Buncha questions on Eee PC

T

TrainTrackHack

VIP Member
So, I've been thinking of getting a laptop but since they seem kinda out of my budget, I'm considering getting an Eee PC (4G most likely). Before deciding, there are a few thing I'd like to know...

1. What kinda driver support does the hardware have for windows 2000 (or 98SE *ahem* I AM SERIOUS!)

2. How about h/ware support for other linux distros? I don't really like the idea of having a part-proprietary linux distro of which I know nothing, I'll probably get Ubuntu or something like that.

3. Is it possible to get one of those chargers you plug into a car's cigarette lighter for it?

4. Does anyone here have any experience with Eee PC? Are they any good (will be used for homework, music & videos, *very* lightweight gaming, internet and such, and needs to be very, very portable)? Would you recommend one for me?

5. What about the display? It's quite small, I know, but anything else I should know?

6. Do YOU think that I should wait a bit longer and get a "real" laptop rather than an Eee PC? Why?
 
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One more question, Linux-related: is it possible to have programs&stuff installed on external hard/flash drives without any problems? 4GB SDD can't hold unlimited amounts of stuff on it, so I thought I may have to install some on my external drives, if I'm getting an Eee PC that is.
 
1. I tried to install windows 2000, and it gave me an error during the setup. Forget what it was about but I think it'd be safe to say it won't work. XP (and Vista for that matter) works fine.

2. I don't know about Ubuntu, but I tried installing Mandriva on it and it didn't work. Again, error during setup.

3. Just get a power inverter, much more useful

4. Yes, I would recommend it. It's awesome for internet, documents, music and videos (I watched 3:10 to Yuma on it in high def with no problems.) It can handle 2d games and basic 3d games, but nothing spectacular. What sort of games would you be playing?

5. Display is nice, although only 800x480. It does look quite nice though

6. It depends, if you think you'll need to do more intense stuff in the near future then wait, if not then I'd say go for it. They are extremely easy to take with you, which I can't say about a full sized laptop.

7. In windows XP programs install and run just fine off an SD. Can't say about linux
 
speedyink said:
What sort of games would you be playing?
Click to expand...

Mostly pre-2003 games, back then light/medium-weight. Something like Heroes of Might and Magic 3 series, Age of Empires I/II or Stronghold, for example. Mostly 2d strategy (both realtime and turn-based) games, I might try some 3D FPS games like Red Faction or the original Half-Life/OF. Maybe Final Fantasy 7/8... nothing too fancy, games to pass time when I have no acces to my desktop and so on, you know.
 
Oh and what kinda voltage does that thing take? I'm not too good with electric appliances like inverters, transwhatevers and so on... are there more than one type of inverter for cars? If so, what should I go for?
 
I actually saw a vid of someone playing GTA: San Andreas on an Eee!! It looked like it was running alright but I would expect some hick-ups!
 
Alright, those games should play fine. Hell, I played Heroes V on it.

I don't know the exact voltage, but it's around 9 volts.

For power inverters you'll find that they come in different wattages. I'd suggest a 175 watt. It will easily power the EEE, plus it will leave room for more powerful devices as well, such as full sized laptop, game consoles, even 27" LCD televisions.
 
A power inverter changes a car cigarette lighter into a standard household plug, meaning you can plug in home appliances into your car. I was giving examples as to what a 175 watt one can take.
 
Oh okay, to me it's just a bit hard to believe that a car's cigarette lighter could power household appliances... Isn't it gonna drain the car's battery?
 
Car batteries hold a hell of a lot of power. The sound systems in a lot of peoples cars take a lot more power than a 27" LCD TV would.

Trust me, it works just fine.
 
Okay now I've got yet another question... can you add more ram to Eees? AFAIK 4Gs do have upgradable RAM, but I'm not sure if there actually is a free slot for another stick or is it already taken up by the one it comes with (so I'd have to throw away the one it comes with, and get a bigger&more pricey replacement)?
 
another thing about draining the battery if ur gunna have game consoles in ur car and tvs lol i hope ur gunna doin so while the car is started which in turn alternator on charging battery.. not draining battery in some cases a heavier duty higher output alternator will be needed, and yes car audio will use alot..
 
At the start the site looked nice, but it appears to be bloated with ads and whatnot coming up whenever I click something... it's impossible to browse the damn site! Anyway thanks for help, will remember not to have all muh TVs, fridges and consoles switched on when the car isn't running ;)...
 
haha it has ads but i didnt have one problem and i used the tut to put my xp, vista and ubuntu on flashdrives, and yes ram is upgradeable i read that the os that comes on em only sees 1gb but if u switch u can add 2gb, the ram is ddr2 533,667 laptop sodimm ram it only has one slot.
 
Do you (or anyone else?) know if the ram slot is taken up by the RAM that the Eees come with, or is it free to use (i.e. is the stock ram soldered on the mobo?)
 
Okay, cool, thanks. Now If I'm going to buy that thing I'll just have to figure our what to use the stock stick for, if I want to upgrade the RAM...
 
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