ASUS eeePC 4G Surf

I purchased this little ultra-portable laptop about 6 months ago and just love it.  It packs a 7″ screen and a 4G compact flash hard drive with wifi, an SD slot, and 3 USB 2.0 ports into a case that weighs less than 2lbs with the 2.5 to 3-hour lithium ion battery installed.  The “eee” stands for “Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play.”

Here are a few more geek details about this laptop:

- Dimensions: 8.86″ x 6.30″ x 0.79″

- Linux OS pre-installed w/Open Office 2.0 and many other Linux programs

- 4 gigabyte, solid state compact flash drive

- 512mb DDR2 RAM Stock (I added another 512 chip to up the RAM to 1gb)

- SDRAM slot for Secure Digital Cards

- WiFi 802.11b/g

- Intel Mobile CPU & Chipset

- 3 USB 2.0 ports

- 10/100 Mbps Ethernet

- 4-cell Lithium ion battery

- No DVD drive

- Rapid start up time (15-20 seconds).  Shuts down in a few seconds as well

For me, this pc primarily been used in a “Easy to surf” role, but I’ve also used it to view divx and MP4 movies and tv shows. I used the pre-installed and very functional Linux software for the first 6 months before I decided to see how this little guy would run with Windows XP Pro.

While the documentation includes a great guide for reformating the small drive for a complete Windows XP installation, I decided to take another route.  I downloaded a copy of nlite, which strips the “unnecessary” drivers and bulky programs that I wouldn’t be using on this system.  My final Windows XP Pro SP2 installation was approx 458mb.  For a great guide on how to accomplish this install, see this post in the eeeuser.com forums.  I ended up with a custom “lite” install of Win XP Pro that contains just what I need.  After downloading the standard MS security updates, Firefox 3.0, and a few other programs, my drive has about 2 gb of space available.  However, a great byproduct of this XP install is that my system boots in less than 20 seconds.  Amazing!

I installed MS Office 2007 on to a 4 Gig SD Card and it runs just fine.    For additional storage, I use several thumb drives or a WD 250gb Passport.

The keyboard is small and it will take a day or two for anyone to get used to the layout.  However, after a few hours of use, you should be able to touch-type without too much trouble.

The wifi on this system has a better range than my full-sized laptop.

For staying connected on the go this one is a keeper.

Here’s some more documentation from the ASUS’ website:

Share photos of your travels without waiting till you get home. Shop the world wide web without attaching any lines or wires. Learn through the latest technology without a technical manual. Play, relax, and entertain on the go with shock-proof design. Connect with friends and family with just a few clicks.

Mobility & Reliability
• At 7″ and weighing only 0.92kg, you can take the Eee PC anywhere.
• Bumps and shocks are no longer issues. With a dependable solid-state disk, you get unparalleled shock-protection and reliability.
• Power-efficient design provides longer operating time when on the go.

Ease & Technology
• With a rapid start-up time, the Eee PC is always ready to get into action.
• No technical manual required with the specially designed, user-friendly and intuitive graphic interface .

Work & Connectivity
• You’re always connected with built-in WiFi 802.11 b/g that automatically detects and connects to the Internet at any hotspot.
• The Eee PC includes the documents and the e-mails software, and a suite of other productivity software to help keep you on track.
• Upload photos and videos and share them instantly on Flickr or YouTube without waiting till you get home.

Media & Entertainment
• Enjoy music and videos with extensive support for a wide range of digital multimedia.
• Log on to Skype or other network, and you can connect with friends anywhere, anytime.
• Clear up wire clutter with the built-in card reader, speakers, and microphone.

What language barrier?

In the village that we live here in Germany there are several ethnic restaurants that you can enjoy once you’ve had your fill of sausages, schnitzel and spaetzle (which might just be impossible by the way).  One of our favorites around the corner is a small, 8 table, “Mom & Pop” Chinese restaurant called “Panda.”

I was standing in line the other day waiting to place a takeout order and I couldn’t help but hear some of the conversations that filled this small space.  The kitchen was bustling with orders and reply’s in Chinese (Mandarin, I believe).  A couple at table one must have been on holidays from what Italian I managed to pick up.  There was a table of Americans who were discussing the day’s results at the Olympics, and there was the young, German gentleman in line ahead of me who placed his order in his local Bavarian dialect.  The response from the Chinese woman behind the counter was in perfect German as well.  When it was my turn to order I think that I must have been caught up in a “language moment” because I proceeded to place my order in (my best) German which of course was repeated with much better annunciation by the nice woman behind counter.  And then something unexpected happened…she started laughing.

Between deep breaths she said, “You American, speak’n German to me in Chinese restaurant…me Chinese…you funny.  Ha! Ha! Ha!”

I’m glad that I could provide her with a little entertainment in the middle of her busy day…

What I’ve found in the last couple months is that if you at least try to speak the local language, most “locals” will go out of their way to “help” you.  Though, I’ve also been counseled that when I’m in rural areas of Germany where folks are not used to seeing many Americans, I should begin my conversations in English and then quickly transition to German so that the locals don’t think that I am “retarded.”  Probably good advice…

We’ve also found that more than 50% of the folks we’ve met in this area do speak at least some English and most are more than happy to try “their English” while you try out “your German.”  Many local folk are interested and surprised when we tell them about the many different places we’ve lived in the States.  This usually generates conversation about friends they have in the U.S. or perhaps even places that they’ve been on their visit(s) to America.  We’ve met some very nice “locals” over here and one thing we’ve heard from many of our American friends is that when you befriend a German, you’re often making a friend for life.  They’ve been in touch with old German neighbors for 20 years or more since they moving back to the states.

Ordering food in the local language, whether it’s bread at the neighborhood backerei, meat at the local metzgerei, or chicken fried rice and a couple egg rolls at your closest Chinese restaurant, is pretty easy with a little study.  Or you can just listen to and mimic the person in line ahead of you and see what happens.  You never know when you might make someone’s day…

Time for me to spend a little more time on Rosetta Stone…and I might just need to brush up a little on some Mandarin Chinese…