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481 of 504 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nifty, But Limited, December 29, 2007
This review is from: ASUS Eee PC 4G (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Galaxy Black (Personal Computers)
The three-star review shouldn't detract from this unit's appeal -- it's a well-made and reasonably-priced unit and does exactly what the vendor claims it will do. This is a rare enough thing these days. But potential buyers need to be aware of the limitations as well of the benefits of this device in order to make a good buying decision.
1. Keyboard. The keyboard is tiny and probably impossible for adults with normal-sized hands to touch-type on. This means that the eeePC is impractical as a portable writing machine. You can use it to jot down notes and such, but you'll be driven bonkers in fairly short order by the cramped layout and small keys. (I hasten to add that Asus was constrained by the size of the device, and did as good a job as could be expected given the form factor).
2. Screen. The screen is small (7 inches) but crisp and very legible. The 800x480 display is good enough for media (this unit makes a great PMP), but less good for writing or taking notes. The LED backlighting is sufficient for all but bright sunlight, and easier on the battery. Asus chose to place the unit's speakers on either side of the screen; I think they would have been better-advised to implement a larger screen instead.
3. Touchpad. The touchpad is small, but works well. But like the keyboard, you'll find it a trial if you have big hands. I recommend carrying an external USB mouse if you plan to do a lot of interacting with the device.
4. Connectivity. The eeePC has a splendid array of connection options: a 10/100 ethernet port, 3 USB2 ports, an SD card slot, and jacks for headphones and a microphone. The WiFi link worked just fine with my WPA-encrypted access point (WEP also works).
5. Software. Asus did a great job in making a very friendly and simple front-end to the default Xandros Linux installation. I'm a long-time Linux user and had anticipated putting my own Linux distribution on the machine, but in the end I found myself liking the Asus install so much that I stuck with it. Asus did a good job in streamlining the interface to work well on the smaller screen. The video player worked for nearly everything I threw at it except for H264-encoded videos (although you can implement this capability with a little tinkering); WMV (non-DRM'd), XviD, Divx, MPG, they all played fine. The audio player is likewise very nice -- it plays MP3, Ogg, FLAC, and un-DRM'd AAC files just fine.
6. Battery. The battery is pretty good for a device of this size; I was able to get a bit over three hours on a full charge, even with fairly heavy use of the video player.
This device only gets three stars instead of four because of the smallish screen and cramped keyboard, but Asus has done a commendable job given the limitations imposed by the small size. And given the capabilities of the device, the price is excellent. If you're comfortable with technology and are willing to spend a bit of time learning to use Linux, you'll probably enjoy this device very much.
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178 of 185 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great value for adults and kids, November 27, 2007
This review is from: ASUS Eee PC 4G (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Galaxy Black (Personal Computers)
I bought this after seeing the black version available. It is great that Asus did not bump up the premium price for the black (Apple I hope you are listening). I am very happy with this purchase. I avoided the pearl white because I was afraid of getting it scuffed up being white and all.
This is a very user friendly laptop (Targeted after all for your children and older adults). I was never a huge Linux fan but the version that they installed here is at par with xp, even surpasses it because of the tabbed interface that is similar to Firefox. You do not even need to read the manual or be an expert on Linux to figure the thing out. It is a great starter laptop, and at the same time a great secondary laptop for the road warrior or student.
The EEE PC features are ultra mobile, sleek, and loaded with useful programs. I was going to switch the OS to XP but after playing around with the Linux OS, I was impressed with the features it has. I bought this mainly as a portable internet device and for a bit of word processing. I also note that the unit is very light, about 2 lbs. 3 oz and the boot time is exceedingly fast since it has a solid state drive. I actually rated this 4 1/2 stars. The gripes I have are expected, the keyboard is cramped and takes a bit of getting used to and you have to have an external dvd/cd drive to update to xp. The monitor though at a lower 800 x 600 resolution, is surprisingly bright and crisp. So far the storage is at 4 gig, so you have about 1.5 gig left over. This can be solved by adding a high capacity SD card, right now I believe they have up to 16 gig capacity for sale (I installed 4 gig). Love the fact that wireless G is built in. I haven't used the webcam yet but so far I am very impressed with the total package.
Highly recommended to adults and kids. Great little laptop for all ages. Truly a complete and very Excellent, Exciting, and Extraordinary PC!
Update: Wireless connectivity works great. I was able to use it with great ease at Sky Harbor Airport at Arizona, battery life last about 2 1/2 hours (running media files a lot though) but the small A/C plug comes in handy, it weighs 6 oz. So total carry weight with the unit is 2 lbs. 9 oz. Was able to use web cam, it does a decent job, I don't plan to use it as much so it is not an issue for me. I love the fact that many people commented on how small the laptop is.
Warranty update: You can now upgrade the ram to 1 gig or 2 gig without voiding the warranty. Visit the Asus EEE pc site for more info.
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96 of 98 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I was scared of Linux, but this is easier than Windows. Makes a good e-reader and fits in a purse. Great wireless range., December 11, 2007
This review is from: ASUS Eee PC 4G (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Galaxy Black (Personal Computers)
I was a bit apprehensive about the OS, since I have never had a linux machine, but it is super easy to use and very intuitive. Whew.
It took me a while to get used to the keyboard, but I have adapted quickly. I wouldn't use such a small keyboard for work, but for casual web surfing, reading docs, and editing/reviewing docs (my main uses of the machine) it is fine.
I downloaded several free ebooks and am using my Eee as a reader during my commute on the train every day. I had considered buying a dedicated reader, but decided on this instead so I could have a web surfing device in my purse, too.
I've had a laptop for years, and never take it anywhere. For work I insisted that I not have to haul a laptop back and forth every day, because they are such a pain, but this one is so small and light that I take it just about everywhere.
Last night I was waiting for someone, in my car, in a shopping center parking lot, and I took out the Eee and the wireless found several available signals at nearby coffee shops. The closest was about 100 ft away. Pretty good.
The wireless works great and connects fast. I love the fast boot time. I'm not thrilled with the touchpad, but then I've never seen one that I like, so take that for what it's worth.
Amazon told me that it would arrive after Xmas, but it arrived on Dec 4. (I ordered it on Nov 28.)
In short, I love this thing, because I can download forums, xwords, or articles to read on the train, and I don't have to carry around a big ole heavy laptop. Worth every penny.
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