RM Asus miniBook review

[webman]

Yep, always the same, rip-off Britain

[Oops_my_bad]

Looks good - what was the keyboard like? Reason I ask is we have a problem with kids stripping the keys off laptop keyboards. Although that's probably more to do with the teacher.

[Dos_Box]

They keyboard was very usable, even to the sausage fingered amongst us. It can however, like most laptops be vandalised easily.

[Ric_]

*ahem*

 

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/index.cfm?reviewid=1344

 

 

My God that's a nice picture

[Dos_Box]

They took it straight off the Word doc.

[Ric_]

They took it straight off the Word doc.

 

Explains the poor quality then!

[Dos_Box]

Apparently (according to Paul Trotter at IDG) our review was the most read on their site (or was that the 4th most read) since it went up. Also, try Googling 'RM Asus miniBook review'. we come quite high there too.

[plexer]

How would this or any other linux powered wireless laptop work with a 802.1x WPA secured wireless network that uses a certificate to identify the radius server?

 

Ben

[localzuk]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking. Do you want to know if it would support that form of wireless network? If so, yes - linux supports WPA2 and its various bits and pieces. Specifics to the laptop would need to be checked with the manufacturer really.

[GrumbleDook]

The 2 security options that I saw when setting it up on our wireless network were WEP and WPA. We used a 26 character key for WEP and it eventually got in (when I stopped making tyops).

 

When Russ gets his we can always ask him to tour round schools with it.

[wesleyw]

Our WPA system uses Certificates and it needs to be a machine that logs onto the domain I.E. user has to logon to network domain they can't even log in to the local computer account will the Asus be abel to work with this?

 

 

Wes

[russdev]

Would of thought so as you can set linux to login into windows domain. As nothing majorly speacial about linux install just flasshy tab interafce but can still access all backend stuff no major issue.

 

Russell

[russdev]

oohh got an email:- Your RM order has been despatched

 

Asus is on its way to the school

 

Russell

[torledo]

At the moment the design is very much a OLPC/ultraportable hybrid. Particularly the bordered screen is very OLPC.

 

I'm hoping that ASUS provide regular OS updates so that new apps become available - as at the moment it appears you cannot install third-part open source apps. Similar in concept to Apples iphone/itouch.

 

The next revision the 1001 should feature a 10" screen, and increased SSD capacity options. The use of the ULV processor limits its usefullness as a serious productivity device. But the description of it as an access device is apt and what it should be used for.

 

With the current linux OS it's perfect as a 'my first pc' type device for young children. The tabbed interface and big icons are a great idea. If they include a CD/DVD optical drive in the 1001 you can boot off a linux CD and get the full linux experience when you need it. The optical drive will obviously add weight, and effect battery performance but you'd only need it to use it occasionally and they'd no doubt give the option of switching it off.

 

As for running windows xp - thinjk about it like this, it doesn't weigh much more than a similarly specced UMPC such as th OQO2 which also has a 7inch screen. Plus the clamshell design is arguably much more usuable than the keyboards on the OQO2 or Samsung models. And all at a considerably lower price. I hope this device really is the UMPC killer. Or atleast forces the UMPC manufacturers to stop persisting with the folly of running full-blown Windows XP or Vista on their seriously underpowered devices. This machine is the perfect compliment to your regular 14 or 15 inch notebook for most tasks and your smartphone/blackberry for portable communications. Hopefully marginalising tablet pc's and umpc's

and even regular pocket pc PDA's even further.

 

This is what the foleo should have been - i'm convinced palm decided to abandon that particular folly when they got whiff of this.

[Dos_Box]

'I'm hoping that ASUS provide regular OS updates so that new apps become available - as at the moment it appears you cannot install third-part open source apps. Similar in concept to Apples iphone/itouch.

'

 

There is a built in apt-get utility. We didn't get chance to see it working, but I suspect that there is no restrictions on what could be installed.

[deano]

Just an update for all, as i'm currently sending this post by way of the RM Minibook.

 

I will give my review after a few days of testing,but so far so good!!!

[MkII]

Video review (part 1) of the GUI here

[webman]

Loads of pics here.

[deano]

Rm Minibook is shipped with a Restore CD, which needs to be run from Windows XP (nice!)

 

Well i've had it one day and i have got some serious testing to do under xp, so everybody say goodbye to the Linux OS

[webman]

Why on earth would you want to downgrade to an inferior operating system that was not designed or not optimised for the hardware it's running on?

[deano]

@webman

 

for the same reason you you like linux. We are going to make these available for students and use the Schools agreement to install Office aswell.

 

Yes linux and Open Office are free, but i would rather go with something that students would be instantly be able to use!

 

@everyone else

 

XP on and all drivers have been installed. Initial installation from a USB Cdrom took around 20-25 minutes to logging on for the first time.

 

Once everything has been installed, their is an option available in the system tray for increasing the window size from 800x480 to 800x600 to get those web pages to fit a little better.

 

I find the laptop to work really well with XP, alot better than i initially thought it would!

[john]

Must admit i'm highly tempted to get one, but job one will be wipe it and XP Pro it

[Michael]

Interesting piece of hardware, but thinking about it, just how practical is it in reality?

 

The pros about it - it's cheap, easy to use, very portable

 

The cons - I personally don't like working through a letterbox!, it has limited functionality and the hardware specs are not great. Sure, XP "could" install on this platform, but even stripping features of XP at least 1/4th of that 4GB hard drive will be gone.

 

I think this kind of device has potential, but I'm not sold on it at all. Maybe a few generations down the line I would re-consider. I'd rather buy a £299 HP laptop. There are way more advantages and the additional £100 or so difference is still worth it.

 

Better hardware, similar portability and compatible with a much larger quantity of products and software.

 

What are your thoughts on this?

[webman]

I think it will be great if you don't expect too much from it or try to use it as a full desktop replacement.

 

I would have no problem with the interface for using the applications included. For certain things it will be pretty much useless (eg. programming) but then comes the old saying "always use the right tool for the job".

[Dos_Box]

Interesting piece of hardware, but thinking about it, just how practical is it in reality?

 

The pros about it - it's cheap, easy to use, very portable

 

The cons - I personally don't like working through a letterbox!, it has limited functionality and the hardware specs are not great. Sure, XP "could" install on this platform, but even stripping features of XP at least 1/4th of that 4GB hard drive will be gone.

 

I think this kind of device has potential, but I'm not sold on it at all. Maybe a few generations down the line I would re-consider. I'd rather buy a £299 HP laptop. There are way more advantages and the additional £100 or so difference is still worth it.

 

Better hardware, similar portability and compatible with a much larger quantity of products and software.

 

What are your thoughts on this?

 

Please explain 'limited functionality' please? The item was as fully featured as you can get for a laptop that size and weight. Add a 4 GB SD card and you have doubled your storage anyway. IMHO, XP would be a non starter anyway.