Looking for a Asus Eee PC X101

I wrote about the availability of Asus new ultra-thin and ultra-cheap netbooks, the Asus X101 and the X101H a week ago. Both are 10-inch Atom powered netbooks, with the X101 having a 16GB SSD and a slimmer 0.69-inch thick case, while the X101H has a 250GB hard drive with and a chunkier 0.89-inch case.  

I was looking for a X101, to use as a Linux box. Take it out of the box, wipe Meego from the drive and install Ubuntu... well that was the plan.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find one. While the X101H is available pretty much everywhere, I I could find the X101. A retailer told me that their orders for the X101 have not come in yet and they are not expecting it soon because of a driver  issues with the SSD drive.

So, for those who want an X101, we have to wait a bit more.

00.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

The case for the Asus X101 & X101H

Poor mans MacBook Air? Lets start with what will make you consider buying this netbook. The Asus Eee PC X101 weighs in at 2 pounds while  the  X101H weight in a 2.2 pounds. Both netbooks very handy having a width of just of 10.3 inches, a depth of 7.1 inches, which is the size of your typical 10-inch netbook. The PC X101 is  a MacBook Air like 0.69 inches thick, while the X101H is a thicker, but still a slim 0.89 inches.

What else makes the X101 and X101H very tempting? It is the price. The X101 is priced at just Php9,995 while the X101H is priced just a little higher at Php10,995.

Storage distinguishes the X101 from X101H. The main difference between the X101 and the X101H, is storage. The X101 has a 16GB SSD drive and a MicroSD card reader. This will allow you to expand storage to up to 48GB. The X101H comes with either a 250GB or 320GB hard drive. We understand the Philippine version will come with a 250GB hard drive. 

Netbook genes. The Asus Eee PC X101 has the typical netbook 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 resolution screen. Inside you will find, an Intel Atom N435 or N455 processor and 1GB of RAM. The Philippine version will have the faster N455 version. I really have no strong preference between these two processors, the N455 is a bit faster, the N435 is a bit more energy efficient and runs a bit cooler. Given a choice between the two, I would probably choose the slower but more energy efficient N435.

Given the modest specifications, you should have reasonable expectations of what these netbooks can do. They are more than sufficient for web browsing, typing documents, preparing spreadsheets and presentations and managing your social networking. 

I would not try to do any 3D gaming with these machines, or serious photo editing. The modest specifications also mean the these laptops cannot seamlessly play HD (720p or 1080p) video. Basically, it is a not a good multimedia platform.

These netbooks come with small 3-cell batteries. Asus rates them at 4 hours or battery life. But while web browsing on WiFi I would expect a little under 3 hours. This is probably the biggest drawback of these netbooks.

MeeGo inside. While a Windows version of the X101H is available for a higher price, the current models being has the Linux based MeeGo operating system installed. While the mention of Linux normally scares most buyers, and netbooks which originally ran Linux operating systems quickly coverted to Windows three years ago, I think MeeGo acceptance will be easier today.

I think with many users now having gotten used to non-Windows operating systems and applications in their smartphones, so they wont feel lost with a laptop that does not run Windows. While you can install Windows on the X101H I recommend you give MeeGo a try. This operating system has much lower system requirements than Windows 7, is designed to work in smaller screens and will run faster than Windows. With OpenOffice installed, which is compatible with Microsoft Office formats and dedicated Facebook and Twitter apps, it is good to go out of the box.

Wing design. Whether you like these laptops or not, I suspect most would give a approving nod to the new "Wing" design which will replace the Sea Shell design Asus has been using in their 10.1-inch and 12.1-inch netbooks and laptops. A 12.1-inch AMD Fusion (HD capable and HDMI packing) powered versions of these netbooks with a larger battery would really be interesting. 

Should you buy one? I think these are nice alternatives to a tablet. First they are half the price of a tablet. Second, since they have physical keyboards, they are a better choice for people who type a lot.

When my current Linux box dies (it is a 4 year old HP Compaq 6510b - a real workhorse) I will probably get one of these things and use it as my Linux machine.

08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

The car, the pick-up and the truck

More than a year after the Apple iPad's release, with more than 30 million sold, people still question whether the tablet is a practical device. The answer to that is a simple yes.

As the "Personal Computer" has evolved it, has moved from a machine designed for business, to a household device, and now is a personal communication,  entertainment and productivity device.

For years we were stuck with the desktop as our only personal computer, for reasons of cost. The laptop had been around for some time, since the Dulmont Magnum in 1985. But with the entry level model going for US$2,995. That was a lot of money in 1985, and it is still a lot of money today. It was only after the year 2000 that laptops started dropping in price and became available to the regular consumer as an alternative computing choice to the desktop. The tablet now gives you a third choice.

The tablet is the car of the computing world. A good choice to take you around day to day, but with its primary function being people transport. A tablet is useful for someone whose computing needs is mainly web browsing, reading and writing email, note taking, instant messaging, listening to music, basic photo editing, watching movies and playing games. Some in the industry call it the "media" tablet, and that is pretty much correct. A tablet is a great computer for someone who does not use the computer for work. I know many will disagree with this. 

The laptop is the pick-up truck of the computing world. Small enough to be a daily driver, and capable enough to do some serious work. Many people chose a laptop for lack of choice, but if you do not spend much time typing documents, preparing spreadsheets and the like, a keyboard is not all that important. If you don't use a keyboard much, the virtual keyboard of the tablet should be sufficient. You could add a keyboard to a tablet, but than it really just becomes a ARM powered laptop, with a touchscreen and a detachable keyboard.

The desktop is the truck of the PC world. The desktop is still the platform of choice for those who need a computer for a dedicated task, whether that task be a workstation or a hardcore gaming machine. The highest end desktop components still have a little more power than the highest end laptop components.

Which one is best for you? It really depends on your needs. Do you need a car, a pick-up or a tuck?

10.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mobile computers: The Desktop Replacement still rules

A recent article on LaptopMags Blog was rather eye opening. The mobile computing world is not as mobile as we think. For the first quarter of 2011, The breakdown of mobile computer sales for the period are as follows: 

Tablets - 13.8%

10-inch netbooks/laptops - 16.3%

11 and 12 inch netbooks/laptops - 4.3%

13 and 14 inch laptops - 27.1%

15 inch laptops - 33.6%

16+ inch laptops - 5%

The world is going more mobile, but not as fast as we think. Better than one in three laptops sold had a 15-inch screen, with another 5% having even larger screens. This is the category of laptops often referred to as desktop replacements typically weight six pounds or more by buyers who do not expect to carry their devices around too much. This is lower than the previous year, so there is a trend towards smaller and lighter.

Q1 2010

15 inch laptops - 35.2%

16+ inch laptops - 8.9%

Total: 44.1%

Q1 2011

15 inch laptops - 33.6%

16+ inch laptops - 5%

Total 38.6%

Netbook sales have slowed down, but not as fast as we think. Sales of 10-inch laptops for Q1 2010 and Q1 2011 were as follows:

Q1 2010 (10 inch netbooks/laptops) - 17.1%

Q1 2011 (10 inch netbooks/laptops) - 16.3%

The real difference is not volume, but price. Netbook prices have been dropping since the introduction of the tablet, which should mean smaller margins for a product that was already producing small profit margins.

Tablets are popular, but mainly in North America. The figures of tablets sold in Quarter 1, 2011 were as follows:

North America - 24.8%

Worldwide - 13.8%

iPads are popular, but mainly in North America. The figures of iPads sold in Quarter 1, 2011 were as follows:

North America - 22.6%

Worldwide - 10.7%

Basically, the exciting new gadgets which are the darlings of tech writers are not as popular and do not sell as well, as old clunky desktop replacements.

00.22 | 0 komentar | Read More