New $499 Linux Notebook a winner.

[digby dart]

Selling fast in the USA is the ASUS eee PC mini notebook.

It will begin selling in Myer Sydney on December 1st 2007 for AU$499. It should be in other Myer Stores around Australia the day after.

It comes comes with a version of the linux operating system by Xandros. Later versions will appear sporting Win xp.

The initial linux version of the 'Eee PC 4G' available in australia will come with:

• 7" display 800x480
• Linux Operating System. Graphic user interface for simplicity and ease of use. Over 40 built-in applications. These include OpenOffice and Mozzilla. (The unit is also user installable WinXP compatible. Additional xp licence required.)
• WiFi and LAN
• 4GB soldis state disk drive + Durable, shock-proof solid-state design.
• VGA Camera
• Hi-Definition audio, Stereo speakers and Microphone.
• Battery 4 Cells: 5200 mAh, approx 3.5hrs.
• Weight 0.92 kg
• Memory card slot, 3 usb ports, ext monitor port, lan port, mic jack, headphone jack and ac adapter (included) jack.
• Touchpad.

I noted that Xandros have listed the Philips PCVC840K "ToUCam Pro II" as compatible with their operating system.

Linux compatable Astro software can be found at http://www.astrotips.com/
This includes linux versions of AstroStack 3, Field of View Calculator, Eyepiece Projection Calculator, QastroCam (for Philips webcams), GCX, AudeLA, Stellarium and others.

Whether the linux versions of these programs are compatable is yet to be seen. The same can be said for the Sky Chart / Cartes du Ciel program in its linux incarnation.

Anyway the Asus Eeee sounds very exciting for astronomy being a small lite inexpensive mini notebook.

[snowyskiesau]

I've been waiting to see what the price is for a model with 1GB memory and 8GB disk.
It might be on the Christmas pressie list if it's not too dear.

[citivolus (Ric)]

Hmm, combined with an external drive enclosure, it might make a good capture/autoguiding device.

These would also make good serial terminals using a serial to USB converter.

The CPU would seem to be a 900MHz Celeron M.

The 8G version is anticipated to be 25% more in the US than the 4G, so in good old Aussie import fashion, expect $700.

Shots here show three versions:

http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-14057-Asus+at+the+Computex+(Eee+inside).h tml

Note the 10" screen on one model. However, rumour has it that model never made it past prototype. Some recent info disputes that, though:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/14/a...0-inch-eee-pc/

Eric

[Lee]

It would be a very good portable autoguider - PHD has an OSX version - so surely a linux version wouldn't be too much to have ported.....

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by Lee

It would be a very good portable autoguider - PHD has an OSX version - so surely a linux version wouldn't be too much to have ported.....

Lee: From Craig Stark-

Currently, no. Camera drivers there are quite scarce for starters and the user base is a lot smaller than the BSD Unix of OS X.

Craig

----------------------
On Nov 24, 2007 7:01 PM, Chris Malikoff < chris@xxxxx.com.au> wrote:
Hi Craig - thanks for your contribution to my hobby

Do you intend to ever port any of your software to Linux?

Cheers
Chris Malikoff
Sydney Aust.

[digby dart]

"Think of Wine as a compatibility layer for running Windows programs. Wine does not require Microsoft Windows, as it is a completely free alternative implementation of the Windows API consisting of 100% non-Microsoft code, however Wine can optionally use native Windows DLLs if they are available. Wine provides both a development toolkit for porting Windows source code to Unix as well as a program loader, allowing many unmodified Windows programs to run on x86-based Unixes, including Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, and Solaris." source http://www.winehq.org/

Codeweaver CrossOver is an enhanced version. http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxoffice/

This German fellow has successfully run Google Sketchup on Linux. http://aksels.de/software.php#sketch

Some have even run PalmOS emulators on Linux.

If all else fails... run xp.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by digby dart

"Think of Wine as a compatibility layer for running Windows programs. Wine does not require Microsoft Windows, as it is a completely free alternative implementation of the Windows API consisting of 100% non-Microsoft code, however Wine can optionally use native Windows DLLs if they are available. Wine provides both a development toolkit for porting Windows source code to Unix as well as a program loader, allowing many unmodified Windows programs to run on x86-based Unixes, including Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, and Solaris." source http://www.winehq.org/

Codeweaver CrossOver is an enhanced version. http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxoffice/

This German fellow has successfully run Google Sketchup on Linux. http://aksels.de/software.php#sketch

Some have even run PalmOS emulators on Linux.

If all else fails... run xp.

Agreed - as long as this lappy's distro comes with a decent implementation of Wine. I gave an affirmative discussion on the merits of Wine in another post here a little while back - and even run Photoshop & InDesign successfully on my RH8 box at home.

[dannat (Daniel)]

Would you be able to load osX onto such a device - I think in theory you should but in practice you can't? do any mac users out there know -

[GiveItAGoGavo]

Originally Posted by dannat

Would you be able to load osX onto such a device - I think in theory you should but in practice you can't? do any mac users out there know -

OSx I dont think so, XP yes, though the reduced CPU power would be notable...

there was quite a chunky thread on it here...

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum...s.cfm?t=756489

lots of info in there... hope you find what your looking for.

[turbo_pascale (Rob)]

OS X will not run on anything but a Mac without a serious hack to remove all reference to their code that checks to see if it is running on a genuine Apple.

<OFF-TOPIC RANT ON>

Note also, that as much as everybody loves Apple's OS (I like the look of it a lot too), it's prime reason for stability is the fact that Apple knows, and tests all hardware that is going to run on their OS, and reliance on 3rd party drivers is minimal and controlled.

Imagine running Windows using ONLY WQHL approved drivers!
Why do you think that they don't make it "PC" compatible - not because of the hardware sales! It's because of the nightmare it would cause with drivers and system stability.

I am TRULY amazed that my Vista boxes can basically work with 98% of my legacy gear, out of the box, without having to dig up driver disks - I have lots of old bits plugged in to my new systems, and they just work. Don't get me wrong though! Lots of stuff DOESN'T work, but can I really blame Microsoft for not having OS drivers built in for 6 year old hardware?

OTOH, I can blame them for pandering to the unwashed masses of dumb users and requiring that they prompt for every action performed, being over-protective of user permissions etc (this drives me absolutely nuts, and even with all sorts of tweaks and registry settings, still can't quite get Vista's claws out of my files!) I am praying that Service Pack 1 will perform some miracles, as my hard drives are surely going to die premature deaths from the near constant thrashing they get at the hands of the "phantom who-knows-what-is-going-on" processes in vista.

</RANT OFF>

Turbo

[citivolus (Ric)]

As anti Microsoft as I am, I will grant you your point about hardware stability and drivers. I can't imagine trying to create a stable product where its entire interface to the world is coded by third parties, and 80% of the drivers released by manufacturers are not run through official certification.


Of course, that 80% number is speculative, but it seems to be growing daily. I can't remember the last driver I installed that didn't prompt me to STOP.

[sejanus (Gavin)]

Originally Posted by turbo_pascale

Note also, that as much as everybody loves Apple's OS (I like the look of it a lot too), it's prime reason for stability is the fact that Apple knows, and tests all hardware that is going to run on their OS, and reliance on 3rd party drivers is minimal and controlled.

Imagine running Windows using ONLY WQHL approved drivers!
Why do you think that they don't make it "PC" compatible - not because of the hardware sales! It's because of the nightmare it would cause with drivers and system stability.


Turbo

it's not just the limited amount of hardware support. it's more about the bsd underpinnings. I am a network/system engineer for an isp - our freebsd servers never crash. and I do literally mean we have never had one crash. uptimes are as long as the machine has been in service, which for a few servers is over 720 days at the moment.

Our windows servers, running on IBM X series servers, running win 2003 server with only approved drivers - need to be rebooted every few weeks. In addition every week we need to restart a app or service or some little glitch. The funny thing is the bsd servers are actually busier boxes.

[citivolus (Ric)]

My personal records for *BSD are around 900 days, with 1200+ days on some Solaris systems (behind firewalls where they didn't need to be rebooted for kernel patches). The inevitable reboots actually happened when the UPS that they were behind tripped at the end of one of California's infamous rolling blackouts a few years back.

However, the important thing to remember in the case of BSD is that the drivers do have a central controlling structure which dictates what changes make it to release and also requires some fairly thorough testing, unlike with Windows, where the hardware manufacturer may release some very questionable code.

[mrsnipey]

Apparently you can load OSX Leopard 10.5 onto the eee.
http://uneasysilence.com/archive/2007/11/12654/

[h0ughy (David)]

thought this was going to be ok but the battery life is far too short and there is not much system capacity and you cannot upgrade the ram. I think this model falls short because of the price - $200 cheaper then maybe ok

[jay019]

Originally Posted by h0ughy

you cannot upgrade the ram.

Um, just undo the ram cover in the back, put in new ram and your ram is upgraded.

Or have they significantly changed the specs?

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by jay019

Um, just undo the ram cover in the back, put in new ram and your ram is upgraded.

Or have they significantly changed the specs?

there is a sticky security tab over one of the screws - undo that and you void your warranty, but I wondered as well whether or not you could just wack in a big 2 gig stick

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

I finally got to see one of these 'little wee beasties' (as Scottie would say) at Officeworks a couple of days ago.

Man, it's tiny!!!!! Not much use for imaging! The screen is too small and it runs slow.

Good for a novelty, or to make the trendy's look good traveling on a train

[jay019]

Originally Posted by h0ughy

there is a sticky security tab over one of the screws - undo that and you void your warranty, but I wondered as well whether or not you could just wack in a big 2 gig stick

Originally Posted by wikipedia

A controversy over a "warranty void if removed" sticker on the RAM access cover panel has prompted ASUS to release a statement clarifying the matter. The warranty will not be void in areas where it is not a legally proper act to use such a sticker, but it may still be effective in countries where limitations like that may be used. It is very sensitive to the laws of each particular country whether or not the sticker is enforceable to void a warranty claim.

The following link to ASUSTeK goes into more detail, but I'm not sure if Australia is a coutry where those stickers are illegal or not. I know I dont have one on my Toshiba anywhere.

[acropolite (Phil)]

I had a play with a mates Eee PC 900, 20Gb drive and 2Gb Ram with Linux and I was very impressed. I'd like to see what it runs like with XP.