both will probably do well.

Richard


----------



## JudyS (Jan 18, 2008)

MULTIZ321 said:


> ... My intent was to say I don't think Asus needs to worry about Apple competition. Actually, I think you're right - these two computers are for different market niches and both will probably do well.
> 
> Richard


Thanks for the clarification! Sounds like we agree.



Dottie said:


> ...I was hoping for cheap, convenient internet connect while traveling in timeshares and on cruises.  Looks like convenient yes, cheap to connect, no.  I will stay with internet cafes.


Why wouldn't the Asus Eee be cheap to connect?  It should be no worse than any other laptop.  Or am I missing something here?


----------



## Dottie (Jan 18, 2008)

JudyS said:


> Thanks for the clarification! Sounds like we agree.
> 
> Why wouldn't the Asus Eee be cheap to connect?  It should be no worse than any other laptop.  Or am I missing something here?




You are right--like any other laptop.  I don't have a laptop provider.  We have desktop computers and a provider included with our association fee--so it is only local.


----------



## JudyS (Jan 19, 2008)

Thanks for the explanation, Dottie.  Some timeshares provide free internet service, but most do charge (around $10 a day, usually.)   You could buy a WiFi modem and use that to access the internet via dial-up to a low-cost ISP, though.  This could be pretty inexpensive, as long as the ISP had a dial-up number local to your timeshare and the timeshare didn't charge for local calls.


----------



## David (Jan 19, 2008)

I was at a meeting last week and heard a lot about the eee pc and was very tempted to order it.

However, instead, I decided to try to resurrect an old Sony laptop of mine (circa 2000, 12 inch screen, USB 1.1, no wireless built in, Pentium III, 1.13 GHz, 256 Ram, 30 G hard drive) that died under XP.  It's CD is dockable and the wireless card is external.  I spent 12 hours trying to install various Linux "distros" (Mandriva, Knoppix, Xandros, blah, blah, blah) and finally got one to recognize my non-CD computer (in case I remove the dock) and my PCMIA wireless card. That distro was Ubuntu 6.06 LTS - the Dapper Drake - released in June 2006. (The later versions of Ubuntu did not work.)

Now I have a wonderful machine that weighs a few pounds (without the dock). It has Firefox and Open Office built in (along with other programs).  I've installed Latex (which I use for writing books) and it recognizes my previous manuscripts.  All in all I'm delighted to resurrect a dinosaur to use on my trips.


----------



## Dottie (Feb 20, 2008)

I gave up on the little laptop and bought a $379 plus tax Toshiba from Office Depot.  It would be a lug to haul but doable and handy for additional use at home.  DH decided a wireless connection would be good but so far won't work with the wiring put into the house by our builder.  He is still working on getting it to work with the router.  The computer itself seems fine.  I really wanted XP but it came with Vista Basic.


----------



## DaveNV (Feb 20, 2008)

I own an Asus Eee PC.  I got a 4G model from Costco.com several weeks ago.  They still have them available, in three colors, if anyone is interested.  They're $399.99 there.  Mine arrived within two days after ordering.

The 8G model is delayed due to hardware issues, but is expected to ship around April 1st.  Amazon.com is taking orders for them now, with twice the RAM and hard drive capacity than the 4G, at the "discounted" price of $542.99.  (I'm not sure that price is such a bargain, considering the price of full-size laptops these days.)  And unless you're going to be doing some high end computing with it, I don't think you'd need that upgraded model.  The one I got would be plenty for most people.

For what it is, and how it works, this little computer is amazing.  The fact that there are no moving parts, and it weighs only two pounds, makes it perfect for travel.  It is roughly the size of a trade paperback book (roughly 9" X 6.5" X 1.5") - the perfect size for your carry-on or overnight bag.  It will fit on an airplane tray table, allowing you to do things while in the air.  And it easily plays movies and music, so you can bring along your own in-flight entertainment.

It will automatically connect to wireless Internet hotspots, so when you go into those Internet cafes or while waiting at the airport, you can get online.  And for those resorts that have wireless (or wired) Internet available, you'll be ready to go.

If you want to go the easiest route, it comes preloaded with all the software you'll need to do most things a laptop user would want:  Edit Word and Excel documents, send and receive email, surf the Internet, instant messaging, connect to wireless hotspots or through wired Ethernet connections; it even has a built-in webcam and stereo speakers.  You can use it right out of the box, or get really elaborate and change things, as I did.

I reformatted the hard drive, and installed Windows XP Home on it.  With the open source software available, I can do all the things described above, in the familiar Windows environment.  With a little creative use of hardware drivers, I was able to install an SDHC memory card as a second fixed hard drive, which gives me plenty of storage space.  the three USB connectors make attachng external devices easy, or using memory sticks for offline storage.  (That's where I'm keeping my movies to watch.) 

I wouldn't consider it to be a replacement for a conventional laptop or desktop machine, but as a take-along machine when traveling, it is absolutely perfect.  I consider it money well spent, and I'm looking forward to using it on my next timeshare vacation.

If you want to read more about it, this website is full of users and their experiences:  www.eeeuser.com

Dave


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Feb 20, 2008)

Dave,

Thanks for the update.

How much memory does the SDHC card that you added have?


Richard


----------



## DaveNV (Feb 20, 2008)

MULTIZ321 said:


> Dave,
> 
> Thanks for the update.
> 
> ...




The one I installed is 8gb (Class 6), but they can be purchased in larger sizes.  I think 16gb is currently the biggest out there, but I've heard by Summer you'll see 32gb sizes more commonly available.

The only thing about making an SDHC card into a fixed drive is you lose the use of the SD card reader slot.  Not an issue if you want to use one of the USB ports to connect to an external SD card reader.

I also replaced the 512mb RAM card with a 2gb card.  Makes Windows computing quite a bit easier.

Dave


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Feb 20, 2008)

Dave,

So, if I'm understanding the modifications you did - you have 12Gb memory (not counting the USB ports) ?  Is that correct?


Richard


----------



## DaveNV (Feb 20, 2008)

MULTIZ321 said:


> Dave,
> 
> So, if I'm understanding the modifications you did - you have 12Gb memory (not counting the USB ports) ?  Is that correct?
> 
> ...




In gross numbers, yes.  (In actual megabytes of usable space, it's something less than that, due to the way formatting happens.)  The SSD primary C: drive is just under 4gb (3.71gb formatted.)  That's where Windows is installed.  The D: drive is the SDHC card, and that's 8gb (7.5gb formatted.)  So a total of 12gb.  But by using USB memory stick flash drives, I can extend things indefinitely, if needed.

I also bought an external Western Digital 250gb USB drive, which is powered through the USB port.  So only one cable needed.  It provides massive removable storage options for saving data.  And it's only about the size of a deck of cards.  It fits in a shirt pocket.  Very cool.

Dave


----------



## Passepartout (Feb 20, 2008)

JudyS said:


> Jim, did you order the 4 GB or the 8 GB? And did you order directly from Asus? Amazon says they have 2 and 4 GB models in stock or shipping in 3 days.



I have the 8GB ordered. I've seen some posts on eeeuser.com about adding memory and WinXP to a 4GB which is $100 cheaper, but I don't know that I want to tackle that on my own, so, I'm still waiting...........

Jim Ricks


----------



## Passepartout (Mar 1, 2008)

*It shipped today!!!*

I can hardly wait! Dynamism.com said the 8GB would ship 'about the end of February' and so be it. This obviously means the demand slowed for the 4GB models and ASUS was able to get the 8GB's into production. 

Stay tuned for a report next week....

Jim Ricks


----------



## DaveNV (Mar 1, 2008)

I got a notice via email from Amazon.com that the 8G models were shipping from J&R.com in New York.  But a visit to the J&R website showed they were "temporarily out of stock."  So I'm not sure what that means - did they have them and sold out, or was Amazon a little premature?

Dave


----------



## bigrick (Mar 1, 2008)

A friend showed me hers recently.  It seemed pretty cool.  Then I looked at laptops at Dell.

Dell SB - Vostro 1000 15.4-inch Widescreen Notebook with AMD Dual Core CPU, 1GB, 80GB & DVD Burner
$419 with Free Shipping
Dell Vostro notebooks offer a 30 day money-back guarantee and no pre-installed trialware. Click through to get this Vostro 1000 for $419 after $135 instant savings and free 3 - 5 day shipping. 
System Specs: 
AMD Athlon 64 Dual Core Processor 
Windows Vista Home Basic OR Windows XP Home 
15.4-inch Wide Screen XGA Display 
1GB DDR2 Memory 
80GB SATA Hard Drive 
8x DVD Burner 
256MB ATI Radeon video card 
Dell Wireless 1395 wifi card

When I looked at these last week they were $399 same price as the Asus Eee.  I think for most folks they could get a laptop that offers more function for essentially the same price.  The weight is a bit more with the Dell but the added abilities plus the full-size keyboard makes up for the additional pounds.

My friend already has several laptops and desktops at home.  Maybe she just needed another piece of specialized equipment.  Why else would you get a laptop with limited abilities?


----------



## DaveNV (Mar 1, 2008)

bigrick said:


> My friend already has several laptops and desktops at home.  Maybe she just needed another piece of specialized equipment.  Why else would you get a laptop with limited abilities?




It's not about replacing a full sized laptop with a small one with limited ability.  For me, it's about the convenience of having a tool to use when taking a full size laptop isn't convenient.  The Eee PC has no moving parts, and it's very rugged.  It only weighs two pounds, one third or fourth the weight of a full sized laptop.  And its size make it a convenient carry-along device for those times when having a full sized laptop isn't handy.

I own two full sized laptops I use most of the time, (one at work and one at home), but the Eee is a great in-between add-on tool that gives me convenient PC use when I don't want to hassle with the full size computers.

I like it for all that it is, and as much for all that it ISN'T.  Price wasn't much of a factor, but size and convenience was.  

Dave


----------



## Passepartout (Mar 4, 2008)

Well, I got the little (and I DO mean little!) bugger today, opened the box, plugged it in and had it up, running,  and online within maybe 15 minutes.  So far so good. The keyboard is indeed cramped, the touchpad is about the size of a 35mm negative, and has scroll function and a bar that rocks for left- and right clicks. Out of the box, the cursor was waaay fast, and it took a little looking around to find the control panel. Different than Windows, but not too.

I've decided to keep using the Linux operating system for now. This is the first computer I've owned that Mr. Gates had nothing to do with. So far the Firefox, Thunderbird email client and Open office seem to work just fine. 

I don't think this will be my 'regular' PC, but to travel with and to keep with me day-to-day in the truck, it's wonderful! light, small, quiet, fast to boot (about 15 seconds!), and able to sniff out wireless networks my full-size PC doesn't 'see'.  i like it and it was worth the wait.

Jim Ricks


----------



## DaveNV (Mar 4, 2008)

Passepartout said:


> I don't think this will be my 'regular' PC, but to travel with and to keep with me day-to-day in the truck, it's wonderful! light, small, quiet, fast to boot (about 15 seconds!), and able to sniff out wireless networks my full-size PC doesn't 'see'.  i like it and it was worth the wait.
> 
> Jim Ricks




Very cool, Jim.  You've seen exactly what I see about it.  And what you've said is exactly why I like mine so much.  I gave up Linux and went with XP, so I could load other programs I like using, without having to retro-fit them into the Linux operating system.

I don't think Bill Gates needs to feel threatened by this box, but it'll go a long way for those who want a powerful, handy tool to get the job done when away from more mainstream machines.

Dave


----------

