Conclusion
So, what is the Eee PC, and does the 2G Surf change any of our impressions concerning the system? It is easier to address this question by stating what it is not. It is not all things to all people, as it is too specialized a device. It is not a machine for mass local storage. It is not a machine for video editing or hardcore gaming. It is not a machine for those who need to install a large variety of specialized applications. If your usage falls outside of the above, then the ASUS Eee 2G Surf might work for you.
Opinions vary widely on this device, and people have arguments for and against, even for the same uses. We think the 2G Surf can be great as a secondary PC for business travelers or salespeople who only need to access corporate email, surf the web, take notes at meetings, and give presentations (external VGA output at 1024x768). Blackberries can only go so far. It can also be a great choice for a student who has a desktop, but wants a light portable device on campus to surf the web, edit reports, and so on. Using the 2G Surf as a primary PC demands some serious attention to its limitations; it will not be suitable in that role for a large amount of users.
The ASUS Eee 2G Surf is the right tool for the right job. The hard part is defining that job. We also recommend careful consideration of whether or not you can live with the 2GB total storage space, most of which is already in use. An extra $50 to upgrade to the 4G Surf so that you don't need to worry about running out of space on the primary Linux partition might also be a good idea. Adding flash memory via the SD slot is another option that may be less expensive, but sometimes it's just easier to have a single storage partition with all your major applications and data files.
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New City Vegas - Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - link
7 embedded video reviews - ASUS EEE PC (one in German)length: 2 to 25 minutes
http://lasvalley.com/mixx/asus-eee-review-video.ht...">http://lasvalley.com/mixx/asus-eee-review-video.ht...
laok - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link
As customers, we need a little competition in the market.laok - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link
As customers, we need a little competition in the market.Schugy - Friday, January 4, 2008 - link
The Kohjinsha is more expensive but it has some nice features like LED backlight, scroll buttons next to the display and more. It would be even cheaper without the microsoft tax.Maybe you can make a real UMPC overview with Sony, Everex, OLPC and others including hardware support tests under Ubuntu, XP and VIsta.
LEKO - Friday, January 4, 2008 - link
The Asus eee is a very interesting beast. It is on my "wishlist".I think the concept is perfect for people who mainly use a Desktop and sometimes needs a laptop for casual out of the office meeting or couch surfing/mailing.
From your review, I would suggest a few things to Asus:
- Have a memory slot for possible upgrade
- Have 1024 pixels width LCD panel (to match most applications/web sites).
- Have an SD card reader (To compensate for the SSD small size)
- Have at lease 2 USB port (Plug a mouse, MP3 player, external HDD)
For the rest, the concept is great!
mmntech - Friday, January 4, 2008 - link
There are plans for Asus to put a 1024x600 screen in th Eee PC. That will solve issues with programs that require an 800x600 res, especially under XP.http://www.dailytech.com/ASUS+Prepares+Next+Genera...">http://www.dailytech.com/ASUS+Prepares+...+WiMAX+L...
Just like a car, it's usually a good idea not to buy the first model year. Gives them time to iron out the kinks. Eee PC 2.0 looks promising, especially with WiMAX support built in.
My big wishlist for this system is still HDD space and battery life. I'm curious is 2.6h is the average or maximum. If it's the max, it's too short compared to some larger models. The MacBook for example gets about 4-5hr and I'm sure PC laptops with similar hardware are the same.
DanaGoyette - Saturday, January 5, 2008 - link
1024x600 sounds like a really odd aspect ratio.1024x640 would be better -- it's a true 16:10 ratio.
Oh, and I still wonder why the heck ASUS decided to use a runs-at-full-speed-all-the-time (and thus power-wasting) Celeron instead of something like even an old Pentium M.
betaluva - Friday, January 4, 2008 - link
for all your answers go to http://forum.eeeuser.com/">http://forum.eeeuser.com/ its a REALLY good eee siteLEKO - Friday, January 4, 2008 - link
Oups! Just noticed that the ASUS eee already supports external memory cards (like SD).elpresidente2075 - Friday, January 4, 2008 - link
With the exception of the panel, all of your concerns are taken care of with the non-surf models. There are rumors of a new model in the march/april time frame, so time will tell if that gets addressed.