The Eee PC, any good?

[#1]

Mitch a lot of models to chose from
buyers guide http://www.laptopshop.co.uk/laptop-buyers-guide.html
netbooks
Notebooks

[#2]

Thanks for all the feedback people, I'll wade through all the links.
Your replies are very much appreciated.

[#3]

I bought a 900 20gig last year and although impressed with the linux operating system shipped with it, I had a spare windows XP license so I stuck that on it and have been quite happy with it as its a lot easier to carry with me when travelling on the ferries rather than my laptop.
I have a 8gb SD card in it as well for extra storage but I am considering replacing the 16GB SSD in it with a larger unit (crucial have them listed but dont have stock!)
I use mine quite a bit with my webNwalk USB stick.

[#4]

Just ordered a 2G ram for my 701HG (original 512M)  - only £25 all in - should make it run better.

[#5]

Quote from: pierre_pierre

Just ordered a 2G ram for my 701HG (original 512M)  - only £25 all in - should make it run better.

Oh yes,  that was about the first thing I did was upgrade the memory to 2GB although the crucial supplied memory wouldnt work so I got a kingston module which was around £25.00 about 8 months ago and I see the same module is available for 14.99 delivered now - memory prices have certainly dropped.

[#6]

two laptop from Dabs  http://www.dabs.com/ProductView.aspx?Quicklinx=5BFY  http://www.dabs.com/ProductView.aspx?Quicklinx=5CMY  both less than some netbooks

[#7]

Cheers, will look again when payday comes.

[#8]

Quote from: MuppetGrinder

Quote from: okrzynska Hmm, I can see that point but from my POV it would be very handy (not that I can even afford one!). I could happily carry one of these around with me at work and use it during a teabreak with a 3G connection. Great idea I'd say - small yet still windows based. I'd hate to be stuck with a blackberry or psion... Sure years ago the psions looked to be the next best thing but these days they just look... weird. I don't think I'd get along with a linux version though... I do admire the linux OS and effort but its a mammoth task to try and become an in depth linux man after so many years of windows - its like starting all over again - except you understand the basics. I could also find many other uses for these too..... wireless nodes, carputer, network node for controlling hardware etc... The smaller PC hardware is and the more customisable its software becomes the more opportunities and uses these things have. Personally I can't wait for them to start becoming realistically priced - EG under £99. When that happens I think I'll be buying a few. OK....what about an HTC? http://www.dialaphone.co.uk/google/phone/HTC_Touch_HD/?gclid=CPvlyv7onJgCFQoh3god9xldnA HD playback, Windows Mobile edt, 3G, GPRS, WiFi, USB Network, even supports Active Push for Exchange mail Server sync'ing.  If portability is the issue what's wrong with that?

Firstly your link didn't work. I got a message saying the product couldn't be found so I've no idea what it is to comment on it Secondly I dislike windows mobile personally. Sure it might have some great connectivity options as you mention but it isn't what I call 'real' windows.

Quote from: MuppetGrinder

As for ure other uses...Wireless Node? you mean like a Wireless relay point, like what you can get now for about £25?

Yes... and yes you can buy hardware relays cheaply. But I'm a toy man.. I like to customise Routers, relays etc only let you upgrade firmware and play with that. with a full blown version of windows you can write your own software and/or services and run those.

Quote from: MuppetGrinder

Carputer?? erm never heard of one of these so don't know what exactly it is, but if it's what it sounds like you must be mental.  The only computers in a car should be used by the car, or safe in a case somewhere.  I can't even see how you would justify allowing a passanger to use a computer in a car because of the distraction it would cause the driver.

Firstly thanks for the mental remark. No seriously, I really appreciated it. Secondly.. a carputer is basically a onboard computer that has many functions. You claim it is distracting if a passenger uses it... yet you've never come across one to even know what it is. I'm mental? It's no different to the driver using the stereo. Mobile phones are more dangerous in the drivers hands tbh.
Carputers can be stereos, sat navs, even GPS locators over the internet - in case some prat nicks the car. Additionally they can monitor the cars crucial functions (EG speed, engine temperature etc) through an OBD2 connection. That can save you from over heating your engine, over revving it, speeding etc etc. Just because you've never heard of it and don't trust it doesn't mean it is naturally a bad thing.
My point was that the hardware inside is so small you could neatly build it into the car behind the dash somewhere and install the screen else where. Not use it freely on your lap while driving. All I'm interested in is the size of the hardware and hacking it up for other uses.

Quote from: MuppetGrinder

and as for a network hardware controler, what's wrong with a virtual machine on your existing server...takes up even less space, and you get a LOT more fault tollerance and disaster recovery.

For one... It's based at the server. You can't run a USB cable all the way to the shed, the loft etc etc. Thats why a remote network NODE acting as a hardware controller remotely is a useful thing. Plug it into the network, install your program, drivers and hardware and bingo. Anything from a garage door opener to a satellite dish rotator is possible. Just install a small system at that location, plug the device in via usb and attach to the network.
Now seriously... how am I meant to do all that from a computer in a central location? USB has an official cable length of 5 meters.

Quote from: MuppetGrinder

IMO these things dont do anything that can't be done already.  You want 3g access wherever you are and Windows Vista Ultimate then get a laptop and a 3G modem.

But I don't want Vista. I've never said anything about Vista. The whole point I was trying to make is that unlike a big bulky laptop these new notebooks are small enough and light enough to be carried around and used with minimal effort.

Quote from: MuppetGrinder

You want a windows platform on an ittsy bittsy little thing you'r probably gonna lose in a fortnight, get an HTC.

Look, I can see you are heavily biased against these things but we do not all have your idealisms. To me they're great, to you they're a waste. Big deal. At the end of the day at least I can choose to buy one should I wish. Likewise if you despise them so much you can choose not to.

Quote from: MuppetGrinder

There is already somthing out there that does exactly what netbook does only better.

That really is a matter of opinion.

Quote from: MuppetGrinder

The only reason to buy one of these is so you can show off to your friends and coligues for those 3 min before they work out what a total waste it was getting one.

Not really. I care more about the practicality of the thing really. To me, small light and fairly cheap with a decent sized qwerty keyboard is brilliant - from a programmers POV. Tea time I can have a quick bash at a few things, check email, edit some code etc etc. My only reason to buy one would be for functionality. Having had a big bulky laptop previously and now my partner also having one I'm heavily deterred by their size. A notebook PC would adequately suit me to the ground. Showing off.. Where did that come from? If you have issues with these then fine but to put accusations like that at other people just because they like them... thats leaning towards being silly. There is a massive difference between a tiny little convenient laptop which offers full computer facilities and that of a middle class mum driving a chelsea tractor (4x4) for status.

[#9]

Quote

Carputers can be stereos, sat navs, even GPS locators over the internet - in case some prat nicks the car. Additionally they can monitor the cars crucial functions (EG speed, engine temperature etc) through an OBD2 connection. That can save you from over heating your engine, over revving it, speeding etc etc. Just because you've never heard of it and don't trust it doesn't mean it is naturally a bad thing.

In my last job, we did indeed run a laptop and OBD2 for on the road investigation and data logging, and it was very good, one of our engine techies wrote the interface and we could manipulate the info as we required

[#10]

I went ahead with the SSD upgrade quite an easy job to do.  Open the hatch for the memory on the bottom of the eee, undo the 2 screws holding the mini pci-e SSD and replace it.

[#11]

does the SSD hold the operating system, or is it elsewhere

[#12]

Bud has the 900, I don't think its quite that easy with the 700, most 700's don't have the pci-e socket fitted (its wired just the actual connector is missing). And if you do have the socket then I believe that fitting a memory module disables the internal SSD. There will be full details on www.eeeuser.com

[#13]

Quote from: pierre_pierre

Quote Carputers can be stereos, sat navs, even GPS locators over the internet - in case some prat nicks the car. Additionally they can monitor the cars crucial functions (EG speed, engine temperature etc) through an OBD2 connection. That can save you from over heating your engine, over revving it, speeding etc etc. Just because you've never heard of it and don't trust it doesn't mean it is naturally a bad thing. In my last job, we did indeed run a laptop and OBD2 for on the road investigation and data logging, and it was very good, one of our engine techies wrote the interface and we could manipulate the info as we required

See thats the sort of thing I'm interested in. A while back I had some trouble with my speedo needle sticking. It became very frustrating. An interface like that could be very useful.
Additionally imagine a usb GPS module being plugged into it and it's all installed inside the dash somewhere hidden. You could track the vehicle in real time over the internet with the use of a 3G module. All it would need to do is have a custom program on board which can read the GPS position and then make a http call to a php script on a server which stores the date and time of the http call and the GPS location in a database. The route, speed, current location could then all be viewed from anywhere in the world. Most importantly if the car was stolen it could be located easily. With an automatic gearbox you could even disable the car from moving potentially. Thus rendering it totally useless if its stolen or (if you beef up the on board security) the right code/ID isn't recognised.
Potentially you could even have other features like remote startup via wifi and also the ability to turn on the car heating and demisters first thing in the morning - say 5 minutes before you walk out of the door. Of course that could also be done via 3G connection if you had an on board battery large enough to keep the computer powered up long nough. You could leave it at the airport car park in the middle of winter knowing that as soon as it hits -1C it would start up for 10 minutes idling to stop itself totally freezing over - handy if you've not been able to change your antifreeze! Another idea could be updating the mp3 collection in the car remotely. No more fiddling with the CD changer in the back.. just transfer the files via wifi. If you've got electrically adjustable seats you could remotely set the car to adjust those too. There really are a lot of potential uses for a carputer apart from the obvious of satnav and stereo.
In reality this WILL become the way with time. The only reason it hasn't happened yet is because its still a bit expensive to do and few people here in the UK have enough money to justify the outlay. In the USA it would almost take off over night once one big manufacturer decided to start including this with their vehicles.
The technology is with us here and now. I've even got a delphi VCL component that will make use of any local bluetooth device and scan for a selected device to see if it is in range (it identifies it by the device MAC address). Now imagine just walking up to your car and it automatically unlocks when the signal is above a certain strength (meaning your almost next to it).

[#14]

The 900 has 2 SSD's, the onboard 4GB and the external 12 or 16GB depending on what OS was shipped with them when the 900 came out (12 was on the XP and 16 on the linux variant).
I have my windows instal on the onboard 4gb and have my apps and data on the other SSD.
as Chilly mention eeeuser is a good place to look, iirc some of them are using runcore SSD's and disabling the onboard one and having the complete install on the mini pci-e one.

[#15]

@ Ozzy again, this is old technology, all our prototype vehicles were fitted with such a device in about 94 and could  indeed be traced to make sure that they were doing something productive, a fleet of maybe 1000 plus vehicles, didnt have a separate computer, all built into one unit, and what was 3g then?  just about changing from analogue cell to digital
@bud, as chilly said, I only have a 701 4g, but have just upped ram from 512 to 2G