The name leaves it wide open for sick rhymes, but the Asus Eee is quite the pint-sized performer. It is a superduperultraportable running on Asus’s modified Linux OS. The keyboard is almost too tiny to be useful; but with a modicum of hand-eye retraining, it works. The Asus Eee has a 7-inch screen, bordered by two speaker grilles. Atop the screen is a built-in webcam. Lid closed, it could pass for a pocketbook. It could even fit in an evening bag.
I got the white version. A computer shop near the house offered it in a package with an 80 GB external drive, and with 0% on installment I think it qualifies as one of the best tech deals this season. It is not a primary computer, not by any means. The 4 GB hard drive hardly qualifies as a hard drive. For frequent travelers and kids, it’s a fantastic option at an irresistible price point. (Street prices reportedly range from around P18,000 to P19,000. Most cards will let you pay in 12 monthly installments.)
It is impressive how Linux sits in it quietly and compactly, and does its Windows mimic well. I feel better about buying a PC preloaded with Linux; I can convince myself that I haven’t really strayed that far away from the cult of Mac.
More later.