Asus EEPC

I was looking for a PDA or new smartphone to replace my Nokia N95 but couldn't really decide on anything I liked. They all seemed to offer most of the things I wanted but not all in one bundle. After a bit of searching I happened to come across a website advertising the EEPC for sale. At first I thought it was a kiddies toy but with a bit more searching I came across the EEPC Forum which was full of users praising it. I decided to order myself the 4gb white model and see what all the fuss was about. I chose the 4gb model based on tips I'd found on varying websites mentioning the fact that it has unsoldered RAM and a RAM door in the bottom of the case so you could easily upgrade it. Something which the 2gb model is missing.

When it arrived I was surprised at just how small it is - it's barely bigger than a DVD case and felt solid and well made. The EEPC comes pre-loaded with a linux distro that boots incredibly fast and is pre-loaded with over 40 applications including Pidgin - an IM client that connects to just about anything you can think of including IRC. Openoffice, Skype, Firefox, Tux Paint, virus scanner and other educational entertainment software, E-mail, and Internet radio applications,plus links to Google Docs and Wikipedia.

Driver support seems equally good with the device being able to pick up all the USB devices I've thrown at it such as external webcam (the Asus EEPC has one built in too) Ipod, mobile phones and external USB harddrives.

If you're not happy with having to use Linux they also throw in a CD full of drivers for XP so setting up Windows on your machine is easy. You will need to have access to a USB CDROM drive or USB memory stick to do this though as the EEPC is too small to house it's own CDROM drive.

While lacking a CDROM drive the EEPC sure makes up for it in other areas such as connectivity. With 3 USB ports, Ethernet, Webcam, Microphone, VGA output, Wifi, SSD Card reader and headphone sockets, you'll be sure to have enough options on the move. Sure you might be wishing it also had bluetooth or the missing CDROM drive but for the price you really can't argue.

If you're looking for a small lightweight mobile device or even a new PDA, I highly recommend you take a look at the Asus EEPC too before you make your choice.

Useful links :

Mini-Reviews [http://mini-reviews.blogspot.com]

EEPC Forum

Live interactive demo of the included Linux distro

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