Eee PC user review

Thanks for OBOW reader Flerdle for this fine, detailed look at the tiny Eee PC:

I tend to be the sort of person who travels at least as much
technology as clothes, so an upcoming work-and-play trip to Europe
over the summer and a growing interest in one bag travel prompted me
to get this little baby - the EeePC, from Asus.  I waited until the
8.9” version came out and got one yesterday. Here are some photos and
first impressions of use, of the EeePC 900, with Linux. Photos were
taken with my camera phone.

PARTS
All the bits you need are in the (small) box. The recovery disk needs
to be transferred to an external drive or flash disk for use,
obviously, as there is no dvd drive but 3 usb slots and an SD card
slot. There is an ethernet slot but no modem. The quick-start guide
and the user manual are easy to follow but fairly brief, so most
really useful information is probably best taken from the web.
Thankfully, it works straight out of the box and you will be online in
no time.

SIZE
Firstly, I have to say it’s small. Really, REALLY small. I have small
hands, so touch-typing is not too difficult, but if you have larger
hands - many men may fall into this category, unfortunately - you may
find you have to alter your typing style. It’s half the size of my 15”
macbook pro and only a little bigger than a large paperback, slightly
shorter than a hardback book. It really is just under 1kg. There is a
soft sleeve which is great for cushioning it in whatever (small)
daypack you choose but I can see it getting fairly dirty quickly.
Carrying around the power cord as well will need a slightly larger
bag. The power cord(s) comes with handy attached velcro strips to keep
it all neat. The cords weigh 240g or so, with a small “brick” and thin
cord to the computer, with the brick connecting to a plug cord with a
double-pin connector on the non-wall end. This part may be
interchangeable with that going to a camera charger, ipod charger plug
or small radio for further lightness. [I don’t know how to further
describe it. I can take a photo…]

BATTERY
Since we’re taking it on the road, issues about usage time are very important.

I didn’t check the initial battery charge-up time, but it would be
about an hour or two, much longer if you are using it at the time.
Battery life seems to be good (make sure you get the 5800mAh version -
UK buyers beware!). It seems to automatically swap to a more
power-saving mode (primarily cranking back the processor speed) when
the plug is pulled, but it seems not to suffer any performance issues
on simple use at least (web browsing, typing). The battery life
GREATLY depends on what you’re doing, how bright you have the screen,
and what peripherals you have plugged in.

I would expect 2 1/2 hours easily and up to 3 hours out of this on the
road, depending on what you’re doing. The battery meter is probably
fairly coarse and  unreliable, so getting a feel for how it works for
you is a good idea before you depart.

This is of course very rough, but a fairly real-world test of the
system “out of the box”: 45min typing indoors with wireless on
occasionally checking webpages, then 105 minutes streaming audio with a
little video before there was a (20%) low battery warning. I played
videos for another 15 minutes then reconnected the power.  This means
that 2 3/4 hours of mixed use is easily obtainable. It shuts down at
10% remaining, but this may be able to be altered in settings
somewhere (at least for XP) since reports are that you can safely get
an extra half an hour beyond that.

The newer 901 version should have better battery life as well as a few
other improvements.

SCREEN.
The screen is small but very clear. I think the 8.9” screen, 1024x600,
is sufficient for surfing and writing. Most web pages don’t need side
scrolling, and documents don’t either. I wouldn’t like it to be any
smaller - so if you are thinking of getting one of these, I think the
900 or 901 is about a perfect compromise between smallness and
usability. 7” I would find annoyingly small.

The over 40s and long-armed will need their glasses. Font size is
easily changed and the fonts and images are sharp.  I dropped the
screen brightness to 40%, as really that was all that was needed
indoors. Outdoors you will need to crank it back up.

USE
It takes about 15-20 seconds to fully boot. Shutdown is very fast.
The initial interface is the so-called “easy mode”, with tabs and big
icons for the various things you might like to do - internet, work,
play etc. You can change over to a more traditional advanced desktop
mode, which takes a few steps but is very well outlined in the eeepc
user wiki (http://wiki.eeeuser.com). This is more customizable and
offers access to more applications. The applications that are included
are basic but very usable - Firefox, Thunderbird, a multiple
messenger client, text editor, picture viewer, Open Office (word
processing, spreadsheet etc), games, etc. Adding software may prove to
be a little tricky, but getting tips is easy if you go to a user forum
such as the one at http://www.eeeuser.com . For most travel purposes -
keeping in touch, taking notes/writing, checking up on things - it
comes with all you need straight out of the box. The version of linux
they use is actually not scary, especially for new users, a far cry
from my first laptop installation of Linux back in 1995…

The system takes up about 65% of a 4GB internal SSD, with extra
storage on another internal 16GB SDD. Extra storage can be gained by
using either SD cards, flash memory sticks or external hard drives
which can be quite cheap and compact. 20GB might sound fairly small,
but going larger than that would require hard discs which draw more
power and may be more susceptible to motion damage.

1GB of RAM seems fine. You can upgrade to 2GB.

NETWORKING
Setting up the wireless access is very easy. It automatically detected
my mac-based home network (including the printer) and worked out what
sort of password key format was needed for the network security.
Printing over the network is quick and easy.  I have not taken it out
on the road yet, but the range of the wireless seems to be very good.

There is no bluetooth, so getting pictures from a camera phone will
need either a bluetooth adapter or a usb cord or removal of the card
from the camera and use of an adapter card or card reader. This is a
slight annoyance, which may be solved in the 901 if both versions get
bluetooth.

CONTROL
The keyboard is slightly springy, which can be a little disconcerting,
and possibly because of this some of the keys may have a tendency to
not strike if you are not spot-on — leading to missed characters if
you are typing fast. The number keys seem slightly further to the left
than usual, leading to some mis-strikes, particularly the - key. The
right shift key is very small, so you might find you hit the up key
accidentally a lot. There is also a tendency to hit the enter instead
of the ‘. Apart from that, it seems quite usable.

The trackpad is somewhat temperamental, taking a little concentration
to use with accuracy. Tap-clicking is good (sometimes it doesn’t seem
to detect?), double-finger scrolling and zoom are very nice touches,
and the single-looking touchpad button is actually a kind of rocker,
with right and left click sides.

MULTIMEDIA
The speaker is, weirdly, UNDER the trackpad. If it’s sitting on your
lap or on a desk it’s still happily audible but you might like to pack
the headphones.

The 1.3MP webcam is basic but ok - certainly no worse than the old
eyeball type I had a couple of years ago.

Youtube works well - there is some jumpiness but that might be the
videos themselves!  Streaming audio worked out of the box through
firefox choosing realmedia player (abc.net.au/rn). Trying to surf or
use filemanager or system preferences while listening seemed to mute
the player (speaker or headphones); other activities seemed ok. I will
have to investigate if there are other such clashes and see if there
are other workarounds. (no problem with youtube; might be a realaudio
problem). A downloaded .wmv video file played fine in the native media
player.

CONCLUSIONS
Even with an updated version coming soon (the 901) this is an
impressive little machine and I will be happy to take it with me.  I
have been waiting for this for some time now - the airport “laptop
shuffle” gets very tedious after a while. The EeePC 900t does
“compact”, “easy” and “useful” very, very well. As a roadwarrior it
and other upcoming very small laptops are ideal for the light
traveler.  If you need all your bells and whistles, take your usual
computer. If you need to take notes, get online, and one or two other
things, all at a very reasonable price, this is perfect for the
onebagger. I am very happy.

 

Update on July 3, 2008 by Frank@OBOW

I got it in Melbourne, Australia -  so cost is in AUD.

RRP does appear to be $549 or less.

Exact details will change, so i don’t think it is worth putting in the
article other than in a more condensed form:  Best price is $519 (PC
Case Gear, Oakleigh South or mailorder for about $10-$20 postage; but
they are actually out of stock until “end of June”). Next with more
central stores and actual availability - call first - are $535
(Computer Parts Land, West Melbourne), and $539 (MLN, North Melbourne
& Richmond); Others e.g. online should be near that to around $550 (eg
laptop.com.au) to $565 (i-tech.com.au). Then you get to Myer (large
department store) who has the XP version only for $549.  JB Hi-Fi and
Harvey Norman (discount electrical/misc stores) should be around the
same.  Other major cities should have similar cheap computer reseller
outlets with similar prices.

Price should probably drop over the next month; I would expect expect
$500 or less, depending on sales and how quickly the 901 comes out.
Availability of the 900 might increase OR become more patchy because
of this, depending on ASUS’s production.

I will get about $49 tax back under our duty-free/traveller gst rebate
scheme so felt ok about getting it a little earlier so i could
experiment with it.

2.2 pounds of mobile magic

It’s here and available: the 9-inch EEE PC.

Update on June 17, 2008 by Frank@OBOW

A recent comment on one of our ealier Eee PC posts:

Yay, the 9” EeePC is here, and with the larger battery. I’ll get one in a week or two (and take pics), depending on how the price drops - currently it’s at best $519 (Linux), which is pretty good. I doubt very much the 901 will be here before I leave.

Update on June 19, 2008 by Frank@OBOW

A new way to achieve lightness

Camera gear can be a major source of weight for the leisure/adventure traveler. Can you leave it behind and just rely on something that you’re going to take anyway - your phone? Read the Gadling account by a photojournalist turned editor who is sold on his new 5-megapixel phone: “Nikon to Nokia”

 

CNET said:

“We have to say picture quality was absolutely impressive. It may be the addition of the Xenon flash, but the N82 produced better photos than the Nokia N95; images were extremely sharp but we were mostly happy that the colors actually looked true to life. Video quality was also great.”

 

 

Air war - wispy Mac's PC foe

The ultralight, ultrathin Macbook Air has some serious PC competition: the 3.13-pound Lenovo X300. Though thicker and slightly heavier than the MBA, the X300 has more features. Neither are cheap; the less it weighs, the more you pay. From slashgear.com:

“It’s hard to imagine that there are people out there who would seriously draw the line at carrying the scant extra millimetres of the X300 over the MacBook Air, and so a decision comes down to OS X versus Vista and what connectivity you demand from an ultraportable. With superlative build quality, usability not impacted by its scant dimensions and enough grunt, if not for the sort of CPU intensive tasks you might ask a desktop PC to handle, then for all the everyday use you could want of it, it ticks more boxes than any of its rivals. Yes, the price - currently from $2,997 direct from Lenovo - puts the X300 resolutely into the premium category, but spec a MacBook Air with SSD, ethernet and external DVD and you’ll be paying Apple pretty much the same amount. And while the Air might have the gloss factor, it’s the X300 that, quietly but certainly, edges ahead.”

The clones are coming - be patient

Clones and upgrdes of the tiny two-pound $400 EEE PC notebook computer are coming fast and furious. My advice: wait. Some of the newbies on the horizon will have screens larger that the EEE’s 7-incher and more flash memory. By this fall there ought to be several tantalizing choices for the light traveler who wants to carry a computer and hardly know it’s there.

And, late news: the 8.9”-screen EEE is coming! 

The Eee PC has more competition

The Cloudbook - another two-pound notebook - is here. The options for light travelers who want to stay connected - and still keep the luggage under 20 pounds - are increasing.

From Laptop magazine:

Weighing in at just 2 pounds, the CloudBook certainly lives up to its near-weightless name. It features a VIA C7-M ultra-low voltage (ULV) CPU clocked at 1.2GHz, which helps achieve its 5 hour battery life on a 4-cell battery. By way of comparison, the Asus EeePC has a 900MHz Intel Celeron processor.

Everex’s CloudBook features the same 7 inch 800×480 resolution screen as the Eee PC, similar built-in speakers, and 802.11b/g that the Asus Eee PC 701 has, but instead of packing in a measly 4GB SSD, Everex has opted for a full-blown 30GB hard drive…

Reader review:Tiny Asus Eee PC

OBOW reader Eric has reviewed the tiny (8.9 x 6.5 x 1.4”), two-pound Eee PC computer - a real traveler’s temptation for only $400:

I purchased an Eee PC a few weeks ago when my Dell 15” laptop died. I didn’t expect it to be much more than an internet device. Boy, was I wrong. It’s quite a full-featured laptop, capable of surfing the internet, working on documents and spreadsheets, playing music, looking at photos, and watching movies. There are plenty of reviews of the Eee posted online, so I won’t include too many details about the hardware or software. This review is more about using the device for travel.

It’s so small it will fit into the end pocket of my Tom Bihn Aeronaut. The charger is also small, about the same size as most cell phone chargers, and has a 10-foot cord! The laptop, charger, a wireless mouse, and a usb cable for my phone all fit into the end pocket with plenty of room to spare. This is only one benefit of the small, light form factor. While the keyboard is pretty cramped, the small size makes working in an airline seat much more comfortable (especially when the guy in front of you leans back).

Battery life is about 3.5 hours. Could definitely be better, but Asus now offers replacement batteries so I could pick up a second one if needed.

There are a few caveats. It runs Linux, so there is a learning curve if you want to do anything other than work with the applications provided out of the box. Movies have to be formatted for a smaller screen (I use tools to format for an iPod, then load them onto the Eee.) It doesn’t have an optical drive, but one could be connected by USB if you were so inclined. There is no hard disk, only a 4GB SSD (solid state drive). The operating system takes up about 2.5GB, but there is an SD slot, so I’ve got an SD card plugged in which acts as a second hard disk. I keep movies, music, and documents on the SD card.

The Eee has 802.11b/g built in, and I’ve only had a few problems connecting. Most of the time it connects without a hitch. It does not have Bluetooth. I’ve been able to use a USB cable and my phone as a modem, so I can connect to the internet anywhere I have cell phone service. Nice!

Ed.: Here’s Laptop magazine’s take on the Eee. OBOW welcomes reader reviews and comments on luggage, clothing, and travel technology. Use the E-MAIL OBOW link on the right sidebar for submissions. Thanks Eric, and happy traveling!

Brain Cell gets brawnier

Tom Bihn has announced an upgrade to his highly-regarded Brain Cell laptop case/sleeve: an extra layer.
—
“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TOM BIHN Brain Cell Laptop Case Adds Memory Foam

SEATTLE, WA — November 7th, 2007

The TOM BIHN Brain Cell laptop case has gained a reputation for offering
the best protection one can get for their laptop short of using a heavy
metal briefcase. The Brain Cell cradles laptops in 8mm thick soft foam
padding, suspends them in a 4mm hard corrugated plastic insert that
protects from the front, back, and bottom, and protects them at the
sides with dense cross-linked closed-cell polyethylene foam.

And now that protection is even better. All Brain Cells now have an new
fifth layer of protection: 12mm thick premium memory foam, manufactured
to our specifications in the U.S.A. The layer of memory foam is fixed to
the corrugated plastic floor of the Brain Cell, separating the bottom of
the foam sling from the corrugated plastic shell. The memory foam acts
as an extra layer of cushion as well as an effective shock absorber.”

—

The nifty Brain Cells clip in to many Tom Bihn bags and lots of travelers use the Brain Cell to tuck a laptop into an unpadded bag or carry-on luggage. The come highly recommended from a variety of users.

Surveying the Empire (Builder)

NotebookReview.com sizes up the Tom Bihn Empire Builder briefcase and likes what it sees:

“On the subject of construction, this is another area where the Empire Builder truly shines. The bag is impeccably constructed with tight seams and very sturdy stitching. Both the nylon and Cordura materials have a great feel to them and I think they would take a lot to rip or tear through. Each of the three main zippers is of the heavy duty metal kind and is uncoated, so they do jingle about when walking. But as a tradeoff, they’re so sturdy that under normal usage there’s no fear of these things breaking off at any point before the end of time. Additionally, all of the exposed zippers are covered in a rubbery material that lies flat when the zipper is closed. This has the effect of making the zipper seams highly water resistant (although not water proof).”

The E.B. (which Tom says took three years to design) would make an excellent personal item bag for the carry-on traveler who needs to carry a computer - meaning practically everyone. If the E.B. is a little to large or  too corporate for you check out its little brother the Zephyr, or its hip cousins the ID, Ego, and Super Ego. These are all rugged well-designed bags. And they’re cool too.

Here are more reviews for the Empire Builder: OhGizmo!, Gagdets for Legal Pros, & Apple Matters

Featherweight carry-on computer

We recently reported on the tiny Eee PC mico mini, but here’s another ultra-portable that’s sure to to be a hit with the light traveler: the Fujitsu U810 which will cost under $1000 and weighs 1.56 pounds. The screen is 5.6” and hard drive is 40GB. This UMPC reportedly has a more usable keyboard that most ultra mobiles. Check out Gear Diary’s preview and a more complete review at brighthand.com.

Cut the cables, whack the weight

GearDiary.com has an excellent review of a couple of USB-based devices that might allow you to leave several yards of cords and a couple of pounds of tranformers at home. These chargers have available a variety of plugs and connectors so that they’ll charge almost any electronic device on the road - especially if you’re already carrying a computer. There’s a wall adapter as well. Available from syncharger.com

Eeek! A tiny travel computer!

The oddly named Eee PC, an ultra-tiny, inexpensive notebook computer, may be the light traveler’s dream companion. It will weigh under two pounds and will cost between $199 and $349. The first version is supposed to have a seven-inch screen with a nine-inch version possibly to follow. This simple Linux-based machine has wi-fi capability and a built-in webcam. Information and a definite release date for this mini notebook are hard to come by. We’ll keep our eyes open for more. I’d hate to travel with a notebook weighing more than five pounds. Two pounds is very attractive.