I think there was a thread about the eeepc here months ago, but the whole “netbook” scene changes to rapidly that maybe another thread would be nice.
I am planning on buying an Eee PC 901 within the next week. I feel like I’ve done a decent amount of research before deciding on this, but I want to be sure. I’ve been wanting to buy a “netbook” for a while now, but it seems like a new product is coming out every other week, and between the questions of “well ____ is coming out” and “____ might price drop soon,” it’s been difficult to decide on and time my purchase.
There have been a few competitors to the Eee that seemed decent at first, but have fallen short with me for various reasons. The only other book I am really eyeing at the moment is the Lenovo Ideapad S10, which does look pretty slick (and honestly, I trust Lenovo more than ASUS), but it won’t be around until at least October, and it seems like I am getting the same package with the Eee 901.
So I guess there are two questions here:
1.) Is anyone here an Eee pc owner, specifically the 901 model?
2.) Are there any other UMPC’s out there I should consider before going ahead and buying this?
I’ve looked into the Cloudbook, from what I’ve seen most reviewers have been disappointed. I’m trying to remember what specifically I didn’t like about it, though the 7" screen is an immediate turn-off. Part of why I’m opting for the 90x is because the screen supports a 1024x resolution, whereas most 7" screens support an 800x resolution that results in H-scrolling while web browsing.
The Elonx ONE I have not seen, though it seems like it is based on the One Laptop Per Child laptop in that it’s geared toward kids. It’s a bit weak, imo. I’m obviously not in the market for something powerful, but I’m looking for more than 128 MB of RAM and 1GB of memory.
I also forgot to mention, I intend to install Xubuntu on whichever machine I purchase. Part of me wants to say that Cloudbooks didn’t play well with ubuntu builds when they were first released, but who knows if that’s still the case (or if it ever was - I’m just going on memory here). I imagine the ONE couldn’t run it.
Still, thanks for the suggestions! I’m going to take another look at the Cloudbook to make sure I did not overlook something.
I have only had a 901 for about 24 hours now (Linux version, I expect I will switch to ubuntu from the default xandros in a bit) but so far I like it. I have also used my brothers MSI Wind (actually an Advent 4211 which is available in the UK only from PCWorld, has the same hardware but different installed software) with ubuntu installed. The obvious differences were the physical size - the MSI has a 10" screen (a negative for me, a positive for my brother), a nicer keyboard but rather poor battery life. For me the clincher were the smaller size and battery life (though I can’t say yet what the 901 battery is like in use, reviews have been positive). With my 2 finger typing I think I will get used to the cramped keyboard but touch typists may struggle.
Right now I’m eying the 901 and 1000. So far, it seems like they beat everything else in terms of battery life. Check out the last figure here: CNET: Product reviews, advice, how-tos and the latest news. I tried a 900 out in a store; I found the keyboard was way too small for any kind of typing. The 1000, on the other hand, was just large enough to have a usable keyboard.
I’m in no hurry though, and and it looks like there will be some good competition if I wait a few months…
I’ve had an Eee 701 since December and I love it. I use it as a secondary computer for school but it’s pretty much my primary computer at home. Linux Easy Mode is very simple and if you have any background in Windows at all, you’ll be able to use it straight out of the box. The 701 comes with OpenOffice programs which are also easy to use and compatible with many other programs. I’ve never had any trouble at all w/malware, popups, or other internet bugs. The only thing that takes getting used to is typing on the tiny keyboard, but I don’t have any problems with it aside from a few typos. You probably know about the Eee’s memory constraints, though. I use a flash drive for the most part, but I also don’t need to save much on it because when I write a paper, play with photos, etc. I transfer it onto another computer to store it.
Argh, it’s always the keyboard that gives me second thoughts. I would feel a lot better if I could handle an Eee before I buy one. I’ve nearly asked people in public if I could try typing on theirs.
I have the 701 (in pink!) and I don’t have any major complaints. I did have a little bit of trouble getting a scanner that didn’t have a Linux driver to work with it, but after a fair amount of tinkering, everything worked out fine. I don’t mind the small keyboard or the screen size. I was worried about both, but quickly adjusted. It is my only computer and I would be glad to answer any questions I can.
FWIW, I use it with an external hard drive and primarily surf the internet and do photography work on it. At some point, I may invest a larger monitor, but right now all of my extra money is being spent on lenses and whatnot for my camera.
I meant to respond to this, shoot. It’s good to know the keyboard isn’t an issue for you. Are you a touch typist? Are you using Xandros?
Simply because some people might be lurking this thread, I wanted to post this for the sake of closure. I ended up buying an Eee PC 1000H, which I’m looking forward to. The only option that looked like it might be a better purchase was the MSI Wind, but I picked up the 1000H for a few reasons.
Larger screen size, though pretty much any of the netbooks worth considering would have the screen size I’m looking for.
Larger keyboard than the 901. Reportedly, touch typists don’t have much of a problem with the 1000’s. They are 92% the size of a regular laptop keyboard. This was my biggest concern with buying a netbook, but I’m not too worried about this.
The 1000H model’s hard drive is HDD (as opposed to SSD, like the rest of the eee’s), which is not exactly my preference, but I have heard a few questionable things about the eeepc SSD drives. This way I am getting a hard drive that will last longer, has twice the space and is easy to swap out if I want to put in a larger drive later.
Inexpensive. The 1000H cost me about as much as a 901 would have. For whatever reason the HDD models are selling much cheaper, probably because people want the SSD models more. I managed to find mine for 519.99 with free shipping.
Better Ubuntu support. I plan to wipe XP off of this baby with moments of getting it out of the box. Though there are some issues installing Ubuntu out of the box, there are several easy fixes and custom Ubuntu builds for the eeepc that take care of that, and I feel like I wouldn’t be able to get that sort of support with the alternative netbooks.
So pretty much I am sitting here just DYING for my new toy to arrive. Thank you, dopers, for helping me out on this journey of tiny netbook discovery over the past few months!
My alternative to the E-PC is “A normal Laptop”. They’re the same price and have more features & functionality in them (including DVD burner/drives).
I can see some limited uses for the E-PCs on the market here, but it’s certainly not the “General Home Use” that people asking about them at work want to use them for…
The Dell and the new Acer Aspire One look nicer than the others, I think. The Acer has been getting good reviews except for the battery life, and it’s cheaper here than the Eeeeeee.
I want a netbook – I’d been drooling over the MSI Wind, but given the crap MSI has been giving us (battery woes, touchpad woes, ship date woes, price woes, what have you), I’m ready to say eff it and go for the EeePC 1000H.
For anyone else interested in netbooks, I vote for hitting Liliputing which is a website devoted to tracking any netbooks out there – from the Cloudbook to the EeePC horde to the Wind, etc.
From what I hear, the Dell sounds a bit insipid, and Lenovo, well. What I really want is a tiny laptop with good battery life. I could get a Thinkpad X61, sure, but the point is size. This is because I usually need to communicate with people using a laptop, and it’s a bit much to haul my Dell E1505 around just for that purpose.