Asustek’s EEE PC: a latter day Psion Series 7?
A note for anyone interested in the Asus EEE, Ian Cottee has apparently installed Xubuntu on his and it sounds like it’s running well. I had a play with Francis Norton’s EEE (ahem!) on New Year’s Eve and it was cheap, but cheerful, as expected. It struck me that it could be considered a latter day Psion Series 7 with perhaps inferior build quality but much more flexible OS.
I always hankered after a Series 7 and the EEE is starting to capture my imagination. Among it’s many possible uses it would perhaps be ideal for those who need to monitor websites or remote networks 24/7 over less than secure connections, but don’t want the hassle of lugging around an expensive laptop everytime they go out for a day with the kids or drop into the in-laws, etc (internet connectivity always required of course, but these days that’s less of a problem).
Melissa uses a Thinkpad X60s at work which she frequently brings home when working here. It’s a gorgeous little machine and although it’s noticeably larger than the EEE (about 4cms wider, 4.5cms deeper and about 0.4kg heavier), it still feels very compact indeed. It has significantly better build quality and specification, but not surprisingly it’s nearly five times the price. In other words, it’s not a cheap and cheerful device you can casually throw into a rucksack and take with you on daytrips. Yep, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of the EEE. I’m talking myself into buying one here…