ASUS EEE PC - 7" Laptop

hj2k_x

hj2k_x

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An awesome idea this :)

See here for the specs : http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=2709&ppuser=37325&sl=l

And here for some pics : http://images.google.co.za/images?q...GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

And here for some youtube vids:http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=asus+eee+pc&search_type=


Seems like Incredible Corruption have the base 2GB surf model in stock @ R2799, which is not bad, though the 4GB Surf comes with 4GB of solid state memory but also only 512MB RAM.

Comes with a flavour of Linux installed but can run XP and various other OS's. The lack of hard drive space can be offset by purchasing SD cards which are quite cheap like now.

So, I am looking to get one of these babies from IC, to use at varsity to take notes in lectures.
Anyone else out there have one? What do you guys think of it?

Edit: Well I went out and bought one and will be blogging my experiences here http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/blog.php?b=183

So far, I love it :)

Specs:
ASUS EEE PC 2G Surf

Colour : Cream
7" Screen
900mhz Celeron processor
512MB DDR2 RAm (not upgradeable at all)
2GB SSD
SD card reader
Built-in wifi and 10/100 LAN
Built-in speakers
3 x USB ports
1 x VGA out (for attaching a normal monitor/ projector to it)
Weight: +- 950g
Battery life: 2 hrs 45 min max, 1hr 45mins under heavy load
Operating System: comes with Linux Xandros which is ok for kids but XP SP2 works a charm on it and will be best for most users.
_______________________________________________________________

So, quite a while now since I bought the EEE and I thought I'd update this post a little with some info and tips n tricks and the like :)

First of all, the OS that comes with the EEE is linux-based and not going to be to the liking of most people. You can install XP easily enough on the EEE and I would certainly recommend it.

Installing XP SP2 on and Asus EEE PC (2G Surf)

The steps are:

1) Get a Windows XP SP2 boot CD.
It must be a SP2 CD and it must be bootable. I cannot stress this enough! Nothing else will work.

2) You can either install the XP via a USB stick (more mission) or via an external USB CD drive. Now, not many people have an external USB CD drive but what you might well have is an external USB HDD enclosure. All you need to do is take the CD drive out of your desktop machine, take the HDD out of its enclosure and replace it with the CD drive and you are good to go.

3) Put XP CD in tray, make sure you change the BIOS boot sequence options to be Boot from CD first, and then you install as you normally would.

Mine took about an hour in total and took up 900MB of the 2GB internal SSD.

Then make sure you install all the ASUS drivers that came with the EEE - they work pretty well on the whole, and then you are sorted.

The only issue I have had so far is the fact that my Power Options are unavailable - the battery icon in the taskbar has disappeared and clicking on Power Options either in Display Properties or in Control Panel just does nothing. Apparently it is an XP SP2 bug of some kind. For now, I have just downloaded a freeware battery monitor which almost works better anyway, and I don't want to fiddle with the power settings much anyway. It is a bit of a hassle but not the end of the world.
 
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i dunno man but im thinking of getting one just for business trips and what not

bored watch a movie type thing :)

i think it would be awesome to take notes with
 
Can anyone clarify whether the RAM is soldered to the mobo or not? :confused:

I haven't heard that. Only that the SSD is soldered on.
 
SlinkyMike said:
Cute little review:http://www.trustedreviews.com/notebooks/review/2007/10/30/Asus-Eee-PC-4G-701/p1
Click to expand...

Two other models exist, including the 4G Surf and 2G Surf. Each have 4GB and 2GB SSDs respectively, while the 4G Surf features 512MB of RAM compared to the 256MB found in the 2G Surf. Each also lacks the webcam, while using a slightly smaller 4400mAh battery. In addition, in a deal with RM, the 2G Surf will be sold to schools as the RM Asus Minibook.
Click to expand...

The 2GB surf has 512MB RAM though.
 
my kid loves it. i think the keyboard is about the worst part, and even that isnt so bad. nice robust little lappy.
default os is good in easy mode, very buggy in advanced mode (bug in samba especially bad....you either get rooted, or if you update to the bugfixed version then samba doesnt work reliably) but again, in easy mode this doesnt show up.

plonk ubuntu on it.
 
BiteMe said:
my kid loves it. i think the keyboard is about the worst part, and even that isnt so bad. nice robust little lappy.
default os is good in easy mode, very buggy in advanced mode (bug in samba especially bad....you either get rooted, or if you update to the bugfixed version then samba doesnt work reliably) but again, in easy mode this doesnt show up.

plonk ubuntu on it.
Click to expand...

Sweet, I am yet to hear a bad word said about it. You tried XP on it at all and can I ask where you got it and for how much?
 
its a nice little toy but i reckon i'll just sit as another useless gadget on my desk, the lack of DVDRW & HDD puts me off of it.
 
Easiest way loading Ubuntu? Can you without an external CD/DVD? Can you mount the .iso or something?
 
Another thing... "At CES 2008, Asus confirmed that new models would be released in Q2 with new features which would include WiMax, and the option of a 7, 8, or 9 inch displays."

:D/:(

Wonder when it'll get here. I'd rather wait for the bigger screen. The 7" I saw in the shop seemed a tad too small...
 
I'd actually love one but simply don't have the cash for it...maybe a competition where you can win one? ;) I'd only go for the larger models as they come with a larger capacity battery as standard. As for hdd capacity: There's a mod where you can rig up a flash stick to act as a second internal hdd. Apparently it's not the easiest thing on earth to do, but it IS possible and with 32gb flash sticks available now, one could expand to plenty of space, albeit by upping the cost of the unit a fair amount. I see 8gb flash sticks go for around R300 now though, which is a lot cheaper than the R2k+ for the 32gb puppy.

Edit - With regards to screen size...that's my only gripe. I'd rather ditch the speakers at the side of the screen, and make the thing wider. You can't always get everything you want though.
 
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