ASUS Eee PC: Laptop, UMPC, or Something Else?
by Jarred Walton on November 30, 2007 4:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Many of the complaints that we've leveled against the Eee PC are intentional design decisions. There's really no good way to fit a full-size keyboard into a 7" laptop chassis. ASUS' goal was to create an ultraportable laptop that would be great for computer neophytes and children. We don't have any children readily available to write a review of the Eee PC, and we certainly don't qualify as computer neophytes. (Okay, that's not quite true. My five-year-old thinks it's cool; she calls it her "baby computer" and thinks Tux Racer is awesome.) While we may feel that the user interface is Spartan and that there aren't enough applications, ASUS actually put a lot of time and effort into creating the OS front-end. As a power user, we might not like it too much, but it does keep complexity down to a minimum.
It's easy to see the Eee PC as a popular item for people whose lives don't revolve around technology. It does everything you really need from a computer, and if you're looking for similarly priced options, you either have to get something a lot larger or something smaller. Look around on eBay and you can find a used laptop that probably offers more performance for the same price (or less) than what you will spend on an Eee PC. For that matter, you might not even need to go to eBay. You can also pick up PDAs for under $400. The problem is, both of these options end up being completely different from the Eee PC. Any new or used laptop that costs under $500 will likely be twice the size of the Eee PC, if not larger, so you're no longer getting an ultraportable. PDAs on the other hand serve a completely different market. Keeping track of your calendar, checking an email, or writing a quick note are all things that you can do with a PDA. However, you need to do this with a stylus input device (unless you grab a keyboard accessory) and the screens you get on PDAs make the 7" LCD on the Eee PC look positively huge.
There are 7" computers out there, of course. We're talking about the UMPC (Ultra-Mobile PC). That still isn't the same as an Eee PC, however, and they cost more than twice as much. They still use a stylus input/touch-sensitive screen as well, so if you're comfortable using a keyboard - even a small keyboard - writing any lengthier notes/emails/documents on a UMPC could take some time. It's all about using the best tool for the task at hand, and UMPCs serve a different niche. The stylus interface allows you to walk around a warehouse for example, jotting down notes or checking inventory.
That's really the crux of the problem: in what areas does the Eee PC excel? It's too large to be a PDA, too small to function as a laptop for most people, not particularly fast, and the default input devices are somewhat limited. Anyone interested in purchasing a UMPC might find the Eee PC functions adequately and costs a lot less, but with the Eee PC, you have to flip it open and use a regular keyboard/touchpad. That makes using the Eee while standing or walking around somewhat difficult. There are still things that the Eee PC can do better than other systems, however.
Going out on a quick luncheon trip and don't feel like lugging along your regular laptop? Grab your Eee PC. You'll have plenty of battery life, it doesn't require a lot of table space, and if you happen to be carrying a purse anyway you should be able to fit it inside. Jot down notes, maybe fire off an email, or just surf the web. If the thought of trying to lug around a large 10-15 pound laptop bag makes you cringe, the Eee PC can provide nearly all the same functionality in a much smaller package. You could do this with a PDA as well, and it would require even less space than the Eee PC; however, while surfing the web at 800x480 might feel a bit limiting it's still worlds better than trying to surf on a 240x320 screen.
In short, the Eee PC is exactly what it appears to be: a really small laptop. It's a different take on the ultraportable market from UMPC, at a much more attractive price. It's easy to fit in a child's backpack for school, and it weighs a lot less than your typical textbook. You still get a regular QWERTY keyboard, even if it's small, decent networking, and a display that's better suited to surfing the Internet than other tiny computing devices (cell phones/iPhones, PDAs, etc.) If size matters and you are simply unwilling to carry around a 5-10 pound laptop, the Eee PC might be exactly what you need. We would still have issues using it as our primary computing device, but then you just can't run stuff like Crysis on an Eee PC.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
36 Comments
View All Comments
rhangman - Friday, December 14, 2007 - link
If you are going to compare, then surely a Via Nanobook based solution would be the way to go.http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/spearhead/nan...">http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/spearhead/nan...
Same sized screen/resolution.
Faster clocked chip.
Longer battery life.
Larger storage.
Lighter.
Very similar dimentions.
You also get MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9 HD acceleration, although only with via's poorly implimented drivers and applications under Linux. Openchrome should at least add MPEG-2 support eventually though.
The Asus is I think better looking and cheaper though.
http://www.viagallery.com/index.php?option=com_fli...">http://www.viagallery.com/index.php?opt...s&Se...
Schugy - Monday, December 3, 2007 - link
I would by any other cheap subnotebook with an Athlon 64 2000+ (8W TDP), Radeon Xpress 1250 and a more open Ubuntu Mobile on it.PCTC2 - Monday, December 3, 2007 - link
1) You can modify the GUI to include a start button to access a lot more features on the EeePC by changing the file value of TaskBarShowStartMenu from 0 to 1 in the directory /etc/X11/icewm2) A 10" version with 16GB of SSD space is rumored to be in development for mid-late next year.
I say chuck Xandros and put Ubuntu on it.
PCTC2 - Monday, December 3, 2007 - link
Just kidding about the 10" version. Just a rumor that has now been proven to be false. My b.krwilsonn - Sunday, December 2, 2007 - link
What is the effect of web browsing on the device since I would imaging most webpages are designed for 800 x 600 or above? Also is the voting system removed from this comments section?JarredWalton - Monday, December 3, 2007 - link
Browsing is "okay" - much better than a PDA, but as you guessed there are sites designed for 1024x768 (and even 1280x1024). The vertical size isn't as much of a problem, and really you can deal with the 800 width. AnandTech, for example, you miss some of the right and left columns but can keep the main article content in view. Most sites are like that. But then, I'm spoiled by running at 30" LCD at 2560x1600. :)I don't know what happened to comment ratings - I guess we ditched that with the upgrade. Or maybe it's just not present for now. There are a few areas of the updated site that still appear to have some bugs to work out.
shadghost - Sunday, December 2, 2007 - link
I have been using one for a few days now, and on the first day i got out of "easy mode" and i must tell you it is easy to install new programs with out even going to a new OS, true, apt-get install does not have a lot of programs, but most sites are now putting out .deb, and i find these easier to install then a windows program. I think i am going to switch over to ubuntu, only partly because i feel the OS is crippled, but mainly i have a server hosting ubuntu on my local network. I must say, it is a good little computer, way better then my last laptop that was about 15 pounds to just go to class, now it is down to two pounds plus my backpack.me love the Eee
On the down side, i am downgrading from a 22 inch wide screen and a 17 inch 4:3 to the 7 inch... that is the hardest part.... and that it did not come with ssh server and client pre-installed
n0nsense - Sunday, December 2, 2007 - link
you can always add more repositories for additional software.Synaptic package manager will make it easy for newbies.
Ihlosi - Saturday, December 1, 2007 - link
... to me, it does have some minor issues that add up.1. Why 800x480 ? That's such a weird resolution. 800x600 would be almost infinitely preferable.
2. Leave out the crappy webcam and microphone.
3. Why no PCMCIA/CardBus ?
4. eSATA would be nice, but is probably asking too much.
mmntech - Saturday, December 1, 2007 - link
800x480 would qualify as WVGA. It's a 5:3 aspect ratio. It is a non standard aspect ratio though. Regular WVGA is 854x480.I have a lot of issues with the Eee PC. Namely price and lack of storage. It would be interesting to crack it open and tinker with it to see what it can do. I assume the hard drive is a standard 2.5'' laptop form factor. I'd be curious to see what would happen if someone tossed a mechanical drive in there. Flash drives offer higher seek time and lower power consumption but mechanical drives last longer and are still cheaper dollar per gigabyte.
It's a cute toy but the hardware is really far too antiquated, especially if you install XP on it and realize you can't run half of your programs. Dell had some 15'' Sempron 3600 laptops for $499 so if you want something cheap, that's the better buy. 12'' laptops aren't much of a burden and if you buy one that's a couple years old, they're the close in price to the Eee PC.