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This is Tesaru at one of the windy yet sunny morning.

Click to see the full version at 1500 x 170 px.

We had good time after the storm. The wave was rather high but I guess that’s where the fun started.

I’ve got my hand on one these cute Classmate PC from Intel. If I’ve got it before Asus Eee, I should have been more impressed.
The specification of this notebook is surprisingly similar with Eee – the processor, the LCD, using SSD as the primary disk, keyboard etc.
However, I must say I prefer Eee more for the additional disk space, more RAM, extra USB port and more importantly a VGA output.

The estimated price for Classmate PC would be RM 1,000.00 (2 Gb Flash disk, 256 MB RAM), that is about RM 200.00 cheaper then Eee (4 GB SSD, 512 MB RAM). Price difference by 20%, but it doesn’t really justify – could be due to the Microsoft XP Pro installed.

If you want a small notebook to bring round as a second computer, consider Eee. The Classmate PC is for the children, like the OLPC.
But if I want to get a computer for my children, I’ll probably would still get an Eee instead.

Nice try Intel. Now I would like to get an OLPC to play with…

Cover closed, like an ordinary paper notepad.

Nice logo, but cute?

The moon and the Z on LED.

 

Eee vs Classmate PC.

Another Eee vs Classmate PC.

 

The bottom of the Classmate PC.

 

Small, very good palm rest.

Keyboard.

Ethernet, USB, sound in and sound out at the left side.

A rare, rounded touchpad.

Eee on top of MacBook.

Windows XP Pro with SP2.

Power cable, top CPC, buttom Eee.

Sitting on the MacBook.

One USB and power port at the right side.

I came across this sub PC called EEE on the net. The idea tickled me the most is the diskless design. It uses SSD which is entirely quiet and FAST, and pathetically small.
Not particularly high end, not slick like the Apple MacBook Air, but enough for me to start bubbling with ideas, wild one.

I can carry it around very easily – it fits in my pouch. Not that my MacBook is hard to carry, but I don’t have to think twice to bring this notebook out.
The Linux system came with it is “sufficient” for general purpose – but definitely not for me. So I’ve wipe it clean and installed Xubuntu.

The installation process taken about 4 days. No kidding.
I have to perform endless tweaking and download to get to the state that consider “installation done”. The afford pay off.
It drove my 17″ monitor well with 1280 X 1024 pixel – that cannot be done by the factory OS. It has full power of Linux, with about 1 Gb free space left.

It can easily become one primary work PC as long as external monitor, keyboard and mouse attach to it. The free disk space could be a little tight, but attach a USB based hard disk to it, you can have unlimited expansion. For me, I’ll just mount my server share volume thru NFS and boom, a 500 GB at my finger tip.

If you need portability, you can’t go wrong with this one.
If you bring around your notebook from home to office and back everyday, and doing the common stuffs only (browser, word processor), this one fits very well.
Even if you are thinking to setup a “desktop” system that need to move around occasionally, this one fits.

With so much processing power in such a small package, it literary fits with 90% of people that already has a computer.

It may replace my MacBook if it came with:

- Bluetooth build-in.
- larger disk space, 16 Gb would be nice.
- larger screen, 10″ will do.
- a modem (MacBook missing this too).
- full Linux distro, such as Ubuntu.
- longer battery life.

What I like about it:
- 3 USB port.
- video out.
- full functional notebook.
- compact, solid and powerful.

The idea of being able to carry a full functional notebook around without the supplementary accessories is mind-boggling. I used to relay on the Nokia N80 for such task if I need a terminal access on the road – now I can work more comfortably on Eee instead.

It seems I am the only dinosaur left using analogue modem in this planet. You know, those 56 Kbps modem that is quite handy when you need to get online with dialup, capable for fax too?

I was at Low Yat last sunday, looking for the Asus EEE notebook (sub notebook?). The 4G surf version has no modem. The modem port is there but it was covered with a piece of rubber.

When I mentioned the thing has no modem, the seller keep insist it has. I ended up realized that the seller do not know what a modem means. Not one seller, the second one at different store has no idea too. She was confused with the broadband modem, and thinking why the hack I needed one in the EEE.

I still bought it, which I think it is a great piece for hardware for my research.
I’ll cover more on how I wipe the EEE off and install Xubuntu later.

I’ve got this SMS today:

From: +628194141500
TANIAH.Simcard Anda Meme-nangi hadiah Cek Tunai RM. 15000 Plus Reload Kredit. 250 dari Peraduan CELCOM.Sila hubungi 006281524923999.Terimakasih.

Isn’t it nice? Cash for 15k, but only RM 250 for reload? Strange. If you want to bait people into this, increase the reload credit so that it is more believable.

Came on, send me another one, I know you can do better.