I’ve never owned a laptop, I’ve just never been able to justify the money, when I have a perfectly good PC that I love to pieces. And I’ve never felt the need to be able to take my computer with me anywhere. I never wanted a laptop at uni, mostly because I used to get really annoyed at those that did take them and then sat on MSN for the entire lecture, serenading the people around them with their tap-tap-tappity. And most of my classes were small or in workshop environments that just don’t allow for laptop use.
When I went to Sydney in September, I borrowed a laptop from work, so that I would have access to the web, and be able to use it at the conference. I had plans of liveblogging the conference, and typing up my notes at night. It turned out though that there was no wi-fi at the venue, nor would there be accessible power points. And seriously, what is the point of a laptop battery that only lasts 2 hours maximum?!
Sydney was my first experience with a laptop. And I was not so impressed. First, the abovementioned batterylife. If I’m travelling, I’m not going to be near a powerpoint all the time. Second, the weight! I had a fairly big laptop – I think it was a 17 inch screen. And it was heavy. I felt like I was lugging around a bag of bricks. This could be because I’m just not used to carrying one, but it seemed like an awful lot of unnecessary weight. It all served to remind me of why I’d never gotten one in the first place. I know that they’re not all behemoths (Vaio’s case in point) but it does make me wonder why they make such massive machines.
A couple of weeks ago, a friend introduced me to a new laptop, and I must admit I fell in love straight away, and if it wasn’t such a bad time of year, I probably would have at least made an attempt to buy one by now.
The laptop is called the Eee PC, and it’s an ultra portable baby laptop that weighs less than a kilo. It’s small – I could probably fit in in my handbag, it comes preinstalled with a Linux operating system and open source software like Firefox, Thunderbird and OpenOffice. And because it’s in part aimed at kids, it has preinstalled games – typing games and maths games etc plus a few other educational programs. It’s also got a built in webcam and Skype installed. And, most important of all, they come in multiple colours!
On the downside, it only has 4Gb of space, however it’s got an SD card slot, so that’s expandable. Basically, it’s the perfect machine for taking with you when all you’re really needing is somewhere to type, check your email etc. It would be perfect for travelling, so that you can download your photos off your camera and upload to flickr, and type a journal entry or two. Or perfect for conferences and classes – it’s small, light and unobtrusive.
Have I mentioned I want one?
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December 4th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
I need an Eee PC too. Christmas soon, lets treat ourselves!
December 5th, 2007 at 12:25 am
I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one of these, literally, to see if I can type on it. The smallest Vaio ultra-portable might be totally swoon-worthy but it’s actually so small I can’t type on it! My hands are too big.
I’m a little surprised at the battery life though – for such a tiny screen I thought they’d have a shot at hitting the 4 hour mark. Still, the estimated 3-3.5 hours is still significantly better than the average 2 hours. 3.5 hours would be likely to get you through to lunch time and a power point at a conference :)
Eee PC’s .au price is a bit disappointing though, estimated to hit the shelves at $500 (well over early estimates of AUD$350-400).
Still, Eee PC looks damn fine. Australian site doesn’t mention colours though – here’s hoping they ship more than wannabe-mac white! “got any blacker…?”
December 5th, 2007 at 2:52 am
[...] Izzu wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptI’ve never owned a laptop, I’ve just never been able to justify the money, when I have a perfectly good PC that I love to pieces. And I’ve never felt the need to be able to take my computer with me anywhere. I never wanted a laptop at … [...]
December 5th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Hmmm, same price (just about) as an ipod touch. Ideal for conferences and travelling. If could, i’d get the version of the 4G with the internal 3G HSDPA card, then you’d be rocking.
December 5th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Oh, now that is tempting. I own a laptop but it’s not exactly great for travelling – esp. if I’m going long distances or stuck in a conference.
And as Scott points out, roughly the same price as an iPod touch. *contemplates bank balance*
December 5th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
I am definitely getting one now, I have decided. It will be done. Join me!
December 7th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Oooo…I think I might need one of those if my beloved PowerBook ever dies. I actually never thought I’d want a desktop, but I’m getting to the point where I want more power and storage than a laptop (I can afford and small enough that I want to travel with it) provides. I’m also thinking I might spend less time putzing around aimlessly online if I were forced to do it at a desk!
April 17th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
[...] A few months ago I wrote about the Asus Eee PC, and how much I loved it and wanted one. I never got around to actually buying one, and I’m glad I didn’t as they’re about to bring out the latest version and it sounds even better! The screen is bigger, the hard drive is bigger (20Gb instead of 4Gb), and my favourite, gestures on the mouse pad! There’s a review here which goes into detail about all the changes. These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]