This cheap laptop

endlesswaltz

Hello, all.
I was wondering if anyone knew much about this supercheap laptop? I'm seriously thinking of buying it for its portability and price. But the one burning question I have is whether I would be able to install a free software tool that'd let me read & type another language (Korean) like I did with my desktop at home with Windows XP.

(And please tell me so if this is something I'd regret buying.. I have no idea when it comes to technology and I'm a starving college student so I'd rather not use the money if it's not a good deal... XD) Thank you in advance.

Laptop on Amazon

Aurin

It would be cheap because it is really really reaally underpowered. For reference, you can get a laptop for 1500 with a 2 Ghz processor, instead of 800 Mhz. That same computer will have at least a 20gig harddrive, instead of 2.

If you're just going to be using it for word-processing, then it'll be fine. You'll have to install your own copy of Windows XP, however, and it will run slowly on a machine with those specs. >.>

Tav

It's not a laptop, it's an EEE PC. There's a thread on them in the Stupid Tech Forum that might be worth checking out.

Drakeon

http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=48424

Thread about this laptop (mostly about the $400 version) in the technology forum if you're interested.

amateurhour

wow. I didn't know they came down to 299.

the tech forum is going to have most of your answers, but just to sum up

it runs linux. It CAN run xp, but not very well. it cannot be used for any kind of gaming, save for shit that's about six years old. If you're just looking for something for homework and IM's and the net, it's perfect, and really, really hackable (not in the illegal way, but in the "you can modify the USB ports to add extra hard drive space with usb drives, and actually rest them in the case itself" kind of way)


good luck if you get it.

endlesswaltz

Whoa. Thank you for the replies. I didn't even know there was a thread about it. I've read them and it sounds like it's very very good for what I have in mind, except that everyone is recommending the 4GB one not the 2GB I was planning. I do not know how to modify ANYTHING nor do I have a close friend I could ask so it might be too much hassle for its worth though. I will ask my language question in that other thread. Thank you again!

Munacra

I have a stripped down version of windows xp running on it, and it boots up and runs like a dream. A dream on rollerskates.

I mean you won't run crysis or get 99 layers in photoshop, but its super stable, super small, and perfect for the starving student (like myself. Who stole my e-z mac?)

Wheezer

Just bear in mind the computer does not come with Windows XP. It comes with Linux, and you won't be able to install your Korean language tool on the EEE PC very easily. So factor in the cost of Windows XP, the work in installing it and then see if it's worth it.

For that price you won't get a new laptop that's as portable and comes with Windows. You might be able to buy a used laptop with the same price, but it is difficult to know if the used machine has any problems. I'd actually recommend against the Asus if you really need to have the tool and are not very good with computers.

But like others have said, if you only need email, internet and maybe some word processing, the EEE PC has you covered.

Nibble

Both Linux and Windows have free Korean IMEs, so that's not a problem. I don't know how easy it is to install on the particular flavour of Linux that comes pre-installed on the EEE PC, though.

MKR

Xandros (the Linux distribution on the laptop) is based on Debian.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=159352

Although the thread is about Ubuntu, Ubuntu is based on Debian, and most Debian distributions have all the same packages.