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

The first thing i was amazed at was not the cpu power, nor large display, nor keyboard, nor bootimes, but the depth of the linux os software. While penguinbait is providing similar functionality with kde, its amazing to see how much more powerful a big-footprint os. Perhaps with the 810 i will be able to run full distribution by default (all on internal memory). Of course a full distribution does not make easy navigation when changing mp3s while driving :) I hope future ITs provide 'easy' UI and 'complex' UI modes to allow the different usability-factors.

That said, i nuked the xandros and put on xp to see what the hardware can do. Pretty impressed with the tradeoffs they made (underclocking) to allow fanless operation with light usage... if the fan was on all the time i would not want to use it much... would have been perfect if completely fanless.

I see both form factors getting more powerful so hard to say one will replace the other... but i hope eee's get cooler and make use of higher resolutions, and IT's get more depth/compatibility to os.

As of now though i can leave eee running at home and remote desktop into it on the road :) If eee was running ubuntu it might be able to compile for the IT :)

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

This may or may not be pertinent to this discussion, but I just showed my N800/BT keyboard off to my granddaughter who is attending JR college and hauls around a laptop.

She was awestruck and wants an N800 so bad she can taste it. And here's Xmas coming up too :)

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

"The problem with the N800 is that it simply lacks software beyond the basics"...........upon open box. If you do not mind, as we are doing in this forum, say install Video Center/becomeroot/rdesktop/KDE/Konqueror/MMapper/Canola...I can go on and on, then the tablet is quite comparable to a functional laptop.

As Moviecouple nicely put it, one is a portable form factor, another one is a PDA form factor (Dont frame me, I never say the tablet is a PDA). They are two different form factors.



bun

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

Yes different form factors used for similar things... so should the user interface part of the form-factor? Since ITs will get even more powerful should they provide konqueror power, hildon file browser simplicity/safety, or both? (By default/out of the box/fully advertised)

The sheer nature of the high dpi screen for internet surfing requires immersion in the interface while big buttons are on the side for easy navigation? This contrast of DPI (squinting at a portion of the screen while big cheerful buttons on the side) shows different expectactions about depth of user interface.

Nokia should have different resolutions like 3/4 (um 600x360) for use as an accessory and full dpi resolution for power use... and i think different window system for each. That might mean konqueror for full dpi and simple hildon for 3/4 mode.

Or as much as i hate to say it... an iphone interface and a full linux interface. Iphone looks to be a perfect 'accessory' interface which i would love to use while driving or not paying attention, but the IT's full resolution shines when using in a power mode like web surfing or full linux distro. Its distracting to mix the two into a single ui... that would require separate mp3 player, email, im, and maybe maps and calendar/pim features to be refactored for accessory use (out of the box)

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

You could go on and on but you would be less and less convincing.
It's closer to the truth to say that the number of usefull apps available from Maemo can be counted on your fingers and possibly using only one hand. Other than the half dozen "stars" there are only utilities and games ported over in hobbists spare time and a big number of then are only shell/dos apps. It is great that anybody can write their own apps from the open source code but the reality of that is a lot of the stuff is of little use except to the creator as a programming project for school and not of commercial quality.
You really have to lower your expectations to think that is a rosy scenario. Perhaps the compatibility changes to OS2008 will help to fix that, I hope so. Although the SDK for the Iphone/touch has not been relased yet, when it is you can expect to see a greater
number of developers start porting over their OSX apps then Linux developers for the 810.

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

Ugh . . . non-native resolution and fragmenting the interface at least doubling development work. Yeah, this post is rife with bad ideas.

What really needs to happen is the UI rules for Hildon need to be hammered down in a way that's as useful as possible for a device of this form factor and these rules need to be followed.

Are we talking about apps from maemo or for maemo? Either way, this is a pretty weak argument. There aren't many apps available from their respective first-parties for any of the devices mentioned, and there's [i]no]/i] 3rd party development for the iPhone/iPod and the Asus only has so much because it's basically a full desktop Linux. Anyway, I call ********, would you like me to name some for you?

1. maemo mapper
2. FBReader
3. Rhapsody
4. xchat
5. Canola
6. mplayer
7. Skype/Gizmo
8. VNC (both server and viewer—I did a demo of the device over VNC for a couple of friends that were interested in buying . . . it was very cool stuff)
9. UKMP
10. Kagu
11. CarMan
12. Quake I/II
13. Doom
14. ScummVM
15. Tux Paint
16. Bomberman

These could hardly be considered "hobby" projects, and certainly wont fit on one hand (let alone two), and I'm not even going into all the awesome hackish and console stuff.

Really, the maemo platform is still in its infancy. Nokia has defined a whole new device category, and it takes time to get the ball rolling on the software side. Have they made some mistakes? Yes. Could things have been handled better? Sure (though certainly not by you or me ;)). The N810 is really the first general-public–targeted device in this category, and development will start picking up speed as the platform gains more popularity (especially as we're now much more compatible with Gtk upstream, which greatly lowers the barrier to porting GUI stuff). Just give it time. Needless negativity doesn't get anybody anywhere. :)

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

Hildon is basically taking a full linux ui and making it kinda iphone like... why would you need it otherwise.

The good side is that its pretty usable now...
The bad side is that it is custom user interface they are hoping to get developers on board for... and for a ARM architecture.

Hildon puritanism is one thing... but some folks will want full power and some folks will want easy interface.... you either fragment your user interface approach or you fragment your customer base. I dont think it would be that difficult to redesign those few apps i mentioned anyways and put a name/rules to that 'style' of big button applications that already exist... the very standards you probably think are 'ironing out' hildon.

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

I got my eeePC yesterday and after nuking the default install and replacing it with Kubuntu I have a tiny laptop with enough power to do just what I want. It doesn't replace my N800 (And soon my N810) but it compliments it. They're different devices with different goals. If I'm in a shop looking at something and want to check reviews I'm not going to be pulling an eeePC out of my rucksack. And while sat at home watching TV the chances are I'm going to be sat with my eee rather than my N800.

We're allowed to love them both right? ;)

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

Yes, we can two-time the N800 :)

But what you're saying could apply to any small notebook computer. I used to use my iBook G4 when watching TV and that's probably about as small as a notebook can get and remain functional.

I'm becoming less and less enamoured of my Eee. Whenever I have to use it I get a feeling of dread... The keyboard is just a few milimetres too small and mistypes are common (in particular, hitting Enter instead of the apostrophe, and hitting Up instead of the right-shift). The screen is just a little bit too small for those stubborn sites that refuse to fit in 800 pixel width--maybe around 25% of the sites I visit.

In contrast, I enjoy using my 770. It's not perfect but it's really well designed and that somehow makes up for its deficiencies. I'm sure my N800 will be even better when it eventually arrives from Play.com. As mentioned, if they get a decent word processor working on OS2008, I'll get rid of my Eee.

I just don't think the Eee works as a design. It's a second-best option compared to a genuine notebook computer, whereas the N tablets are the best option in the circumstances.

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

I don't seem to have as many problems with the keyboard as most people seem to have. But then I write for a living and can type 180+ words a minute too. So a keyboard is a keyboard to me. The N810 with be more of a learning curve (with thumbs) than the Eee PC would be.