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Eee PC: anyone have one?

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Posts

  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Me being a dork. I'm sitting here at the office watching the Hitman Let's Play in the G&T forum, and it's making me want to figure out how to get a good looking Hitman logo on my EEE PC when it arrives.

    Probably won't, though.

    Doronron on
  • Uncle LongUncle Long Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I thought I saw something about a 6-cell battery coming soon in their accessories section. That should be around 5-7 hrs batter life.

    Uncle Long on
  • VeegeezeeVeegeezee Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Zilla360 wrote: »

    holy crap

    incroyable

    I wonder why the HUD jumps upward at about 3:11 though. Looks like some weird resolution issues going on there.

    edit: Oh, I see, that's just the way the screen gets scaled and moved around when it doesn't all fit.

    Veegeezee on
  • DiannaoChongDiannaoChong Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    whoa so it actually can play hl2? what about TF2? :P or did they crank the settings down on hl2 to make it work? could any source game work?

    Id buy the 300$ model in a heart beat if I could just upgrade the ram....

    DiannaoChong on
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  • VeegeezeeVeegeezee Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    what about TF2?

    exactly my thoughts.

    Veegeezee on
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I got one of these today with my christmas and bday present.

    I got the black 4g model, a stick of ram (2gigs) and a 8 gig storage card.

    I'll tell you what I think sometime tomorrow or the day after when I get it.

    Munacra on
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    tf2 on this thing?

    idkillforthat

    Munacra on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Same specs as Munacra's, only white. Mine arrives tomorrow. I'll give some impressions, as well. It'll take the evening to charge the battery and configure the computer the way I want, though.

    Doronron on
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Munacra on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    It is apparently a pretty adaptable piece of kit.

    Doronron on
  • LachLach Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    anyone going to throw Windows or another Linux distro on there?

    Lach on
  • Uncle LongUncle Long Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I'd probably toss Kubuntu or Xubuntu on there. I don't know if I'd really want to bother installing windows. Xandros seems a little weak for my tastes.

    Uncle Long on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I'm putting WinXP on it. The software I want to run on this thing do not have linux ports.

    Doronron on
  • LachLach Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Doronron wrote: »
    I'm putting WinXP on it. The software I want to run on this thing do not have linux ports.

    Mind if I ask what software you're planning to run?

    Lach on
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Hey Doronron I'm putting Xp on in too!

    It's like...like...destiny.

    I just want to run Microsoft one note and YNAB Pro mostly. Kinda like an agenda, a classroom notetaker, a financial planner, with a good browser and a webcam. Load up some Civ 3 and you have the perfect...like it was meant to be.

    The best PDA ever.

    I mean the possibilities here, they're limitless.

    edit: Ok, so I'm pretty excited.

    Munacra on
  • LachLach Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Everyone in this thread deserves a cut from Asus.

    Lach on
  • NibbleNibble Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Doronron wrote: »
    I'm putting WinXP on it. The software I want to run on this thing do not have linux ports.

    What about Wine?

    Nibble on
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  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I've got some writing software that's only available in OSX or Windows. I'm not certain how they'll interact with wine. In fact, all I do know about wine is their compatibility list, which doesn't list my software on it.

    WinXP, however, I know will run the stuff I want it to. I've used a copy of nlite to build a really small XP install. If it works out, I'll taking about 700MB of the SSD's hard drive space with XP, my writing software, and any utilities I might want.

    Though I will avoid putting games on this, it would be rather tempting to put XCOM, Diablo, or Thief on this thing.

    Doronron on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Ze EEE PC haz arrifed.

    Initial impression: It's perfect for typing and similar functions (just from fiddling around with the keyboard and seing how it sat on my desk here at work). The keys are a little small, but easy to get used to. I won't be up and running until tomorrow night, though. Newegg decided to ship only half of my order. The SD Card, RAM, and external DVD\CD drive left the warehouse yesterday, despite being ready last Friday along with the computer.

    EDIT: The battery charges pretty quick -- about an hour to an hour and a half until the charge light went off.

    Doronron on
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Doronron! Mine gets here tomorrow! I thought we were going to open it together! like destiny!

    Ok, haha. So what's the fan sound like? About how noisy would you say?

    Munacra on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I haven't turned it on yet, since I was waiting for the parts to arrive to convert it to XP, but I've booted it up just for you.

    ...and I can't hear it at all. Quiet as a mouse. The keys are louder.

    Doronron on
  • DHS OdiumDHS Odium Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I've been interested in this for awhile now, but can't justify buying one just yet because I already have a current laptop. Which I hate. But I can't sell until it's completely mine, which happens when my contract with my company is over, in May.

    I hadn't heard of the Cloudbook until this thread, and now I'm really interested. I'm quite curious if I could get Vista running on it, the specs are good enough. It would help to put 1GB of ram in instead of the 512mb. And after that, I have a 4GB MS Pro Duo card that could be used for ReadyBoost.

    Anyone think it would be usable?

    DHS Odium on
    Wii U: DHS-Odium // Live: DHS Odium // PSN: DHSOdium // Steam: dhsykes // 3DS: 0318-6615-5294
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I open mine tomorrow morning.

    oh the excitement! will it live up to the hype? or is Munacra in for a rude awakening?

    find out tomorrow!

    Munacra on
  • Recoil42Recoil42 Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    So, here's an interesting one. My ex's eeePC came in today, finally. There were some shipping problems, it was supposed to arrive on Friday, if you remember, but while I don't want to knock on NCIX, I've ordered stuff from them before with no problem, I guess this just ended up being one of those one-in-a-million orders that gets lost, or delayed, or whatever. They ended up only shipping it out early Monday morning.


    Anyways, I'll get my hands on it tomorrow, but anyways, tonight this little tidbit came up while talking to her on MSN that I had to share. And I quote:
    Recoil says:
    man so guess what
    Leila says:
    WHAT?
    Recoil says:
    some guy totally installed Mac OS on his eeePC
    http://eeepc-osx.wikispaces.com/Screenshots+of+first+successful+effort
    Leila says:
    lol why would he do that?
    Recoil says:
    it's like the perfect faux mac, i need one now
    Leila says:
    also, did you find that thing you wanted to send me on you tube?
    Recoil says:
    what do you mean "why would he do that?" ? I'm curious.
    Recoil says:
    negative impression of mac os?
    Leila says:
    i think linux is a way easier os than mac
    Leila says:
    linux is more intuitive
    Leila says:
    not to mention less mainstream
    Recoil says:
    reeeeaally
    Recoil says:
    that's interesting.
    Leila says:
    yeah i used mac at camp
    Leila says:
    it was so frustrating lol
    Leila says:
    my eee pc i just turned it on and started using it

    No set up, no cash pay off, she actually said that, word for word, completely of her own free will. I'm straight copy pasting here, I swear. One of those revelatory comments you always hear about on the net that geeks seem to thrive on, and always doubt actually happened just actually happened to me.

    Truly a testament to Asus's construction of the eeePC, and how they've put something together that satisfies 99% of the population with no configuration. They've given a total layman a positive impression of *gasp* Linux!


    Oh, and yeah, some guy (several, actually) did indeed, totally install OSX on his (their) mac(s). Apparently required a little bit of futzing around, particularly the wi-fi was an issue, but after a bit of tinkering, they've all got it working near-100%. Amazing.

    Check it out:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arxdlBGolTE
    http://eeepc-osx.wikispaces.com/Screenshots+of+first+successful+effort
    http://eeepc-osx.wikispaces.com/
    http://uneasysilence.com/archive/2007/11/12654/

    Recoil42 on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    So I've got a tiny install of WinXP on this thing. Just have an issue with the lack of sound. Guess somewhere in my nLite setup, I missed a component that allows for basic sound on this thing. Need to get the driver to recognise the sound chip. Everything else is running great, though.

    Doronron on
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Ok, I opened it.

    First off, it is amazing how small it is. It is literally the size of a hardcover book. And probably lighter. The keyboard is small, and it takes a bit of writing to get used to, but I can touchtype without many problems now. Yeah, I wouldn't write a long essay on it or anythting, but it's good for taking notes. The screen is crisp and clear. I think if Asus got rid of the speakers next to it and simply let you put in headphones, the screen could be sexier. As it is right now, it is perfectly serviceable. The touchpad is a little finicky, but once you get used to it, it is no problem

    Most of the issues here are part of having such a small computer, and once you get a little bit of practice, they are no problem.

    The little webcam is a nice touch, but here is the cool part. It's got voice command for applications. If you say "Computer-dictionary" it opens that for you. Talk about sweet.

    The computer is a bit slow sometimes with those 512 megs of memory and when you have too many open applications. I feel that an upgrade of memory will easily fix that. In any case, I'll report on that later when I do the upgrade.

    I'm going to take it to class today, and see how it performs. I'll also upgrade the memory and ram tomorrow, and see how that feels. As well as installing XP.

    But right out of the box, this thing is perfect.

    Munacra on
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    and this thing is quiet. As doronron said, the keys are much louder.

    Munacra on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I have noticed that mine runs pretty warm to the touch, but from research I've done, I think it's a combination of WiFi, Camera, SD Card, and an external DVD drive all running under WinXP (this is apparently not an issue under the stock OS). I'm planning on installing some patches this afternoon which should resolve this issue.

    WinXP SP2, priority patches, and all Asus drivers installed comes in at around 800MB on the 4GB drive. I might not need the SD Card full time as a secondary data dump.

    Note: Munacra, my understanding is that without a kernal rebuild, the Xandros OS the eee ships with will not rcognize a full 2GB stick of RAM.

    Oh, hey -- W40K Dawn of War on an EEE PC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfSla-dLebs&feature=related

    EDIT 2: I do have sound on this thing, by the way.

    Doronron on
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I took it to class all day and it was great.

    great

    Munacra on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Yes, it is. Mine is now fully configured. Heat problems are gone. Sound works flawlessly. I'm running at 800x600 with no scrolling, too.

    This was a good idea.

    Doronron on
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Man, outline me how you did this whole winxp process, so I can do it too.

    do it

    Munacra on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Alright.

    First thing to note: The EEE User Forum is a good resource for troubleshooting problems and snagging third party apps.

    You will need an external DVD Drive
    You will need a copy of Windows XP
    You will need a blank CD-R\RW
    You will need a CD burning program

    What I did for my Windows XP install was this:

    I used this Step by Step Guide for creating a small Windows XP install. I used pretty much all the same settings listed there except for the tweaks section.

    I also used the Asus Driver DVD to install the necessary EEE PC XP Drivers instead of downloading and browsing to the INF files as suggested by the guide. It was just easier.

    After I had completed my XP install and attempted to install the Asus drivers, I noticed that it could not find the Realtek soundchip. This was solved through Device Manager identifying the PCI component and installing its own driver, followed by reinstalling the Asus proprietary driver.

    You will find that the Asus will run hot under XP if your WiFi is enabled. You can enable and disable it on the fly by pressing Fn-F2.

    In addition, other PCI components will also increase the Asus ambient temperature. I found the Windows Hotfix located on This Page to be useful. However, instead of running the webcam tray app under .NET, I simply disabled the webcam in BIOS (I won't use it). After the hotfix, my system runs around 50 degrees Celsius.

    Third Party Apps

    I found EEECTL to be a useful monitor for Temp and Fan speed in my sys tray.

    I am using this Beta Driver coupled with This Utility to get 800x600 screen resolution without panning with the mouse. Higher Resolutions are possible, but I don't know how the fonts will suffer.

    I am not overclocking my CPU to avoid potentially harming my system, but there is a Flash BIOS Procedure that will allow the chipset to utilize its full processor speed of 900 MHz (BIOS Download List). EEECTL also allows for it, but I'm not sure how effective it is.

    Doronron on
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    got xp working.

    It's officially the best thing ever.

    Munacra on
  • NackmatholnNackmatholn Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I just got my EEE PC 4gb this morning, I'm running it in advanced Xandros until I can get Xubuntu on her. First impressions, this is an amazing machine. Dead silent and that is a relief when working with noisy old toshiba and dell laptops all the time. The size takes getting used to, but i can just toss it into my work bag, and be gone.
    Open Office takes some time to load, but with a 15sec boot time, or a 35 sec reboot time, I can forgive a minute load time on my office suite.

    Nackmatholn on
    camo_sig2.png PSN - Nackmatholn
  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I am seriously tempted to get a 4G Surf, but I hear there's a new revision in April so I think I'll hold out until then.

    The price of a 2G stick of DDR2 laptop ram is amazingly low, by the way. What the hell happened to the RAM market?

    Daedalus on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Munacra wrote: »
    got xp working.

    It's officially the best thing ever.

    Everybody I've shown this thing to have been considerably impressed by it. As a result, there's a chance the company I work for could convert employees who travel a lot to these.

    This thing was off and on all day yesterday for tech demos, and the battery is still sitting at about 80%.

    I love this laptop.

    Doronron on
  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    It's a shame that they are discontinuing OEM loads of XP in June. :( (Not for the EeePc, but with computers in general)

    halkun on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    For those who are interested, here are reviews for the Asus EEE PC and the Euro version of the Cloudbook (Packard Bell Easynote XS 20). As far as I know, the US version of the Cloudbook will not ship with XP. However, since the review shows XP, I found a similar EEE PC Review also with XP. Here you go:

    Asus EEE PC Feature Review with XP

    Cloudbook Feature Review Pt. 1

    Cloudbook Feature Review Pt. 2

    Doronron on
  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    halkun wrote: »
    It's a shame that they are discontinuing OEM loads of XP in June. :( (Not for the EeePc, but with computers in general)

    Fuck XP. Asus tweaked Xandros to boot in fifteen fucking seconds.

    Daedalus on
  • MunacraMunacra Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    man, I am so happy with the Asus EEE. We need to come up with a nickname for the thing.

    Munacra on
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