Xandros 800 x 480 screenshots

Over at the Eeeuser forum, a member by the name of virtual has posted some screen shots of Xandros running at 800x480 in vmware:

"This is the Xandros OC version empty desktop after I changed the panel size to "tiny" (I still have to figure out how to reduce the grid spacing for the desktop icons)



Here is the quanta Plus text editor (which i will probably use for coding), with only the toolbar icons set to smallest. You can see that the editor part of the screen is still pretty small



This is the quanta Plus text editor after moving some buttons around and switching it to full screen mode. It adds about 8 extra lines of code in the editor (very important for a coder ).



On this screen shot you can see the gimp with 3 screen shots loaded. If you check the gkrellm panel to the right, you can see that at this point it is only using about half of the 256MB memory that was setup in this virtual machine and about 2 MB of my 100 MB swap space. I removed open office which is why I have 420 MB hard disk space free. The size of 2 GB might be a bit wishful thinking because the SSD hard disk might be only 2,000,000,000 bytes (2 GB as used by hard drive manufacturers) in stead of 2,147,483,648 bytes (2 GiB as used by the operating system)."

NCIX is selling Asus Eee PCs

According to member ve6hf of the popular Eeeuser forum, he got this reply from NCIX regarding the missing Asus Eee PC 701 listings on the reseller's site:

We will be selling the Asus EEE notebooks, we are just confirming our specs and do not want to post any incorrect information up. They should be correct, but we need to wait a bit longer and will be able to update the listings. Our purchasing team says our first shipment is expected around end of september.

Thanks
========================
K L
Customer Care
NCIX.com / Netlink Computers Inc.
http://www.ncix.com

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Other posts in the same thread suggested that it was an issue of an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) that resulted in NCIX having to yank the listings at this time.

OLPC XO may be on sale by Christmas for $350

For those who have decided against buying the Asus Eee PC, Engadget is reporting the OLPC XO may go on sale by Christmas for USD350, which is cheaper than the high end models of the Eee PC.



OLPC has told Reuters that the foundation is planning on selling the sorta-costs $100 laptop to consumers by Christmas for...$350. Or $525. Or maybe not at all. The foundation is looking for ways to subsidize manufacturing so it can ship more of the machines to developing countries, and it's hoping that consumer sales will help foot the bill although it hasn't decided at what price the plan is feasible and won't announce a decision for another month.

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OLPC or Asus Eee PC, I guess at this point, it is all wishful thinking, eh?

NCIX Asus Eee PC Mystery

Canadian on-line reseller NCIX has abruptly delisted the Asus Eee PC. Instead of the price list as previously posted here, this is what you see now when you visit their site -

EmbargoA1	EMBARGOA1 *Usually available in 2-5 days	YES*	$439.99	BUY
EmbargoA2	EMBARGOA2 *Usually available in 2-5 days	YES*	$439.99	BUY
EmbargoA3	EMBARGOA3 *Usually available in 2-5 days	YES*	$329.99	BUY
EmbargoA4	EMBARGOA4 *Usually available in 2-5 days	YES*	$329.99	BUY
EmbargoA5	EMBARGOA5 *Usually available in 2-5 days	YES*	$284.99	BUY

Whatever Embargo may mean, it certainly sounds very negative under the present situation.

Asus Eee PC Fans Becoming Disappointed

It seems it is one bad news after another for those anxiously waiting for the release of the Asus Eee. First, Asus announced the postponement of the delivery date. Then they jacked up the price and reduced the specs. Now they are showing a white model with a black keyboard at the HKCCF 2007 show.

You would think that with an announced delivery date of September, which is next month, Asus would have gotten its act together. It should already be displaying actual production models on the floor at the HKCCF. The fact that they didn't raises concerns and disappointment.

Sampling of posts by Asus Eee-oriented forums around the site reflect this -

In Eeeuser -

Squishy wrote: This formerly promising project is getting more and more disappointing. Not only it is said to be sold in Europe for about 300€ (400$!!!), but its specs are lowered at the same time and finally it’s getting UGLY now! This turns out to be a bad joke in the end and I regret every minute I spent searching the web for informations about the eee during the last months. Monday, August 27, 2007 at 8:17 am

From TipidPC -

downtime7 on August 22, 2007 05:56 PM: tsk...the future looks bleak for the budget conscious ( me! ).

Incidentally, this is the last post in the thread.

From Notebookreview - Post No.. 19

I was reading comments from other sites and the people who were so excited about this at first were upset at the 300-350 price point. For 200 I would have bought one for me and my girlfriend for Christmas. 300-350 no thanks. - posted by The Forerunner 08-22-2007, 12:57 AM.

Last post in the thread is also dated August 22, 2007.

Asus Eee PC in Pastel Colors

From the Flicker account of hsufehmi -






Well, the pics above surely come as a welcome surprise after seeing photos of the zebra black-and-white model being exhibited at the HKCCF 2007.

Let's just hope the color units don't open up to a black keyboard.

Asus Eee PC in HKCCF 2007

The Hong Kong Computers & Communications Festival 2007 is ongoing Aug 24 - 27 at the Hong Kong Convention Center and the Asus Eee PC is being exhibited there. Blogger Ng Kwong Tak posted several photos at his blog 人在旺角中. And what do you know? The white Asus Eee model with the black keyboard has resurfaced! (You can read the previous post here.) Either that is the very unit featured in the previous photo or Asus is really planning to come out with a model in that hybrid set-up.

US-based Citrus Micro Accepting Pre-Orders for $199 Model

Interestingly, US-based online reseller CitrusMicro is accepting pre-orders for a USD199 model. The exact specification is not listed. However a set of general specifications is included in the site, so the barest minimum configuration from the general set will most probably apply - meaning 256MB RAM, 2GB and no webcam.




Note the reference to a "101" model. My guess is it is just a typo.

REMINDER: The inclusion of resellers/products in this blog does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, I do not have any personal interactions/transactions with them to be able to form an opinion one way or another.

Asus Eee PC Bundled Applications

From CitrusMicro, yet another online Asus Eee PC reseller, here is a list of applications that are bundled with the sub-note:

Included Applications:

* AbiWord - word processor
* CodeWeavers CrossOver Linux - allows running Windows programs (may be removed or offered as trial software)
* Gnumeric - spreadsheet program
* KPresenter - presentation program
* Kopete - instant messaging client
* Mozilla Firefox - graphical web browser
* Mozilla Thunderbird - email client
* MPlayer - media player
* OpenOffice - office suite
* PDF Reader (unknown)
* Penguin Racer - game
* Project Management (unknown)
* Skype - VoIP program
* Solitaire - game
* Tux Paint - bitmap graphics editor for children
* Xandros Antivirus (powered by ClamAV)
* Xandros Control Center (customized version of KDE Control Center)
* Xandros File Manager (replaces Konqueror in KDE)
* Xandros Photo Manager (powered by digiKam)

Asus Eee PC RAM not upgradeable

Per reader geojlc - "The email I got from Allasus today said that "Note that you cannot upgrade the Flash Storage or the internal RAM. You may use the USB or card slots for additional storage, however."

So that means both the flash and the RAM are most likely surface mounted on to the motherboard. If you purchase the 256MB models then you are stuck with 256MB. Ugh!

Allasus Posts Eee PC Prices

US-based Allasus.com has also posted on-line listings for the Asus Eee PC.

Product Name Brief Description Price Asus Eee PC 700 2GB/Black - $150 non-refundable deposit 7" (800x480) Internet PC 2GB Flash Storage (No HD) 256MB RAM Black only $150 Non-refundable deposit req'd. When the unit ships we will charge the balance. Units start shipping in late September. $259.99 Asus Eee PC 700 2GB/Webcam/Case - $150 non-refundable deposit 7" (800x480) Internet PC 2GB Flash Storage (No HD) 256MB RAM Webcam built-in Carry Bag Included White or Black Color $150 Non-refundable deposit req'd. When the unit ships we will charge the balance. Units start shipping in late September. $299.00 Asus Eee PC 701 - 4Gb/Webcam/Case - $150 non-refundable deposit 7" (800x480) Internet PC 4GB Flash Storage (No HD) 5126MB RAM Webcam built-in Carry Bag Included White or Black Color $150 Non-refundable deposit req'd. When the unit ships we will charge the balance. Units start shipping in late September. $399.99

Interestingly, Allasus is using model number 700 for the entry level models - the same Model number used by Canadian reseller NCIX but switches back to 701 for the 4GB/512MB model. Configurations are also the same except the processor type is missing in Allasus' description. Is this an oversight or a deliberate omission?

Is the Asus EEE PC's 800×480 enough?

A blogger recently posted in his (or is it her?) blogsite, Noneus.de the results of his attempt to simulate the Asus Eee Pc's 800 x 480.

"I just made a new Archlinux installation on a virtual machine. The purpose was to test 800×480. The resolution of the 7″ EEE. I used XFCE since its light weight and you can make everything really small. Another important thing is the Gtk+ theme. I used Aurora-compact. You need the newest (1.2) version of the Aurora engine for this theme. For firefox I used an extension (Tiny Menu) and a theme (miniFOX) to make it small. The rest of the apps you see are unchanged.

As you can see the resolution is really small. Especially for OpenOffice. Probably removing most of the toolbars in OpenOffice would help. All the other apps are fine on 800×480. One thing bugs me though. A lot of websites require at least 1024..."

Screenshots follow.

Interest in Asus Eee PC Fizzling Out?

With the recent announcement of Asus regarding the pricing and specs of the Eee PC indicating lower specs and higher prices, it seems interest in the sub-note is fast fizzling out. In posts after posts in popular forums such as the Eeeuser, TipidPC, and Notebookreview, user after user expressed their disappointment over the developments and indicated their decision not to purchase one.

If Asus sticks to its latest pricing schedule when it finally releases the Asus Eee, it would really be a pity since the higher price range really bumps it up to the cost of entry-level fully configured traditional notebooks. So from being an impulse buy with the chance of becoming an iconic product, the Asus Eee will attract a considerably smaller market - those intent on having a small, lightweight sub-note that can be carried around quite easily.

Because at USD349, the Asus Eee falls into some kind of twilight zone. Add USD75 more and you can buy a fully-functional laptop. So unless you have a very compelling reason to use a small, lightweight but "incomplete" subnote, chances are you will pass up on the Asus Eee PC.

So Asus would be wise to stick to a USD199 price for an entry level model, complete with webcam since the webcam just about "completes" the product. They can keep it at 2GB, 256MB, and a 2 cell battery. But users should be able to upgrade the thing. And keep the USD199 price. It is such a psychological price that determines whether a product is an impulse buy or a planned purchase. At USD199, it is personally an impulse buy. At USD249, I would think twice about it. Which is what I am actually already doing. :(

Canadian Reseller Advertises Asus Eee Complete with Specs and Prices

Canadian online reseller NCIX has began advertising the Asus Eee in its website. It lists three models (prices are in Canadian dollars) -

Eee700/2G/25...	ASUS Eee PC700 Celeron M 7IN 800X480 WLAN 10/100 DDR2 256MB 2GB LAN Linux Camera Notebook W/ Bag (Eee700/2G/256M/Camera) *Usually available in 2-5 days	YES*	$329.99	BUY
Eee700/2G/25...	ASUS Eee PC700 Celeron M 7IN 800X480 WLAN 10/100 DDR2 256MB 2GB LAN Linux Notebook (Eee700/2G/256M) *Usually available in 2-5 days	YES*	$284.99	BUY
Eee700/4G/51...	ASUS Eee PC700 Celeron M 7IN 800X480 WLAN 10/100 DDR2 512MB 4GB LAN Linux Camera Notebook W/ Bag (Eee700/4G/512M/Camera) *Usually available in 2-5 days	YES*	$439.99	BUY

Some points of interest:

1. The webcam is missing in the list of features for the $284.99 (approximately U$267.43).
2. The website indicates the standard 2 year Asus warranty applies.
3. ETA is end of September 2007.
4. Shipping weight is 10 lbs! Don't know what else is included to make it that heavy.
5. NCIX is naming it PC700 instead of PC701. Not sure if it is just a repeated typo.
6. Zero dead pixel guarantee appears to apply only when you purchase the optional express coverage ($17.10). Free express shipping is also included when with the express coverage so depending on applicable shipping charges, it may not be a bad deal.

And as pointed out by reader vito cassisi -

7. Lower-priced models have only 256 MB RAM. :(

Asus to start volume shipments of Eee PCs in September

Monday 20 August 2007 - According to Asus, it will begin shipping the Eee PC simultaneously to the US, Europe, China as well as Taiwan, in mid-September, with the first-round shipments targeting 20,000 units,

Additionally Asus has also landed orders for its Eee PCs from a number of education organizations, insurance companies and emerging markets. However, it is concerned that the persistent tight supply of a number of key components might affect production in the second half of the year.

The Eee PCs will be available in US$199, US$239, US$349 and US$369 configurations, with the US$349 model targeted for the mainstream market. Most of the first-round shipments will consist of the mainstream model.

Per the company's own projections, shipments of Eee PCs are expected to top 500,000 in 2007 and increase to 3-5 million in 2008.

More details at Digitimes.

Russian Eee PC Site

Notwithstanding the continuous delays in the release of the Asus Eee PC, as well as rumored downgraded specs coupled with price increases, the sub-note continues to appeal to a worldwide market.

While the interest is not as huge as the pre-sale publicity hype generated by Apple's iPhone, it nevertheless is as worldwide in its range, as evidenced by the Russian site LiveInternet which now has an ongoing thread.

Eeenix website shuts down

The Eeenix website, which was started by Eeeuser member bby_Ghost in his efforts to lead development of an alternate Linux-based OS for the Asus Eee PC 701, shut down last week. bby_Ghost cited “a bit of a catastrophic meltdown” that he and Eeenix suffered as the reason for quitting but did not elaborate.

But almost immediately, the project was picked up by another member, pcfy2 and renamed XEEEX. You can follow the discussion in this thread. Hopefully this latest effort will bear fruit even as we wonder if the Asus Eee PC 701 will be released soon enough.

Black and White Asus Eee PC 701 Comparison

Just thought I would provide some comparative photos of black and white Asus Eee PC 701 units:





Photos from the Asusreview Forum, post number 15 in the thread.

White Asus Eee PC with Black Keyboard

Did anyone notice in my August 14 post Asus Eee and Me..., the photo shows a white Asus Eee PC with a black keyboard? As far as I know all official Asus photos have shown a pure white unit, so this seems to be a first. Although Asus did announce they will be offering a black version.

Thanks to reader Ron for pointing this out.

Samsung to deliver only 85% of promised NAND flash to "its major customers"

If statements from PQI GM Jance Lu are to be believed, Samsung will be fulfilling only 85% of their promised NAND flash deliveries to "its major customers" in the second half of August. It goes without saying the estimated 3% shortage in global NAND supply will be followed by a sharp increase in NAND prices due to the unquenchable demand.

With modern manufacturers relying on "just in time" inventory fulfillment to keep storage and holding costs to a minimum, you'd better hold tight for possible flash-heavy, product shortages-to-come this holiday season. I.e. We're looking at possible shortages in cellphones, GPS devices, handhelds, and of course, notebooks and sub-notes like the Asus Eee which source much of their memory from Samsung.

Details at Engadget.

Asus Eee PC and Me...

Just wanted to show how lucky some guys can get - Jimmy Auw reported in his blog that he got to play with “the most wanted gadget” ASUS Eee PC in a training conducted in Taipei, Taiwan. According to him, the ASUS Eee PC will be released in Indonesia in September.

Details at the Jimmy's Junkyard site.

New details of upcoming Asus Eee PC Models

Again from the Eeeuser forum, where a new member who goes by the name ZORROMAN2008 posted the following (edited for brevity's sake and typos):

Hello to all, I have a ASUS North American Contact and I got some facts. First off I ran that Chinese article with the ASUS CEO interview by my ASUS - North America contact.

He confirms that the specific facts and contents of the article are accurate, and true, with just one small error on the pricing. The last version/category on the Eee PC pricing should have been $369-399.

He goes on to further clarify the article, as it is written from an overseas perspective, rather than an exclusively USA perspective -

(1) There WILL only be TWO Eee PC versions that will be sold in the USA. There are THREE versions in total slated for initial international release. But only two of those three will specifically come to the USA. The third will be sold overseas. This “only overseas" model is the $199.99 cheapest version.

(2) The FIRST $199.99 version is in fact the two battery version referenced in the Chinese article. The 199.99 two battery version WAS going to be sold in the USA, but just recently it was decided by ASUS NOT to sell it in the USA. The price was targeted for $199.99, only in the USA. Now the 199.99 version will be sold overseas at $229-239. The main reason is that ASUS determined from past experiences that the smaller TWO hour only battery versions would not be desired by USA market, so they chose NOT to sell the $199.00 version for the USA.

(3) The SECOND $269-299 version WILL sell in the USA. This will be the 7" 2GB version. It comes with 4 cell battery, 512mb, and wi-fi as standard. The differences in price is if you want 6 cell battery, or whatever other added optional feature will be available.

(4) The THIRD $369-399 version WILL sell in the USA. This will be the 7" 4GB version. It also comes with 4 cell battery, 512mb, and wi-fi as standard. Again, differences in price is if you want 6 cell battery, or whatever other added optional feature will be available.

(5) There WILL be TWO colors available in the beginning. There WILL be the white, and a black ASUS Eee PC 701.

(6) My contact also added that the Web browser will be fully capable of playing ADOBE FLASH 9 on its browser, and it CAN stream Utube and google videos. He says a lot of people have asked him if the browser could or not, since it has been reported that the PALM FOLEO will NOT stream off of Utube or google video cause of its limitations.

(7) RELEASE DATE - Contact said still slated for late September.

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December - September - October. $199 - $299 - $369 - $399. Frankly I don't know if this thing is getting uglier by the day or the details are simply becoming more defined, albeit not the exactly the type of info most people were hoping for. Reactions in various forums have been mixed although there has been a noticeable sprinkling of potential buyers who abandoned the idea of purchasing the Asus Eee.

Something tells me though if Asus is able to stick to the lower range ($299 or below), they will try to rush the release by October to get an early lead heading to the holidays. That is assuming they are able to resolve the flash memory supply shortage. If not, Asus will most likely release the Asus Eee PC in December instead - way after the Thanksgiving sale in the USA to avoid competing with marked down lappies in the $400 and under range.

Asus Eee PC due for December release?

From a post by allasus (of www.allasus.com) in the Eeeuser forum -

"Just to clear up what you might see on our sites (AllAsus.com and STIPC.com), the information I posted regarding the Eee 701s INITIAL specifications from Asus' website are just that: initial. Our distributors and more recently an Asus rep in CA called to clarify some of the specifications and prices that we have listed. The bottom line is that neither my distributors nor Asus themselves will specify exact details. If any of you have an inside source, great, but my inside Asus rep said to be wary. He did say that we need to keep a disclaimer about pricing and specification changes on both of our sites. Asus and our Distributors have indicated as late as a December release. Higher prices. Specs similar to and not necessarily similar to what I have seen posted here. Amid all the speculation we have decided to leave most of our original data intact until receiving definitive information..."

Ugggggh... and at higher prices to boot!

How to tote the Asus EeePC around, hands-free

And from the same member Ranma of TipidPC, a way to tote the Asus EeePC around, hands-free -

Optical Drive for the Asus EeePC

From our favorite Philippine forum thread on the Asus EeePC, TipidPC, comes a suggestion from member Ranma for an optical drive (via Apple) -

For those who really MUST have an optical drive on an ultraportable

Every Mac fan has been craving for a successor to Apple's 12-inch PowerBook, but one of the big problems when making an ultraportable (aside from keeping the right size/power balance) is where to stuff that optical drive. Well, it looks like Apple's found an unlikely spot�the laptop's belly. That's right, rather than cram a drive on the side, Apple has filed patents that show a laptop with an optical drive located on the notebook's bottom. That may not seem intuitive at first, but it does free up space on the sides for other possible ports and goodies.

Philippine Reseller claims EeePC delivery this week

A member, ianpogi, of the Philippine-based TipidPC forum has ordered an EeePC from PC Corner Online and is expecting delivery this week. While other forum members expressed doubts that the Philippines will be given priority in the product release (given that a lot of sites are now indicating a September/October release) others are hopeful that the reseller will indeed have the product. Will post any update as soon as it becomes available.

Asus to release three EeePC models in September

According to the Chinese website Buynow, Asus will be releasing 3 models of the EeePC in September. Price range will be USD229 - 239, USD269 - 299, and USD349 - 369. Asus has also designed and implemented new applications and interface, including voice command functionality so that a user can verbally command the EeePC to "go online."

In addition, the previously announced 1001 model will not be released as an EeePC model but will be part of the mainstream sub-notebook line. The EeePC line will be limited to 7" to 9" LCDs. Second generation EeePC's with 8 to 8.9" LCDs and Intel's fanless Menlow (UMPC) platform will be released between Q4 07 and early next year.

Of the three models scheduled for September release, the USD199 model will come with a 2 cell battery which will last a minimum of two hours. The other two models will use a 4 cell battery which will last 2.5-4 hours. A 6 cell battery will support more than 5 hours of use.

Not surprisingly, Asus is facing several problems including price increase and flash memory supply. However the company is still projecting sales of 200,000 units by the end of this year, 300,000-500,000 units by March next year, and after the second generation EeePC launches, 3-5 million units by early 2009.

Note: There is a discrepancy in the article re the price of the entry model. The price range initially quotes is USD229 - 239 but in the middle of the article, the original price of USD199 is used.

More Asus Eee Tidbits

More Asus Eee tidbits from the Eeehackers forum (courtesy of matty) -

1. Case - sturdy enough, but not rugged enough to survive too big a drop.
2. Webcam - pretty good, lot better than similar cellphone cameras.
3. Speaker - Sounds great but no bass or anything.
4. PDF Creation - Adobe reader won’t create pdfs, but OpenOffice can export to pdf.
5. Divx – OK.
6. Powerbrick - Amazingly small.
7. Time Remaining – no number but there is a little power bar icon.
8. SD Card - They insert flush into the side; supports SDHC.
9. Bluetooth – none.
10. Crossover – not included but you can install it.
11. Heat – it gets a little warm but not too bad.
12. Touchpad – Uses synaptics, it has two buttons.
13. Boots from USB – yes.
14. Boot up time – under 10 seconds.
15. Shut down time - under 5.
    

Asus Eee will have Celeron-M CPU

According to matty and boylinux of Eeehackers forum (post #4), they work for Xandros and have worked on the Asus Eee PC 701. In a recent post they confirmed the Asus Eee will have a Celeron-M ULV 353 with 512 K of cache.

Asus Hong Kong Resellers Have No News on Asus Eee

I was in Hong Kong last week and made the rounds of Asus resellers in the Wan Chai Computer Center. Of course, (against logic) I inquired about the Asus Eee. I was expecting to get, at the very minimum, expected delivery dates. But to my surprise most of the resellers aren't even aware of the Asus Eee. One guy knew about it but whatever info he has he got it from the Net.

Since resellers typically get advanced info on new product deliveries to facilitate purchase orders, this makes me wonder - if the Asus Eee will be available in Hong Kong at product launch in September (which is next month), how come the dealers aren't even aware of the product by this time? Something tells me even a mid-October launch seems optimistic.

Engadget: Asus' Eee PC possibly delayed

Engadget is now also reporting about the possible delay of the Asus Eee launch although I am not sure if the source of the news is the popular Eeeuser forum or if they (Engadget) have received confirmatory reports.

Edit: Didn't see the last line in the Engadget article. They did get the news from Eeeuser.

EeePC release date pushed back further

From the Eeeuser site, posted August 2, 2007 -

According to a post by user Don on our forums, Asus has moved the release date of the EeePC 701 to “Mid/Sept to Early/Oct.” No word on any more details…

Read further: http://www.eeeuser.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=105.

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Bummer. What else can I say?

Silicon Motion to Supply Asus Eee's Embedded Flash Controller

Silicon Motion has announced in a press release on its website that it has secured the embedded SSD controller design-win with Asustek for the upcoming ASUS Eee PC.