ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7" Linux Micro Notebook - Pearl White

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ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7" Linux Micro Notebook - Pearl White

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a great office app package. I had no trouble opening and using word, excel, or power point documents. It saves in the microsoft office formats by default. If you want to try this package just google "open office". It is free and there are versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux. I was pleased to find that the draw program is included. There is no desktop shortcut for draw, but it is available by using the new document button in any open office program.

On the 2G surf the number of games is reduced to make the package smaller. The only games are Solitaire, Penguin Racer, Potato head, and bubble bobble. The only useful one for an adult will probably be solitaire. It isn't much of a gaming machine. Same with the learning apps. Many 4G learning apps aren't included on the 2G model. Being an adult, I'll probably never use the ones that are there. Asus does not offer any apps beyond what is included already installed (as of 1/08).

The media player works well. I have played movies and music with it. I played a DVD quality AVI from a SDHC card with no trouble. MP3s were also problem free from the SD card. It also works well with my iPod. I have a 2nd generation iPod nano and an iPod video. When you plug in Ipod through USB, the eee can see your music and playlists and use the iPod as a media drive. I have read that the newest Ipods wont do this properly. My 5th gen ipod video and 2nd gen ipod nano worked perfectly. The speakers are very good quality, better than my 15" Dell inspiron notebook.

Wireless works fine. I had no trouble connecting to my home g network. Easier than it was in windows. I don't see any reason it would have trouble using hot spots.

The hardware is nice. The keyboard is small but I think I'll be able to manage a decent speed. It isn't a full size keyboard so don't expect to be able to type at full speed error free.

The screen is very bright, sharp, and has good colors. I adjusted my screen brightness nearly all the way down and it still looks good. Again, the resolution is 800 pixels wide by 480 pixels tall, 7" diagonal (same resolution as a DVD movie).

The unit is very small and light for a laptop. It is not small and light enough to fit in cargo pocket pants though. It should fit in a woman's med-large purse or a small messenger bag.

Don't expect to have a lot of space for media or files. The 2G only has 300mb free. You will need an SD card, SDHC card, or external drive for large files. The 300mb is only good for small files for use with open office. You can't delete any apps or games to free up space without some hacking. If you aren't good with the maddening Linux command line interface, just buy a cheap SD card for extra space. I am not a fan of the Linux CLI. It is similar to using DOS, you have to know commands to get the machine to do anything advanced. If hacking and using the CLI don't sound fun to you just use it like it comes in the box and you will have no problems. Using the default mode is super easy and stable.

I don't have the patience to try to install windows or upgrade to a more full featured version of Linux. The included Operating System works very well and is very easy. You won't even need the manual. I doubt that the 2G model would be very good at running either Windows or other versions of Linux. I am not a big computer hacker. I like to use computer software as a tool, and this thing includes many powerful easy tools. The included OS works well with the included apps. The included apps fill most of my needs, and are perfect for lightweight commuter computing.

My biggest disappointment was the lack of software for keeping your offline email, calendar, to do list, and address book. I could access my google calendar with it, but only when connected to the web. PDA and email software may be included in the 4G model (I have no idea, never used one) but there is no such software on the 2g. Everything you use a palm pilot or ms-outlook for must be done in the browser.

Edited to add more peeves:
Wil not connect to wifi automatically, you must tell it to connect and enter the pass key each time you want to get online.

512mb-ram model 2g surf lags a tiny bit once you have several firefox tabs open. Works like you would expect an XP machine to work, with the same ammount of ram. I hoped it would use memory more efficiently. It isn't bad, but it's noticable. Not a multi-tasking powerhouse.

ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7" Linux Micro Notebook - Pearl White

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seconds. A delightful change from my old X-41 that has a start up time of 9 to 15 minutes and a shut down time of 5 minutes!

I spent quite a while researching this computer as well as the eee pc 900 and hp 2133, but decided on this one based on reading numerous reviews. I am very pleased with my decision.

ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7" Linux Micro Notebook - Pearl White

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of programs to exceed the area bound by the monitor and then to move the window around by holding alt and dragging the window with the mouse. The speakers on the eee are surprisingly good.

I have noticed some minor things that I wish would be remedied. First, charging the battery is extremely slow. Second, placing the computer on standby is completely not worth the power trade-off; the machine consumes too much of the battery during standby (although with the fast bootup, this really isn't a big deal). Third, the touchpad can be unresponsive at times. Also, it can be too small at times. But this can be easily fixed with a separate mouse.

ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7" Linux Micro Notebook - Pearl White

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friends and they all comment on how cute and small it is! It really is a great deal for the price that it is and I, again, HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!

ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7" Linux Micro Notebook - Pearl White

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cafe (which saves you a lot of cash when using expensive services in Europe and the US).

If you want to travel light and absolutely need access to a computer, the Eee PC might be for you.

ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7" Linux Micro Notebook - Pearl White

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small. Personally I just plug in a wireless usb mouse and navigate that way.

It's fast to boot up and shut down and preforms better than I had envisioned it would. I am so pleased with this purchase that I'm telling everyone I know. If you want discrete, petite with high performance then you won't be disappointed. Great for coffee shops or anywhere there is wireless internet. Easier to go through the airport security with than a full size laptop, and great for long waits to help the time go faster.

ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7" Linux Micro Notebook - Pearl White

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display quality is merely mediocre. It's not bad, but my 8 year old Sony Vaio screen looks better in terms of sharpness, color, and brightness.

Touchpad:
Again a bit small but very functional. Tapping is a little touchy.

Connectivity:
Nice, no problems here. USB2.0, wireless G, SD card slot, ethernet port, headphone jack.

Sound and webcam:
Dunno, don't care. It makes sound and I've no use for a webcam.

System:
I used the original Easy mode for a couple of hours and was surprised that it's pretty well done. If I wasn't such a geek, I'd have left it alone. As it is I switched to the Full Desktop mode, a Debian flavored distro I think. It too was fine, no complaints at all... except that I wanted the same distro as my other computers, Mint Linux w/Enlightenment (E17). Installation was quick and painless.

Performance:
(Note, immediately after verifying the machine fired-up, I popped in a 1GB stick of RAM.)
Good. Yes, you could bog it down easy enough, but it handles the basics with ease. Playing videos on it either from an SD card or streaming was glitchless.

Being picky:
While not everyone is right-handed, most of us are... so why are the LEDs for power, etc placed exactly where they will almost always be hidden by your hand??

Overall:
I love this thing. It's gotten a lot of use and has become my primary means of note taking. If they come out with improved versions at the same price, count me in.

ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7" Linux Micro Notebook - Pearl White

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display quality is merely mediocre. It's not bad, but my 8 year old Sony Vaio screen looks better in terms of sharpness, color, and brightness.



Touchpad:

Again a bit small but very functional. Tapping is a little touchy.



Connectivity:

Nice, no problems here. USB2.0, wireless G, SD card slot, ethernet port, headphone jack.



Sound and webcam:

Dunno, don't care. It makes sound and I've no use for a webcam.



System:

I used the original Easy mode for a couple of hours and was surprised that it's pretty well done. If I wasn't such a geek, I'd have left it alone. As it is I switched to the Full Desktop mode, a Debian flavored distro I think. It too was fine, no complaints at all... except that I wanted the same distro as my other computers, Mint Linux w/Enlightenment (E17). Installation was quick and painless.



Performance:

(Note, immediately after verifying the machine fired-up, I popped in a 1GB stick of RAM.)

Good. Yes, you could bog it down easy enough, but it handles the basics with ease. Playing videos on it either from an SD card or streaming was glitchless.



Being picky:

While not everyone is right-handed, most of us are... so why are the LEDs for power, etc placed exactly where they will almost always be hidden by your hand??



Overall:

I love this thing. It's gotten a lot of use and has become my primary means of note taking. If they come out with improved versions at the same price, count me in.

ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7" Linux Micro Notebook - Pearl White

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wifi 802.11 b/g connection and download additional software; downloading is also a good way to access updates for the pre-installed software. A BIOS update from AsusTek is already waiting for users of the 4G model.

Since this machine is genuinely ultra-portable, I carry it with me nearly everywhere I take my knapsack. At 2 lbs, it is hardly noticeable. Unlike most notebooks, the Eee PC's power cord is light weight and the SD card I use for extra disc storage weighs less than a penny.


In the office, I use a Windows XP desktop, at home I have a Macbook Pro, and for travel integrating the Linux-based Asus has been seamless and easy even though the Eee PC is the third operating system I am using. Thanks to the open source software that runs on the Eee PC, I can create documents that are compatible with anything on my Macbook Pro or Windows PC. Although I might be considered a "power user," believe me anyone can pick up the Eee PC and use it out-of-the box without any prior experience with Linux;you simply point and click your way to whatever you want. And, for the power user, you can do virtually anything on this machine with the flexibility of installing whatever you want on this machine including installing a new operating system or entirely changing the original set up. With all of the choices open to computer users and the bargain basement cost, I am not sure why the Eee PC has not received more media attention in the U.S.

This is a terrific machine for everyday tasks like web browsing, emailing, document creation, and even writing this review. I highly recommend the Eee PC as a second computer for adults, a first computer for a child or an ultra portable computer for anyone.

A Few Issues that Matter

Keyboard Size:

Some folks may not like the keyboard. The Eee PC uses a small key board; it is probably one-fifth to one-fourth the size of a typical laptop keyboard. I can type fast on this keyboard, but the keyboard is not as responsive as my MBP keyboard and the right-shift key is too small - - it is too easy to mistakenly hit the larger enter key instead. Having said that, I think the keyboard is very usable, but be prepared to spend some time adapting to the small keyboard before you are able to type quickly and accurately on it.

Screen:
The 7-inch display is crisp and sharp, but not as bright as some laptops and the resolution is only 800x480 pixels. You are going to scroll the screen more than you would on a 15-inch desktop or laptop. To alleviate this problem, be prepared to buy one accessory: a wireless mouse. The touchpad is responsive, but I think touch pads are particularly poor pointing devices when a lot of scrolling is required.

Disc size and Memory:
The solid state hard drive is fast and responsive. Applications load quickly and disc access occurs with a breeze. Although nearly half of the 4 GB SSD is used by the pre-installed software, you can use SD cards to extend your storage capacity. I have over 1 GB of space available on the internal SSD with nearly 50 data files installed. Unless you are installing large video or music files, your data files are not likely to occupy a lot of storage space. Remember, the Eee PC is for productive work, data communications, and Internet access, it is not your game PC and I wouldn't use it like an iPod either.

Battery life:
I have been able to get slightly over 3 hours of battery life out of the Eee PC when I turn wifi off.

ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7" Linux Micro Notebook - Pearl White

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wifi 802.11 b/g connection and download additional software; downloading is also a good way to access updates for the pre-installed software. A BIOS update from AsusTek is already waiting for users of the 4G model.



Since this machine is genuinely ultra-portable, I carry it with me nearly everywhere I take my knapsack. At 2 lbs, it is hardly noticeable. Unlike most notebooks, the Eee PC's power cord is light weight and the SD card I use for extra disc storage weighs less than a penny.





In the office, I use a Windows XP desktop, at home I have a Macbook Pro, and for travel integrating the Linux-based Asus has been seamless and easy even though the Eee PC is the third operating system I am using. Thanks to the open source software that runs on the Eee PC, I can create documents that are compatible with anything on my Macbook Pro or Windows PC. Although I might be considered a "power user," believe me anyone can pick up the Eee PC and use it out-of-the box without any prior experience with Linux;you simply point and click your way to whatever you want. And, for the power user, you can do virtually anything on this machine with the flexibility of installing whatever you want on this machine including installing a new operating system or entirely changing the original set up. With all of the choices open to computer users and the bargain basement cost, I am not sure why the Eee PC has not received more media attention in the U.S.



This is a terrific machine for everyday tasks like web browsing, emailing, document creation, and even writing this review. I highly recommend the Eee PC as a second computer for adults, a first computer for a child or an ultra portable computer for anyone.



A Few Issues that Matter



Keyboard Size:



Some folks may not like the keyboard. The Eee PC uses a small key board; it is probably one-fifth to one-fourth the size of a typical laptop keyboard. I can type fast on this keyboard, but the keyboard is not as responsive as my MBP keyboard and the right-shift key is too small - - it is too easy to mistakenly hit the larger enter key instead. Having said that, I think the keyboard is very usable, but be prepared to spend some time adapting to the small keyboard before you are able to type quickly and accurately on it.



Screen:

The 7-inch display is crisp and sharp, but not as bright as some laptops and the resolution is only 800x480 pixels. You are going to scroll the screen more than you would on a 15-inch desktop or laptop. To alleviate this problem, be prepared to buy one accessory: a wireless mouse. The touchpad is responsive, but I think touch pads are particularly poor pointing devices when a lot of scrolling is required.



Disc size and Memory:

The solid state hard drive is fast and responsive. Applications load quickly and disc access occurs with a breeze. Although nearly half of the 4 GB SSD is used by the pre-installed software, you can use SD cards to extend your storage capacity. I have over 1 GB of space available on the internal SSD with nearly 50 data files installed. Unless you are installing large video or music files, your data files are not likely to occupy a lot of storage space. Remember, the Eee PC is for productive work, data communications, and Internet access, it is not your game PC and I wouldn't use it like an iPod either.



Battery life:

I have been able to get slightly over 3 hours of battery life out of the Eee PC when I turn wifi off.