The EEE PC ... What it could be.

I've been looking at the EEE PC from ASUS. It seems to me to be a wonderful thin client. I know everyone is keen on pointing out it's shortcomings.

Let's start with the lament that it has a small keyboard, but that's what USB is for. It is also common to point out it's small screen, and that is what VGA out is for. They also point out that the hard drive is small, and that again is what USB or SD is for.

In my mind, with the simple addition of a bluetooth dongle, this could be the best all around computing solution. But this comes from a geek who uses mutt on a server and does most other things in the cloud like on google. I'm waiting only for gen two of this device only to see if they manage to sneek in bluetooth on board.

Likewise when I try to compare similar functionality, I find it in devices that cost 3 times as much. So for someone who has really taken to heart the idea of computing in the "cloud". So, like with the other models doing about the same work, they are all useless without access to the internet. As a business traveler the EEE PC is enough to watch the one or two movies I might take with me. Even if the drive is full, then a single USB key and that's fixed up. I mean if you are using Google Docs then using OpenOffice off-line should be more than enough. Simple text files are what drive the world anyway. So if you write a blog post in kate, then you can post it once you are online again.

I find that most of the bashing of the EEE PC is by people who expect to find PC power in an ultra-portable laptop. There has been a wish that the price could be a little lower, but when you consider that most people would pay the same price for an iPhone, then I think the functionality to price is still there for the value.

This discussion reminds me of a rant I need to do on text vs. everything else....I'll pick that up next time. If I should hear something that makes me change my mind, I'll be the first to declare it. Until then, I'd enjoy any comments from any geek EEE PC owners out there.

Cheers,
CafeNinja.