Why did I want to buy Asus? I did it for a
couple of reasons. I wanted a small notebook to take on trips plus I wanted
to dabble more with Linux. At present Microcenter has the pink 2-G model for
$299 and white 4-G model for $399. I bought the 4-G model and let it charge
for a couple hours while I looked at what else came in the box. There is a
copy of Windows XP CD included, so I guess some people buy it for the small
form factor and immediately load Windows XP. I have decided to stay with the
preloaded Linux operating system.
The specifications for the system are as
follows:
Processor: Intel Celeron M ULV 900MHz
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 900 GPU
Storage: 4GB of Flash-based storage (SSD)
Memory: 512MB of DDR2 RAM (667MHz)
OS: Xandros Linux (Asus customized)
Screen: 7-inch screen with 800 x 480 resolution
Ports: 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA monitor out, headphone jack,
microphone input, SD card reader (SDHC compatible), Kensington lock slot,
Ethernet 10/100
Webcam (0.3 MP)
Battery: 4-cell 5200 mAh 7.4V Li-Ion (rated at 3.5 hours)
Wireless: 802.11b/g Atheros
Input: Keyboard and Touchpad
Weight: approximately 2 lbs with battery, 2.5 lbs travel
weight with AC adapter.
Two-year warranty
It also comes loaded with a group of 40
preloaded applications including Open Office 2.0 and the Firefox browser;
therefore, one does not have to buy a lot of software for first use. The
only negative for some people may be the small keyboard. If you have large
fingers the keyboard may cause problems, but the main reason to buy it is
for use on trips where you may not need to type a lot of information. If you
need to do a lot of typing, you might consider a flexible keyboard. I have
added a mouse and flexible keyboard that were instantly recognized by Linux,
unlike Windows which sometimes requires a few minutes before the input
devices are available for use. I have not spent a lot of time typing with
either keyboard yet to say which I like better. I think the Asus Eee PC is a
good little laptop that will be lots of fun to explore.
New PCs usually come without any useful
programs. All it has are trial offers and some useless games. I will show
you how to remove this unwanted stuff commonly referred to as Crapware and
provide you with a compilation of the free productivity programs to replace
it. This will include spreadsheet programs, word processors, antivirus,
firewall, CD-burning software, photoediting software, games and more. If you
are like a lot of us in these difficult economic times, that is, without a
budget to buy new software, then you will almost assuredly bring home some
valuable information from this session.
Cincinnati PC User Group