ASUS ee pc long term findings anybody?

**Seakindly** · 24-11-09, 16:03

What useful feedback. Especially pleased to hear about the robustness compared to what I expected. With the price of SD memory dropping, having a few 8 gig cards for dedicated purposes possible - I now use a tiny HD vid camera on board -easy to keep to hand. And it takes 8 gig SDs so presumably I can record vid (less than HD) and use the eepc to upload directly. Great stuff!

**Galago** · 24-11-09, 16:05

Are you guys all speaking in tongues? I don't understand all this stuff ... thought I'd read that the little Acers haven't got enough grunt to run chartplotter software so dismissed them. Regret I live in an IT wilderness ... will have to get a man in to tell me what to buy and set it up for me ... what it is to be a little behind the technological times!

**Sandyman** · 24-11-09, 16:14

''Answer the General, Baldrick''

'' I can't Sir, I don't know what he's on about''

**Galago** · 24-11-09, 16:17

Yup! ... you got it.

**Seakindly** · 24-11-09, 16:30

Originally Posted by frankthompson

Yup! ... you got it.

It's a fair cop...

but I was looking for a small, tough little 'puter with few moving parts and internet capability. These Asus things the size of a paperback, came out a few years back and I wondered if they'd performed or died.

**double_ender** · 24-11-09, 17:00

We have had an EEE pc the early 701 on the boat . I put windows xp on the machine so I could use Memory Map with all the charts and OS maps of s west of Scotland our sailing area. We have a USB Holux GPS receiver plugged in so it can act as a chart plotter with all the usual features. We also have a vodafone PAYG dongle for internet access and to receive emails very useful as the credit on it is not time limited. The EEE PC has been very useful small and easy to store on a small boat

**Seakindly** · 24-11-09, 18:34

Originally Posted by double_ender

We have had an EEE pc the early 701 on the boat . I put windows xp on the machine so I could use Memory Map with all the charts and OS maps of s west of Scotland our sailing area. We have a USB Holux GPS receiver plugged in so it can act as a chart plotter with all the usual features. We also have a vodafone PAYG dongle for internet access and to receive emails very useful as the credit on it is not time limited. The EEE PC has been very useful small and easy to store on a small boat

Thanks for such useful feedback. I'm probably wrong - but is memory-map usable on what others say is a low resolution screen? This all sounds like a useful option for my set of needs. I tried working it all out with a 'proper' Dell laptop but keeping the thing safe, powered up and using the thing out-n-about without looking like a low-rent exec proved difficult.

**lancelot** · 24-11-09, 20:24

Originally Posted by Seakindly

I see a new solid state Asus eepc can be picked up for around £100 and add-on CD (£25) or DVD drives and so on means a usable linux package can be well short of £200. Looking at past threads, I'd be interested to hear how people have got on with these little netbooks over the last season or two. Assuming one has a 'proper' plotter for real-time, bad weather navigation, I can still see this as a candidate for planning cruise options in a marina or checking stuff in harbourside pub, or indeed checking net as to which harbour-side pub, weather, parts suppliers, even asking for help on this forum. But how do they stand up to life on board? Are they just toys or have they proved to be useful? (And please, please don't suggest Iphone variants - I will lose, drop, and cannot read the things).

I have had one for a few months and loaded with a Belfield Chartplotter etc. No regrets so far and great for everything you mentioned inc. e mails. Where do you get the dvd drives for £25.00 ?
Fair winds
Lancelot

**Seakindly** · 24-11-09, 21:06

I don't have the link to hand but The £100ish Asus was one of many alternatives on Amazon and I was surprised to see recommended accessories as a CD drive (note CD) for £25 or less and a DVD drive for not much more. The factor of course, being that most programs edg charting etc are CD, and films etc requiring DVD. (Although this is arguable - I've spent years enjoying films in SVCD format) For a few extra quid I'd go for the DVD but for some, the CD option will suffice eg. for music I prefer Mp3s stored on CD rather than DVD as I can visualise whats on a CD - plenty -and am lost on the massive Mp3 capacity of DVD. I'll get to the modern world one day!

**Seakindly** · 24-11-09, 21:23

Originally Posted by lancelot

I have had one for a few months and loaded with a Belfield Chartplotter etc. No regrets so far and great for everything you mentioned inc. e mails. Where do you get the dvd drives for £25.00 ?
Fair winds
Lancelot

Belfield? I realise I haven't heard of that one. Is it any good? Links? Thanks for feedback.