Cheap subnotebook: Asus EEE or something else?
 

Before accidentally happening upon a page showcasing the EEE, I'd never imagined I could get an ultra-portable PC for £200ish (I know there's a thread on this forum that I should've read months ago!). At this price point, I'm quite interested!
I've got a 3 year old 17" Fujitsu-Siemens that's been slightly updated (160GB HDD, 2GB RAM plus a couple of new, stronger batteries) and will hopefully cover my PC needs for the next 1-1.5 year till I buy a proper, high-end desktop, but something like the EEE would be fine about 80% of the time, and save me from carrying (and further abusing) the FS.
I need the following:

- USB
- SD or microSD reading capability (including High Capacity). If it comes with a small hard disk (as the EEE does), the ability to install programmes on an SD.
- At least 512 MB RAM (preferably 1GB or at least the possibility of expansion)
- Wi-fi
- Not an Apple product/OS. Linux is fine (I have no experience of it but I'm interested in learning), as are Windows.
- Capable of delivering reasonable quality audio (reasonable as in not much worse than what you'd expect from a normal laptop or HDD MP3 player), and ideally equipped with 3.5mm (or even mini-USB) input for headphones and mic (for VOIP).
- Under £250 (€400, $500) and available in Europe (would consider something that I can buy in HKG, as I will be there soon).

Is the EEE the most reasonable choice, or have you got anything else to recommend?

Garapas-the EEE is going to be the YES to all of the above.
Spring for the 4g delux(not the Surf)
Check out the long thread-and the links to the EEEusers forum and the notebookguyy forum.
I am hoping and waiting for a price drop(has not happned yet)or the bigger screen but will be the first in line when one of these events occur.

cheers. I will start my research soon. :D
Just a quick one for now...Is RAM expandable and up to how much?

You can see the post for EEE spec released back in October: Light, Small & Cheap

Look into other EEE threads, you should find more updated discussion there.

An possible alternative to EeePC is the Everex CloudBook, if they ever get it released.

Specwise they are almost identical with CloudBook elect to use a 30 GB hard disk vs. EeePC's 4 GB SSD. CloudBook's VIA C7 processor has higher clock frequency to EeePC's 900 MHz Intel processor, but performs about the same due to slight architecture inefficiency.

In Europe, I think it's sold under the Packard Bell brand. Ahh, a name that brings back (painful) memories.

I'm looking into one of these myself. I'd like to get an 8G if I go for it though. Bigger internal flash drive and more RAM. This machine is impressive, and IMHO will revolutionize the Ultraportable market.

FWIW; I posted a review of the EEE PC with XP on it here

Get an eee (if you can find one). I've never been so impressed with a piece of kit (and I'm as tech geek as most blokes). It just does what you need it to for 220 quid. It's not a desktop, or for that matter, a laptop replacement. It's just a perfect traveling companion. Stick in an 8gb card and it'll carry all you need. Your music library is on an iPod anyway. Put a few compressed films on it and stop worrying that AVOD is not working yet again. I've put XP on mine (because i had it) and you can do some good things with the desktop....

http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/7935/desktopst7.jpg

I have nothing against the EEE's, so don't take it this way, but if you need a fully functioning XP machine, Dell has a couple dozen 12 inch screen 410's off lease they recertify, wipe the disk, etc for the $400 to $450 range.

A bit less if you don't want an operating system.

The inventory changes daily, but it's worth looking at if you are in the market. 100 day warantee.

They aren't on the dell site, their financing group resells separatly, over at

www.dfsdirectsales.com

Not new, not the most up to date, but sometimes they have deals that are hard to beat.

I have read online that new Eee PC models are coming out in April with better screens. I'm holding out until then to make my purchase.

Thanks for the info Mike,very usefull

I have the eee and like it a lot. The only problem I have had with it is that the version of presentation software that comes with it wont work with my Power Points. So it means that when I am traveling and giving talks that I cant use it. If all I am using it for is mail, web, Word and Excel documents it works great. On the other hand, I wont know until I load them on tonight, but Im guessing my Power Point presentations will work fine on my MB Air ;)

At almost 10 times the price I'd certainly hope so :D

It's almost impossible to get the b@st@rd. Everyone seems to be out of stock..."preorder for delivery from dd/mm"...as if they'll actually deliver it on that date...
Anyone know anywhere in HKG where I can pick it up? (may end up asking on the HK forum)

your powerpoint presentations won't work even when you save them as pack&go presentations?