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Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)

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Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)

#161

Post by jabbany »

cstross wrote: post #126

The physical form factor is still around today, if you want a notebook PC that's smaller than an ultrabook. Current flag carrier is probably the GPD P2 Max from Sheznhen's Gamepro Devices, a firm who started out making linux-based handheld game consoles around 2013 then branched out into netbooks. The first GPD Pocket stuck a maxed-out version of the Intel netbook spec sheet in a machined aluminum body with a 7" scre…

Was about to say this. The netbook (and in extension UMPC) niche never really died. It was a niche a decade ago and it's still a niche today.

One thing I will say is that, these tiny devices never fail to seem magical to the general public. I own (and from time to time use) a OneMix 2S Yoga, and even in this day and age with our smartphones and thin-and-light laptops, every time I pop it out on a bus or plane or at a conference, countless people strike up a conversation asking me what "that tiny laptop(/macbook*)" is...

* With the lid closed, the all-aluminum build does make the onemix 2s look like a shrunken down older Macbook Pro...

Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)

#162

Post by mkl »

otabdeveloper4 wrote: post #148
Sunspark wrote: post #15

The Eee PC 701 was amazing. It was really good for students who needed something small and light that they could take to the library, etc. The alternative back then was a heavy power-hungry full-size laptop. This is before all the stuff we take for granted today like tablets, etc. The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 was the next really good netbook. After those, Apple introduced the Macbook Air which came in a 11.6" size. Even…

https://www.asus.com/Laptops/For-Home/Everyday-use/ASUS-E203... How is this not a netbook in everything but name?

It has an 11.6-inch screen. Netbooks were tiny, more like 7-10".

Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)

#163

Post by wirrbel »

Sunspark wrote: post #15

The Eee PC 701 was amazing. It was really good for students who needed something small and light that they could take to the library, etc. The alternative back then was a heavy power-hungry full-size laptop. This is before all the stuff we take for granted today like tablets, etc. The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 was the next really good netbook. After those, Apple introduced the Macbook Air which came in a 11.6" size. Even…

I think I have never seen a chromebook in real life.

Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)

#164

Post by gtirloni »

wirrbel wrote: post #163
Sunspark wrote: post #15

The Eee PC 701 was amazing. It was really good for students who needed something small and light that they could take to the library, etc. The alternative back then was a heavy power-hungry full-size laptop. This is before all the stuff we take for granted today like tablets, etc. The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 was the next really good netbook. After those, Apple introduced the Macbook Air which came in a 11.6" size. Even…

I think I have never seen a chromebook in real life.

It's heavily used at schools these days. Also, a local college has thousands of them here.

Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)

#166

Post by mrweasel »

WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #4

I have one. Best kitchen computer ever. About 8 yrs worth of use for 99 bux. Battery is bad now but it's too expensive to replace. It might be time to replace.

This, and as the other comment says: Couch computing.

They weren't great computers as such, but for quickly looking up things or surfing the web they where fine. My father in-law kept one on the coffee table until it the battery just died after ten years or so. It was just a quick way to look up stuff or check emails.

There aren't really any good replacement. Personally I want a keyboard, so out goes the iPad and phone, Neither are device I truly enjoy using anyway. Even the modern ultra books are to big and devices like the GPD are too expensive.

Technically it seems like it would be way more feasible to build some like the EEE form factor today, but the market might be to small.

Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)

#167

Post by bluesquared »

maicro wrote: post #26
Sunspark wrote: post #15

The Eee PC 701 was amazing. It was really good for students who needed something small and light that they could take to the library, etc. The alternative back then was a heavy power-hungry full-size laptop. This is before all the stuff we take for granted today like tablets, etc. The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 was the next really good netbook. After those, Apple introduced the Macbook Air which came in a 11.6" size. Even…

I'll just throw this out there - GalliumOS works fairly well to convert a Chromebook into a full-fat Linux laptop. I've only installed it on one, but the process wasn't too hard. The end result is kinda hacky, and from what I recall there's not much development being done on Gallium of late, but it's still an option.

Still pretty hacky on my Acer Chromebook Flip C302, could never get audio working quite right. I'd agree and say GalliumOS on most Chromebooks is like mid-2000s desktop Linux hacky.

Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)

#169

Post by teddyh »

JoshTriplett wrote: post #32

The eee PC was also the original netbook used for the "booting Linux in five seconds" presentation at the first Linux Plumbers Conference: https://lwn.net/Articles/299483/ That presentation inspired a whole wave of boot optimizations across the industry, that recalibrated the expectations for what "boot fast" meant. If you look at some systems at the time, "boots in 30 seconds" was a selling point . Today, you can re…

“One neat thing about Suns is that they really boot fast. You ought to see one boot, if you haven’t already. It’s inspiring to those of us whose LispMs take all morning to boot.”

— John Rose, Pros and Cons of Suns (1987)

Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)

#170

Post by jokethrowaway »

I worked for 2 years with a netbook as a main machine. A Samsung N250; I might have bumped up the RAM to 2GB.

I could carry it everywhere and it was fast enough for KDE, Arch Linux and web development.

I was also young enough not to have problem with the 11' screen.

I think the screen broke during an hackathon (I think it fell) and I just plugged it to an external screen and kept on working.

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