[LUAU] Notes on the Asus eee PC

[Jim Thompson]

On Jan 19, 2008, at 3:51 PM, Ron Fox wrote:

> On Sat, 19 Jan 2008, Jeff Mings wrote:
>
>> Many years ago, members of this list used to discuss actual Linux
>> details rather than more generic organizational matters.  A return to
>> that sort of activity would be good.  In that spirit, my notes on the
>> Asus eee PC after using it for several weeks:
>
> Hi Jeff,
>
> Speaking as one of the members of the HOSEF Board of Directors I  
> hear your
> longing and echo it.  There has been some discussion about setting  
> up a
> dedicated list for HOSEF and/or other Linux/FOSS groups to discuss  
> local
> organizational matters, leaving the LUAU list to be the support list  
> that
> made it so popular early on.  We'll try to make that happen in the  
> next
> few weeks.

If you're going to continue to host it on HOSEF hardware, you'll have  
to get a board vote, likely.

For one, I'm inclined to vote against such a proposal for reasons  
which have been detailed in the past.

> RE: the ASUS Eee PC, I've been thinking about buying one to use as a  
> PDA,
> somewhat larger than my recently deceased Zaurus SL-5000D but a lot  
> more
> functional.
>
> Which of the four models shown at the ASUS web site did you purchase?
> http://eeepc.asus.com/global/product.htm

You didn't ask me, but I've got a 4G (7" LCD Display / 512MB / 4GB  
flash drive / 802.11b/g / webcam ) in black.

I thought the default Xandros-based OS sucked, and hard, so I loaded  
debian on it, then took most of that back off in order to run nothing  
but
emacs+slime+sbcl+x11+stump+iceweasel

>
> How do you find the keyboard layout and keypress action?  Is it  
> suitable
> for touch typing?
not really

> Is it true that the 802.11 b/g wireless only supports WEP and not WPA?

there is an ASUS-supplied update to wpa_supplicant.  Of course, I run  
a completely different distro, with no real problems.
>
>
>>> -The default distro, Xandros, is set up in such a way as to make it
>> ridiculously easy to use for a non-linux user, out of the box.  That
>> said, the "full desktop" mode, a lean KDE, is also very well put
>> together; files are launched with the appropriate application from
>> Firefox or the file manager, WiFi works remarkably well, and it  
>> doesn't
>> require much tweaking to start being very productive with OpenOffice
>> immediately.

because running "office" apps is the very definition of getting things  
done, eh?

>> -The combination of a speedy Linux and a solid state drive make for a
>> delightfully quick experience with a 900 Mhz Celeron.  Very  
>> refreshing
>> after seeing several of my clients complain about the speed of  
>> Vista on
>> very speedy hardware.

there is no 'drive'.  repeat, there is no *drive*.  There is 4GB (or  
2GB in the 'Surf' models, or 8GB in the newest member of the lineup)  
of flash soldered to the board

>> -This is not the sweet spot.  With a 2 lb. weight and a 800x480  
>> screen,
>> it's very light and compact.  I think that the best mix will end up
>> being a slightly larger case with 1024 x 768 screen and a slightly
>> larger battery with a weight of about 3 lb.

These things are already either rumored (the screen) or announced (the  
battery), of course.

http://www.digitimes.com/displays/a20080117PD214.html
http://eeepc.asus.com/global/product.htm#acc