Scott Cheatham’s Weblog

The ASUS Eee PC was released late last year just in time for Christmas. At the time it was announced, many in the computing world dismissed it as a child’s laptop with it’s super easy interface and small stature.

Fast forward a few months. Now, ASUS can’t keep up with demand for these little beauties. As a fan of the LINUX OS platform, I’ve watched from the sidelines to see how this would play out. Would users even realize the packaged OS was a version of LINUX and not the standard Windows fare. As my desktop computer ages, I’m considering wiping the hard drive and running LINUX on it so my kids can use it without having to worry about the soon to be non-support of Windows for the XP OS software. I’m all for improvements but the cost to keep up with Windows can be quite prohibitive. LINUX doesn’t have this problem. The folks at ASUS realized the cost savings in using a LINUX distribution as it’s base OS and many folks like it. Statistics show that nearly 7 out of 10 purchasers keep the LINUX OS on these micro-laptops because of ease of use and efficiency. Windows XP can be installed on these machines but why do so? They do so many things well. Here’s a few reasons why I like this new generation of machines and why I will likely purchase one in the next year when I’m ready:

• Cost. The cost of these machines are based on the size of the flash memory you want. The stock models come with 2gb flash drives (no hard drives to crash!) but 4gb and 8gb models are available if you want to pay more for them. Still, the average American price for one of these laptops is under $500 and you get software pre-installed, wi-fi ready, and a super cool machine for a low cost.
• Durability. With no moving parts (besides a fan) these machines run whisper quiet, use flash memory in place of a hard drive, and hold up to normal use (a must with its small size and ease of use. These will be taken everywhere).
• Compatibility. With Google Docs around, Microsoft Office isn’t an issue anymore but this computer comes with Open Office 2.0 installed. With its LINUX OS, proprietary files aren’t a big deal. This is the reason I have yet to ever take the APPLE plunge and purchase a laptop from the local APPLE store. The cost is high, and software is proprietary. The days of APPLE being the rebel against the evil Microsoft empire are no more. Steve Jobs would be Bill Gates if it were possible. LINUX truly is the only open source OS out there and is constantly being improved. The desktop features on a LINUX OS rival the best Mac desktops out there. look around and see for yourself.
• Efficiency. Quite simply, these machines will do all I need. My bible resources are now 2.0 based so compatibility and re-loading them is not an issue anymore. I primarily use Ebible as my study resource along with the ESV Literary Study Bible online site and the soon to be established ESV Study Bible site that will be launched this fall with the release of the new Study Bible. I still have my manbag to tote around what few resources I use (my Randall House commentary series books!) that aren’t digital yet.

I’m not ready to purchase just yet. I have a few other bills to take care of first but I’m pretty sold on this little, light, durable, machine. Many who use them tout their ease of travel, ability to be used in smaller spaces (airline seats anyone!), and they do all that I will want from a travel laptop. It’s the perfect blend between the micro keys of a cellphone device and the best of a standard size laptop.

Does anyone else use one of these machines? If so, I’d love to hear your feedback on your experience.