Hardware to drool over.

Asus has come out with a tiny new computer for $399. Check out this review:

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4062



The thing I found interesting is it is very similar to the $100 (now $188) laptop project, where they tried to get a laptop down in price so that every kid in the world could have one.

Some of the similarities include:

It is based on Linux.
It uses flash drives (SD card?) instead of hard disks.
Small color LCD.
Built in wireless.

The $100 laptop uses a hand turned crank to power it, since it is designed for rural locations where electricity could be hundreds of miles away, and this gadget doesn't. Both are going to be interesting to watch.

 

I'd buy one if they put a wireless card in it

 

She do, BM!

 

well hell, I might just have to buy one of those then

 

Gee, I thought I said that. Actually, both of them do.


Right now the sponsors of the $100 laptop want people to buy 2 and then donate the spare. I think this is dumb myself, better to sell it for a reasonable profit (like $250) and then use the profits to give units to kids.

If I wanted to spent almost $400 on a small laptop I'd want the Asus model, warm fuzzy feeling not withstanding.

If they sold em commercially I think they might even get the prices down over time. Isn't that how it's supposed to work?

The 2 features on the Asus model that I love is if you screw it up beyond redemption, the original default configuration (with the Linux OS) is a couple of button presses away. They also include all the XP drivers (XP OS not included) so you can transfer the OS to XP if that is your desire.


Tell me you don't want one guys! :drool

 

http://www.physorg.com/news115288648.html

 

I am going to have to see how well the Christmas bonus pans out around here and maybe buy one of those bad boys. I could really use one every once in a while.

 

Ya know B Monkey, even the Buy one give one deal, comes with free wireless for 1 yr:major ( I'm sure it's nutin like my high speed but good unuf for starving kid)

 

Great specs if you have access to regular electricity. Many targets for this idea don't. I know the differece a generator makes in a third world country village from personal experience. Bazza

 

The Asus eeePC isn't the $100 laptop though, so that doesn't apply. I do think it was inspired by them, and I suspect we'll see more of the same. To my mind this can be a good thing, having used a C64 and 128 for decades I know that you don't need as much computing power as most younger folks believe, and these machines strike me as very capable indeed. They definately don't fall under the perview of gaming machines.

BTW, they decided to drop the hand crank idea on the $100 laptop. It'll probably end up being an optional external accessory. Reminds me of a sitcom I saw once, where the kids got to watch TV by using a excersise bycycle to generate the electricity to power it, and a sibling stole the power the older brother made for his favorite show.

 

As I think I've said in another thread at some point, if you are not going to use your computer for gaming, your minimum system requirements become surprisingly modest.

 

Another interesting review.

http://www.physorg.com/news115288648.html

 

you are quite right on that. how fast of a proc and how much memory do you really need to run a browser, email app, and a word processor of some sort?

 

And yet another review, we may see even more in the way of clones in the longterm, it might be time for this style of computer.

http://www.physorg.com/news119199001.html

 

Went to one of our local computer stores on Saturday morning to help a friend buy an external hard drive for backup purposes.

They had just received the ASUS the night before. I asked their opinion and they weren't very complimenary, but then the sales folk are probably on commission. Bazza

 

oo I have a store around my house selling it for $349. I really don't have a use for a laptop right now though.

 

I'd be interested in what they view as the down side. We already know it doesn't have much storage in its pseudo hard disk, and it probably isn't a fast processor. If their criticism is that it doesn't do games then I would question their knowledge, but I would be interested in legit comments.

Does it show that I would like one?

 

I think they were mainly against the small size, but that is the point of this laptop isn't it. Bazza

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I am seriously thinking of getting one, just for fun if nothing else

I wonder what kind of battery life this thing gets.

 

You might like to check out the News Releases at http://eeepc.asus.com/global/

Four of them listed. Bazza

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Check out http://event.asus.com/eeepc/microsites/en/index.htm

Specs in thumbnail attached, for your info. Bazza

 

So what is a standard 4 cell battery?

Notice the number of kids using it? Like I said, the $188 PC remade.