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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 11th Aug 2009 at 5:19 AM
Default Is the price too cheap for a laptop?
Just find this ASUS Eee PC.

I need suggestion, Is the price too cheap for a laptop?
Has Anyone had good experience with this netbook?
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Scholar
#2 Old 11th Aug 2009 at 5:27 AM
In my opinion if it wasn't a scam you'd still be being ripped off. I seen nothing but primitive in what the laptop offers.

Disclaimer: I am just being a goof ball, please ignore me if offended.
Field Researcher
#3 Old 11th Aug 2009 at 5:35 AM
I think it's probably legit. Usually the cheapest you'll find netbooks would be around $200-250, so it's very cheap, but not outlandish.
Field Researcher
#4 Old 11th Aug 2009 at 5:36 AM
They're really nice, actually for the size and price. (Probably not for Sims 2/3, but they do play a surprising number of games.)

It really depends on what you want it for.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#5 Old 11th Aug 2009 at 4:40 PM
Will it be very slow?
Alchemist
#6 Old 11th Aug 2009 at 4:50 PM
It has Linux.. Not windows, So I would say its a rip off

Looking at those specs, Yeah it probably will be slow.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#7 Old 12th Aug 2009 at 3:02 AM
My friend told me that dont get anything smaller than 12" if i want a "laptop". is that ture?
Alchemist
#8 Old 12th Aug 2009 at 8:46 PM
Yes they do. You can get really really tiny laptops
Test Subject
Original Poster
#9 Old 13th Aug 2009 at 2:45 AM
it uses Linux, not XP/Vista, is it ok?
Alchemist
#10 Old 13th Aug 2009 at 2:54 AM Last edited by kustirider2 : 13th Aug 2009 at 3:05 AM.
I don't think Linux will run most programs...

Edit; In fact, Take a look at eBay, You are sure to find a decent one there that runs windows
Test Subject
#11 Old 13th Aug 2009 at 2:59 PM
[QUOTE=kustirider2]I don't think Linux will run most programs...


OK, first this is a netbook, not a laptop. It is very small and is built for web browsing, email, word processing, watching video, etc... you could also play simple online games, but it does not have the graphic capabilities of playing sophisticated games.

It runs Linux, which is great, especially for this type of computer, The Operating System is a lot faster than windows, you will not need antivirus software. You can get tons of great software for Linux and it is free.

I run a laptop with a flavor of Linux called Ubuntu, Yes Linux can run almost any software. On that laptop I play WoW, SIMS 2/3 on and on. If you want to know more, take a look at the ubuntu forums, google it...

If you want a laptop to play sophisticated pc games, it will need to have a nice nvidia graphics card on board, you cannot add on later. Expect to pay $1500 to $2000 american dollars for a laptop to play games.

If you do get this netbook I would strongly suggest that you change the operating system to Ubuntu, the community is very helpful to new users.
In time you will wonder why you ever use Windows on any of your computers
Alchemist
#12 Old 13th Aug 2009 at 3:15 PM
Thanks for the extra info. I know nothing about linux, I just heard somewhere that they don't run programs and are a computer techs resource (Kinda) :p
Test Subject
Original Poster
#13 Old 14th Aug 2009 at 2:52 AM
Hope it meets my specs .
world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
#14 Old 14th Aug 2009 at 9:45 AM
Moved to computer forum.

I have an Acer Aspire One which is very similar to an EEE PC (different brand, same basic specs, size, etc.) running XP and I -love- it. Cost maybe... 300 Euro? But if you get a netbook, you have to be aware of what it's for. It's -not- a laptop. It's a netbook, which may be shaped like a laptop but is a whole different animal.

They're mainly made for surfing the internet, writing emails, word processing, etc. - i.e. real basic stuff. Their advantage is their small size and extreme portability - mine fits in my purse and I take it with me any time I'm going to have to be waiting for any length of time. They can run very basic games (I've got a lot of Popcap games as well as Sims 1 installed on mine and they run fine) but you simply aren't going to be able to run much more than that on them. They don't have great graphics, they're not capable of high resolutions, and their specs are quite low. I use mine for writing (a smidgen difficult with my large hands and its small keyboard), reading Wikipedia articles, web surfing, etc... It was very handy when I was stuck in bed after the birth of my son, since I could entertain myself and move it around easily without it being heavy or unwieldy.

If you don't know Linux, I would strongly recommend against it. While it is quite powerful and some versions are very user-friendly, it's not the same as using Windows. XP versions of all the netbooks are readily available (though I think a few have Vista?) and it's not as if they're hard to find new, retail, in actual stores with proper return policies and guarantees and whatnot.

But if you're looking for a true laptop - something that will actually play games and do more intense stuff, you really are looking in the wrong place. You'd have to pay more, yes, but no sense in purchasing something that's about 1/3 of the price you'd pay for a decent laptop that won't do anything you need it to.

my simblr (sometimes nsfw)

“Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
Panquecas, panquecas e mais panquecas.
Test Subject
#15 Old 16th Aug 2009 at 4:03 AM
If it's for playing the Sims, you don't want a netbook. For one thing, they don't have disc drives, so it would be a pain to install it. For another, they just don't have the processing capabilities.

That said, we got one of the early eeePCs, with Linux (since upgraded to a netbook version of Ubuntu), and I love it. If you're remotely computer literate (as in, if you can find your Mods folder for the Sims once someone has told you where it is), then you'll do fine with any of the Linux versions designed for netbooks.

I love a netbook for what it's designed for: getting online, checking email or reading websites, that kind of thing. It's especially handy if I'm not at home, since it's light and easy to carry.

I actually use my netbook when I'm playing the Sims--not for the game, but if I want to look up information (say, which baits work for which fish) or watch a video tutorial while my game is running.

I think $190 is about average for one of the eeePC 900s, although it's possible to find them as cheap as $150.
Fat Obstreperous Jerk
#16 Old 16th Aug 2009 at 4:21 AM
It's legit, but it's also crap. There's no graphics capability whatsoever, the CPU is about 5 generations obsolete, and a Celeron, to boot, so it's more like 7 generations obsolete. It's basically unfit for service as anything other than a fancy router. The screen resolution is too poor even for proper browsing. For what it offers, it's way overpriced. You could buy and strip an Xbox for less.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I cannot accept, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those I had to kill because they pissed me off.
world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
#17 Old 16th Aug 2009 at 10:52 AM
I browse just fine on my netbook. Some sites are a little bit wonky but most things work just fine. And technically, you -can- unlimit the resolution - you just have to sidescroll the whole screen, which is a bit strange and takes some getting used to, but is totally doable. I played GalCiv2 on my netbook (with everything turned all the way down) that way.

You could strip an XBox for less, sure, but you wouldn't be able to take an XBox with you everywhere easily. The size and portability is the advantage of a netbook. If you want something cute and itsy bitsy that is way less hassle than lugging a laptop around, but with the basic functions a laptop can offer, a netbook is great, and the low specs are not an issue. If you need to run more intense applications or games, a netbook is not for you. Being able to pop it in my purse on standby and pull it out when I'm in a waiting room, or sitting in the park, or on the train is great, but it's not a replacement for my regular PC by any stretch.

my simblr (sometimes nsfw)

“Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
Panquecas, panquecas e mais panquecas.
Née whiterider
retired moderator
#18 Old 16th Aug 2009 at 1:49 PM
HP's pretty much covered the hardware stuff, and she nailed it, so I won't comment on that. I will add to the bit about OSes, though.

If you know how to use Windows, and you're comfortable with it, and you don't want to learn a new system; great, go with Windows. For simplicity, it's good. However, if you're relatively computer literate (and by that I mean "if, when you don't know how to do something, you can successfully Google some instructions and follow them"), Linux can also be great.

I'm using UNR (Ubuntu Netbook Remix), same as JigsawAnalogy. It was a bit of a pain installing it, as the tools to make a bootable USB stick in Windows are bloody obscure, and one of the essential applications I was using had all its documentation in Russian with no translations available. However, now I've got it installed - the netbook starts up in about 30 seconds, the OS is light meaning I can run a plethora of crap at the same time and get no performance issues at all (this is not true of Vista, though XP is probably ok in this department). Installing programs requires no effort at all - I just open up the terminal, type sudo apt-get install GIMP (for example), and it does it all automagically, including working out which version I need. Everything is kept up-to-date automatically, and the interface is easy as pie. I can run Windows applications with minimal wrangling using WINE (which was also installed in about two minutes via apt-get ).

Windows works fine for a netbook, and if you're happy to keep using it do; but if you're willing to put a few hours in to learn the basic functioning of a linux OS, and you feel you're competent enough to do so with relative success, I recommend you try it - it is free, after all, and you can always put Windows back on if you change your mind.

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
 
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