Sep 29
I want an Eee PC
The other day I mentioned the Asus Eee PC as an alternative to buying the OLPC XO. Yesterday, I decided that I am getting one when it finally hits the streets. A couple of months or so I saw it available for presale on Allasus.com. I dismissed doing so because of the $150 non-refundable deposit. That made me too nervous. Then while surfing I found out that I could preorder without a deposit at Citrusmicro and decided to go for it. In case you haven’t heard of the Eee PC it is a small sub notebook sporting a 7 inch screen using a flash drive instead of a traditional hard drive. The Eee PC runs Linux so start up and shutdown happens within seconds rather than minutes. Ever since I got my Nokia N800 I have been fascinated with Linux. I am a big fan of open source software and I really feel a new shift coming in operation systems; I plan to be a part of it. In fact, I am going to put Linux on an old laptop I have as soon as I get some free time. I am also looking into taking some Linux courses at the local community college. It was suppose to debut earlier this month, but this week I read that it has been delayed again. The only good thing about that is that at least it’s not just e-book devices that run into problems. From what I gather it should be out prior to the end of October. The biggest thing about the Eee PC is its small price tag. When first announced it was suppose to be just $199, aimed at low income families, students, etc. Unfortunately the price has gone up to $259 for the basic configuration of 2GB storage/256mb RAM/no camera/black case only. There are two other models at $299 and $399. These have more RAM, storage, include an integrated web cam, and the choice or color (white or black). All models have WiFi, Ethernet, and a 56k modem. My greedy side wishes that it also included Bluetooth, but I do have a dongle. So this won’t be a deal breaker. I think that this will be great to share with my soon-to-be seven-year-old son to use. The smaller keyboard will fit his fingers a lot better than mine. I can see him liking this much better than his learning laptop toys for kids that have that tiny little screen. As far as e-books, I don’t like reading novels or pdf files in landscape mode. It’s high time I get over that and try something new. This would be great to take notes on in class, keep up with RSS feeds, email, and blogging on the go, since it weighs in at less than two pounds. While you are waiting for the OLPC and the various new e-book devices coming out, take a few moments and check out this potentially great device.
Some links for more information:
Eeeuser.com: Blog and Forum
Laptoping: Blog
Clove.co.uk to order from UK
http://event.asus.com/eeepc/ Asus flash Demo of Eee PC
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