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Small Size Vs. Usability
All of the aforementioned factors combined have the potential to make the Eee
PC the first successful "computing everywhere for everyone" device
that Intel fantasized about at the September 2007 IDF (see this youtube
video). The fact that their Celeron
M ULV 900MHz powers the Eee PC surely delights Intel, especially in light
of the AMD Geode powering the OLPC XO-1.
A key question is usability: Does the Eee PC have enough of it to be a truly
useful mobile computing device for everyone? The answer depends
at least partly on expectations.
The responsiveness felt fine to me, which jibes with most other reviewers.
There were no annoying lags or obvious bottlenecks with most tasks I tried.
Most reviewers seemed to prefer Eee over other smaller UMPC for the better usability
of its larger keyboard. Most also felt the 7" diagonal 800 x 480 screen
was fine, with good brightness and color.
Small adult hands can navigate the keyboard without much difficulty.
Larger hands would have a lot more trouble.
But what about when you compare the Eee to a bigger conventional laptop? If
you're expecting to exchange emails, view images and videos, scan a few web
pages and review the odd document, especially in short sessions, the Eee is
fine, and its mobility a great asset. But for me, trying to do more extended
work that's comfortable on a larger laptop — actually create documents,
work on spreadsheets, build web pages, or photo editing — very quickly
led to frustration mostly because of the lateral / horizontal scrolling that's
so often necessary on the small screen. As one
reviewer commented, "It's enough for only 18 lines of 12pt text in
OpenOffice." This is not to say one cannot adapt to using the Eee in this
way, but I, for one, would not be interested in making that kind of painful
adjustment.
This means I could not travel for work only with the Eee; it would have to
be considered a secondary machine for use on the run, perhaps on holiday or
around town if I really felt the need to be constantly connected. On the other
hand, that kind of mobile connectedness seems best served by something like
an Apple iPhone,
which is only a bit larger than a typical cellular phone, and far more convenient
for quick communication.
Some people at Asus must have anticipated reactions like mine, because at Computex
Taipei in June when the Eee PC was first shown, Asus suggested a selling price
of "about USD $299 for the 10" version." Asus contradicted
their own June
8/07 news release, however, and quashed persistent rumours about a 10"
screen version last week, saying it was not in their current plans. I wouldn't
count a larger screen model out, though.
The Eee PC screen is bordered on either side by a mesh plastic strip
perhaps an inch wide. It's where the tiny speakers are hidden. Is this
space into which the monitor screen could be expanded? |
Ubiquitous Computing for Everyone?
Again, we have to ask, what is your vision of "computing"? If it's
brief forays into web, email, image viewing, etc, via a small wireless mobile
computer, then OK, the Eee will work for you. But Asus has a vision of the Eee
PC being used not only by the young but also by the old, who do not have the
near vision and nimble small fingers of the young. I doubt the older target
audience would be as interested, although some might be interested in giving
it a try. Never mind my doubts: Asus reports that as the holiday season looms,
orders for the Eee PC are brisk.
My take is that it's an interesting attempt at ubiquitous mobile computing
for everyone, probably the best yet, but it's not without flaws and shortcomings.
This means little in terms of marketing success; business history is full of
examples of flawed products that came in at the right time, captured people's
whim and fancy, and sold shiploads. The Eee PC just the first of a whole series
of low priced computing products, both mobile and wired, that the industry will
roll out over the next year or two. Better ones (and probably worse ones) will
come along, you can be assured of it. It's all part of the effort to keep the
computer market growing.
When you come right down to it, the movement to cheaper, easier, more mobile
computers is not really about bringing them to "the next billion users",
as some companies have quipped. It's about selling the next billion computers...
never mind to whom.
Finally, Notes about Noise
It couldn't be an SPCR article without some discussion of noise, could it?
Of course not!
The Eee PC has no moving parts except a CPU cooling fan which is thermally
controlled to come on only when temperature rises above a certain point. It
was essentially silent through most of my short audition. If I pressed my ear
up to the unit, some electronic noise (hum, squeal) could be heard faintly at
a very low level, but this is perfectly normal for any electronics. Outside
of a serious anechoic chamber, there's no way this noise could be measured with
a sound level meter, and recording it would have been a serious challenge. Its
CPU cooling fan remained off most of the time, although other reviewers have
talked about it coming on more often. Perhaps they pushed their Eee PC harder
and longer. When the fan did come on, it was audible, but not at all offensive.
Unfortunately, the SPL with the fan on was not measured.
This is about all I can report. With the Linux OS, my familiar Windows torture
tools were not operative and there was no time to collect appropriate alternatives.
Perhaps we report back later with more detail, with another sample we can keep
longer.
Many thanks to Vivian Lien of Asus
for the short but sweet loan.
* * *
Reviews of the Asus Eee PC on other web sites:
PC
Perspective: Ultramobile Notebook with Linux
Hot
Hardware: Asus Eee PC Full Retail Review Showcase
Notebook
Review: Asus Eee PC 701 4G
PC
Magazine: Asus Eee PC 4G Full Review
Web commentary on the Asus Eee PC:
Ars
Technica - Game-changer: Asus Eee PC a win for Intel and Linux, at Microsoft's
expense
OLPC
News: A Closer Look at Asus Eee PC Impact on OLPC
* * *
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