Since 2003 my primary computer has been a 17-inch PowerBook/MacBook Pro. It is everything I need in a computer that still retains some sort of portability. I usually transport it between the office and home in a backpack but when visiting clients I carry it in a shoulder bag. The shoulder bag gets very heavy after a while.
After lugging the MacBook Pro around DC for a week my shoulders were not happy. Plus I was paranoid that it would somehow get broke/wet/kicked. I guess I should worry about being killed when biking it Charlotte with it on my back.
Several weeks ago a friend stayed with us who has an Eee PC. If you’re not familiar with the Eee PC, it’s a sub-notebook that packs quite a few features for the size and price. I chose the 900 HA for the 160 GB hard drive, RAM Expansion, integrated SD card reader, audio line-in and line-out and it weighs less just 2.2 lbs. The integrated camera, 3 USB 2.0 ports and external VGA were bonuses.
The 900 HA I purchased (from Amazon.com) came with Windows XP installed. I debated erasing it from the system but feel that I may need it in the future so I left it. Plus, it’’s not the annoying, bloatware Vista (this is a “plus”). I grabbed a copy of EasyPeasy (Ubuntu 8.10 for netbooks) and created a bootable SD card for it using Unetbootin. If you’re inclined to to go through the (pretty easy) process, I followed the process here. You may need to force the Eee into boot loader order by tinkering with the BiOS. Just restart and hold F2 during startup.
installing Ubuntu was was quick and easy. It took a few moments to get accustomed to the Netbook layout which basically is a full window launcher running over the desktop. Applications are grouped on the left and folders (Home, Documents, Pictures, etc.) are grouped on the right. Also, everything that launches uses a program called Maximus, whcih forces it to maximum-screen mode. While this is fine for most programs, the browser chrome may get in your way so you can use F11 to hide bars and tabs.
Here is a run-down of impressions of the laptop:
Keyboard – First up is the item that is asked about the most: surprisingly the Eee’s keyboard, despite it’s smaller size is quite easy to use. There have been a few complaints about the size of the right shift key. Honestly, I have not found this to be a problem. If you have larger hands or big fingers you may some difficulty with the keyboard. I consider my fingers average size and have no problems typing on the keyboard. One of the downsides of the keyboard is a squeaky noise that comes from a few keys but it is very minor. For what it’s worth, this entry was written entirely on the Eee PC.
Wireless – Very good. Worked out-of-the box in the pre-installed Windows XP and with the newly Ubuntu/EasyPeasy. In comparison with my MacBook Pro, the reception is much better, showing twice as many wireless networks on the Eee.
Camera – Just the fact it includes a camera is pretty cool. However, the camera is only 0.3 megapixels. The camera worked flawlessly in Skype on Ubuntu after running system updates. I don’t expect HD quality from a laptop camera so I chalk it up as “good.”
Trackpad/Buttons – The trackpad is snappy and responsive, allowing double-tap for clicking and two-finger vertical scrolling, like on modern Macs. However, I do not like about the Eee is/are the mouse button/buttons. The little chrome piece that makes up the buttons feels cheap and makes me think it’s going to fall off if slightly bumped.
Performance – For the bit of use I have put it through, editing sites and images, composing e-mail and surfing the web, I have not noticed any performance issues. At the time of writing, in addition to Firefox I am running Zend Studio for Eclipse, Zimbra, Pidgin and Skype. The only noticeable performance issue is when switching in and out off kiosk mode in Firefox.
Using Ubuntu on the Eee has been a very positive experience. Since we use Zimbra at our office I can easily save documents I will need to the Briefcase and download them onto the Eee. For larger files I can just save them to a USB stick or SD card. Lack of a CD/DVD device has not been an issue.
The 2.2 lb. weight is much easier to deal with than the 7 lb (plus) MacBook Pro. I’m looking forward to lightening the load when heading around meeting clients and leaving my workhorse back in the office to do what it does best.
Here is a list of applications that I have been running on a regular basis on the Eee. Some are part of Ubuntu/EasyPeasy and some are third party.
OpenOffice Suite
Firefox
Evolution
Pidgin (instant messaging)
Skype (Video, Audio, Text)
Songbird (skips iTunes files)
Zend Studio
Zend Server (Community Edition)
KomodoEdit 5
FileZilla
Wine 1.14 (had to downgrade from the included 1.1.19)
Internet Explorer 7
Zimbra Desktop
If you are considering an Eee PC. specifically the 900 HA, be sure you know why you are purchasing it. Can it be used a primary computer? Sure. But that depends on what you do. I would not use it for my primary development computer, mostly because of the wide-screen editing of sites we do using PhotoShop. But if you’re looking for an ultra-portable, easy-to-use little workhorse, the Eee PC 900 HA is an excellent choice.
