Re: Asus Eee review written specially for the ITT forum :)
 

After looking over the EEE's specs and prices we had an in-office discussion today and came to the conclusion that for a bunch of developers and/or consultics the EEE is the better system.

+ It can play PowerPoints using OpenOffice

+ It has a video out that I can use to attach a bigger screen or beamer (Always can be borrowed at the customers side these days)

+ Large (and expandable) conventional memory and an INTEL CPU means I can run quite a few Demo-Systems on it on a slow but useful base

+ The Keyboard is good enough for the average two finger + thumb typist

+ Small enough to travel in an attache case and still leave room

+ Clearly defined form factor (Subnotebook) instead of "new and undefined"

Now all we wait for is the 9'' model so we can install/use XP on the plattform.

Re: Asus Eee review written specially for the ITT forum :)
 

Well, the N800/N810 are N-series devices (note: the 770 is not—there is no such thing as an N770) and would, generally, be deemed inappropriate for office/business use.

Re: Asus Eee review written specially for the ITT forum :)
 

The 770 looked like a nice PDA, had the size of a nice PDA, had the speed of a nice PDA.

If Nokia actually had included the Software to MAKE it a nice PDA I would even still use mine instead of my HCT based Smartphone these days. But since the Smartphone can do most of the stuff the 770 can (except Surfing and showing PDFs - not that the 770 does the latter all that good) AND is a Sync-Capabel Phone my 770 was relegated to a very few occasions where I needed a picture viewer/PDA viewer and don't have a PC nearby or can't/won't bring my Laptop.

With the thing failing more and more (likely dying RAM or Screen) it's not likely I get another Nokia Tablet.

Re: Asus Eee review written specially for the ITT forum :)
 

Hey rs-px or anyone else for that matter,

The Eee sounds great for my purposes of web surfing and emails. I just couldn't handle the wireless keyboard with the N800. I was also finding it a little too laggy at times.

Do you know if the Eee or anyother similar UMPC has bluetooth built-in? That way I could tether it to my cellphone for on-the-go connections.

(Don't suggest a dongle! I can't tell you how many times it didn't work with my laptop.)

Thanks!

Re: Asus Eee review written specially for the ITT forum :)
 

No, it doesn't. However, the answer is not quite as simple as that :) There are rumours that the wifi chip also has bluetooth capacities. So somebody may hack a solution, although don't hold your breath -- the wifi chip is a new variant of the atheos chip, and that's proprietary. So no open source drivers exist for it right now.

So your only solution is a dongle, although I've yet to see anybody report any kind of Bluetooth working over on eeeuser.com forum (I've lost my BT dongle so can't test :(). The Eee has three USB ports and is just another x86 laptop in terms of hardware so it should work OK. But, you know, these are early days for the Eee. Additionally, I can't see any bluetooth functionality built into the default operating system (not even for file sharing).

As for your lagginess using a BT keyboard on your N800, I don't think this is caused by the keyboard itself. I have the same lag on my 770. Are you talking about typing ahead of the cursor when the sentence is more than a few lines long?

I'm hoping that the new OS2008 update will fix this, if only because of those extra 80MHz, but perhaps also because everything is much more GTK.

Re: Asus Eee review written specially for the ITT forum :)
 

Quite a few people have gotten bluetooth dongles working on the eee PC forum. I'll be setting mine up next week when I get my unit. It's not very complicated.

Re: Asus Eee review written specially for the ITT forum :)
 

I currently have a N800 and will be buying the N810... that being said, I also bought 2 Eee PC's. One for myself and one for my wife. I really enjoy having and using the Eee PC. It is a great piece of technology, just like I thought the N800 was when I got it. The Eee PC is more PC than Internet Device and we are using them more as an alternative to our other laptops/desktops that we have. It is very easy to throw into a backpack and go. I can type on it with much more fluidity than I would be able to with the upcoming N810. But, in a car/train/bus/plane or whatever... you still have to pull the Eee PC out/pop it open and so forth. Where the N810 is a bit easier to pull out of a pocket and turn it on to use. I do feel there is more functionality to the Eee PC than there will be with the N810. The future is more promising I feel with the Eee PC.

These are 2 different beasts and in my opinion should not be compared to each other. One is more like a PC and the other is more of a mobile device.

I saw on the eeeuser board that someone said his Eee PC was liking to a remote control... just laying around the couch with is remotes. Easy just to grab when watching TV and you want to surf the net at the same time or jot down some ideas and notes. That is a perfect example of what the Eee PC is like.

I absolutely love the Eee PC and I am sure I will love the N810 too.

That is just my opinion though.

Re: Asus Eee review written specially for the ITT forum :)
 

I've had a week now with my Eee and I've learned to love it. But at the end of the day it's still a miniature laptop. You hit the nail on the head when you say the Eee is portable but you still have to "pop it open, and so forth". It has the same use scenarios as a notebook computer. It's just lighter and, when closed, more portable. I carry my Eee all around the house because it's just like carrying a book. I wouldn't do that with my MacBook. But when I open the Eee, it has to sit on the table/lap/arm of the chair, just like the MacBook.

The N800 is a completely different fish. You can just pull it out of your pocket and go. Once you're done, just drop it back in your pocket. This is a really important aspect of the appeal of the Nokia tablets. We're talking about liberty and total integration with our lifestyle.

If you have a bluteooth keyboard, an N800 can effectively mirror the Eee. The problem with the N800 is that it simply lacks software beyond the basics. If only it was x86 compatible. At least then users would have a choice -- use Hildon, or dual-boot into a traditional distro. Who cares if it doesn't look good? That's my choice to take.

Re: Asus Eee review written specially for the ITT forum :)
 

Well, debian is fully available for arm (I know because I have it running on an arm based "computer", originally sold as a network drive), so I suppose with some effort you could just run a standard distro on the tablet.

Re: Asus Eee review written specially for the ITT forum :)
 

Exactly. This is why is was saying they are 2 completely seperate beasts. The Eee PC is more PC than Internet Device and the N810 is more of a mobile device than a PC.

I will use them both in a daily situation, but pound for pound I am guessing that I will use my Eee PC more since it has more functionality and I can accomplish more with it. But, in those situations where I know I am limited on time or don't have the space... I will use the N810.

As it stands right now... I don't mind carrying around my Eee PC everywhere I go. Like my cell phone, it just goes where I do... end of story. It is small, easy to open, 25 seconds to boot, and 6 seconds to close down. That is my idea of a portable device.