Asus EeePC

[TeleScooby]

Anyone else seen these yet?

http://usa.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=24&l2=0&l3=0&l4=0&model=1907&modelmenu=1

Runs a modified Xandros Linux, is about the size of a trade paperback book, and not much heavier at just shy of 2lbs...

I've been using it for a couple of months now and have nothing but good things to say! I used it at half a dozen hotspots in Israel, and at least that many here in Seattle, no wifi problems at all...in fact the sniffer that it comes with works better then the what I installed on my MacBook, and it tells you if the network is open or not.

No real reason for the post, I just wanted to let you all know about this little wonder and to brag about already having one!

BTW - retail is $400!

 

[kbellve]

Coworker just demonstrated one at lunch today.

She has a brand new Dell laptop with Vista, and she hated Vista. I wiped Vista put fedora on it for her. She can run XP in a virtual machine when she wants.

Her and her husband liked the laptop so much, they wanted a second laptop and bought an EEE. She is enjoying it immensely.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

Eee Pc

I want one, but a major reason is as a supplement for the GPS when on the motorcycle. The EEE is small enough to fit in the tank bag and boots very quickly for use at the side of the road.

So far I've figured out that several GPS antennas will work and the Linux drivers are available, but the hang up has been finding the mapping software. Anyone with info please post it.

thanks,

jim

 

[TeleScooby]

I'm using this GPS antenna:

http://www.amazon.com/USGlobalSat-BU-353-WaterProof-Enabled-Receiver/dp/B000MIVCX4/ref=pd_bbs_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1200547924&sr=8-3

I bought it from the reseller called Buy GPS Now and it showed up earlier than advertised and it's $20 cheaper!

For software I'm using RoadNav, it's available from several Debian repositories or you can download a .deb file and install it from that. I'm still working out several glitches, but overall it's working very well for me. There are several other programs out there that I'm going to test out next week, so I'll be able to post a review/comparison in a couple of weeks...

I'd be happy to chat more about it here or via PM...just let me know!

 

[Sleeping Dog]

Linux Mapping SW

Thanks. I'll email you off line but I look forward to your review of any sw for the EeePC.

I'm not a techie so if it gets beyond basic downloading and a few config screens my eyes glaze over and I get real confused...

jim

 

[grahamfitter]

I was bought one (4GB) as an Xmas gift and its great. I'm sitting on the sofa using it right now. Its small and light and the keyboard is usable despite being brutally compact. It would be better if the screen was the size of the lid to make the most of the dimensions but its fine as is.

For those who haven't played with one yet or haven't used a computer that runs Linux rather than Windows or MacOS, here's my experience so far...

When you switch it on you get a simple display to run the preinstalled programs which are comprehensive and include Firefox browser, OpenOffice (compatible with MSOffice), Skype and a bunch of other good stuff. The WIFI network works great.

Firefox has lots of toolbars and status bars and the like which use up a lot of vertical space on the screen. I installed a different theme which has smaller icons and consolidated the toolbars and disabled the status bar to use less space.

If the simple interface isn't enough, you can run the full Linux desktop and do whatever you want. I like the simple interface but I wish it was easier to move stuff around to fit my needs. I've made some small changes to remove some icons from the task bar to shrink it a bit.

The drawback is that if you want to keep the simple interface and tweak it a bit, or install a new program, you're going to become familiar and to some extent proficient with Linux.

The major difference between Linux and MacOs and recent versions of Windows is that with Linux you will have to type in system commands and manually edit configuration files. For the most part this isn't too demanding and there's an active forum on the web which can guide you step by step: http://www.eeeuser.com/

To be honest I find this a bit of a drag. I write air traffic control software for a living and I use all sorts of computers and they all have their quirks and it all takes time. At home, I have an Apple iMac which just works and life is easy.

Another difference is downloading software because there are quite a few different versions of Linux. The EEE PC uses Xandros which isn't quite compatible with its popular Debian ancestor because both have evolved slightly differently over time. Most Linux software is available for Debian and apparently most will work fine on the EEE but some will do more harm than good.

The only software I've installed so far is the advanced desktop which was easy. I used it once and switched back to simple mode which works just fine for me. I'm planning on installing GPS and mapping software which I suspect will be more involved.

TeleScooby - which back-end GPS SW did you download? Does it recognize the USB GPS device when you plug it in?

Cheers,
Graham

 

[efuentes]

Just find this on eeeuser, might help ..

http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=3354


Saludos

 

[TeleScooby]

The drawback is that if you want to keep the simple interface and tweak it a bit, or install a new program, you're going to become familiar and to some extent proficient with Linux.

Actually, someone on the forum you mentioned below has come up with a gui that lets you modify the easy mode tabs, you can remove icons, add icons for software you install, and the next version will let you edit the tabs themselves...

The major difference between Linux and MacOs and recent versions of Windows is that with Linux you will have to type in system commands and manually edit configuration files.

For the really good mods you're mostly correct, but again, the 3e has such a following already, and Linux being open source, there's alot of options out there...search the wiki on eeeuser.com.

For the most part this isn't too demanding and there's an active forum on the web which can guide you step by step: http://www.eeeuser.com/

Another difference is downloading software because there are quite a few different versions of Linux. The EEE PC uses Xandros which isn't quite compatible with its popular Debian ancestor because both have evolved slightly differently over time. Most Linux software is available for Debian and apparently most will work fine on the EEE but some will do more harm than good.

You can add one of several repositories for debian to the 3e and get just about anything you want. most of it works great. I know of people running Gimp, Audacity, etc...without problems. You can often use .deb files to install software as well.

TeleScooby - which back-end GPS SW did you download? Does it recognize the USB GPS device when you plug it in?


I have both GPSDrive and RoadNav installed (both from .deb files, not synaptic packet manager). I'm hoping to try them both out tomorrow, so I'll post reactions and thoughts tomorrow night or Monday morning...

Cheers,
Graham

Jesse

 

[TeleScooby]

So GPSDrive is giving me the fits...it just won't detect my GPS puck...and there is no such thing as support for open source software, so I'm hunting the forums and wikis looking for help.

As for RoadNav, it's working quite well, I'm just working on programing waypoints, addresses, etc...for for locating yourself and seeing where you're going, it's working great! For a backup GPS solution, this should work out quite nicely...

 

[jingram]

I think the biggest piftall to the Eee is its lack of bluetooth. I currently run an xps1210 with a bluetooth gps that is permanently installed in my xterra and the functionality is amazing. BTW, buygpsnow is a fantastic vendor to deal with. It is where I bought my iBlue 737 over a year ago.

 

[stomperxj]

Here's how to get pretty much everything you want or need in an EEE:

http://beta.ivancover.com/wiki/index.php/Eee_PC_Internal_Upgrades

Its got it all. some assembly required

 

[Ryanmb21]

This is very cool, I'm really looking forward to reading people's experiences. On costco.com it says you can run windows, does this mean I can run normal programs such as garmin's mapsource? I really like the size, price and solid state harddrive.

 

[TeleScooby]

This is very cool, I'm really looking forward to reading people's experiences. On costco.com it says you can run windows, does this mean I can run normal programs such as garmin's mapsource? I really like the size, price and solid state harddrive.

I've been using it for general stuff for several months now, did you have any specific questions?

As for Windows, you can indeed install XP on the 3e, they ship with a disc of drivers and utilities from Asus to make everything work. For more info on that (I'm running the oem Linux), see:

http://forum.eeeuser.com/

There is a forum just for Windows questions and issues...

 

[Pokey]

Asus is planning on shipping some with Windows XP in a few months on their 8gb models.

Theres a youtube of a japanese fellow running Google Earth on XP with his 1gb memory and it moves like lightning as GE is apparently optimized for XP. Apparently the Linux/ GE is slow as mud.

Also the memory can be bumped up to 2gb on the newer 8gb models which will ultimately get a 10"screen in later 2008.

The 7"form factor is looking like a nice alternative to the Lowrance sized GPS devices. You wont be limited to what software you can run--and it has the bonus of wireless connnectivity and a slightly larger screen with similar overall dimensions of the Lowrance Baja540.

The major bonus i see with the Asus is the flash hard drive which makes it tougher than a toughbook in offroad conditions. Not a bad little gadget for sub $500.

 

[TeleScooby]

I know it's only February...but I'm testing the waters:

My 3e will be going up for sale in July. Long story, but in order to make my impending move successful, I'm having to scale WAYYYY back and cut out alot of redundant gadgets, etc...since my main computer is a macbook, I just can't justify keeping a second portable.

I'll be pricing it around $300 including a wireless mouse and shipping (depending on buyers location), and all the original stuff (all cds, slipcase, charger, original box, etc...)