I had one of these, it was great, although the micro-keyboard took some getting used to because I have big hands. My first Gen MacBook Air replaced it eventually. RIP
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)
#22Loved my EeePC 1000HE back in the day, ran FreeBSD on it along with many other committers and we were all carefully tweaking the milli-amperage (power drain) to maximize battery life. I used to remember how many mA some kernel modules and daemons consumed.
At some point I donated it to my startup to serve as a datacenter recovery console complete with a 3G USB modem.
On a trip to SF, I saw an Asus Eee Pad at BestBuy (and Android tablet) and couldn’t resist the power of the Eee marquee. It didn’t serve as well or as long as an iPad would, but had a great life and is still alive 11 years later.
Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)
#23I used one of these for uni for a while. The small screen is really not a barrier for just taking notes in class and the portability is so much better than a regular sized laptop (and the size makes it practically indestructible too).
It also makes for a surprisingly adequate dev environment if you get used to switching between virtual desktops for extra screen space.
Using an iPad instead of one of these would have been a total non starter[1]. If I was back at uni nowadays I'd probably just get the smallest laptop I could find with half decent battery life - funnily enough the new M1/M2 macbooks are pretty appealing, but I would love something in an even smaller form factor if possible.
[1] proper hinged lid is much nicer than a keyboard case with a kickstand, I need to be able to compile code and run arbitrary executables.
Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)
#24I had an eee that I absolutely loved. It could barely run multiple tabs in chrome but it was small enough I could fit it in a satchel. Did my undergrad begining to end with it.
Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)
#25My takeaway from the article: Microsoft gave ASUS a deal they couldn't refuse. ASUS took the bait and sold the Eee PC with Windows preinstalled but the version of Windows was a little too crappy. Ultimately this sealed their fate as people upgraded to a "real computer," resigning the Eee PC's position to that of a toy. Is this right?
Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)
#26The 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.
Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)
#27The 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…
pretty sure i bricked my eee doing a bios update so i could put linux on it.
Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)
#28Loved my Eee PC at the time. Just enough computer, cheap, small.
Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)
#29I'm glad my asuss eee is gone now, but in 2011 it was a fabulous travel aid for exploring italy - keeping us out of icky internet cafes and keeping us entertained on the long slow (railpass compliant) rail journeys. Netbooks became of course the small and underpowered laptop that many rely upon today. They also perhaps provided some of the foundation for iPad's success - giving Apple a clear starting point from which…
Me too. I bought one for a trip around Europe in 2010 or so. I wanted something:
* small and light
* cheap enough that I wouldn't cry if it was lost or stolen in sketchy hostels
* capable of using the web and checking email
Since there wasn't an iPad back then, and the iPhone was an expensive theft target, the eee was a perfect fit. The fact that it ran Linux was also cool. A year or two later I bought a MacBook Air and used that for the same purpose (more expensive, but I wasn't staying in hostels much at that point).
I'm not sure if the author was a child at the time or what, but these obviously fit a niche.
Re: Asus put out like 40 models of a laptop called the “Eee PC” (2021)
#30Asus has had some of the worst naming conventions on their laptop over the years.
Good luck figuring out which Zenbook UX3XX compares to which, with every configuration under the moon available.