Asus Eee PC - five reasons why you should buy one - and five reasons why you should think twice
The Asus Eee PC, a cheap PC that's as light as a feather and does just about everything you want from a laptop. Too good to be true? Well, after playing with one for the last few weeks, here's five reasons why you really should rush out and buy the hottest gadget around...and five reasons why you might want to think twice...
Reasons why you should buy one...
1. It's all about the looks:
It's small enough to fit in most bags, is as light as a feather and it looks like a miniaturised MacBook. Or in other words, it ticks all the style boxes.
2. It's got a long-life battery:
Wave goodbye to battery-draining laptops, this one will keep going for at least three hours. In fact, Asus has just introduced a new battery that lasts over six hours. So you can leave that adapter at home.
3. The price:
The latest version of the Eee PC is available for just over £200. Yes that's right - just over £200. Who needs a £1,000 laptop?
4. Linux operating system:
No Windows here, this machine works on Linux, so less of a virus threat and you can impress your geek mates or the bloke from the IT department.
5. Plug and play - just charge it up:
No software to load here, just charge the battery, turn it on and you're away. All the software is pre-loaded and it's wireless-ready, so you can get online straight away.
Reasons why you should think twice...
1. Small keyboard:
A small laptop (just seven inches wide) means a small keyboard. It might take some time to get used to - them more time to get used to a 'normal' laptop again.
2. Lack of storage:
Forget the huge hard drives of your average laptop, there's not much here. The maximum right now is 4GB for everything (soon jumping to 8GB), although there are slots for storage cards. You'll need them too if you want to play your music collection on the go.
3. Linux operating system:
Some people will love it, others will hate it. And working with Linux to adapt your Eee is enough to send the average inexperienced computer user running for a Sony in seconds. A Windows version is on the way, so you might want to wait if in doubt.
4. Free software isn't for everyone:
Yes, everything you need is here, but as it's all free (Firefox, Google Documents etc), so it might not be what you are used to - or what you want to work with. For business, maybe a standard notebook is more suited, even if it is dull, weighs a ton and has a battery life you can count in minutes.
5. DVD drive:
Want to watch a film? You'll have a job, as there's no DVD drive. You can hook up an external one, but do you really want to carry one around? Still, there's always YouTube when you're online or the BBC iPlayer (which now works with Linux).
Our Verdict:
This year's must have accessory. Expect more colours, more storage, more features, more accessories and more hype as 2008 progresses. Get one in your bag now - despite the downsides, it's a great little thing and superb if you need the net on the go.
Could we see a lot of them appearing on ebay from people who liked the idea, but don't get along with the OS etc? I'd buy one for less money for sure!
Posted by: Russgee | 02/22/2008 at 11:24 AM