Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community  

Go Back   Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community > Interests > Tilted Technology


 
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 07-08-2008, 07:41 AM   #1 (permalink)
Aurally Fixated
 
allaboutmusic's Avatar
 
Asus EEE and similar ultraportables

I saw a couple students at my school doing some work on one of these and took a quick look. Seems like a handy little machine for not much money, very portable, easy to use.

Is there anyone here who has owned one and can comment about what they are like to live with?


Thanks!
allaboutmusic is offline  
Old 07-08-2008, 12:37 PM   #2 (permalink)
Evil Priest: The Devil Made Me Do It!
 
Daniel_'s Avatar
 
Location: Southern England
One of my workmates has one of these, and it looks nice.

The reviews I've seen say that one should go for the XP version, not the Linux version.
__________________
╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
Overhead, the Albatross hangs motionless upon the air,
And deep beneath the rolling waves,
In labyrinths of Coral Caves,
The Echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand;
And everthing is Green and Submarine

╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝
Daniel_ is offline  
Old 07-08-2008, 02:42 PM   #3 (permalink)
 
MexicanOnABike's Avatar
 
Location: up north
I've seen and played with them. Nice machines if you really don't want to do much but theres some much better ones from other makers like Hp. the hp one with XP is amazing!
__________________
MexicanOnABike is offline  
Old 07-08-2008, 07:32 PM   #4 (permalink)
Crazy
 
NeoRete's Avatar
 
Location: Cape Cod
Played around with one at work (4G Linux version), its definitely fun to use and could be quite handy for things like light browsing, but I'd never try to use it for more than basic tasks. Keyboard was too small to do real typing; I had to go to hunt and peck, or I could never strike just one key otherwise. For an ultraportable, I was hopeful for better battery life (never got more than two hours off a charge).
__________________
Charlie was a chemist but Charlie is nomore, what Charlie thought was H2O was H2SO4
NeoRete is offline  
Old 07-10-2008, 11:57 PM   #5 (permalink)
Addict
 
Location: Portland, OR
I think the biggest things to keep in mind when looking at a system this size are the screen resolution and keyboard. If you don't need to see much, aren't going to be doing much typing, and want something tiny, it's great.
passthru is offline  
Old 07-11-2008, 04:17 AM   #6 (permalink)
Knight of the Old Republic
 
Lasereth's Avatar
 
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
We're using an HP Mininote at work (same size as an Asus EEE) and it is awesome. The keyboard is almost as big as a regular laptop keyboard. The ONLY thing I don't like about it is the reflective screen, but a lot of laptops come with it nowadays so the average person actually prefers it (ohhh shiny). Make sure whatever you get has 1 GB of RAM or more and you won't be able to tell a difference between it and a Core 2 Quad with 4 GB of RAM in Windows.
Lasereth is offline  
Old 02-11-2009, 10:52 AM   #7 (permalink)
Addict
 
braisler's Avatar
 
Location: Midway, KY
Sorry to revive a relatively old thread, but I was looking at the newer release Asus eee PC 1000 with Linux, like this one:
Amazon.com: ASUS Eee PC 1000 10-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB Solid State Drive, 20 GB E-Storage, Linux, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony: Electronics Amazon.com: ASUS Eee PC 1000 10-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB Solid State Drive, 20 GB E-Storage, Linux, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony: Electronics

Unlike, the earlier versions, this one has a decent sized 10 inch screen, and 40GB of storage space. Also has a built-in webcam, and a good basic application package from what it looks like.

I see the 40GB SSD and Linux as a good combo. I've read some opinions that SSD life cycle of 100,000 read/writes could be a problem with WinXP, but not as much with Linux. I've also read that SSD boot time is considerably less that regular spinning platter HD.

This isn't meant to be a full, robust laptop for us, but more of an around the house and travelling machine for browsing and watching media/movies.

Any comments on whether this would probably meet our needs/expectations? As a novice (read never) Linux newb, is there anything I should know before taking the plunge?
__________________
---
You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.
- Albert Einstein
---
braisler is offline  
Old 02-11-2009, 06:19 PM   #8 (permalink)
I'm a family man - I run a family business.
 
Redjake's Avatar
 
Location: Wilson, NC
I recently purchased an MSI Wind and am happy with it.

MSI Wind
U100-439US
1.6 GHz Atom n270
1 GB RAM
120 GB hard drive
10" screen
3-cell battery

I recently upgraded it to 2 GB of RAM just for shits and giggles.

Some thoughts so far: 3-cell batteries just don't cut it if you intend on taking this thing around without the charger. The battery lasts 1:30 with wi-fi on. That's horrible. Will last up to 2:30 with no wi-fi.

The portability is amazing - it's just amazing how light it is. The screen doesn't hinder too much, but it gets annoying sometimes because it's so wide and not tall. Lots of scrolling.

One MAJOR annoyance though: the touch pad is TERRIBLE. MSI recently changed their Synaptic touch pads over to Sentelic (I think that's the vendor) and they are horrible. WAAAY too sensitive, and the adjustments don't help. The worst part? TAP TO SCROLL FEATURE. You can't slide your finger vertically to scroll a web page - you have to tap either the top right or bottom right section of the pad to scroll, and have the time you miss the corner and end up clicking an ad instead. There is a mod to order the old Synaptic touch pad and change it out - as soon as they are back in stock I'm dismantling my Wind and doing it.

Lasereth will enjoy me bragging about this even more, but get a load of this (and keep in mind I bought this 3 months ago):

The netbook was $369.99 on eBay. I had a 10% off coupon from eBay on a single purchase. MSI also had a $50 rebate on the model on the last day the 10% coupon was active. Then, Microsoft's Live.com Cash Back was active for the vendor I purchased the laptop from (Multiwave Video) for 30% - bringing the total to $170, free shipping, no tax.

Yes, $170. VICTORY!!!!!!!

It pays to check Slickdeals.net 30 times a day I suppose.

Pic below of my Wind sitting next to a 17" LCD.

__________________
Off the record, on the q.t., and very hush-hush.

Last edited by Redjake; 02-11-2009 at 06:21 PM..
Redjake is offline  
Old 02-22-2009, 08:39 PM   #9 (permalink)
you can't see me
 
grayman's Avatar
 
Location: Illinois
Great to hear someone who's had such a great experience with the MSI Wind since I just ordered one for my wife. She just started taking some college courses again so I wanted to get her something that could handle basic tasks and be extremely portable. The price was hard to argue with (though I didn't get quite the deal you did) but I admit being a little concerned since it wasn't one of the big brands.

I will be happy to provide some feedback once she has had time to use it for a while.
__________________
That's right - I'm a guy in a suit eating a Blizzard. F U.
grayman is offline  
Old 02-23-2009, 11:15 PM   #10 (permalink)
Insane
 
Location: Bay Area
I got my wife an Acer Aspire One; basically the same thing as an MSI Wind. It's nice little package... I have a little trouble with the keyboard sometimes, but she loves it. The trackpad buttons on the sides instead of on the bottom take a little getting used to on the Acer, though they are changing that to a standard layout on the new 10" model. The trackpad also supports gestures which is cool. No complaints about the screen size. I put in another 1GB of RAM and a better wifi card (I think the stock one is an Atheros AR5000 something... can't remember, but its flakey).
westothemax is offline  
Old 02-24-2009, 07:43 AM   #11 (permalink)
Custom User Title
 
Craven Morehead's Avatar
 
When I was in Tokyo 3 years ago last fall, I saw dozens of miniPCs in electronic stores. They were kind of pricey though. I've picked up a Nokia N-800. Its an internet tablet, sort of like a iTouch. Very cool little device. Much smaller than even a miniPC.
Craven Morehead is offline  
Old 02-24-2009, 08:11 AM   #12 (permalink)
Tilted Cat Head
 
Cynthetiq's Avatar
 
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
that's a great deal on the MSI! I would have bought one too for that price.
__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.
Cynthetiq is offline  
Old 02-24-2009, 08:10 PM   #13 (permalink)
Upright
 
i have one. nice
postmode2004 is offline  
Old 02-25-2009, 08:48 PM   #14 (permalink)
DOOMTRAIN
 
ironpham's Avatar
 
Location: NC
I have the Asus Eee with Linux. To me, it's really just ok. It would be better of it wasn't so hard to type on it. That's really my only complaint, but I feel like it's a big one because I need to type a lot. I find myself having to go back over what I type way too much.
__________________
SIGNATURE.
ironpham is offline  
Old 03-01-2009, 03:19 AM   #15 (permalink)
I'll be on the veranda, since you're on the cross.
 
monkeysugar's Avatar
 
Location: Rand McNally's friendliest small town in America. They must have strayed from the dodgy parts...
I've had the Acer Aspire One for about 4 months or so now and I love it. The keyboard is very small and somewhat cramped, but then again I have small hands so that's really a non-issue. The touch pad is responsive, and the buttons being in a somewhat nonstandard layout takes some getting used to. It is not a gaming rig by any means but has handled all of my web browsing without a hiccup and have found it to be perfectly adequate for playing various forms of media, as long as it is used with external speakers. The internal speakers suck ass. Then again, it is a laptop and a very inexpensive one at that, so that was no surprise or disappointment.
__________________
I've got the love of my life and a job that I enjoy most of the time. Life is good.
monkeysugar is offline  
Old 03-04-2009, 09:11 AM   #16 (permalink)
Addict
 
braisler's Avatar
 
Location: Midway, KY
I did end up getting the eee 1000 mentioned above from Amazon. It shipped really quickly and we had it the day after we placed the order. So far, I'm really happy with it. It set up flawlessly with our wireless network. It boots quickly, plays videos well. Even comes with Skype on it, so I connected up with the built-in webcam and video chatted with my wife... in the next room.

Honestly, I was a bit nervous about Linux having not used it before, but it seems to be really transparent to use. I'll need more time to spend looking around and seeing what applications I might want that it doesn't have currently, if there are any.

We're about to take a trip to Colorado. It will be nicer to travel with a sub-3-pound netbook than our regular laptop which tops 8 pounds with the power cord and all.
braisler is offline  
Old 03-04-2009, 09:14 PM   #17 (permalink)
Tilted Cat Head
 
Cynthetiq's Avatar
 
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
a friend just told me about his netbook...

linux, XP, MacOS

Install Mac OS X to Acer Aspire One A150 from version 10.5.2 – 10.5.5 - InsanelyMac Forum

a cheap mac portable... now that sounds interesting!
__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.
Cynthetiq is offline  
Old 03-13-2009, 12:51 AM   #18 (permalink)
Upright
 
I'm not very tech savvy (thus why looking for tips on here). But I was looking at amazon.com and they are supposed to be releasing a new one soon (or may have already release it).

The reviews I have seen look good but isnt it like an oversized mobile phone. Anybody else have some positive reviews here on the most recent models. Thanks.
wayneferrell479 is offline  
Old 03-13-2009, 09:06 AM   #19 (permalink)
I'm a family man - I run a family business.
 
Redjake's Avatar
 
Location: Wilson, NC
I'm selling my Wind. I want the 1000HE. 9 hour battery ftw. I put it on Craigslist yesterday.

Cynth - you can put OSX on Winds as well.
Redjake is offline  
Old 03-13-2009, 10:07 AM   #20 (permalink)
Tilted Cat Head
 
Cynthetiq's Avatar
 
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
thanks! Nice to know. He just did some WiFi upgrade so that the OSX works with it natively, whatever that means.

It seems like a nice little accessory to get one day.
__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.
Cynthetiq is offline  
Old 03-13-2009, 06:15 PM   #21 (permalink)
Psycho
 
Location: the hills of aquafina.
My wife has Acer Aspire One. She absolutely adores it because she travels to conferences all the time and uses it when she needs to connect while between discussion groups and lectures. I have big fingers so I have some trouble with the smaller keys. And I don't recommend the small screen for extended use, but obviously its not designed for that in the first place. Other than that it acts like any other computer. It runs Windows XP Home so if you're used to Windows then there is nothing you'll miss from a software perspective.


For $300 dollars its an excellent on the go alternative to a full size laptop.
__________________
"The problem with quick and dirty, as some people have said, is that the dirty remains long after the quick has been forgotten" - Steve McConnell

Last edited by cartmen34; 03-13-2009 at 06:49 PM..
cartmen34 is offline  
Old 04-04-2009, 08:01 AM   #22 (permalink)
More Than You Expect
 
Manic_Skafe's Avatar
 
Location: Queens
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redjake View Post
I'm selling my Wind. I want the 1000HE. 9 hour battery ftw. I put it on Craigslist yesterday.

Cynth - you can put OSX on Winds as well.
I picked one of these up a few days ago and it's well worth getting your hands on. My most serious gripe with the unit so far is that it picks up fingerprints too easily - not a serious complaint yet. And with 9.5 hours of battery life (7.5 with wifi and such on) I really can't see myself regretting the purchase.
__________________
"Porn is a zoo of exotic animals that becomes boring upon ownership." -Nersesian
Manic_Skafe is offline  
Old 04-13-2009, 10:57 AM   #23 (permalink)
Crazy
 
Wrexify's Avatar
 
Location: Kramerica
I was considering Dell's Mini 12*, which has the same "guts" as an EeePC / Wind / Aspire but with a larger 12.1" screen. A friend suggested I wait for the new Mini 10 which is supposed to be getting GPS and TV Tuner capability in the near future. Does anyone know anything about this? I'm not sure what "near future" means...

*I'm mainly looking at Dell because I like the simple design and I get a company discount, making it the cheapest option for me.
__________________
"Nitwit! Oddment! Blubber! Tweak!"
Wrexify is offline  
Old 04-13-2009, 11:57 AM   #24 (permalink)
zomgomgomgomgomgomg
 
telekinetic's Avatar
 
Location: Fauxenix, Azerona
I just bought a refurb eeePc 900a for $180 shipped from mwave.com..I'm happy with it!

Here's me checking my facebook wirelessly in small, medium, and large!



(Linux Xandros, 8.9" screen, 4 cell battery, 4gb SSD, 1.6g atom, 1gig ram)
__________________
twisted no more
telekinetic is offline  
Old 04-14-2009, 10:07 AM   #25 (permalink)
Psycho
 
connyosis's Avatar
 
Location: Sweden - Land of the sodomite damned
I had a HP 2133 Mininote but am changing it for a Samsung NC10 since Linux will work better on that one (HP uses Via Chrome9 for graphics that does not work too well on Linux). Still loved the HP though, great keyboard and build quality is awesome. We'll see how good the NC10 is once I get it.
__________________
If atheism is a religion, then not collecting stamps is a hobby.
connyosis is offline  
Old 04-27-2009, 03:13 PM   #26 (permalink)
Very Insignificant Pawn
 
Location: Amsterdam, NL
i just got a Medion Akoya E1210 for only 250 Euros!
Same as the MSI Wind.
My complaint is the keyboard layout.
Bigger complaint is you have to use the OS that comes with it.
There is something in the bios (I guess) that won't let you install your own version of Windows. I wanted to install an English version and tried many.
flat5 is offline  
Old 04-27-2009, 10:08 PM   #27 (permalink)
zomgomgomgomgomgomg
 
telekinetic's Avatar
 
Location: Fauxenix, Azerona
Quote:
Originally Posted by flat5 View Post
i just got a Medion Akoya E1210 for only 250 Euros!
Same as the MSI Wind.
My complaint is the keyboard layout.
Bigger complaint is you have to use the OS that comes with it.
There is something in the bios (I guess) that won't let you install your own version of Windows. I wanted to install an English version and tried many.
Try harder, I did a quick google search and saw videos of the e1210 running both Ubuntu and OSX
__________________
twisted no more
telekinetic is offline  
Old 04-28-2009, 06:32 AM   #28 (permalink)
The Reverend Side Boob
 
Bear Cub's Avatar
 
Location: Nofe Curolina
Do any of these low buck ultraportables or netbooks come with serial ports? I'd like to pick something up for programming my ignition and nitrous controllers at the race track, but the hardware is very picky about USB to serial adapters.
__________________
Living in the United Socialist States of America.
Bear Cub is offline  
Old 04-29-2009, 02:32 AM   #29 (permalink)
Very Insignificant Pawn
 
Location: Amsterdam, NL
twistedmosaic, you miss my point. Those OS's came with the product. or
Perhaps it's only Windows that is blocked. Please don't insult me by telling me to try harder.
I tried Windows XP SP2 and SP3 OEM, Retail both Pro and Home. I tried usb stick and usb cdrom.
Only the version that came with the machine would install.
Put me down after YOU install a Windows OS of your choice on the E1210.
flat5 is offline  
Old 05-26-2009, 05:25 AM   #30 (permalink)
Crazy
 
Wrexify's Avatar
 
Location: Kramerica
Thread re-revival. Just wanted to give an update on what I've found.

I did a lot of research after reading through this a month ago and decided on the Asus EeePC 1000HE. It seems like the overall top 2 on the market at the moment are the Samsung NC10 and the Asus 1000HE, with the Asus taking the edge for me because it's cheaper and has a higher rated battery life. I think the NC10 comes in a Special Edition with an even better battery than the other two, but again it's the most expensive option. With rebates and such, the 1000HE can be had for around US$350.

NVIDIA's Ion platform will bring high performance netbooks in the near future, so you probably still have a bit of a wait if you want an ultraportable that can handle all of your multimedia (DirectX games, 1080p, etc.). When that goes mainstream, I think we can expect significant price drops on some already very affordable hardware.
__________________
"Nitwit! Oddment! Blubber! Tweak!"
Wrexify is offline  
Old 05-26-2009, 09:28 AM   #31 (permalink)
More Than You Expect
 
Manic_Skafe's Avatar
 
Location: Queens
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrexify View Post
NVIDIA's Ion platform will bring high performance netbooks in the near future, so you probably still have a bit of a wait if you want an ultraportable that can handle all of your multimedia (DirectX games, 1080p, etc.). When that goes mainstream, I think we can expect significant price drops on some already very affordable hardware.
Good choice. My 1000HE has officially become my all day - everyday computer while the towers and other laptops are only powered on when I need a bigger screen or a bit more processing power.

I've seen a few reports and those ION gpus look promising but you'd be surprised what you can get from the 1000HE if you care enough to try. I've overclocked past 2.0 GHZ and am currently testing to see how far and long I can underclock to get more battery life out of it....

Don't buy one from Best Buy. For some reason they only sell scaled down models with slower processors, no bluetooth and much less battery life.
__________________
"Porn is a zoo of exotic animals that becomes boring upon ownership." -Nersesian
Manic_Skafe is offline  
Old 06-03-2009, 10:37 AM   #32 (permalink)
Psycho
 
connyosis's Avatar
 
Location: Sweden - Land of the sodomite damned
Well I've had my Samsung NC10 for a little more than a month now and after replacing Windows XP with Ubuntu 9.04 NBR I absolutely love it. Awesome keyboard, feels sturdy yet light, and the battery time is great. The touchpad is a little small but other than that I have no issues with it. Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a netbook (Or whatever the hell they're supposed to be called).
__________________
If atheism is a religion, then not collecting stamps is a hobby.
connyosis is offline  
Old 06-21-2009, 03:36 AM   #33 (permalink)
Psycho
 
Location: Initech, Iowa
I just bought an Asus 1000HE and just love it. I'm on it right now. With a 2GB memory upgrade and a few tweeks I'm playing lots of games on it and getting tons of use out of it. I find myself using my desktop to watch TV on whiel I use the netbook to surf. Great investment.
Dibbler is offline  
Old 06-21-2009, 03:49 AM   #34 (permalink)
Aurally Fixated
 
allaboutmusic's Avatar
 
Had my NC10 for a month or two now and love it. I wouldn't say I use it for everything (there are a few things I do that it just doesn't have enough processing power to do), but I carry it around with me a lot and it's a great, great machine. I'm planning to try a Hackintosh setup on it at some point.
allaboutmusic is offline  
Old 06-29-2009, 10:58 AM   #35 (permalink)
Kick Ass Kunoichi
 
snowy's Avatar
 
Location: Oregon
Quote:
Originally Posted by twistedmosaic View Post
I just bought a refurb eeePc 900a for $180 shipped from mwave.com..I'm happy with it!
I'm curious as to how it's treating you a couple months later, twisted, as I've been keeping an eye on that site and am about ready to purchase the ASUS eeePC 900 myself. I'm looking at the model with the 16GB SSD.
__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau
snowy is offline  
 

Tags
asus, eee, similar, ultraportables

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 02:55 PM.

Tilted Forum Project

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2
© 2002-2012 Tilted Forum Project

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360