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Asus Eee PC 8G -- Opinions please!

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by daniel, Mar 5, 2009.

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  1. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    I've been pretty happy with my little Nokia N800 internet tablet computer. At 5 ounces and 5 inches by 3, it's easy to carry, and it lets me do email and check the weather, etc., while traveling. But it has its shortcomings, such as non-standard browser, and stylus-operated on-screen keyboard, which make "typing" slow and painful.

    So I've been looking on line at the Asus Eee 8G. It has a real, if tiny keyboard, 8 gig solid-state "HD," wi-fi and ethernet, and comes pre-loaded with Linux (another version comes with MS garbageware) and Firefox and OpenOffice. At two pounds it looks like it might be light enough for me.

    Anybody have any personal experience with this little computer?

    P.S. It's available for $250 from Amazon or Target.
     
    #1 daniel, Mar 5, 2009
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    My wife has one of the Dell "Net-books" that looks like pretty much the same thing. For a light, part-time, travel computer I think it is a nice choice. Obviously you're not gonna be able to store your travel photos on there with such a small HD.

    My biggest frustration with it is that, while it has a keyboard, the keys are smaller than standard and it's not a standard QWERTY layout...finding some of the main keys I use while typing is a real PITA...the shift key falls somewhere below the right ring finger, the quotation marks are off, every thing is in kind of a square. While I have no doubt this is way better than a stylus on the screen, it's not ideal and becomes annoying pretty quickly when typing a long post or e-mail.

    That said, for your intended use, it will probably be fine. FWIW, my wife LOVES here netbook, uses it at home all the time.
     
    #2 efusco, Mar 5, 2009
  3. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    If you're a touch typist, you'll have to test it yourself to see if the keyboard is big enough for you (it's not for me).
     
    #3 Boo, Mar 5, 2009
  4. JSH

    JSH Senior Member

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    I'll second the motion. Every netbook as a different size keyboard with a slightly different layout. I would go to a major retailer like Best Buy and play around with them for a bit. (I compared ~ 5 at Circuit City before they closed and found I liked the HP best.)

    I am personally very excited about netbooks. It is kind of funny, most reviews I've heard caution people that they aren't real computers and are limited in their capability. We have an old Dell Inspiron 600m that we got for my wife when she when to grad school in 2003 and I also had one as my company issued laptop. They were a higher end laptop at the time and cost ~ $1500 with the RAM upgrade to 512. While good for its day all of the netbooks I've looked at have higher specs that that 600m for $300 - $500! If those specs were good enough for my needs 5 years ago why aren't they today?

    I really want a netbook but I'm holding out to see what Apple comes up with. We have been so happy with our MacBook that I can't imaging going back to a PC.
     
    #4 JSH, Mar 5, 2009
  5. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Yep, the smallest HP Mini or Mini Note has the largest (92% of full size) and best keyboard of the netbooks, but it's a little bigger than the Asus Eee 8G (8.9" screen as opposed to the Asus Eee 8G's 7" screen).

    Daniel, if the Asus Eee 8G's keyboard is too small or weird for you, I'd suggest you try out the different available models of the next largest screen size of netbooks (those with 8.9" screens).
     
    #5 Boo, Mar 5, 2009
  6. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    My concern is weight. If I don't put it in my checked luggage (and that seems reckless in the extreme) then even two pounds is pushing it. The HP and Dell are 2 1/4 lb, and they run MS garbageware. So the Asus is lighter, and it comes pre-loaded with Linux. Yes, I know Linux can be installed on a PC, but I've found it very frustrating.

    I'll see if any local store has one I can look at and try out.

    (Parenthetically, I once bought a laptop after looking at it in the store. It turned out the display was just a case with no innards. The real thing was much heavier. I was very unhappy about that.)

    As far as storing pictures, I have three 2-gig cards for my camera, and that's enough to hold a year's worth of pictures. All I need to store on the computer is the installed software, maybe a chess program, and the emails, letters, and faxes I send and receive during any given trip.
     
    #6 daniel, Mar 5, 2009
  7. Mjolinor

    Mjolinor New Member

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    I have 2 of the 4G ones, does that count as an 8 ? :)

    Seriously
    It is a good small computer but it will not replace your 800. I modded mine to have internal 16 Gb and bluetooth but the keyboards are crap, doesn't matter if you get used to the size or not they are not responsive so you can never touch type on them, they miss key presses. Different ones have different keys that are not responsive. The battery life is not good. Build quality is excellent and value for money is too.

    I think I have probaly been through the full range of small devices and the best of the very small offerings are the Zaurus from Sharp though now a bit slow.

    www.oesf.org is good for the zaurus and EeeUser ASUS Eee PC Forum for the eee. Both offer good input on the range of small devices available.

    Currently I use a Nokia 770, this I have stuck with for a few years despite the 810 and 800 because of the slide on screen cover. If I need to type on it I use a bluetooth folding keyboard and mouse. The 770 is not a fully formed computer so I also use a Sony TR1 MP and a Sony TX1, the former is better outside while the latter has a 7 hour battery life if I am careful. Being Sony they are a real pleasure to use but like all Sonys you have to be lucky as a lot fail.

    For a main laptop I use a Sony VGN-A397XP, possibly the smallest desktop in the world, a complete monster of a laptop that you could never use while travelling, it's over the cabin baggage allowance on its own I think but again it is a real pleaseure to use with a 1900 X 1200 screen. Definitely the furthest thing from a netbook you have ever seen.

    I always get good input from eBay when looking for a reliable device because searching for faulty ones certainly lets you know how many fail and Sonys suffer from faulty motherboards a lot.

    Also worth note is that right now the Atom processor is appearing in small notebooks but the 8G you speak of probaly has a Celeron processor fitted.
     
    #7 Mjolinor, Mar 6, 2009
  8. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Reading you and typing this on the MSI wind computer. I compared it to other 'netbooks' and thought this one had some good features.

    Many of the other netbooks get hot under the keyboard in use, but not the MSI. This one has 120 GB hard disk and 1 GB ram. I decided against 2 GB ram because that has power consumption and heat implications. $400 US dollar equivalent price with windows XP. The built-in wifi gets a better signal than many older notebooks I've compared it to.

    From the outside edge of the A key to the " key is 19 cm. This keypad pitch is smaller than typical notebooks, but not by much. The touchpad is not very good so usually I use a Targus mini-mouse with it.

    Screen is 25.5 cm diagonally. weight with the 4-5 hr battery is just under a kilo. Happy user here.
     
    #8 tochatihu, Mar 6, 2009
  9. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    .
     
    #9 tochatihu, Mar 6, 2009
  10. inventor00

    inventor00 Active Member

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    I would love the size but with 2 serious digital photo and digital video people here, it just would not have enough Hard drive space..sigh...
     
    #10 inventor00, Mar 6, 2009
  11. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    I'd be tempted to put at 64 or 128GB SSD into these if they'd fit. Probably would run just as much as the netbook itself, but would solve any "size" issue concerns.
     
    #11 HTMLSpinnr, Mar 6, 2009
  12. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    For me, this would be a TRAVEL computer. Take it on trips for email and some web browsing. I send faxes to my mom via eFax. Maybe stick in the camera card to view pictures on a larger screen than the camera's. OpenOffice, Firefox, and a chess game are all the software I'd need. A few letters and faxes are all the files I'd be storing. This would not replace my desk-top system, and would not be used as most people use a laptop.

    It was a chilly but pleasant day out today, so I drove to several stores in a fruitless attempt to find one to look at. It looks like there is not one in Spokane.

    So I could buy one sight unseen. Or I could stick with my Nokia N800 and maybe hope for Apple to come out with a 2-lb Macbook Air (presently 3 lbs) or a double-size iPod Touch. (The Touch has a smaller screen than my Nokia, and "typing" on it is harder.)
     
    #12 daniel, Mar 6, 2009
  13. tleonhar

    tleonhar Senior Member

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    I did get a chance to look and play with one a little bit. I actually thought it was quite nice, thought they did a good job with the GUI on Linux, seemed to be quite well built. This is given the fact that it was locked with a tether on the display shelf.

    As others have said, it has a smaller than standard keyboard, but IMO, I don't think that would be a big deal, it's still huge compared to a Blackberry or Treo.

    I just looked, Best Buy has them on sale now, maybe you can check stores in your area for stock.
    Asus - Eee PC Netbook with Intel® Celeron® Processor 353 - Black - EPC1000HD-BKBB1
     
    #13 tleonhar, Mar 6, 2009
  14. Fibb222

    Fibb222 New Member

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    From what I've read, the SSD memory is really slow compared to the variations with regular hard drives - still fast enough for linux but not for Windows.
     
    #14 Fibb222, Mar 6, 2009
  15. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    That's the 10" version, at 3 lbs, same weight as a Macbook Air.

    Speed is not an issue for email, writing faxes to be sent by email, and checking the weather. Internet connection speed is the bottleneck, not processor speed. And for travel, the solid-state "HD" is an advantage over even the most rugged mechanical drive. No way am I going to use MS garbageware, so suitability for Windows is not an issue either.
     
    #15 daniel, Mar 6, 2009
  16. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    The largest 2.5 " hard drives I know are 500gb. If those are compatible with these netbooks, it's a mighty big bucket.
     
    #16 tochatihu, Mar 6, 2009
  17. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    They work great but a bit slow to start and use. I use mine which has a 20G internal hard drive and 10 inch screen to watch movies on flights. Handy for keeping in touch and research while travelling.
    I use a pocket size 250 gig external hard drive with mine but I only use it to transfer stuff in and out of the little Eee notebook.

    I laughed when computer geeks said "I'm not taking my 17/19 inch laptop to Prius Connection Detroit, it takes too much room in my hand luggage" after other geeks had giving someone a hard time for thinking about a Eee notebook for a student. I took my useless Eee and it was quite good and didn't take up much room in my carry on. I have been trying to find a roll up USB keyboard, saw one once and now regret not buying it.
     
    #17 patsparks, Mar 6, 2009
  18. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    I remember that thread, and I think that the advice the "other geeks" had given was actually spot on, i.e., that a computer with a 7" screen, 4 gig flash memory drive, a keyboard most people could not touch type on, without peripherals of any sort, for $399 (at that time), was not a good choice for a college student's one and only computer.

    Such a computer might be a reasonable choice for someone like Daniel who would only be using it for travel. But it most definitely is not suited for being a college student's sole computer.
     
    #18 Boo, Mar 6, 2009
  19. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    I agree that this would be a dreadful choice as anybody's only computer. But it ought to make email and web browsing a bit easier than the little N800. It's supposed to be very rugged, since it does not have a mechanical HD or an optical reader (both of which would be necessary in your only computer).

    By the way, I do not touch type. Never learned. I'm a two-finger typist, and I do pretty well with two fingers. With the N800 it's a stylus on a minuscule on-screen touch keyboard. An actual keyboard, though small, ought to be an improvement, though I do wish I could see one and try it out first. Several stores have the 9-inch version, but none seem to have the 7-inch, which is half a pound lighter, and is the one I'm considering. Of course, for just one more pound I could have a MacBook Air. Hmmmm...
     
    #19 daniel, Mar 7, 2009
  20. Froley1

    Froley1 New Member

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    I've had mine for a year and love it for traveling---coffee shop computing---i like small keyboards so no troubles for me on that score---the problem i've had is in getting a portable disc drive working with it to watch movies when i travel---can't seem to make that happen somehow---
    but for email, and the web it is most excellent...
    regards
    Froley
     
    #20 Froley1, Mar 7, 2009
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