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Monday, December 31, 2007

Epson's Peanuts laptop

Snoopy Laptop 15 (Pre-Order)


Came across this website, Dreamkitty.com, pre-selling a laptop decorated with cartoons of the Peanuts gang.

Aside from the hardware bling-bling, the notebook includes 2 adorable themes about Snoopy with matching screen saver, wallpapers, icons and mouse pointers.

While I don't particularly care for the Epson hardware, I was really hoping I could buy the decals (and themes) separately for the Asus Eee PC. Somehow they just seem perfect for the Asus Eee PC. Unfortunately I didn't see any info regarding this. :(

Next Gen Eee PC to have WiMAX

From the Asus website -

WiMAX Today. WiMAX Tomorrow: An Official ASUS/ Intel/ Sprint Joint Launch
Join ASUS, Intel and Sprint to learn about the state of WiMAX technology, preview next-generation mobile solutions (including the next generation EeePC) and immerse yourself in tomorrow’s wireless protocol.

When: Monday, January 7, 2008: 2:00 - 3:30PM
Where: The Riviera Casino and Hotel, Grand Ball Room

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While Intel has, for quite some time now, been promising Wimax in notebooks in 2008, it remains to be seen if it can actually deliver. Moreover, 2008 can mean a delivery date of January or December.

More importantly, how will battery life be affected? If the Eee PC's battery life is cut in half, functionality will decrease significantly.

Sunday, December 30, 2007

2008 Asus Eee PC related Predictions

Following are my predictions, in no particular order of significance or certainty, for the next year -

1. The Asus Eee PC will prove to be the tipping point for Linux to gain mainstream support. However the real effects will probably be felt a year later in 2009.
2. The Asus Eee PC and other similar products (VIA Nanobook, Cloudbook, etc.) will become the largest computer market segment in terms of volume by next year.
3. Linux-based Asus Eee PC models will outsell Windows-based Asus Eee PC models if and when the latter is released.
4. More Linux-based computer models will be introduced, successfully targetting the so-called 2nd billion (users) market.
5. Cellular telcos will bundle the Asus Eee PC/similar products with their 3.5G data plans.
6. The Asus Eee PC market segment, in conjunction with increasing WiFi/3.5G data access availability, will give the blogging industry a big second boost.
7. HTC will release a product to compete in the market segment the Asus Eee PC has created.
8. Google will develop a Linux variant that will fully integrate a lot of Google services and is optimized for installation on the Asus Eee PC/similar products.
9. Mesh networking may become a killer app for the Asus Eee PC/similar products.
10. Microsoft will either re-release Windows XP or come up with a new Windows variant that will require significant less resources. If Microsoft is successful with this, then scratch out prediction no. 3. :)

Well, I guess we will have to wait 366 days to find out whether my predictions will come true or not. In the meantime, here's a Happy New Year to everyone!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

A cacophony of ASUS Eee Linux PC tips and tricks

ITWire's David M Williams, in his The Linux Distillery column, has compiled a list of various tips and tricks for the Asus Eee PC. Some have been posted previously in other blogs, while others are new (at least to me). But the article in which they are mentioned actually makes for an interesting read especially if you are an Asus Eee user.

Asus Showcases Eee PC accessories & extras

Asus has updated its Eee PC site and uploaded details of accessories. The following are featured:


Batteries will be available in the following capacities

4 cell with 5200mAh
6 cell with 7800mAh
Size: 5.5 x 4 x 14cm

No word on how long the 6 cell battery will last but a couple of these should certainly help on trans-continental flights. :)

And yes! Finally a white mouse. Guess I am just picky and prefer my notebooks to be color synced. Hehe

Asus Eee PC: Amazon's Most Wished For Computer Product for 2007

The Asus Eee PC has topped Amazon's 2007 list of Most Wished for Product (Computer Category) while Apple's MacBook notebook PC won the Most Popular Gift (Computer Category) and the Nokia Internet tablet PC, the Bestselling Product (Computer Category). Another Apple product, the Apple MacBook Pro notebook PC won the Most Loved Product (Computer Category).

Considering that the Asus Eee PC was only released in October, it obviously had no chances in the other categories. So its strong showing in the Most Wished for Product may be an indication of things to come.

Incidentally all products that won in the computer categories are either Linux or UNIX-based. And that is an even more of an indication of things to come. :)

For the complete list, check out Businesswire.

Friday, December 28, 2007

How to add internal 3G HSDPA to Asus Eee PC

From jkkmobile -



This mod works on any Asus Eee PC without the extra pcie slot. (so it's not good for 8G models which have that 8g ssd drive ) and not as easy on first 4g models with pcie connector in place ( you would need to cut 20 mm of from the pcb to make it fit).

A DIY Temporary Tape Decal for the Asus Eee PC

Submitted by dhomz -

The example illustrated in the tutorial is for the iPod but should apply to the Eee PC as well.

From Instructables a step-by-step tutorial on how to create your own temporary tape decal out of ordinary magazine photos.

Photo below shows a customized iPod.

Psst...Wanna make the Eee PC the People's Choice Gadget of 2007?

Submitted by Bluberry -

Oobject.com is holding a contest to determine which gadget will be the People's Choice Gadget of the Year 2007.

Not surprisingly, the iPhone is currently at No. 1.
Not surprisingly, the Nintendo Wii is currently at No. 2.
...and not surprisingly, at least to me, the Asus Eee PC is currently at No. 3.

You, of course, can help make it No. 1 by voting for it. :)

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Cheap Asus Eee PC Plastic Hardcase

From a post by eeeDoc in Eeeuser forum -

"Well I found that this Faber Castle case fits my EeePC well!"






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All of a sudden, I have this vision of kids (especially those in the Asus promo video) going to school, carrying their Eee PCs in cases like the one above.

Asus Eee PC Set to Become Second Largest Revenue Source for Asus

X-Bit Labs is reporting that Asus expects to sell 300,000 Eee PCs in January 2008 alone and about 1,000,000 for the first three months of 2008. For the whole year, it expects to sell about 5,000,000. In fact, Asus projects the Eee PC will become its second most significant revenue source by next year, next only to its motherboard line.

Asus has been very optimistic with the sales of its Eee PC so far with the first months of sales being relatively successful. It expects to capture 20% of the world’s PC market in 2010 with the Eee PC line.

Asus is also the world's largest manufacturer of computer motherboards but will be soon be spinning off its contract manufacturing businesses into separate units. It is thus expected to maximizing its revenues with popular Asus-branded products such as the Eee PC. Assuming it hits the 5 million sales mark, Asus's revenue for the Eee PC alone (at an average USD250 per unit out of the retail prices of USD299 to USD499) will reach USD1.5 billion. In comparison, total brand business revenue for 2007 is projected to hit USD7.6 million only.

Surprisingly, after providing the figures, the same article ends with the statement "But given that Asus Eee PC now has relatively low-performance hardware amid simplistic operating system, its success is not inevitable even despite of the low price...if Asustek decides to go on only with Linux OS, its Eee PC will hardly become really popular due to tepid acceptance of Linux among general public."

Why do I get a feeling the writer, Anton Shilov, most likely have never touched, much less used, an Asus Eee PC? :)

Video of Halo and Unreal Tournament 2004 on the Eee PC

Homemade Video of Asus Eee PC

This one is in Chinese but I don't think any translation is really necessary -

8.9" Asus Eee PC to be Launched January?

According to China Times (Chinese), Asus will introduce a new model of the Asus Eee PC with 8.9" LCD in January next year. (That's next month, or rather, next week.) While the article did not quote a price, it did mention that the Eee PC's 7" LCD currently cost about USD40 while 8.9" LCDs cost about USD50 to USD60. This would imply the relatively slight price difference would result in only a slight price increase for the new model. If so, it should be enough reason for most buyers to hold off buying the current model and wait for the new model instead.

However, given that much rumors and contradictory reports have surrounded the Asus Eee PC's introduction, I would not take the report as gospel truth at this time, especially since it does not jive with the previous announcements of 2nd generation models in April. It simply does not make any economic sense for Asus to be releasing new previously un-announced models so soon even as it has a difficult time filling the demand for the original models.

For Asus' sake, I hope that this news is officially confirmed or refuted as soon as possible.

Translated (into English) article can be read here.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Asus Eee PC the Tipping Point for Linux?

While Asus has emphasized the intended market for the Asus Eee PC to be first time users – hence, Easy to Learn, Easy to Work, Easy to Play, a lot of buyers appear to be users who already have a computer (desktop or notebook) but who needed a second mobile unit.

Judging from the posts in various user forums (Eeeuser, TipidPC (Tagalog/English), Mobile01 (Chinese)), it seems a lot of these users are simply amazed at how much the Eee PC outperforms their desktops even if the latter has better specs. Invariably they attribute the efficiency to the installed OS – Linux (Xandros) instead of Windows XP.

Of course there is obviously still a popular demand for Microsoft’s operating system. In fact, Asus has responded by announcing XP-based models albeit at higher prices. But the satisfactory experience will certainly open the eyes of these users and will lead them to consider Linux as alternative operating system for their next computer. Especially since it is free. And in the Eee PC's case, very easy to use.

Granted the Easy Mode menu is a proprietary add-on exclusive for the Eee PC but it should be only a matter of time before someone develops similar interfaces for the more popular Linux variants, especially Ubuntu. Not coincidentally, the Linux-based gOS operating system of Everex’s low-cost bestselling gPC also has a user-friendly interface. Other manufacturers are more than likely to follow. After all, the Eee PC and the gPC have proven that when done right, the buying public will readily accept computers with Linux pre-installed as the operating system.

And as much as Asus has turned mobile computing upside down with its small is not necessarily more expensive pricing scheme, it may also have trigger the tipping point for Linux to assume dominance in the software world. That, more than anything else, might actually be the Eee PC’s lasting legacy.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Auto-starting Your WiFi Connection in Easy Mode

By default, the Asus Eee PC does not connect to an available WiFi connection automatically. You will have to connect it manually every time you turn it on. That is, unless you set it up to do so. The following tutorial teaches you just how to do that from the Easy Mode Menu.

From the Internet tab, select the Network icon and click it:



A list of Network Connections will appear. Select the Connection that you want to auto-start and click it:



Its Properties window will appear. Note near the lower left corner, there is a field labeled Start Mode. By default it is set to Manual.



Click on the down arrow beside the Manual setting to change it to On Boot. Then click OK.



The Properties window will disappear and the Network Connections window will re-appear. Click OK.



That's it. The next time you start your Asus Eee PC, it should automatically connect to the WiFi connection that you have just set, assuming there is available signal.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Changing Eee PC's Wallpaper




From reader Mary Ellen Lee -

Hi and many many thanks for the inspiring info on the EeePC.

I bought one. For reasons having largely to do with the amount of travel i do on NYC and Ch-town subways, and bus/train/Easyjet in Europe, i bought an "open box" 2G Surf model in Blush Pink. First i only need this to do web chat and surfing beyond what my Blackberry Pearl can already do superbly; and because my real ultralight notebook computer is still too heavy for my old shoulders; and .... in pink, who would steal it ?? :-)...

...My conclusion by day 2 of ownership was that i could live long and prosper with the 2G Surf as is............ *BUT*.... something had to be done about the already too boring Easy Desktop themes.

So for any who might follow my path toward the 2G Surf, to change these is pretty easy.

Firstly, locate them ... hint: they are in /opt/xandros/share/AsusLauncher directory and named variously:

accessibility_internet_wallpaper.jpg
accessibility_learn_wallpaper.jpg
accessibility_play_wallpaper.jpg
accessibility_settings_wallpaper.jpg
accessibility_work_wallpaper.jpg
business_internet_wallpaper.jpg
business_learn_wallpaper.jpg
business_play_wallpaper.jpg
business_settings_wallpaper.jpg
business_work_wallpaper.jpg
home_internet_wallpaper.jpg
home_learn_wallpaper.jpg
home_play_wallpaper.jpg
home_settings_wallpaper.jpg
home_work_wallpaper.jpg
login_page.jpg
student_internet_wallpaper.jpg
student_learn_wallpaper.jpg
student_play_wallpaper.jpg
student_settings_wallpaper.jpg
student_work_wallpaper.jpg

the "accessibility" are the "Blue" theme wallpapers; the "business" are what the chooser calls "Silver"; "home" = "Sunset" and of course "student" = "Green"...
they seem to have used the "internet" .jpg in for the Favourites tab as well as the Internet tab; very efficient!

Secondly, copy these to a USB drive or ftp them to your desktop for alteration; attached is a simple altered example that also reduced the physical file size of accessibility_internet_wallpaper.jpg.

It's probably a good idea to keep a backup copy of the originals somewhere.

Lastly, copy the altered .jpgs from USB drive or ftp back to the /opt/xandros/share/AsusLauncher directory

Changes are dynamic as you copy over the files and move from tab to tab, but it's probably a more "polite" idea to restart the EeePC after copying in the files.

************

Other than that, any suggestions about carrying cases of course *do* apply to the Surfs ... mine fits nicely in any number of bookshop-purchases free bags, Fossil handbags and into the smallest size LL Bean camping toiletries kit

(.. those aren't as useful now that the airlines have the liquids restrictions except for the unbreakable mirror and 1000-year-lasting really handy zippers :-) !

mary

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Thanks, Mary!

vVallo.com - German Asus Eee PC site

Reader Vincent Vallo emailed to introduce his (German) Eee PC site - vVallo.com - Web 2.0 & mehr, which has a special section on the Asus Eee PC.

I don't understand German but I am sure those who do will find something interesting over at that site. :)



Eee PC Wiki

As the Asus Eee PC continues to be a hot seller this holiday season, on-line grass-roots user supports continues to grow as well.

A fourth wiki site, after Wikipedia, Eeeuser's wiki site and IVC Wiki, has appeared. Eee PC Wiki, while new, actually has already substantial information to be useful. It is an ad-free site that welcomes contributors.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Did Asus Ship Eee PC Prematurely?

In the article "Life on the EEEdge: Daily life with Asus' tiny laptop" Computerworld writer Eric Lai claims the following -

"Unwilling to miss the key Christmas season, Asus was forced to ship the Eee with an incomplete BIOS, and it's got several problems: The USB ports don't run at full USB 2.0 speed; Skype videoconferencing doesn't work, and the BIOS doesn't support the motherboard's 100-MHz front-side bus. That effectively restricts the 900-MHz Intel Celeron processor to running at just 600 MHz.

Asus has released a BIOS update that supposedly fixes those problems. But early testers say the update also causes the Eee to freeze and crash. As of early December, the new BIOS remains unfixed and unreleased."

Friday, December 21, 2007

Asus Eee PC Mini-Laptop Selling at a Rate of One Billions Dollars Per Year

Submitted by mike reynolds -

From Quantworks, as its tagline says, "a creative and artistic vision of quantitative matter" on Asus Eee PC's explosive sales figures -

Asus_eee_pc_annual_sales_one_billio


* Assume that shipments count for sales
* So that's 175,000 units per month, rounded up to 200,000 to make the math easier
* = 2,400,000 units over 12 months
* At $400/unit on average, annual sales is $960,000,000 alone for the Asus Eee PC, or nearly one billion dollars.

That is, indeed, quite a staggering number for what a product that is supposedly a niche item.

Full article can be read here. BTW, I think a picture of Mini-me would have been more appropriate. Especially one photoshopped to show him carrying the Asus Eee PC. :)

Asus Eee PC shipments almost 350,000 units

Asus has sold almost 350,000 units of the Eee PC worldwide since its October launch, exceeding the estimated 300,000 units predicted by industry analysts. The higher-than-expected sales is significant considering that Asus has yet to launch in some countries like Japan and has not yet expanded its full distribution in countries like the US.

Details at Digitimes.

10" Eee PC rumors

It seems rumors about the 10" Eee PC simply won't die down. Below is a photo from a post by Bakamoo in the TipidPC forum on December 21, 2007 12:49 AM -

10" eee pc :)
External Image


No source was given.

Photoshop perhaps?

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Eee PC News (German)

For those who want Asus Eee PC news in German, Eee PC News offers a lot of information.

For non-German speaking users, you may want to check out the gallery of wallpapers available at the site. Sample wallpapers from the site:



Wednesday, December 19, 2007

PCMag's Contradicting Asus Eee PC Reviews

Submitted by reader Steve -

Commenting on the post FoxNews - Asus Eee PC - a What Not to Buy this Christmas, in which PC Magazine Network Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff basically discourages readers from buying the Asus Eee PC, Steve pointed out that PC Mag's own lead analyst for laptops and tablets, Cisco Cheng, had earlier proclaimed the same product "as one of the best deals in the market today" in a videoclip shown below.




Given the contradictory reviews, the question now is who to believe? Lance or Cisco? The guy who edits or the guy who analyzes? :)

Middle-Clicking on the Asus Eee PC

jangelo of My Asus Eee PC blog has discovered that by clicking both the left and right buttons of the touchpad you can simulate a middle-click even if the Asus Eee PC's touchpad has a one piece bar. You just have to click as far away as from the center as possible. But you also need to be careful and not click too hard as this might break the bar.

Middle-click is especially useful in Firefox for performing one-click tab closures and for copying and pasting across windows, especially when using the Linux terminal/console.

Update: I tried performing the middle click but was only successful once. Maybe there is an art to mastering it. :(

Pentium-M Asus Eee PC in March?

In a post (December 19, 2007 09:38 AM) in the TipidPC forum, Philippine-based Asus reseller Cooltoyz mentioned "Our friends in Taiwan informed us the Pentium-M variant will be delayed for 3 months (March)."

In practically all his previous posts that I have read in the forum, Cooltoyz have been dead on with his statements, most probably due to his direct connections.

The March timeframe actually falls in line with Asus' own announcement regarding the launch of 2nd gen Eee PCs. Well, I guess time will eventually tell. :)

Asus Eee PC Touchscreen Mod

16GB Asus Eee PC?

According to Akihabara News Asus Japan has announced it will be releasing a 16GB version of the Eee PC in that country. In addition, they will be offering the Windows XP as a pre-install option.

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It would be very interesting to see how the Asus Eee PC will fare in Japan given the wide range of tiny portables available over there. For those interested in just what kind of competition is in store for the Eee PC over in Japan you can check out Dynamism's website. NOTE: Mention of the reseller's website is by no means an endorsement of any kind. I have never transacted with them so I have absolutely no basis to say anything. Except perhaps I have always been interested in their merchandise. :)

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Asus Eee PC 2G Surf Missing Some Apps

For those considering buying the Asus Eee PC 2G Surf Model, which comes with only 2G SSD flash storage as compared to the 4G Model which has 4G SSD flash storage, you may want to take note that it has fewer pre-installed applications.

Notably, the Mail and PIM applications, which are come with the 4G, are gone. So are some games and applications like the Ebook and World Clock.

For a more complete list of the missing apps, visit Brad Linder's blog Eee Site.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Philippine Bank Offers Free Asus Eee PC to Depositors

Submitted by reader Bluberry -




First Country Bank in the Philippines is offering a free Asus Eee PC for each depositor who makes a placement of either P300,000 (roughly USD7,322.43) for a year or P150,000 for two years.

Well, actually you get to choose between the Eee PC and a Samsung U700 phone. And even if it is not clear which specific model you would get (4G, 4G Surf, 2G Surf) - an Eee PC is still an Eee PC and the Samsung phone is, well, still a phone. :)

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Edit: Here is the bank's website - http://www.firstcountryfinancial.com/. Thanks to reader Mike Reynolds. :)

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Eee PC Graphics Driver Hack

Submitted by reader martyn -

For info, a person going by the name of Lazertag on the EEEUser.com forum has developed a hack for the Windows XP GM910 intel graphics drivers that allows the EEE to view "scaled down" high screen resolutions such as 800x600 and 1024x768. Good for old games and for web-browsing too. I have tested it and it works, however it is far from complete.... lets just say it's a good start. Have a look at the following link and decide for yourself if it is newsworthy: Eeeuser Forum GMA 910 "test" driver created with IEGD thread

Thanks martyn!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Asus Eee PC RAM Upgrade Restriction Still Applies in Philippines

Per punkrocker of the Eee Philippine Users Group forum, Asus has confirmed that the warranty seal that prevents users from doing DIY RAM upgrade still applies in the Philippines. As posted in the thread, Asus' reply re the warranty is as follows -

Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for contacting ASUS Customer Service.

My name is Kitty and it's my pleasure to help you with your problem.

Sincerely sorry for bringing you any trouble and inconvenience!

For your question, I am sorry to tell you that it will void the warrany [sic] to upgrade RAM in Philippines at present. Asus will promulgate it if there is any news, and please refer to the official website: http://www.asus.com.tw/. You can select the country or area on the left.

Best regards and have a nice day!

If you have any other problems, please be free to let me know.

Thank you for using ASUS products and enjoying ASUS services!

Welcome to refer FAQ for ASUS products in ASUS website:

http://support.asus.com/faq/faq.aspx?SLanguage=en-us


Kitty

ASUS Customer Service Center (Shanghai , China)

If you have any suggestions or complaints about our technical support service, please e-mail your feedback to support@asus.com.cn

We will then arrange for a specialist to work on your issue.

Your suggestions and feedback are most appreciated and allow us to serve you better.

Asus Eee PC Official Site with PPC links?



Why do I always get the feeling whenever I visit Asus' Eee PC website (shown above) I seem to have stumbled onto a parked site with PPC (pay per click) links - you know, those parked domains with names that are either generic in nature or variations of commonly mistyped website names, and which usually do not contain anything but listings of links to other related sites.

These sites earn every time someone clicks on one of those links. (Actually it is a HUGE business that has made multi-millionaires out of site owners.)

Well, I am not sure if the links listed are PPC links but they sure do look the part. Perhaps Asus is just trying to make the site self-sustaining. You know, sacrifice a bit of corporate image to keep the cash flow going. Well, if that is their corporate policy, certainly they are entitled to it.

But what makes the whole thing much less palatable is that some of the link categories don't appear to be related to the Asus Eee PC at all. What has the weather got to with the Asus Eee PC? Is it possible someone is planning to go the local computer store to buy an Asus Eee PC and has to check if it is gonna rain? Or what about IMDB? Is Asus expecting the Eee PC to make a cameo appearance in a movie soon?

Really.

Personally I just feel disappointed. The Eee PC really has an opportunity to become an iconic product in the mold of the iPod. That it has become a bestselling product despite all the mistakes Asus has made along the way is more then proof enough. Yet it seems Asus continues to exert effort to prevent it from attaining cult status. For a company as large as Asus, with its extensive experience, its actions are actually puzzling.

Yet Another Asus Eee PC Wiki - IVC Wiki

Stumbled onto under wiki about the Asus Eee PC - IVC Wiki. This one is a keeper as it not only contains tons of information but a lot of useful links as well. The colorful photos (looks like works of art) are a bonus. -






Never thought I would look at photos of PC boards the way I look at paintings. :)

Asus Eee PC 2G Surf Launched

The SF Chronicle via SFGate.com has reported the launch of the the 2G Surf version of the Asus Eee PC at a price of $299.

Full article can be read here.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Eee versus Thinkpad

Again from the Jay Eye Sea blog, a humorous perspective on a comparison between the Asus Eee PC (or should I say PCs) and the Thinkpad T61.

Eee vs. Thinkpad


Well, the photo above should give you a clue as to what the comparison is all above. At any rate, check it out for a good laugh.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

eeeXubuntu: because life is too short to spend all day looking for help in a forum

A customized Ubuntu version for the Asus Eee PC, called eeeXubuntu, is now available the Eeeuser Wiki site.



Described by the site as "eeeXubuntu is a custom version of the Xubuntu 7.10 Live CD with fully-integrated hardware support, including native wireless drivers, functioning Ethernet support, tweaks for low-resolution desktop environments, and other miscellaneous fixes. Wherever possible, these changes are incorporated using custom .deb packages rather than spewing assorted files all over post-install. (”./configure; make; make install”? yuck!)."

The project's goal is to maintain a easy-to-install Xubuntu Live CD image for the eeePC, allowing for a reliable base Xubuntu install. The hardware is all the same… this should be easy.

For Ubuntu-loving Asus Eee PC owners, this represents an early Christmas gift - especially after a couple of abortive attempts by other members of the Eeeuser forum to develop a custom version (even before the Asus Eee PC became commercially available).

And as a bonus, it comes with the best tagline (for a Ubuntu distro -heck, for any OS for that matter) I have seen so far -

"… because life is too short to spend all day looking for help in a forum."

QuickTip: Printing to PDF

The Eee PC World blog has a quickie on how to set-up your sub-note to print to PDF files. It comes in very handy for the times you need to print webpages as PDFs. Complete instructions can be read here.

T-mobile’s next phone is a…laptop?

Submitted by jon bradford -

"What if I could buy the laptop with 3g and an unlimited data tariff. Even accepting usage limitations on the data tariffs, T Mobile’s “Walk ‘n Web” tariff (£20 per month) is based upon 3Gb of usage - not substantially different from basic broadband tariffs in the UK.

Now that would be cool - an Asus EEE with always-on mobile Internet access..."

----------

An interesting take on using the Asus Eee as a mobile phone. :)

You can read the entire blog post here.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

FoxNews - Asus Eee PC - a What Not to Buy this Christmas

From the FoxNews site -

In an article by Lance Ulanoff of PCMag listing the features/components to be avoided when buying computers/notebooks/gadgets this Chrstmas, the photo of the Asus Eee PC was prominently featured at the start.


Its caption reads "The Asus Eee PC, which suffers the misfortune of being inexpensive, having integrated graphics and running Linux on a flash-memory hard drive."

The Eee PC wasn't mentioned again in the main article but among the many supposedly unwanted features listed, the following applies -

Don't buy: Any PC with integrated graphics.


"I promise you that you'll rue the day you saved $200 but did not opt for an nVidia or (ATI) AMD graphics CPU with discrete graphics memory. I contend that discrete graphics capability will speed up your gaming, browsing and video-viewing pleasure."

Don't buy: A sub-$500 laptop.

I came across a deal for a Dell Vostro for under $400. That seems like a real bargain until you try to visit a flash-driven Web site, view online video or play even the simplest PC-based game on one.

Don't buy: Solid-state drives.


These fast hard drives are starting to show up in some laptops, but they're still way too expensive compared with what you pay for the same number of gigabytes on a spinning hard drive. I say wait until next year.

Don't buy: Linux.

The world's cheapest operating system is the darling of every do-it-yourselfer and the potential bane of every cheapskate user.

You'll save money and, I bet, lose your mind if you switch to Linux.

Note to DIYers: This advice is intended for middle-of-the-road tech consumers. You, with the screwdriver in your hand, please feel free to download as many copies of Ubuntu as you want.

---------

I thought I was going to put my comments about the article here but I figure the article speaks for itself, or rather, the ignorance of the writer, never mind that he writes for a trade mag. For me, it only further explains to me, or rather, reminds me of why I no longer access that site. :(

Video on VIA Nanobook

Submitted by Sascha, a video on the VIA Notebook at the Boston ESC last September -

Monday, December 10, 2007

Breaking Seal no longer voids Asus Eee PC Warranty

From the Asus Official website -

"ASUS Computer International (“ASUS”) recently received feedback from one of its valued customers with questions concerning the purpose of a seal stating, “Warranty Void If Removed” over the access door to the single SODIMM slot on some models of the ASUS Eee PC. ASUS wishes to assure its customers that merely breaking or removing this kind of seal will not void the ASUS Limited Warranty. Although ASUS recommends that customers use ASUS-approved service facilities and components, ASUS is committed to honoring the terms of its Limited Warranty and making sure that its customers are free to make appropriate hardware and software modifications and upgrades, regardless of whether the service is performed by an approved facility, a non-approved service provider, or by the customers themselves. ASUS will replace the warranty label with a label to warn users that ASUS will not be responsible for the damage caused by improper hardware change.

ASUS is taking steps to make sure that the seals in question are no longer used in its products that are intended to be sold in any country where these stickers are not permitted.

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Note last paragraph. This revised warranty may not apply in your country. :(

Everex prepping 'Eee PC-killer' ultra-mobile?



From Electronista -

After its successful Walmart launch of the gPC desktop, Everex is now poised to release its 7" mini-portable. To be positioned against the Asus Eee PC, Everex's version will called Cloudbook. Specs include the gOS Linux used in the gPC desktop, 1.3MP webcam, a 1.2GHZ VIA C7. But in lieu of SSD, it will use a 30GB drive and will have a DVI output to support flat-panel displays.

Cloudbook is expected to be formally announced at the Consumer Electronic Electronics show this coming January 7 and will start shipping shortly after that. Prices will likely start at USD399.

A relabeled version, Packard Bell's EasyNote XS, is being sold in Europe.

Ubuntu on the Asus Eee PC

C K Sample III has posted in his Sample the Web blog instructions on how to run a functional Ubuntu install off a USB drive.

Ubuntu USB pen drive on the Asus Eee PC

He has articulated the instructions into five easy steps that are actually easy to follow:

Step 1: Make a bootable Ubuntu USB Pendrive

Step 2: Make sure you have an active Ethernet connection

Step 3: Boot into Ubuntu Live Persistent mode—Start up the Eee and hit the Escape key (ESC).

Step 4: Make those windows draggable

Step 5: Enable the WiFi.
After rebooting repeat step 3 above to get ready to install.

Full detailed instructions of the steps are included in the tutorial, which is available here.


Sunday, December 9, 2007

Windows XP on SD for OLPC

olpcxp.jpg


From Gizmodo -

Microsoft has announced it is working to develop a version of XP and Office that can run on computers without a hard drive, including the OLPC XO. In fact, it will start "limited field trials" of XP running on the OLPC in January. If all goes well, Microsoft said it could have XP running on the XO by the second half of 2008.

However, it cautioned folks in North America, particularly those taking part in the Give One, Get One program, that it has no plans to offer that version of XP to folks in the U.S. or Canada.

But hopefully any anti-copying measures won't be particularly hardcore, meaning it'll probably make its way to the web not long after launch. Bootable Windows on an SD card would actually be pretty nice.

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Especially on the Asus Eee PC. :)

Saturday, December 8, 2007

IBM tries to stop Asus imports over patent violations

From Engadget -




IBM has asked the US International Trade Commission to ban imports of Asus computers due to claimed patent violations. The two companies had a patent license that expired Dec 2004, and IBM says Asus has continued to use the disputed tech since that time. Since there's a 45-day window for the Commission to make a determination, you may want to snap up that Eee PC sooner rather than later - just in case.

China-based Hasee launches a low-cost PC to compete with Eee PC

From Digitimes -

China-based Hasee will launch the Q540X, a low-cost PC on December 6 to compete with the Asus Eee PC. Specs include 13.3-inch display, a Celeron 540 and a 80GB hard drive, and the system will have a total weight of only 2.19kg. Pricing will be 2999 yuan (US$405), the same as that of the Eee PC in China.

The Eee PC's display and keyboard have been criticized as not being not suitable for children and the elderly, while the performance is worse than that expected of the Q540X.

Asus Eee Rocks Ubuntu in 3D

From Gizmodo -

10" Asus Eee PC?

Bakamoo of TipidPC has posted an intriguing photo of what appears to be an Asus Eee PC with a 10" LCD. No source was quoted.

External Image

For all we know, it could simply be a photoshopped image. Since the screen covers the entire area from bezel to bezel, its diagonal length is actually 9.5 inches. So technically it is not the rumored 10" model.

But it sure looks good, even without the webcam, and I guess, the speakers. I know I would buy one, if such a model existed. :)

Friday, December 7, 2007

In-screen Bluetooth Mod

k95507475 of Mobile01 has posted a detailed how-to, including numerous photos, on adding a Bluetooth to the Asus Eee PC. The mod makes use of the USB port that is connected to the webcam and installs the bluetooth beside the screen.

The USB hub and the Bluetooth Dongle



The mod completed.



Webcam still works



Bluetooth addition is shown recognized.

The fact that there are no unsightly dangling wires or protruding dongles make this mod elegant. However, the downside is that because the bluetooth uses the usb port of the webcam, it is automatically turned off if the webcam is disabled.

The original article is in Chinese. For those who want an excellent English translation, Crihz of Eeeuser has provided just that. You can access his post here.

Asus Eee PC 8G's SSD is on Mini PCI-e Card

ayi45tw of the Eeeuser forum has posted photos of an Asus Eee PC 8G showing there is no flash memory storage on the main logic board. Instead all 8G are on a mini PCIe card as shown below.

http://www.asources.com/gallery2/d/1031-1/DSC_6097.JPG

Interestingly, there have been reports that the installation of a mini PCI-e card disables the flash memory installed on the main logic board of 4G models. However some users have reported otherwise, claiming to have been able to increase their RAM using SSD mini PCI-e cards.

Whatever the case may be, given Asus' approach, we can't help but wonder - How do 8G owners now install mini PCI-e cards such as HSDPA modems? If they take out the SSD card, then their unit won't have any memory storage at all. Then what about the 4G owners whose units don't have the PCI-e connector? Obviously they won't be able to upgrade their memory using these SSD cards.

It is really surprising, or rather disappointing, to see a company as large as Asus, adopt such an inconsistent production (missing mini PCI-e connectors, missing RAM access panel cover) for what could arguably be their best product so far in making their company brand a worldwide household name.

Some Asus Eee PC 4G Surfs do not have RAM Access

CK Net Studio has a series of photos showing a 7B series 4G Surf without a RAM access panel. You will have to disassemble your Eee PC to get to the RAM slot. But what makes it interesting is that the memory is merely socketed and not soldered - meaning it will be easy to upgrade your memory. That is, after you disassemble your Eee PC first. Weird.






Translated (from Chinese to English) site can be viewed here.

Amazon's List of Eee PC Accessories




An Asus Eee PC owner by the name of Jaypoc has compiled over at Amazon a convenient list of accessories.

If you go over to the site and scroll down the page there is this very convenient yellow button labeled Add all items to Cart. Boy, the temptation of doing Christmas shopping for yourself does really get to you at times.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Psst...Want a Free Asus Eee PC?

Redstore has a simple on-line contest. The prize? An Asus Eee PC. The catch? Well it is only for UK entrants. :(

New Philippine Eee User Forum

For Philppine-based Asus Eee users, there is a new forum - EEE Philippine Users Group.

The Asus Eee PC as Disruptive Technology

Blogger Rick Moynihan has written an interesting perspective in his The Sources Mouth blog on the Asus Eee PC being disruptive technology.

"Laptops have (until now) tended to follow an unwritten law of small gadgets; the smaller it is the more you'll pay. However the Eee seems to mark a reversal of the trend. We're now seeing the law of mobility combined with commodity hardware, meaning one of the smallest laptops available is also the cheapest and most valuable in terms of its utility.

The real disruption however; isn't in how it's defining a new market for cheap, super small, capable laptops, but it's in how it nicely packages free and open alternatives to the two biggest monopolies in the technology industry, Microsoft Windows and Office. This strategy accompanied by their recent announcement to release an SDK and support the community should only serve to foster a strong community and potential competitor."

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The Asus Eee PC has indeed redefined the model for mobile hardware - small need no longer mean more expensive. It has also redefined open source software in making them usable and friendly enough for computer novices.

Disruptive? Definitely, especially to the big players. New technology? Not really. And that is the marvel of the Asus Eee PC. It has succeeded in becoming a disruptive technology without using new technology - practically all of its parts are off-the-shelf components.

OLPC: How a Computer for the Poor Got Stomped by Tech Giants

The Wall Street Journal has published a lengthy article on how and why Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child Foundation efforts to close the digital divide between the rich countries and the Third World ran into serious obstacles.

Negroponte had first proposed the design of a $100 laptop back in 2005 with the goal of supplying 150 million of that to the world's poorest school kids. He immediately gained the support of both world leaders and corporate sponsors.

But nearly three years later, only about 2,000 students in pilot programs have received OLPC, XO laptops, which now cost closer to $200 than the original $100 price. And the first mass production run is only for 300,000. Clearly, the original goal of 150 million users by the end of 2008 looks unattainable.

Negroponte's ambitious plan has been derailed, in part, by the power of his idea. For-profit companies threatened by the projected $100 price tag set off at a sprint to develop their own low-cost models, with Asus launching its Eee PC in October, ahead of the OLPC. The Asus Eee PC itself is based on Intel's low-cost Classmate PC platform. Negroponte has accused Intel of introducing the platform to compete directly with the OLPC XO laptop. Intel has repeatedly denied the charges, even as it continued to sell to Third Word countries, specifically to educational projects.

And while Negroponte's vision of providing Third World Countries school children with cheap laptops is coming true, the laptops are being supplied by companies like Asus and not by OLPC. Negroponte, at least, is gracious about it. "From my point of view, if the world were to have 30 million" laptops made by competitors "in the hands of children at the end of next year, that to me would be a great success," he said in a recent interview.

From all indications the Asus Eee PC is selling well. And because it uses Linux instead of Windows, Microsoft is getting into act by discounting its operating system software to protect its market. This has made the Eee PC even more attractive to the target users, further diffusing the waning interest in the OLPCs.

You can read the full article here.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Photos of Green Asus Eee PC

yuxian of the Mobile01 forum has posted tons of photos of the green Asus Eee PC. Below are a few of them -







The last photo shows the Asus Eee PC side by side with a Sony VAIO TR2T. I gotta admit, until I saw the photo, I have always regarded the VAIOs as an elegant line of portables. But seeing it next to the Eee PC, I suddenly got the impression it looks rather huge and clumsy. Oh well.

Nanobook launched as MX Nanobook by TGIC Digital

Image3

Per UMPC Portal TGIC Digital in Korea has announced it will offer the original version of the VIA Nanobook (shown above, and previously featured in VIA NanoBook & Packard Bell EasyNote XS). Like the Asus Eee PC, it has a 7" screen. But unlike the former, it also has a built-in VoIP handset. Other published specs appear to be similar to the the Packard Easynote XS that will be available in Europe.

Original article has links to a video clip and previews as well.

First Asus Eee PC Sold in Singapore

The First Asus Eee PC Customer Sitex 2007


Internet Siao Singapore has posted photos of the December 1 launch of the Asus Eee PC in Singapore at the Sitex IT Show 2007. Photo above shows the very first customer. Both black and white versions of the Asus Eee PC 4G (?) were available in limited quantities at S$598 each.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Asus Eee PC Accessories

Asus Eee PC Accessories
I4UNews has featured one of the first accessories that appears to have been manufactured specifically for Asus Eee PC. Brando offers a leather case (shown above) made apparently of genuine leather to protect your precious Asus Eee PC. The case also has slots for memory cards and business cards. It lists for USD38.

Interested? Link to Brando is included in the original article.

Interesting Theory: Asus dropped hard disk from Eee PC at eleventh hour?

From the Register Hardware site comes an interesting theory that Asus had originally planned to release the Eee PC with a standard notebook hard drive. The supposition is based on the the computer's manual which includes this part -

Asus' Eee PC manual

According to Register Hardware, there are two possible explanations. One, Asus' engineers are not aware solid-state disks don't have moving parts. That or Asus had originally planned to equip the Eee PC with a hard drive and changed its mind after the computer's manual had been completed. At which point, the writer merely did a find and replace for "hard disk drive" to "solid-state disk drive."

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Actually there is a third possible explanation - the writer based parts of the manual on an older one for an existing notebook model with a hard drive. He or she then simply did the copy and paste routine, followed by the find and replace process to change the model name, screen size, etc but forgot to edit the hard disk part. :)

Monday, December 3, 2007

Asus Eee PC soon to be out of stock?

From a post by cooltoyz, an Asus distributor in the Philippine-based TipidPC Forum -

1. Prices in the Philippines are already below standard pricing.
2. There is worldwide shortage of the EEE PC simply because the Celeron-M 353 is no longer in production by Intel (Yes, these are all old Intel stocks)
3. News from our friends in Taiwan is there is an issue on the Pentium-M + 910GML
• 910GML is only meant for Celeron Processors and does not support Speedstep
• As a result the desired speedstep technology is not activated
• worse the proc is underclocked by 50%
• again these are unconfirmed news, please do not quote us.
although our Taiwanese counterparts have been right most of the time

3. By Dec 10 we project the EEE PC(701) will be out of stocks in most stores.
grrrr, distro actually can not complete balance of 30more units from our allocation of 100

4. The next shipment will arrive on Dec. 28 or after the Christmas Rush.

We forecast a Price "increase" after Dec 10.
Maybe not increase in the real sense because Distro SRP is P19,800.00
When stocks get low stores will follow the SRP of P19,800.00
After Dec. 28 we do not know what will happen.
We will determine if forecast is true by Dec 12.

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P19,800 is for the 4G and is roughly USD467.12. Some stores have been selling the 4Gs at P18,000 or USD424.65.

Not sure if the shortage will be world-wide or just limited to the Philippines though. But cooltoyz might have some inside info since AFAIK the Celeron-M ULV 353 processor were manufactured by the Intel plant in the Philippines. From what I know Intel had stopped production for quite sometime already.

OLPC News Prediction: Diamondville XO Laptop in 2008

This month being December, annual predictions are starting to pop out. And OLPC News has started things off by publishing some predictions. (Note: Not sure if it is the site's official prediction or just the writer's.)

In summary, the prediction is that Intel will abandon the Classmate PC to focus on newer Diamondville-powered models. (Previous post is on the Diamondville - Intel readies 45nm 'Diamondville' CPU for low-cost PCs).

Other predictions - Asus will also crank an XO screen onto the Eee, include in it a Diamondville and within 3-6 months there will be an Asus-made XO laptop.

The complete article is available here.

Intel readies 45nm 'Diamondville' CPU for low-cost PCs

From British site Register Hardware comes news that Intel is rumored to be launching a low-cost desktop PC platform codenamed Shelton. Shelton is based on a 45nm low-cost processor codenamed Diamondville, which can operate without a fan.

Shelton is also designed to work with 2-4GB Flash storage, and can handle handle parallel ATA and SATA devices, and other peripherals through six USB ports. Early board pictures show a single DIMM slot and one PCI connector. Not surprisingly, the list sounds just like the specs for Asus' desktop Eee PC.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Upgrading the RAM in Australia will NOT void warranty

Lead submitted by reader Vito Cassisi -

Moderator lambo of the Atomic MPC forum posted on 12/3/07 "On a side note and probably an important one. The memory in this unit if you upgrade it, will not void the warranty. I just spoke to asus and they said you can upgrade it without risk of voiding the warranty."

If true, that would really be good news.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Nigerian-owned Company Sues OLPC

From Marketwire -

BOSTON, MA-(November 27, 2007) - Lagos Analysis Corporation, a US-based Nigerian-owned company with a subsidiary called LANCOR Management Limited, in Nigeria announced today that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in Lagos, Nigeria against the OLPC and its enablers in Nigeria.

The patent infringement lawsuit, filed November 22, centers on OLPC's alledged infringement of LANCOR's Nigeria Registered Design Patent # RD8489 and illegal reverse engineering of its keyboard driver source codes for use in the XO Laptops.

LANCOR is seeking substantial damages as well as a permanent injunction to prevent OLPC from continuing to unlawfully manufacture, sell, distribute or offer for sale the XO Laptop, and any other products infringing on the RD8489 and using the illegally acquired keyboard driver source codes.

Full article available here.

Some info about buyNOW

Reader sjones411 has sent in some vital information regarding buyNOW, whose $299 Asus Eee PC 4G deal I just posted (see Asus Eee 4G-Galaxy 7" PC $299.99 Buy Now Sale).

Specifically people are complaining about alleged mis-representations by the reseller. For more info, check out this thread in the GottaDeal forum.

If you are still interested in the deal (and it is a good deal if true), please exercise the usual but necessary pre-cautions (such as using a reliable credit card, etc.) If they don't allow credit card payments, then I would suggest going elsewhere.

Bloggers, the Asus Eee PC, and the 7" LCD

Just as I have been predicting, it seems the Asus Eee PC will be a bestseller with bloggers, especially women bloggers.

In her blog Touched by An Angel, blogger Noemi Lardizabal-Dado talks about "regret buying the macbook because this nifty Asus Eee PC can fit snugly in my handbag."

Hers is fast becoming the standard reaction in several blogs that have featured/reviewed the Asus Eee PC. As she pointed out, the Asus Eee PC is on the Christmas wishlist of many a consumer even as buyers are picking up whatever stock is available.

When Asus finally manage to bump up production, we should begin to see a lot of bloggers hanging out in the neighborhood Starbucks, bloggin away on their little Eee PCs.

Question then is will we see a return of 800 x 600 support by websites since the resolution of the Asus Eee PC is a mere 800 x 480? Recent trends actually have websites dropping support for this resolution even if they have been developed to be fluid and adjustable.

Granted the Asus Eee PC is projected to account only up to 2% to 3% of total notebook sales next year but I would venture that a lot of those sales will go to bloggers. Besides the Asus Eee PC is being positioned as a surfing machine.

Moreover even as LCD screens continue to increase in resolutions, the Asus Eee PC's 7" 800 x 480 screen has proven to be adequate enough. Meaning it can serve as the baseline resolution even as its price continues to spiral down. Thus it is likely it will continue to be used by manufacturers to keep costs down as they chase the $199 price point.

Asus Eee 4G-Galaxy 7" PC $299.99 Buy Now Sale

Online Reseller Buy Now has the Asus Eee PC 4G on sale at $299.99.



Moreover, if you buy two, you get an additional 5% off on the second unit.


The fine print? Maximum order Qty: 50. :)