All Torque

Anyone got one of these, I know they can hook up to the net via wifi, but can they also be used in a non hot spot location by using a mobile as a modem conected to a USB port like with a proper laptop. And overall what are your views on them or would I be better getting a sub £400 laptop.

Dr.No

I've got a couple of them - one for me, and one for the wife...

Overall, I really like it. I was planning to flatten it and get it running XP - but TBH I'm struggling to find a good reason to do so! It's running in "Advanced Mode" which looks and feels very much like Windows XP, complete with "Start" button, task bar, system tray etc.

I use it for surfing in bed, on the couch, etc. and as I travel on business quite a lot I also plan to take it with my on trips to replace my Dell Latitude hulk of a thing!

At <1Kg and with 4GB fixed + 16GB SDHC, so 20GB of storage and running OpenOffice I can do everything that my Microsoft powered Latitude does on a device that slips into a large pocket. Hook it up to a projector or monitor and run proper resolutions, or Powerpoint presentations are perfectly viewable on the 800x480 display.

I've not tried hooking a mobile up to it, but I guess you could in theory. I've played with a USB Bluetooth dongle - which are supported by the OS - but not really done anything with respect to hooking up a mobile over BT or wired.

So - if the small size and weight are interesting to you, then they're great. If you've got £200-400 to spare and just need a 'laptop' and size/weight aren't big issues then get a Dell Vostro for a couple of hundred quid - much more of everything... screen size, resolution, storage, processing power, size and weight!

Anything you want to know, just ask... alternatively check out EeeUser.com » Unofficial ASUS Eee PC EeePC 701 Blog Forum Wiki Community where there's an active forum.

DN


PS They're still very difficult to get hold of - especially the 4G 701 models in black. I bought mine from Heathrow T1 Dixons where they had loads.

All Torque

I`ve reserved a 2gb from PCworld and I can collect tommorrow, can they be upgraded to 4gb/8gb easy enough. The only thing that is putting me off is weather I can conect to the web when not in a wifi hotspot

Ah just found this so looking promising
EeeUser ASUS Eee PC EeePC Forum / No Wifi, use your mobile, it's so eeeasy :P

Sonic'

Cant you just get one of those USB Mobile devices

you know, those that '3' are selling, as long as there is a mobile signal you can get broadband (or close) surfing speed, much better than using a mobile phone

All Torque

Yes just looking at one, they look a lot easier bit expensive though as I know I wont use it enough to take out a monthly contract. And at £4 a day on T-Mobile that looks a better option for me as it would be only rare occations I would need to use it.

Dr.No

I wouldn't get a 2GB one, especially if it's a SURF.... as they don't have the RAM door on the bottom and hence you cannot upgrade the 512MB of RAM at all... I've put 2GB in mine, just in case I want to run XP.

You also CANNOT upgrade the 'hard drive' from 2GB to anything else... same with the 4GB version. The 8GB, when it arrives, uses a PCIe slot inside the RAM door which should be upgradeable - but the 4GB/2GB versions don't have a working PCIe slot these days (early ones did).

My 4GB version has about 1.4GB usable upon delivery, so the 2GB version is limited in what it has pre-loaded... however, on all of them you can add an 'extra drive' by way of an SDHC card slot, and I've slapped 16GB in mine which is useful for "My Documents" type storage. I prefer to keep apps running on the internal 'HDD' for speed of access/running reasons.

Just to complicate matters - Asus have also recently announced a 900 series Eee, available this summer, which will feature a larger screen (8.9" 1024x800 or something), 12GB HDD, 1GB RAM, XP preloaded, and all in basically the same form factor that the current Eee is. Probably around the £275 mark...

Regarding use of mobiles / 3G devices, etc. for remote access - the issue will always be drivers - if you stay on the default Linux. If you flatten it and put XP on it then you'll probably be OK, but a 2GB version won't cope with XP!

DN

Sonic'

But it will cope with OSx apparently

Dr.No

You'll have a heck of a job getting OSX installed on a 4GB Eee, it simply wouldn't be worth trying on a 2GB version (a standard Leopard install is around 7.5GB IIRC). Same, really, as applies to XP. Stripped down version of either occupies around 2GB. With XP you also want to whack in 2GB of RAM so you can avoid having any sort of swap file on 'disk'.

Not really worth getting a 2GB version, unless you simply want to use it as it comes out of the box and will always be happy with that... IMHO.

Sonic'

Tiger does work on a 4Gb one

All Torque

Decided not to buy the 2gb Surf tonight, they did have a 4gb in that the local School had ordered but as has been stated there is no option to upgrade the RAM on the Surf. Will still keep my eyes open for either a 4GB or the 2GB that can get the memory upgraded.

colsand

I have a 4G EEE pc with the standard 512mb RAM and it runs fine with XP SP2. I'm guessing it would be quicker with 1 or 2GB RAM but it does okay.

All Torque

Is that the same one you are selling on Ebay

Sonic'

I need 450 of these units now

Struggling to find anyone with that many in stock

HankScorpio

I like the look of the new one:

Asus Eee PC Now has wider screen | Gatzet.com

All Torque

Well i`m typing this on one now, got a 4gb one from my local PCWorld they are selling them for #249.99 but got them to match ToysRus price of #219 99 and a bitof staff discount because we know the assistant from a young age.
A question though how do I get windows XP running on it I will have a play with linux 1st thogh

Had a play before reading the instructions and it s all in there how to install XP

Dr.No

Just change to Advanced Mode - check out EeeUser.com » Unofficial ASUS Eee PC EeePC 701 Blog Forum Wiki Community, it's all on there... looks and feels like Windows!

I was going to install XP, but Advanced Mode is so similar it's hardly worth it. I can surf the net, open and edit office docs, do just about anything I'd want to do... so may still change to XP at some point but I doubt it.

All Torque

Just changed to advanced mode, think i`ll also stick with this for a while.

colsand

Sorry All Torque I had not checked back here for a while. Yes it was the same on as I had on ebay. The buyer wanted it back to Linux so I hooked it up to a USB dvd drive and it took less than 5 minutes to install the Linux system from disc, really easy in case you fancy swapping around with operating systems. My mate has one and said advanced is perfect. I think he was going to try Ubuntu as well and doesnt see any need to go to XP.

I dont know why PC world have them at 250, I thought 220 was their proper RRP. they did have them at 220 on their site a month or 2 ago when there was no stock. The 2g's were less than 200 as well I think as I was just going to go for one of them but when I went back the 2g's were at 220 and the 4g up to 250 altough still no stock at that time.