My ASUS Eee subnotebook PC

My girlfriends Asus EEE 1101HA

2009-12-25T17:48:00.000+01:00

My girlfriend was thrilled about my (or better our) EEE. I can call it 'our old EEE' now, because she got herself one too. It's superior to mine in all aspects: bigger screen (which is really a plus), more RAM, has hard disk, faster CPU, very long battery life and I'm sure there are other cool features as well. The name of the machine is Asus EEE 1101HA, it's black, has 2 GB RAM, 250 GB hard disk and comes with Windows 7 Home Premium pre-installed. She has it only for a few days now, but she loves it already.

My observation so far is that it seems a bit slow. I don't know if it's the EEE itself or is it Windows 7. Maybe it just needs some fine tuning and turning off some cool visual features, but I think this should have been already done in the factory or in the shop.

The second weird thing is that when turned on, it started updating the systems, itself, the system again, then the settings, then Windows updates,... This went on for several hours.

The really cool thing is it's battery. I don't know about other laptops or nettops, but I haven't really seen a battery powered computer that doesn't die for so long. The battery life is supposed to be more than 10 hours, and it seems that it's correct or pretty close. When first charged, it worked for 8 hours already and it still not dead. The battery life of this EEE is really great.

The price for it was very reasonable, 369 EUR with tax included. We bought it in Slovenia again, this time from Enaa web shop.

EEE on vacation

2009-08-15T23:44:00.002+02:00

Again, my Asus EEE has proven very useful. Only 900 grams (less than 2 pounds!) makes it very easy to carry and that's really what I do with it. I take it to every business trip, personal trip, vacation or conference. I've had it with me on several occasions and this is how it saved my time:

In Beijing, China for a W3C Conference
By using wi-fi I could connect to the conference network even by night. I used Skype to call or video call my girlfriend and talk for hours.

In Berlin, Germany for a Shareware conference
Connecting it to hotel wireless I used it to update my company's customers web pages. I have used jEdit for editing the code and Firefox add-on called FireFTP for uploading the content to the server.

In London, United Kingdom for the Internet World conference
Connecting to password protected pub network I used it to stay on-line and available on e-mail.

On a trip through USA (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New York)
I have used it to stay in touch with friends, family, and business over e-mail, write a travellers journal on-line, change rent-a-car reservation, reserve hotels and motels on the way and pay for them with my credit card, use the SD card from my camera and EEE's card reader to download photos and copying them to USB key, receive an electronic plane ticket for New York and sending photos from United Nations Public Service Award to the PR of Ministry of Public Administration for publishing them on their web site.

On a holiday in Turkey
I used my EEE for reading and responding to e-mail, downloading photos from my camera and to make backups of them to a SD card. Just before the trip I connected to the airport wireless and made a quick fix to one of the web applications that the customer has requested.

At home
Connected to TV I use it as a video or DVD player, I watch movies directly from a 2 GB USB key.

My EEE has become a very good companion and a great tool. I could still do without it at home, but on my trips I rely on it more than I do on my mobile phone.

From Asus EEE to TV

2008-11-29T20:19:00.001+01:00

I just bought a new TV. I wanted to buy a regular one, but I realized they aren't sold any more. So I went with the flow and I bought an LCD (the smallest one they had). I have found out that it has many connectors, among other connectors to connect to a PC.
When I was in Berlin I bought a VGA cable (the one with blue ends) and an audio cable. They weren't really expensive so I decided to buy then even if I don't know if movie playback from a computer to my new TV will work. When I came home I first connected my EEE to a TV via VGA cable and the picture was great! I played around with it a little but I found out that it was hard to use the keyboard behind the TV. I rather downloaded a movie to my USB key, plugged it in the EEE and played it on the TV. The picture was better that TV signal, I even used the software to show the subtitles. The player that comes with the EEE is great - it has everything that I'm used to from my Windows PC, where I use the great BSPlayer. I have had some trouble with special Slovenian characters because they weren't displayed correctly. I noticed that the font for the subtitles can be changed, but I will have to look into that next time.
Overall experience: great! I will use my EEE instead of my DVD player from now on.

Skype with video on Eee

2008-03-10T22:08:00.004+01:00

I remembered that I have read somewhere that Skype for Linux also uses video calls. But when I ran the 'default' (pre-installed) Skype, there was no video option in Skype. On Skype site I have discovered that I need version 2.0 which is still in beta in time of writing. I wanted video chats, so I decided to install it anyway. But how? I downloaded the package from Skype download page. I chose version for Debian and at the time it was version 2.0.0.43. File name was skype-debian_2.0.0.43-1_i386.deb. In Easy interface I opened Work tab and File Manager. I tried to double click the file (as on Windows to install it) but nothing happened. I right clicked on it and there was an option Install DEB file... Something started to happen and Skype got installed. Nice!
When I tried to first run it by selecting Internet tab and Skype still the old version opened. I was not sure if the installation was not connected to the icon or something else. I restarted my Eee (just for sure) and when it came back Skype was already 2.0! So I guess restart is needed.

I opened options and Video preferences, but there was no webcam. Hmm, how come, there is one on my Eee?! I found out that you have to first turn on the cam by opening terminal window (some sort of DOS window; you can do this by CTRL - ALT - T). When the window opens, I had to type this:

sudo echo 1 > /proc/acpi/asus/camera

This turns camera on. when you run Skype again then the video is enabled and the webcam is found! I clicked Test button inside Skype's Video preferences and - you won't believe it - the green light on my Eee (by the cam above the screen) turned on and moments after I could see myself smiling to my Eee. Yeeeah!

To turn the camera off you need to type this in the terminal window:

sudo echo 0 > /proc/acpi/asus/camera

I'm not sure if doing this saves battery, but until otherwise noted I'll use it every time after using (video) Skype.

My first post written on ASUS EEE!

2008-03-10T21:58:00.003+01:00

I have fully unpacked the small package and started to try everything. This is also my first encounter with Linux (on a real not virtual computer that is owed by me). And this is my first post written directly on the EEE! The keyboard is small, but I got used to it in less then a day. My typing speed is the same as on normal full size keyboard.
So, what kept me busy for a few days? Trying to set up Eee was really easy, but since I consider myself a super user I wanted to tweak everything. Have everything under control. And that takes time. Linux and user interface is not that different, but if you want to change things (and I do), then it's not as intuitive as I am used on Windows. It is possible to change the operating system to Windows, but I have no intention of doing this. Using default Linux (Xandros) is a great chance of learning Linux AND getting the most of of my little machine.

What have I done to the default installation so far? First I have updated all the programs that were pre-installed. This is really easy, because the Easy mode has this feature. Go to Settings tab and select Add/Remove Software. Every program that has a new version available gets on the list and can be downloaded and installed by clicking Update button. No problems there! And now I have all the latest versions of the software that came installed on Eee.

Contents of a box in pictures

2008-03-06T22:07:00.004+01:00

The box itself on the left and the contents of the box spreaded on the table. Note that the Eee is already plugged in and charging:
The same set but my Eee has lid already open:
This is the charger - not very large (and this is everything, there is no second charger unit):

I own an Asus Eee!!!

2008-03-06T21:55:00.003+01:00

I have bought it! Yes, finally it happened! After all the deciding and comparing prices in different countries I went to a local shop here and bought it right from the shelf. In my case this was much better then buying it online and waiting for it to arrive.

Guess what? It's black! In Slovenia there are currently only black models so I got one of those. It was either black or white, so I am happy.

The package is small, a lot smaller then a regular laptop bag and the size of a box where you bought your router. In the package I found:

Eee (yes, my own!)
Battery
Charger (pretty small compared to other notebook s I have, but big compared to my phones')
Purse for Eee (some sort of elastic material, but without bands so it's hard to carry)
CD with I don't yet know what
Manual
Quick-start guide
Warranty leaflet
A piece of paper explaining how to set up Slovenian keyboard

Hands on Eee - live in the shop!

2008-03-05T13:41:00.004+01:00

I went to a shop here in Slovenia to try the Eee myself. I went to Big Bang, a shop that has most of the technical stuff. Apparently I was lucky - they told me have just received 5 Eee computers. I kindly asked them if I could see one in action and they agreed - "but only if there's some power in the battery". Lucky for me (again) - there was enough power. I turned the PC on and I counted the seconds to boot. It was somewhere around 17 seconds, which is quite good in my opinion. I noticed that the screen has two dead pixels. well, they were not dead, they were only partly dead - I think one was green and the other one red. I was a little disappointed - I would have never bought it knowing that it was broken from the beginning. I asked about warranty and the clerk explained to me that three pixels have to be dead in order to be eligible for replacement (or free service). I hope not all models that were shipped have this flaw, because I tend to buy one of those... But this is one more reason that I won't buy the Eee online -I want to try it before I give 299 € for it.

Well, back to the shop. As I was explaining, I held the Eee in my hands, light as it is. It really is light and small, similar to holding a small paper notebook (A5) or light as holding a book. I liked that. I wanted to click around and noticed that the mouse pad was very fast. So some adjustment will be necessary. Then I have clicked around the user interface and it was nice. All the programs in place, maybe not (yet) in logical order, but every one of them only two clicks away. I opened OpenOffice.org and tried the keyboard. It's small! I think the keys are closer together and again, I will have to adjust for that. The reactions of the Eee were fast, so the experience was great. I have also tried Standby and Shut down, but I wasn't bale to measure time for that. Waking up from Standby is apparently not with a click or key stroke, but with power button. I'll have to measure this on my own Eee when I buy it.

The overall experience was great, I am even more determined to buy one for myself.

The price for Asus Eee 4G (no Surf)

2008-03-03T18:25:00.000+01:00

While surfing eBay (the American one) I played with an idea of not getting the cheapest Eee, but the 4G model. So basically the same model as is sold here in the EU. The prices were higher, they stared at $399 - this was the price for the model with a webcam, so it was not a Surf model. If I add $80 shipping to EU to this price, I get a higher price then it is here in Europe! And that is without the possible customs. So it looks like it's better to buy it in Europe if you're from Europe. The shipping just adds too many dollars to the price.

So, I have decided - if I buy my Eee, I will buy it in Europe. Color? White, if possible.

I have also checked the prices in Austria (in Cosmos in Villach). They only had one more Eee left, the price was 299€, and it's color was white. Since it had the German characters engraved on the keyboard I have decided that it might be better to buy it in Slovenia if I want Slovenian keyboard. And it gave me some more time to think about buying a toy that I don't really need for 300€. Or 299€, if I'm more specific.

What about buying Eee on eBay?

2008-03-03T17:48:00.003+01:00

Sure, I've also come to the idea of buying a brand new Eee over eBay. There are a lot of sellers, so why not take out my PayPal account and do some shopping? I could choose the color and maybe even save some Dollars?

First I wanted to see the prices in Europe. I went to German eBay, because I speak German, and searhed for the eee. This is quite a nice name because it doesn't get misinterpreted for some other product (so far there are no products named eee). And this makes searching really easier. I found out that there are quite many sellers, and they offer quite many colors/variants as well. I chose the white model. I found out that the Buy Now prices don't really differ from the prices found in shops. The lowest price was 299€. I was disappointed, I still wanted a lower price. For example the one I could get in the US if I lived there...

That is why I went to the US eBay and repeated the search. This time the lowest price was $299. Of course, there were higher prices as well, but I'm not really interested in those. I have found out that the price for postage is quite high for Europe. I would have to pay at least additional $80 for shipping, which would significantly increase the benefit of buying in the US. If I add the possible 20% for customs, then I come to the same price as is here, in Slovenia! Again, I was disappointed at this... Still no way to get my new Eee cheaper :(

Not all models everywhere :(

2008-03-03T09:58:00.004+01:00

I have wanted to see how much the price in Slovenia, where I come from, is. I was surprised that the price is the same as in other EU countries and not a Euro higher. So it is higher than in US, but the same as in Europe. Great.

I have investigated further to see what model I can buy for this price. I have realized that in Slovenia there are only 4G EEEs available, and (for now?) only in black color. I wanted to have it in white, but I think black is nice as well. So there were no 2G, 2G Surf or 4G Surf models. Interesting. That also means that the price is not 33% higher, because the price $299 was for the 2G Surf model. 4G (no Surf) was more expensive.

I have checked the prices in Austria and Germany and they were the same as in Slovenia. However, I was able to find white model in Austria, so I guess they'll ship them to Slovenia as well, eventually. But I'm not sure I want to wait for the white model :)

Different Eee models

2008-03-01T20:25:00.001+01:00

While surfing I learned that there are several Eee models available. The main difference is color. It is not only in black like other notebooks, but can be obtainable at least at white (my favorite), black, two nuances of blue, pink and green. All of the pastel colors, which is very nice.

I also learned that they are different inside: there are two models with 2GB disk and two with 4GB disk. Two of them include webcam, the other two (cheaper ones) are without it. The models without the cam have Surf in the product title.

Otherwise all the models are the same size and have similar capabilities, including 512 MB RAM, 7 inch LCD display and a 900 MHz Intel Celeron. Oh, and the battery is also different - there is a longer lasting one and a normal one.

The price is right!

2008-03-01T15:44:00.000+01:00

When I knew what I was looking for and how it is called the next step was to see how expensive it is and whether I could afford it or not. It was small, so I thought the price will be high. In fact I thought the price would be too high for me - I already have a notebook, so why buy another one (smaller one) and spend $1000 for a double notebook? Well, I was surprised when I learned that the Eee was a low price notebook! In fact, it was one of Asus' priorities to make it inexpensive. Great! The price was only $299 for the first model! The next one was $50 more, and the next one another $50 more. These were the prices that I found in different shops that Google found. I tried Amazon and the price was the same.

I am from Europe, so I wanted to see what are the prices over here. Disappointment here - the price was 299€, which is basically one third more expensive as in the US! Yes, $100 more if you buy it in Europe. Where is the logic of that?!

It was the small ASUS Eee!

2008-02-29T17:26:00.001+01:00

The same day I have used Google to search for images of Asus mini laptop. Bingo! One of the first images was this one:

At the first sight I saw the same computer that I wondered about at the conference. I remembered the name Eee and started to look at the descriptions. First at the official Eee site, but there was not much info available. There was more info at the Wikipedia page about Eee. And I liked what I have read about the computer!

A tiny elegant machine

2008-02-29T00:04:00.001+01:00

I went to a European eGovernement conference "Alliance with users" in Brdo, Slovenia. The conference was very interesting - even I had presented a Pan-European Pilot that shows establishing a limited company in Slovenia online by using EU (in this case Estonian) digital certificate. Even more interesting was the tiny laptop that one of the attendees had on his knees. It was very small, bright white, and it almost didn't look like a computer. The screen was small, but it looked like the man using it has been reading and responding e-mail. So it had to mean that this is not a toy with limited capabilities but rather a real computer. I peeked over his shoulder to see what it can do, but the most I looked for some kind of name or logo on the laptop so I could identify it and learn more about it on the internet. From the moment I saw it I knew that I wanted to own it and that some day it will be mine.
When the man stopped using it, he shut it down, closed the lid, and the name ASUS appeared on the tiny little wonder. It was enough to remember.