Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

"Of course, all I can do is offer an opinion: that and a buck will get you cup of coffee at McDonald’s. But that’s what he asked me for, so here’s my opinion on the best netbook for the money right now. I ruled out any device with an 8.9-inch display in my thought process. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, but the larger 10-inch screens represent nice “bang for buck”. You can always upgrade some components, like memory or storage capacity, but you’re generally stuck with a screen size for the life of a device. This pushed the current Acer Aspire One, the Dell Mini 9 and some of the Asus Eee PCs out of contention."

Great article. I was looking at the HP 1035NR at $450 as a replacement computer for my wife. She currently has a 5 year old Compaq laptop, so about time for an upgrade. While not quite as sexy looking as the HP, the ASUS Eee PC 1000HA is quite the bang for the buck.

"A netbook as we’ve come to know it is a small laptop that is cheap. That’s about it, although the term can be confusing, as larger notebooks are sometimes called netbooks, since that is currently the hot buzzword. So you want to get a small, cheap notebook (or netbook) if you will, what are the five things you should know before plunking down your cash? 1. How are you going to use your device? 2. How much screen do you need? 3. How small of a keyboard will you tolerate? 4. Do you need the (heavier) extended battery? 5. Can you walk away from Windows?"

I recently upgraded from the original Eee to the Acer Aspire One. The above article really hits it on the head for me. Everyone had different needs but here is my take on each of the 5 items mentioned. 1. I use or want to be able to use my netbook for almost everything I would use my regular computer for, save video editing. I fully recognize that a netbook pretty much by definition would not have the horsepower. I also don't really intent to do things like sync my Zune, or even load my music collection on to it. 2. The screen is a biggie. The 7 inch screen on the Eee was OK, but the 800x480 resolution was not bearable. I'd be satisfied with a 7 inch screen at 1024x600, but like the 8.9 inch screen on the Aspire One, except for the glossy finish. 3. Keyboard really depends on how big your hands are. The Aspire keyboard is noticeably bigger than the Eee, but I have fairly small hands and did not have much of a problem typing on the Eee. I'd really like to see a tablet version with no keyboard at all, but built in Bluetooth to connect to a fold-up keyboard when necessary. 4. I don't really need the extended battery since I mostly use mine either at work or home, but I would like a more economical option for a second power adapter. I don't want to pay nearly 25% of the cost of the device just for a second adapter. 5. Windows vs. Linux - I really liked Ubuntu on the Eee. But there were a few key things I wanted that I needed Windows for, namely Slingbox and Netflix video streaming.

"Computer maker ASUS is now offering a PC in the style of Apple’s iMac: all hardware is contained within the monitor. However, the Eee Top features a touch-sensitive 15.6-inch widescreen (16:9) display, making it more akin to HP’s TouchSmart range of all-in-one computers. What’s cool about the 4.3kg computer, which incidentally is based on the technology behind ASUS’ Eee PC mini laptop, is that the display can be controlled using either the supplied stylus or your kid’s grubby fingers. ASUS has even gone to the effort to develop exclusive touch-optimised software applications. Fear not, a wired keyboard and mouse are also included, should you want the machine to last longer than a week."

This looks like another great, value-packed device from Asus. But, I wish Asus would just go ahead and rename the company Eee so at least their branding strategy would make a little more sense.

"Thanks to their utilitarian design and low prices, netbooks are inspiring a booming subculture of hackers souping up their liliputers with touchscreens, GPS and unauthorized operating systems like Apple's Mac OS X. As netbook sales continue to soar, more and more tech-savvy grease monkeys are dismantling netbooks to add fancy features including back-lit keyboards, GPS and longer-lasting batteries."

Other than upgrading the OS to Ubuntu, I have not modified my Eee at all. That said, I'm tempted to add Bluetooth and GPS after reading this article. Any of you with netbooks done any interesting mods?

DecalGirl has been around for a while now providing high quality skins for your various gadgets. When I was looking for a way to dress up my Asus Eee PC, they were my first stop. I was pleased to see that they offered 55 different designs for the Eee. They've got designs to suit most tastes and the coordinate nicely with both the black and white models. I chose the “Bones” skin pictured above. After the break, we'll will get it installed and see how it looks on my black Eee. Read more...

I've been wanting to do something to my Eee to make it stand out a bit (not that its diminutive size doesn't already attract attention when I take it out in public). DecalGirl looks to have just the ticket with 52 skins specifically for the Eee. I've got a review sample on the way, so look for my impressions soon, but if you can't wait, they'll only set you back $12.99.

"In some respects, when we think about what the capabilities of a $349 desktop system should be like, we can't help but be impressed what Asus has achieved and the overall value of the Eee Box. What's more impressive though is the Eee Box's absolutely tiny form-factor and completely miserly power consumption. The original Eee PC notebook cultivated quite an enthusiastic following in the marketplace and we think the Eee Box is likely to as well. When you stop to think of the numerous embedded applications for a computer this size (kiosk, digital signage, car computer, etc), the market acceptance of the Eee Box should by all rights be just as impressive as previous generation Eee PC products."

There are so many things to like about this. I could easily see this as the perfect computer for the less than tech savvy family member that really just wants to go on-line. Heck this would cover 90% of my needs and is almost worth buying just for what you could save on electricity versus a normal desktop.

"The upcoming Dell E mini notebook may finaly make its appearance next month and may be one of the least expensive, claim alleged insiders. The 8.9-inch portable will have the same 1.6GHz Atom processor, Linux, and flag storage storage of many similar devices but will purportedly sell in August for just $299, or $80 less than the Acer Aspire One that has held the price crown in the class for just a matter of weeks. The most recent leak suggests Dell will reach the low price through a model known as the E Classic, which will have just 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and Linux; the more popular model will likely be the more expensive E Video with doubled RAM, storage, and a built-in webcam."

Well unless this baby sprouts some warts, I think I'll be picking one up to replace my Eee. Since the specs are equal to or better than the Eee in every way, I imagine it will outperform it as well as have a much better screen. It is really all down to the Linux distro then end up with and how well they optimize it.

"The Aspire one has the potential to be a very solid mini-notebook at an incredibly competitive price. At $379, this system is cheaper than the Eee PC 900 series ($550 - $600), the MSI Wind (planned at $399 with Linux and $499 with XP), and the HP MiniNote (starts at $499, but most configs are much higher). It even sports a better price than the 7-inch first-gen Eee PC 4G (still $399 in most places), while offering a powerful Atom processor and a 1024×600 screen."



I'll be keeping my eye on this one. It has the bigger screen that I'm looking for over my current Eee but without the significantly higher price many of the competitors have.

"Asus singlehandedly created the budget mini-laptop market. And now, sadly, it would seem that they've priced themselves out of it. Laptop Mag finally got Asus to announce a prices of their new 8.9" Asus Eee (901) and their 10.2" Asus Eee (1000). And confirming long-standing rumors, the $399 pricepoint is a distant dream."



I couldn't agree more. I'm not saying that these still aren't a good deal, but Asus is forgetting the fact that the super low prices are what got everyone so excited by the Eee in the first place. Previous to the Eee, small laptops usually involved a compromise in power AND a premium price. The Eee not only got rid of the premium, but was priced to be at a discount to pretty much any other laptop out there. These new models have bumped up the price just enough that they are now on part with average laptops, and in doing so have taken some of the halo off the brand.

"The Eee PC 900 is an exciting little laptop on the surface but, when you break it down to the basics, it isn’t all that dissimilar to the original Eee PC – and that throws the whole thing into a state of confusion. What has the Eee PC 900 got going for it? Well, there’s more memory, more storage capacity and a larger screen. That’s it really and, while the trackpad is nice, it doesn’t anything fundamentally important to the Eee PC. The key though is in the screen – it’s that which is the real deal clincher here and the extra screenage is a really important addition, making the Eee so much easier to use and so much more appealing. There’s also the matter of the processor to bear in mind – Asus has said it will be taking advantage of the new Atom CPUs when they become available. That’ll bring more speed and less power consumption to the Eee immediately. That means that if you’re really hungry for battery power and performance then you may be better off waiting, grabbing an Eee further down the line when Atom is unleashed later this year."




Asus has corrected what was one of my only gripes with the original Eee. Unfortunately, they meddled with some other specs that ended up increasing the price, namely adding a much more storage. The new 900 model is still a great deal at $549, but percentage-wise, this is a lot more expensive than the $349 I paid for the current model. I'd have liked to seen a $399 model identical to the original except for the addition of the larger screen, or even just the same size screen, but with a higher resolution.

"Asus Eee owners now have access to a USB HDTV Tuner from Asus, with Linux drivers! It’s a requirement as the majority of Eee users run the pre-installed linux. The catch is: the My Cinema U3100 Mini tuner supports DVB-T & DMB-TH, two TV broadcast standards unsupported in the USA. At the moment, it has been reported that H.264 decoding is missing, which is a real problem with HDTV broadcasting... and that recording isn’t possible, which is probably OK, given the 2GB or 4GB of storage that the computer has. Finally, note that the Eee 7” display is not really “HD” anyways."



I about jumped out of my chair in excitement when I first saw this. Then I realized it would do me no good in the US. Still you've got to like the fact the Asus is supporting the Eee in this way.

"The scoop wire was running late tonight and these shots of Asus' upcoming Eee Desktop made their way to our inbox just now, so we thought we'd give you the digital relay on the skinny... literally. Though it's hard to get a sense of size here, this thing is obviously svelte. We don't have firm details but since this is an Asus "Eee" product, we can assume it follows the same mantra of "Easy to Learn, Easy to Work, Easy to Play". Maybe a beefed up Linux distro and application bundle? We'll see..."



Looks sweet. I'll be really interested in seeing the specs on this. I'm suspecting it will not use much electricity. If so, I'm hoping to hook it up next to my main rig with a KVM switch and then just use it for most light work/web surfing and only fire up the big rig for photo/video editing and such.

"These pics of the Netbook were reportedly taken at an undisclosed OEM facility. The preliminary specs look similar to the second-generation Eee PCs as it weighs less than 3 pounds, 900MHz Celeron M processor, 512MB RAM, WiFi, Ethernet, 40GB HDD and more importantly a 9-inch diagonally wide LCD. To make this Netbook more convenient, Intel also decided to throw in a carry handle similar to the one on Classmate PC."



While I love the competition in this space, I've got to ask, does anyone really want an UGLY handle on their machine? Manufacturers, unless it is tough enough not to need a case, please don't add a handle.

"The early success of Asus’ EEE PC appears to have spawned yet another competitor, this time from Taiwanese manufacturer Acer. According to the Chinese paper Commercial Times, Acer is preparing a direct competitor to the EEE for the first or second quarter of this year. While details on the new model were somewhat sparse, the notebooks will come with both 8 and 9 inch screens, which will be produced by AU Optronics, another Taiwanese company. Oddly enough, this is the same company supply to screens to Asus, so Acer’s equivalent will share some blood with its main competitor. Prices on the new models are actually predicted to be below existing EEE models."

I'll be really curious to see how Acer, or any other company for that matter, improves on the Eee. My best suggestion would be to up the screen resolution to at least 1024 x 768. Any other ideas for improvements?