Debian Desktop

Here are a couple of screenshots from my Debian install on the Eee.  This last week I haven’t had a lot of opportunity to play with the Eee (real life always seems to get in the way) but I am leaning towards a Debian variant called Kanotix.  I like some of the modifications to the base Debian system that the Kanotix team has done and am looking forward to trying it out on the Eee.

Latest Eee News

Well, I’m in a bit of a quandry.  Not, mind you, with the Eee itself…but rather with which Linux distro I would like to have as my main operating system.  I have to admit, I am very partial to Debian itself, though not as much to the Debian variants like Xandros, or the -buntu family.  I do have Debian Lenny installed right now, and it works pretty well.  My only trouble is that I am not having much success with getting Compiz/Compiz-Fusion/Beryl running on it.  This is the same problem that I have with my desktop running Lenny.  I’ve been through several of the different online tutorials, but so far no luck.  The built in wireless adapter works great with ndiswrapper and the drivers from the cd.  So, really, the only thing I can’t get running is the “eyecandy.”  I know, the eyecandy isn’t all THAT important, but still, I’d like to be able to have it if I want it.

The other thing I can’t decide is whether or not I want a full-featured desktop (ie KDE 4) or something a little lighter.  I did boot up openSUSE 11 alpha on the Eee in live CD mode, and took a short look around, but other than that I have stayed with Debian on my Eee.

So there you have it, the latest and greatest from my experiences with my Eee.  As I finally decide on my distro of choice and get settled in, I’ll be posting tips and tricks that I learn along the way.

The Advanced Desktop

Changing over to the Advanced desktop on the Eee is not really a big deal.  I’m still a linux newbie, but can get around with the CLI (command line interface) okay.  I’ve found the following steps to be an easy way to launch the Advanced desktop:

1) Make sure that you are connected to the internet

2) Open a terminal window by typing Ctrl + Alt + t (this should bring up a new window)

3) Type sudo apt-get update and hit Enter

4) Type sudo apt-get install kmserver kicker and hit Enter

5) Hit the power button or click on the shutdown icon in the lower left corner of the screen

6) On the restart menu select Advanced (I think it says “Advanced”…I’m doing this from memory as I now have a new distro installed on my Eee…more on that later)

Here’s the Eee’s Advanced desktop

 

 The default Advanced desktop

The Advanced desktop menu system

The Advanced desktop with the taskbar hidden (to save screen real estate)

The Easy Desktop

Here are screenshots from the six main tabs on the default Xandros desktop for the Eee. They are Internet, Work, Learn, Play, Settings, and Favorites. This is known as the Easy desktop for the Eee and I have to admit is pretty good for what it is. If the majority of an Eee user’s time was to be spent in word processing or on the internet, this interface will allow them to do those things very easily.

Valentineees

To honor Valentine’s Day, Costco has been selling a special Eee 4G 701 in Blush Pink with a commemorative Valentine’s box.  Here are a couple of pics…

Eee: Build Quality

If you don’t want to read this mini-review on the build quality of the Eee, I’ll summarize it in one sentence: I am impressed.  If you want to find out why, read on.

The Eee has one main design choice that would normally be a hindrance to its build quality.  It is simply that this machine is designed to be a portable low cost internet device.  Manufacturers often will cut corners when designing and producing this genre of machine.  Those “corners”, while keeping the costs down, usually are glaring reminders to the end user of the price they paid for their machine.

I am happy to report that these “corners” aren’t obvious to me with the Eee.  Asus has somehow found the happy medium between quality and low cost.  Let me give you some examples.

THE CASE
When Asus designed the case for the Eee, they must have taken their cues from designs twice the size of the Eee.  (Be it their own line of notebook computers or those of other manufacturers.)  The finish is the first thing one notices about this machine during the unboxing.  On my unboxing video, I compared it to the finish on my Dell Inspiron 4000.   The case material is slightly textured, resulting in a low glare case.  Since I purchased the Galaxy Black 701, I am not sure what the other finishes are like, especially on the White models.

FEEL
One of the things that make a small electronic device feel “cheap” or “plasticky” is light weight.  Add to that any flimsiness, and the perceived value is much less than reality.  If I were to describe the feel of the Eee in one word, it would be “solid”.  The device feels like it should weigh somewhere between four to six pounds.  Not that it feels heavy, mind you, but rather it feels so solid that it “should” be that heavy.  Overall, this machine feels like a much more expensive device.

DESIGN
The smaller a portable computer gets, the more compromises, generally speaking, a computer manufacturer has to make.  The Eee seems to have been designed with a minimum of compromises, and in fact, shows some innovative ideas.

Take for instance, the slightly angled keyboard.  Many laptops sit perfectly flat, providing no slope to the keyboard at all.  The Eee sits at a comfortable slope, slightly inclining the keyboard away from the user and proving to be an extremely usable input device for its size.

As another example, consider the hinge design used on the Eee…it is massive!  The size of the hinges seems to be taken directly from a much larger notebook and adapted directly to the Eee without any size reduction…and the result…an extremely durable and rugged design that will withstand the constant use it will see in the field.

KEYBOARD
For its size, the keyboard is extremely usable.  As we have just noted, it sits at a slight angle, facilitating a more comfortable typing environment.  While I haven’t typed up a novel (yet) on the Eee, I have found the keyboard to be quite usable.  Some people have noted the small right-hand shift key and have found that they are likely to hit the up arrow instead of the shift key by accident.  So far, this has not been a problem for me.  The shift key actually seems to be placed right about where it would be on a full size keyboard.  For me, this helps to alleviate any  feeling of being cramped.

The attention to detail that Asus has exemplified in the design of this machine is duly reflected in the keyboard.  The keys are very usable and have a nice “feel” to them.  I find myself typing at a rate comparable to what I do on a full sized keyboard.  The only negative comment that I would say is that the keys have a bit of a loose feel to them.  That is not a problem and is certainly not unique to the Eee.  My HP Jornada 680 feels even looser.

Well, those are just a few observations on the Eee.  I am sure that I will come up with quite a list of things about it as I continue to use it.  My hat’s off to Asus for the Eee.

First Glitch

Well, I had my first glitch with the Eee today.  I booted it up for a photoshoot, and the desktop appeared as black, no tabs, icons, etc.  The taskbar did show up at the bottom, so restarting the machine was simple.  That is the first “problem” that I have had with the Eee.  On reboot, the screen came up properly.

What Do You Want To Know?

What kind of reviews or information do you want to know about the Eee?  I plan on doing as many reviews and tutorials as possible and as time allows, but would like some ideas on what other people want to know.  Do you have any concerns or worries about the device?  Are you thinking about buying one but have a couple of unanswered questions?  Let me know and I’ll see what I can do.  I am planning on enabling the advanced mode very soon and then on to different linux distros, so if you have any questions about the default setup be sure to let me know.

First Eeempressions

Ok, in three words…”I love it!” The Eee is small, light, extremely portable, and seems to be the perfect mobile companion. Unfortunately, I had Reserve duty this weekend, so I didn’t get a chance to spend much time using it yet. (I did forgo sleep on Friday night to do some basic stuff: set up wireless, type a little in OOo (OpenOffice.org), and surf the web. I played a whole bunch of YouTube clips and it appears that my battery life is very close to the estimated 2.8 hours. I’ll get to know it better as I try some of the power saving suggestions like turning off the wireless, muting the speakers, etc. At any rate, here are a few pictures from Friday night.

Unboxing My Eee

Here is my first “tube” and my first look at my Eee. It arrived today via UPS while I was at work, so I didn’t have a chance to open it until I got home tonight. Even though I had made that cardboard mockup, it still doesn’t compare to seeing the thing in real life. I chose to charge the battery prior to using the computer (yeah, that was hard). It took about 1 hr and 45 min to fully charge. The initial bootup went quickly and it was nothing at all to get on the Internet wirelessly. I’ll post more of my experiences with the Eee in the next few days.