Just a quick note prompted by spotting an Asus Eee PC on the shelf at Target. The $299, 2 lb. laptop (“netbook”) is available with WindowsXP or Linux. I notice at the Target web site that more models are available. Actually, the units for $359 look like the best choice — larger screen (8.9 vs. 7″ with 1024×600 resolution vs. 800×480 resolution) and more solid state drive capacity (8GB vs. 4GB). There are other compact “netbook” computers that include conventional hard-drives in lieu of solid state drives, but the battery life must suffer. The reviews I’ve read have been very positive, and for web surfing, email, home or school document creation (word processing and spreadsheet), and photo viewing these seem very capable. An external USB drive or online server could provide archival storage if a full blown computer is not available. An external keyboard, mouse, and monitor could be connected for desktop (docked) use. Drool. Drool.
Click on the picture for a cool demo.
Eee PC
I guess what I really like is the design elegance of these little machines. By stripping out excesses in hardware and software, they satisfy 99% of most people’s computing needs (my unscientific observation) with an inexpensive, attractive, compact, and energy efficient solution.
Comment By: ma
October 28th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I feel a purchase coming in the near future….just don’t take a hammer to my beloved Mac to hasten the inevitable.
Comment By: jeff
October 31st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
So are you leaning toward the Linux or Windows option?
Comment By: Pa
November 2nd, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I’d go Linux. Windows would be a nice safety net, but I know Linux has all the apps I need available, and that they run well in 512 MB memory and coexist in 2-4 MB disk space. Windows eats up resources with all the extra stuff (anti-virus, anti-spyware, etc.) that’s recommended, and I’m sure I’d be looking for apps beyond the initial installation. But I’m biased.