Comments on: First impressions on my Asus Eee. http://community.plus.net/blog/2008/05/15/first-impressions-on-my-asus-eee/ News and Updates on the Community. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:32:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Possum http://community.plus.net/blog/2008/05/15/first-impressions-on-my-asus-eee/#comment-4093 Possum Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:01:59 +0000 http://community.plus.net/?p=12417#comment-4093 The keyboard is very white and rough, but the outside is pearly and smooth. It stands out from the crowd of black business laptops...My wi-fi doesn't reach the garden :( The keyboard is very white and rough, but the outside is pearly and smooth. It stands out from the crowd of black business laptops...My wi-fi doesn't reach the garden :(

]]> By: Kelly Dorset http://community.plus.net/blog/2008/05/15/first-impressions-on-my-asus-eee/#comment-4027 Kelly Dorset Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:56:28 +0000 http://community.plus.net/?p=12417#comment-4027 Thanks for adding Possum. I'm posting this comment from my eee in the garden on a nice sunny day. :) Isn't there a 'white' and a 'pearl white' colour? This one is very pure white! Thanks for adding Possum. I'm posting this comment from my eee in the garden on a nice sunny day. :)

Isn't there a 'white' and a 'pearl white' colour? This one is very pure white!

]]> By: Possum http://community.plus.net/blog/2008/05/15/first-impressions-on-my-asus-eee/#comment-4018 Possum Sat, 07 Jun 2008 10:17:12 +0000 http://community.plus.net/?p=12417#comment-4018 That was a very helpful review Kelly! I got the eee 900 last month. Like everyone else in the UK I'm disgusted by Asus sending their redundant 4400 mAh batteries to the UK and saving their 5800 (the ones this machine REALLY needs) for the US & Hong Kong markets, and having the nerve to claim that the 4400 battery is the standard issue (when the machines sent out for review had the 5800 mAh battery!!!) Having vented my fury...I love this machine to bits. It's about 1 kg and the size of hardback book, no more sore shoulders from heavy laptops! The 900 is a lot pricier (£329 inc.VAT), but the 9.7 inch screen and higher resolution are what I needed for reading and surfing comfortably. The wi-fi works a treat (but eats battery fast!), I tried it in a couple of places and was on-line almost instantly. I don't see any great advantage to the 20Gb HD, unless one needs to install XP and run lots of software. An SD card & USB sticks do just as well. With the 4400 mAh battery, you'll be unusually lucky to get 2 hours (with all the power saving options on), I have since bought a spare 5200 mAh battery which gives me 3 hours use, I can see the appeal of installing Ubuntu, but the native Xandros is really quite adequate for most purposes. One warning for those who have or are about to receive the eee 900: DO NOT upgrade the BIOS, upgrading will remove the option to downclock easiy from the BIOS to preserve battery time. BTW I think the pearly white is lovely, very much part of the eee's charm....maybe black is a bloke thing. That was a very helpful review Kelly!
I got the eee 900 last month. Like everyone else in the UK I'm disgusted by Asus sending their redundant 4400 mAh batteries to the UK and saving their 5800 (the ones this machine REALLY needs) for the US & Hong Kong markets, and having the nerve to claim that the 4400 battery is the standard issue (when the machines sent out for review had the 5800 mAh battery!!!)
Having vented my fury...I love this machine to bits. It's about 1 kg and the size of hardback book, no more sore shoulders from heavy laptops!
The 900 is a lot pricier (£329 inc.VAT), but the 9.7 inch screen and higher resolution are what I needed for reading and surfing comfortably. The wi-fi works a treat (but eats battery fast!), I tried it in a couple of places and was on-line almost instantly.
I don't see any great advantage to the 20Gb HD, unless one needs to install XP and run lots of software. An SD card & USB sticks do just as well. With the 4400 mAh battery, you'll be unusually lucky to get 2 hours (with all the power saving options on), I have since bought a spare 5200 mAh battery which gives me 3 hours use,
I can see the appeal of installing Ubuntu, but the native Xandros is really quite adequate for most purposes.
One warning for those who have or are about to receive the eee 900: DO NOT upgrade the BIOS, upgrading will remove the option to downclock easiy from the BIOS to preserve battery time.
BTW I think the pearly white is lovely, very much part of the eee's charm....maybe black is a bloke thing.

]]> By: Dan http://community.plus.net/blog/2008/05/15/first-impressions-on-my-asus-eee/#comment-3647 Dan Tue, 20 May 2008 11:04:55 +0000 http://community.plus.net/?p=12417#comment-3647 I used an eee pc for the first time last night (actually it was kelly's) and must say that I'm generally impressed. true, the trackpad button is a little annoying but it's not that bad. i was surprised how easy it was to type on, and the display quality was pretty good too. I wouldn't personally recommend the laptop to be used for several hours at a time but it is a great laptop for spending the odd hour on it. I used an eee pc for the first time last night (actually it was kelly's) and must say that I'm generally impressed. true, the trackpad button is a little annoying but it's not that bad. i was surprised how easy it was to type on, and the display quality was pretty good too.

I wouldn't personally recommend the laptop to be used for several hours at a time but it is a great laptop for spending the odd hour on it.

]]> By: Ian Wild http://community.plus.net/blog/2008/05/15/first-impressions-on-my-asus-eee/#comment-3551 Ian Wild Thu, 15 May 2008 21:08:38 +0000 http://community.plus.net/?p=12417#comment-3551 Nice review Kelly. Based on your thinking and showing off in the office last week, I decided to plump for the 4G Surf rather than the 900. I'm pretty happy with the value for money, although I've spent another £25 on a bigger second battery and more on an 8G SD card to get it to where I need it. What I like most about this device, with the somewhat cult following it has, is how great the community support is. I haven't hit any problems getting stuff working how I like that weren't easily answered from my first Google search. I really hope that the eee will drive many more people to realise that Linux is worth trying, and in fact can be a lot easier to use than windows once enough people are trying to use it to the same ends and providing a bit of qualified support. Ian Nice review Kelly. Based on your thinking and showing off in the office last week, I decided to plump for the 4G Surf rather than the 900.

I'm pretty happy with the value for money, although I've spent another £25 on a bigger second battery and more on an 8G SD card to get it to where I need it.

What I like most about this device, with the somewhat cult following it has, is how great the community support is. I haven't hit any problems getting stuff working how I like that weren't easily answered from my first Google search. I really hope that the eee will drive many more people to realise that Linux is worth trying, and in fact can be a lot easier to use than windows once enough people are trying to use it to the same ends and providing a bit of qualified support.

Ian

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