Asus eeepc

Bigpeetee

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I've had an Asus EEEPC 4G for about 18 months.

Any comments about using them long term, does the small screen drive you mad?

I'm a little concerned about the keyboard lasting.

I know that Linux has some limitations but for simple word processing, e.mails saving pics etc seems OK

Got a 12 volt charger so no inverter probs.

The battery doesn't last more than 30 mins now, where it used to be ages.

Having no hard drive should reduce the power consumption.

Also, doesn't seem to read more than 4G of an 8G memory card.

Does the internal WiFi work well when out and about?
 
I've been looking to buy a netbook to take with us on our trips, I quite liked the look of the ASUS Eee PC 1015PEM which has the dual core N550 processor. Trying to get correct information about it, such as in Comet on their specs it says it doesn't have bluetooth but when I looked on the one in the shop it does have bluetooth. Although a reasonable price in Comet the battery life was listed as 4.5 hours. In PCWorld :rolleyes: they give the battery life as 9 hours :confused: I was looking on Tesco Direct website last night & I came across one at a really good price with all the specs correct except it listed it as having the older Atom N455 processor :confused:, looked this morning as I was going to check & possibly order one but its no longer there:confused:. How can you rely on any of the specifications listed, it's all you have to go on when making a judgment on what to buy. Especially with computers, all you see is a box you have to take their word for it on what is inside. It's a bit like buying a car which you think has a V8 turbo with hundreds of horse power only to get it home & find that it's only got a 1.5 non turbo diesel fitted.

Just annoyed that I often can't get a decent answer when asking what I think is reasonable questions in a store which is selling technical equipment. I have been messing with PC's since 1988 so I do have a bit of understanding, I know we used to laugh at anybody actually buying a ready made PC from somewhere like PCworld. I haven't kept up to date with my knowledge & would just like to buy something off the shelf but find that nothing has changed & if anything these sales assistants (ok I know they don't get paid much) are still computer illiterate.
 
Hi I have the same EEEPC - it was the very first model of netbooks - this has worked well, on holiday in UK and France.

WiFi worked well and I used a 3g dongle. Mine needs replacing as the the keyboard is starting to play up (letters not working). Battery life down to 20 mins. Yes the small screen is quite frustrating, but had it nearly 3 years.

The new ones are much better (WinXP /win7) - my lad has one, 10 inch screen is ideal - we use a USB TV stick of this one.

I think the biggest problem in buying a new PC, is they make so many models, and only one set of marketing / packaging - so you get "depending on your model" all over it.
 
I had one of the original Linux models. The screen cracked when I held it between my knees getting cash out of a hole in the wall machine. Linux frustrating at times to update and load new stuff SUDO command line crap etc, but GUI for Linux was fine. Screen was I think 800x480. 480 was too small.

Anyway I got the XP model 12GB solid state hard drive. I use that as my portable machine. It has lasted two years quite well. Wifi is excellent. External Dongle works fine. The screen is bigger I think 800x600 and 10" which works fine if you set it up right (Hide task bar, and minimise tool bars). Battery life is down, but I also carry the battery from my linux machine which fits. Linux machine still works as a charging station. Keyboard fine.

The only downside on the hardware is they partitioned the drive 4GB/8GB and put the OS in the 4GB. This means it can run out of space after a while and you need to keep cleaning up the 4GB partition. They should have done it 6 + 6 or no partition. Any software you put on, you have to use the "advanced user" (haha) option and tell it what to install and what directory (in the 8GB). Some software eg AVG insists on installing in the 4GB by default, and this makes storage matters worse.

No doubt the later machines come with more storage, but I would definitely get an EEE PC again. It's THE machine for casual internet on the move.
 
Separate comment on battery life.

The way they list battery life is switch the machine on, let it do nothing except screen display, and see how long the battery lasts.

But of course when you are using wifi, processor, memory, sound, peripherals etc all these take power so the battery life you actually get is half or less than what they quote.

And in practical terms, after you have used the battery for a bit, charge/discharge etc, that loses efficiency as well so you only get 1/3 or a 1/4 or less of what they quote originally. You have to factor that in to any buying decision.
 
Hi
I have an EeePC 701SD - same as 4G pretty much but with slightly bigger memory - also runs Linux which although easy to use I found a scutter to update and install new software eg VLC media player, vodafone mobile dongle. Felt a bit out of my depth messing about in Terminal following instructions from the very useful eeeuser website. To be honest I only use it abroad now if we've gone by plane - at 900g it's pretty good in hand luggage, especially with Ryanair's limit. I have an 8GB SD card with music on, otherwise I just use the wi-fi and skype now. I got it a couple of years ago off amazon for about £140 so it was probably worth it then.
I've also had an EeePC 1000H for almost 3 years running XP. I probably use it most days although it's slower now with all the stuff I've put on it. WinTV, Anquet Maps, Itunes, Google earth, Vodafone 3G dongle, skype etc all run ok but there's only 1GB of Ram so it soon slows down. I've had no problems with it. Battery life is 4 hours on average. I bought an external DVD of amazon which is plug and play and let me install stuff from disc and playing dvds etc works fine. Obviously it's been superceded multiple times by other EeePCs with newer processers and more memory but I would say it's been a solid buy and not a bad example of the brand.
A friend had an EeePC 901 and had problems with the keyboard. Apparently it's quite easy to fix and a replacement is about £30 or cheaper off Ebay. Guy in a computer shop said he'd do it in 5 minutes so wasn't worth charging an hourly rate - just told him how to do it.
Hope this helps
Gairn
 
Kontiki said:
I've been looking to buy a netbook to take with us on our trips, I quite liked the look of the ASUS Eee PC 1015PEM which has the dual core N550 processor. Trying to get correct information about it, such as in Comet on their specs it says it doesn't have bluetooth but when I looked on the one in the shop it does have bluetooth. Although a reasonable price in Comet the battery life was listed as 4.5 hours. In PCWorld :rolleyes: they give the battery life as 9 hours :confused: I was looking on Tesco Direct website last night & I came across one at a really good price with all the specs correct except it listed it as having the older Atom N455 processor :confused:, looked this morning as I was going to check & possibly order one but its no longer there:confused:. How can you rely on any of the specifications listed, it's all you have to go on when making a judgment on what to buy. Especially with computers, all you see is a box you have to take their word for it on what is inside. It's a bit like buying a car which you think has a V8 turbo with hundreds of horse power only to get it home & find that it's only got a 1.5 non turbo diesel fitted.

Just annoyed that I often can't get a decent answer when asking what I think is reasonable questions in a store which is selling technical equipment. I have been messing with PC's since 1988 so I do have a bit of understanding, I know we used to laugh at anybody actually buying a ready made PC from somewhere like PCworld. I haven't kept up to date with my knowledge & would just like to buy something off the shelf but find that nothing has changed & if anything these sales assistants (ok I know they don't get paid much) are still computer illiterate.
Click to expand...

Ed,

Do yourself a favour and, like me, use a real computer shop were the staff are also enthusiasts, they may baffle a bit with their jargon but so much better than the "Monkeys paid peanuts" in the big chain stores and most times they will actually check the manufacturers details and not just what their masters have put on the sales tickets! Years ago I worked for a local, smallish Hi-Fi and white goods retail chain in East Anglia and so many people came and bought from us after getting all the Bull***t answers from staff at Comet, Currys, etc. great for our business. Might be a (very) few quid dearer but well worth it to me.

Regards, Ian
 
I used to make up my own machines and use the computer parts specialists sometimes mail order.

I don't anymore, I just go to PC World now. Far quicker and cheaper. OK, the staff know jack s*** (most of them) but I do research on the net beforehand and generally know about PCs anyway, so I don't need advice from staff.

I'd always check spec on the labels stuck on by manufacturers and if necessary confirm on the machine itself after I buy. Agreed, it's not a good idea to look at sales tickets, ad displays, or take advice from staff there.
 
Eee 1005HA

I've had the 1005HA for almost a year and am fairly happy with it. Lovely clear screen and keyboard is pleasant to use. It has XP and I use Open Office. The vaunted 8.5 hours battery life became fiction after the first few weeks but has now steadied out at around 5.5 hours, which I find quite acceptable. It has slowed down, though, probably because of all the images I store on it until I get it home. It's good for travelling but I wouldn't want it to be my one and only. Boj
 
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