EEE PC and other netbook general experiences

[akiratheoni]

I have an eeepc 900 20GB with Xandros and Ubuntu 8.04 booted. I don't use Ubuntu much because I find Xandros is mostly sufficient for my needs since all of the hardware works without issue. The only issue is the keyboard and screen size, but obviously they have to be smaller (transitioning from a 22" inch screen to 8.9" inches is kind of hard )

[ghindo]

I had a cloudbook, and I couldn't stand it.

Why not?

[geekygirl]

If you want the smallest, i recommend the 901, it is the same size as the 701, but the screen covers the whole space, its a 9" 1024x600 as opposed to 7" 800x480, the cpu is an intel atom running at 1.6ghz instead of an intel pentium m running at 630mhz; comes with 1g of ram instead of 512, there is a model with linux and 20g ssd (4+16) or winXP with 12g (4+8); instead of 700's 2/4/8 option.

And if you want to get real geeky about the different varients, the 901 has great battery life and bluetooth, however the older Celeron M CPU found on the 900 series will beat an Atom in performance (the 900 range is not underclocked like the 701) but the battery life is average (2-2.5hrs). So depends if you want battery life or performance (bluetooth can be hacked/installed into the 900 or you can always buy a dongle!)

Although I think performance in this sort of netbook/sub-notebook isnt really what people are buying them for anyways!

Definately agree about the screen though, after playing with the older 701 and then the 900 when it came out, it was a no brainer as to which was the one to get for me based on screen real estate alone!

Best thing to do is go into a retailer that has them (any sort of netbook/sub-notebook) and try them out and see of you really like the ultra small form factor.

If the keyboard size is an issue with the EeePC though, the HP Mini Note range have a full sized keyboard, I think the MSI Wind has a larger keyboard but the battery life on those is apparently questionable from what I have seen in reviews. The downer with the Mini Note is it uses a Via CPU and it is running Vista Business pre-installed.

[aysiu]

Actually, I think the HP Mini-Note is a 92% keyboard.

[richg]

I bought the EEE 4G PC when they were first available and I am very happy with it. It is my choice when traveling. Three hours battery time versus forty minutes on my Linspire 8 lb notebook. I use the Xandros default OS as I do not care what the OS is as long as it works. I am not a good software techie. The wireless capabilities are very good.
I have an adapter I picked up off of ebay for $15.00 including shipping that allows me to use an external hard drive or external CD ROM.
I keep a 2gb SD media in the laptop if I need extra storage. The hard drive test was to prove a point. I use the CD ROM when transferring multiple files from my desktop.
My stepson who uses a XP laptop was so impressed with it that he bought one for downloading and reading ebooks. He uses the default OS also.
I would not want this model as a primary PC as the small print can be trying after a couple hours.

Rich

[Redptc]

I would like to say 'thanks' to everybody and hope to hear more.

Especially pleased to hear that Ubuntu 8.04 can be used.

This EEEPC sounds like the sort of thing I need in addition to the desktop!

[richg]

In case you have not been there, here is a link to the EEE PC forums.
http://forum.eeeuser.com/

Rich

[earlycj5]

Actually, I think the HP Mini-Note is a 92% keyboard.

It is but the difference is negligible. I'm hard pressed to notice, I touch type, it's one of the best keyboards I've used, the best I've used on a laptop.

[der_joachim]

I have an EEE900 (20G). Although I am still using the default Xandros, I am going to ditch it. Although the interface is actually quite good, the software is quite old in general and some inconsistencies in the repositories prevent me from downloading any security updates. Adding new packages is a pain as well. Optionally, you can install the 'Advanced Desktop', which is a watered-down and hopelessly obsolete KDE version.

I'm going to switch to Ubuntu/NBR as soon as I have time.

Hardware-wise I am quite content with my 900. It boots in 15 seconds (my home PC needs more than a minute), the wireless is the best I have seen for a while, and although the hardware specs are quite modest, it is really snappy. The small keyboard is no problem whatsoever. The only real disadvantage is battery life, even more so because Asus decided to ship some UK and all Benelux versions with a pityfully weak battery.

[NikoC]

Have an eee pc with Xandros (though already tweaked it to my needs) with 20 Gb HD.
To summarize: imo:
Extremely portable and light, good battery life, nice software and fully tweakable to your needs (e.g. installed R on it without a problem, same for latex; debian based, so I was already familiar with it being a 4 year ubuntu user), good for checking your email, surf around a bit and editing already or nearly finished documents. Even managed to stream mp3 and video from my NAS.
The keyboard and screen are a bit too small if you are planning do some real work on it (an external keyboard, mouse and screen might be helpful).
It's a lot of fun but I probably will go for a 13.3 inch (as I used to own) laptop in the near future.