SMALL WONDER

I recently purchased the Asus Eee PC 4GB, and I can't tell you guys how happy I am with it.

Since it's built for mobility, I will be using this genius for this blog. So expect a blow by blow account of its performance in other posts too.

I have been wanting a small laptop for ages now. I also told myself that I would only go for laptops that are 14" and below. I don't wanna lug around a 15" or 17" laptop everywhere, especially since I am a commuter. The Lifebook from Fujitsu immediately caught my eye, the price didn't. I just needed something for sending emails and surfing the web. And I was never gonna shell out more than P30,000 for a laptop. So knowing how much small laptops go for these days, the search wasn't gonna be easy.

I also wanted a laptop that would fit in any bag. I've always hated the shape of common laptop bags, and they're just so darn bulky. And for a commuter, you're just asking for trouble.

I heard about the Asus Eee PC a few weeks ago, and how some friends of mine wanted one. I went to the Asus site and checked out the specs. The specs were pretty decent I thought: 512 RAM, 40GB HDD, with Wi-Fi, LAN slot, a webcam, a built-in mic, a memory card reader and 3 USB slots. That's pretty darn good for something that small, don't you think?

But I still wasn't hooked on getting it. I wanted to see the real thing, and try typing with it and carry it around. 'Coz actually using it is a whole other thing. Some people might just buy something 'coz it's cute. I wanted both functionality and image.

I also searched the web for other user reviews, and it's pretty unanimous, the Asus Eee Pc is worth the buck.

I first went to SM Megamall's Cyberzone, and most of the shops were either sold out or only had it in black. The colored ones suck big time, 'coz they don't have a webcam, and it costs the same as the white and black one. Duh.

But I got to at least hold it and try typing with it. The shops do not have a demo unit 'coz opening the unit is like tearing off a seal, meaning if you wanna test run it, you gotta buy it.

It comes pre-installed with Linux, a freeware OS that hardly takes up any space in your HD, which contains basic laptop functions, and also has basic Microsoft Office elements such as Word and Excel.

Prices range from P18,500 cash, to P19,800 0% interest for 12 months. Pretty easy on the pocket.

Typing with it for the first time takes a little getting used to, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. But I definitely was fixed on getting the white one. I didn't want to settle for the black one, 'coz one, I'm not the type who settles, and two, the black one looks like a tiny IBM Thinkpad. No thanks.

Apparently, the first shipment of the Asus Eee PC all came in white. But that was December 2007. And it also made the news, so it flew off the shelves even before 2007 was over. Come January, the new shipment all came in black and the colored ones. As to when the next shipment is coming and if there will be white ones with it, no one knew.

So the search for a white Asus Eee PC had begun. It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that right now. I went all over from the computer shops at Gilmore, V-mall, SM City's Cyberzone, to even asking my friend Arnel, an IT friend of an advertising company, to call his suppliers and ask about the white Asus. They told my friend they could place an order for it, and my order will come either on the last week of January or the first week of February. And their price is P18,500 cash only. I didn't bite. Cash purchases of the Asus Eee PC at Gilmore was as low as P16,500, they just didn't have the white one. So I wasn't willing to pay P18,500 cash and wait for 2 and a half weeks. I had to look again.

My friend Henry suggested that I go check out Robinson's Pioneer, now called Robinson's Forum. Apparently, that useless mall will soon be turned into a tech mall. Goody. But that's not anytime soon, so I was hesitant on going 'coz I was almost sure that it would be a waste of time.

For a soon-to-be tech mall, there were hardly any computer shops. There were only about 4, the others were cellphone shops, one sound system shop, and a bunch of photo studios.

But lo and behold, a shiny, white, Asus Eee PC was sitting in one of the store's display window. I could almost hear the "Alleluia Chorus" playing in my head when I saw it. I had to go around and check the shell of the laptop if it was indeed the white one, and not just a colored one (the inside panel of the white and colored ones are both in white).

Needless to say, I bought it right then and there. It cost me P19,000 straight payment to my credit card, but I was wise enough to split the amount in two, so I could use both my credit cards. So that makes my purchase 2 months o%? Hahaha. =)

Now for the lowdown:

1) The Asus screen is 7", but the actual body is around 9.5". I wish they could have made the screen 9" instead, but 7" is just right for me. Not for people who use glasses though.

2) Maybe the reason for not stretching the screen size to 9" is because of the speaker panels on both sides of the screen? Well, they could've relocated it below the keyboard, right beside the touch pad.

3) The tiny touchpad (about 1" x 1'5") takes a little getting used to. But you could buy one of those tiny mice instead, and go wireless with bluetooth.

4) The screen resolution is 800 x 480 pixels, so you might wanna resize those wallpapers you want first.

5) with only 4GB of HDD space, you might want to get an external hard drive for your files. Hi-res photos, MP3s and videos shouldn't be stored in the Asus, or else, it will slow down like hell. Always empty the recycle bin, and delete temporary internet files. Yes these files do make surfing a breeze, but having it all in this laptop won't make it all that breezy either.

6) It comes with a protective sleeve, but it's still not thick enough to protect the Asus from bumps and scratches, especially if you have other stuff in your bag such as keys, your cellphones, wallet, etc.

7) The Celeron processor is known to heat up very quickly, so it is advisable to have a fan nearby, or use the Asus in airconditioned areas.

8) Still want to have software installed? Don't fret, you can still install the software in your external hard drive, and only have the software shortcuts in the laptop. I currently have iTunes in my Asus, and my whole library is in my external HDD.

9) Most new and bigger laptops have an internal, rechargeable battery. The Asus has an external, rechargeble battery, where the battery is actually a part of the body of the laptop. Meaning, the laptop runs without the battery installed, a long as it's plugged in of course.

10) The Asus comes pre-installed with Linux, but you can have it installed with Windows XP as well. It's just gonna take up almost double of what the Linux OS did. Linux doesn't recognize all external devices like XP does, so better to swith to XP.

11) Switching to XP disables some keyboard functions that only works with Linux, such as Volume up and down, and the increasing and decreasing of the screen brightness.

12) A full charge of the battery gives you about 3.5 hours of juice on the Asus. So minimize battery consumption by turning off the screensaver, set automatic shut off of monitor when not in use, close laptop when not in use to enable sleep mode, and make sure external devices aren't plugged in when not in use.

13) The webcam's resolution is only 0.3 MP. Clear enough for web chatting, but not too high that your webcam image freezes.

14) It also comes with a built-in earphone jack, an extra mic jack, a VIDEO OUT jack for an external monitor (for presentations), and a multi media card reader.

15) The Asus touchpad's default setting it set to a very sensitive value. Adjust its sensitivity by going to the Control Panel, and click on Mouse.

16) The 512MB RAM is upgradeable to up to 1GB. But doing this actually voids your 1 year warranty. And it's like throwing away the initial 512MB RAM 'coz the Asus doesn't have an extra slot for an extra 512MB RAM.

17) This doesn't have an optical/CD drive. So what? The Macbook Air doesn't either. Just store everything you need in your external HDD and you're good to go.

All in all, the Asus Eee PC is just what I was looking for in a laptop. I don't even see myself replacing it in the near future, and I'm sure it won't even slow down much because I ain't storing anything in it.

An 8GB version will be out very soon. You guys might want that instead. But retail will be around P30,000. Might not be wise anymore to get that. You'll be better off getting a 15" Acer or a Toshiba for P40,000.

I love how I can use almost any bag of mine for it. Whether it's a knapsack, a body bag, or even a clutch, it'll fit right in.

Yes I know the white one will be hard to maintain, but we all know looking good is never easy.