Digital Inter Media

ASUS Eee PC 8.9" with XP
I love this mini PC! I got it because my laptop is a Compaq with a large screen, and it is really too heavy to lug around, especially when traveling. I can read e-mail. It has a power point viewer, and Microsoft works. There are some games already loaded.

I had some problems connecting to my wireless network at home. I contacted ASUS tech support, but what they suggested did not work. I took it to the Geek Squad, and they straightened that out. It works great!

I am glad I waited until the 8.9" screen came out to buy it, but I wish that it had been available in black. I had the 7 inch black one on my wish list. It comes with a case made of material, sort of like foam padding. I wish that it came with a case that would also store the charger.

Serious drawbacks
I bought this computer to replace my wife's Sharp MM20,that was uneconomical to repair due to a damaged screen,and is no longer available new. I searched for a replacement for weeks and bought the EeePC 900 which seemed the best replacement available at a reasonable price. I have waited for a month to learn about the machine prior to writing a review. Had I written my review sooner, it would have had more stars, here is why I reduced the star rating.

Out of the box everything worked, except I had difficulties getting a good connection with my wireless router. I got the connection established, but, it constantly tried to validate my identity. Two calls to tech support, failed to resolve the issue. The best thing I can say about tech support is that you can reach them relatively easily. They are not particularly nice nor competent. They are quick to shift the problem to others, saying we don't deal with that, call your internet provider or other software provider.

When my wife, a flight attendant, returned from her first trip using the ASUS 900, I had to try again to resolve the wireless issue since she was unable to connect with the internet at hotels where she has always been able to connect with her Sharp. This time when I contacted Tech support, I got a better representative, we deleted the wireless adapter from device manager and reinstalled it. That seems to have fixed the problem, since yesterday we went to a public WiFi location and were able to establish an internet connection.

Now for the more serious drawbacks. I have Network Magic installed on the unit so downloaded files, some of which can be large, can be transfered to a server on our home network. This is to preserve precious disk space on the PC900. Unfortunately, I keep getting warnings that an important update for XP is available and needs to be installed. That update is XP SP3. That is where things got messy. The hard drive is partitioned with 3.75 GB devoted to C: and the remaining 8.25 GB assigned as D: Trying to install SP3 failed due to insufficient space on C:. I began looking for items to delete or remove from C: to try making room. After several hours of trying I called tech support seeking suggestions; they offered none. Only telling me I needed to remove stuff from C: to make room. So into Control Panel Add/Remove Software I went - looking for stuff to remove.

The machine comes with OEM software installed, some on C: some on D:, however, from Add Remove Software, I could not determine on which drive the software was installed, and regardless, shared files are on C: even if the program is installed on D:. Hours later, after removing software and trying to move files and directories on C: I still encountered the insufficient disk space message. I decided to forget about SP3 and return to my prior configuration. That is when I discovered that the Restore function is turned off and cannot be activated. I had now messed up my configuration and removed programs and moved files, which would not work properly and in some cases would not reinstall. Without Restore the only alternative was to hook up an external DVD Drive and return the machine to original configuration. Good bye hours of work installing and configuring other software.

Conclusion: Things work as advertised. The installed software is questionable. There is a DVD player without a DVD drive. Who in their right mind buys a miniature computer for convenience, then carries an external DVD player. Star Suite 8 is installed, taking 866mb of disc space and seems to be identical to Open Office that uses less than 375mb, Huh!!. In addition to the DVD player and Star Suite 8, the PC900 comes with Skype and MS Works. With disc space severely constrained, why are two office type programs installed? ASUS makes a 20GB hard drive version that has Linux installed, why they don't make that drive available with XP, I cannot understand. The larger drive would allow larger partitions and solve a host of problems. Another review talks about buying that model and installing XP, if you have the XP program and the know how, that certainly seems a better option. Would I buy this unit knowing what I know now, probably not.

I hope you find this review informative.

Eeepc 900
love this computer.. so small so compact, good for net surfing, email. Come with MS office, nice little toy to carry around the world.

Excellent
Performance is great, just make sure to install XP on the 4gb partition
Mouse and keyboard specially are bit too small, but you'll get used to it. I recommend this for basic use and more, but if you are picky get the eeePC 901.

when you see the eee in action you will want one
I am a video freak and really have enjoyed my eee PC. The eee is really small and awesome when you also have something like the maxtor external usb2 external hard drive (requires no power other then 2 of PC's USB connections) I watch videos at work at my security job and have sold everybody who watches my videos when they go past my watch post. When I don't want to plug in my hard drive I plug-in my external usb2 wintv HD device attached to a little 5 inch antenna and I can watch live any of the 28 High Defination channels available in the Chicago Area. The wireless connection is great for checking my email and with skype (which came with PC) I have saved a ton of minutes I no longer pay my cell phone carrier. ASUS Eee PC 12G (8.9" Screen, 900 MHz Intel Mobile CPU, 1 GB RAM, 12 GB Solid State Drive, XP Home) Pearl White

It's a great pc ... but
This is my third eee pc [ my other two went to my twins each who are happy with them ]

Only one of the three PC's came with a mouse. Two did not.
The hard disk of 20G is split into 4/16G but so far it is not a problem.
The recovery feature is excellent after I thoroughly messed with the os trying to install gcc. ;-)

Some things that could stand improvement include a better mouse pad, a touch screen and easier instructions on how to install another linux distribution. Creative Zen support would be nice too.

All in all it's great for the price. I really like the light weight and the ease during traveling. Don't use it for serious development though.

you can (and I do) use XP
All those who say you cannot use XP are silly. I have XP pro loaded on the 20GB version (used an external CD drive to load it) used the provided instructions worked great. I loaded ALL OF MY OTHER programs on to the larger C drive (16GB) such as open office (great and free by the way!), firefox, thunderbird, skype (and the built in mic and speakers and camera work great for this!) etc etc. It all works fabulously. I will admit the processing gets slow when not plugged in and I have not figured out how to change this. The battery life is ok (2.5-3 hours), but you can but high capacity batteries for a bit more (they are just ugly and weight more than the AC adapter). I also upgraded to 2GB of ram (for @) and that was as easy as can be.

This is a great travel computer. No it is not a powerhouse, no it is not as slick as a Sony (but is is more than ,000 less than one) and yes it functions MUCH MUCH better than a cheap, but heavy laptop trying to run any version of Vista (which basically just sucks).

Now of course I am waiting to see if and when the 901 and the 1000H come out....since this was so inexpensive I can afford another one!

Very impressed
This machine has already met my expectations even though I've only had it for 2 days. The build is good quality, certainly doesn't look or feel cheap. The keyboard is rigid and works very well. I use a mini 87-key keyboard as my main keyboard for my desktop PC so there was barely any transitioning to do and typing is quick and virtually error free. Only slight problem I have is the size of the right shift key. That needs a bit of adjusting to, otherwise all the keys are positioned and sized correctly, and the key movement is definite.

The screen is excellent, crisp and clear. If you use this machine indoors the screen brightness is perfect, no complaints. I haven't used it outdoors so can't comment. The viewing angle is really good, much better than my other bigger 14" laptop.

There is no noise, haven't heard the fan power up at all, and for the African climate that's very good. The touchpad works extremely well - even more precise than my other laptop, and the smart functions are a bonus. The left pad button is a bit stiff, no problems with the right one. I quickly learnt that one has to depress the buttons from the top and not from the side or an angle. They feel stiffer if you don't depress them directly from above.

The 900 is ideally sized. It hardly takes any room on your desk and the screen can be viewed from up to a metre and a half away. The network and internet connections are very easy to setup.

Still a bit uncomfortable about Linux, probably because I don't have any previous experience with using the terminal. However I am warming to using it. The Synaptic package manager works very well and provides additional applications within a few click's reach. I'm going to give Linux a chance as it is very responsive and will continue to be developed.
One piece of advice - don't try to install Kicker without first reading up on it on the various forums. I tried to install Kicker and the extended Ksmserver desktop and my File Manager and Network icons disappeared rendering my machine worthless. However I rebooted and pressed F9 a few times to bring up the 900's built-in recovery system. Everything was restored back to normal, although had to re-install Wine, so that was resolved quite painlessly. Linux beginners must read up about any desktop replacements before installing them, find out from other users' experiences.

Overall, very happy. No reservations about the hardware, webcam works fine, battery lasts a long time, screen and smartpad are good. Just have to adjust to Linux, but have come a fair way in just 2 days, so looks promising.

Update for this review:
My purpose for this machine is Bible study and was a bit worried when the E-Sword modules didn't install, however one can install GnomeSword from the Synaptic Package Manager and one can update it with Bible, Commentary, and Dictionary modules from within the program. I installed the IceWM start menu (web address is wiki dot eeeuser dot com slash howto:useicewm) which looks like the XP start menu and my friend edited the Menu using VI (can use nano or the text pad) to create a program group and a link, making running GnomeSword very easy. The application is saved on the system as gnomesword2. Gnomesword meets all my study needs, so no need for E-Sword. I also installed Bible Reference Exporter (available at theChristadelphians dot org) and run that using Wine. The Linux Eee 900 now meets all my requirements so no need to downgrade it to XP.

If you wish to use Windows XP...forget about it!
This is a nifty little computer, but if you plan to use Windows XP on it, forget about it. The tech data indicates that it is easy to convert from Linux to XP...which it is. But, the miniscule 4GB F drive is totally taken up with Windows applications so the computer cannot function due to lack of space on this drive. I spoke to am Asus tech specialist, and there was no way he could make the computer work due to these limitations on the F drive. Of course there are another 16 GB on the C drive, but they are meaningless for functionality.
Don't buy this rip-off if you want to use XP.

people amaze me
i havent purchased a eee900 as of yet working on the funds. But its simply amazing how people treat tech toys like this. When u buy this yeah it has a small keyboard, but its alot better then say using a txt msg phone like the env2 from verizone. its a full blown computer that will do just about anything you want it to do i unlocked the xandros desktop on my 2g surf. That was so easy it wasnt funny and i am not even a linux person. There are so many forms and blogs that will walk u through the whole process all u have to be able to do is read. You can unlock it while u are useing it. the touch pad is a little sensitve and the clicks not very responsive. Thats an easy fix all u have to do is go in to the settings tab and adjust it just like a regular notebook.
Plain and simple if you want a machine that is easy light weight dang near indestructable this is for you.If you cant handle this the hope over to your local walmart they have the acer aspire with a 14.1 screen 2gb ram and 120gb h/d for about 500.00 and guess what it has windows vista which makes it a great paper weight.
All in all the eee pc is great for kids to adults to seniors simple and easy to use. shoot you can even hook it up to a pc monitor with a vga cable slap in a usb mouse and keyboard and go to town as if it was a full desktop. Nothing expensive required.
So stop your crying and stop expecting that this is something more then it is because it is exactly what is shows to be.
viva la eee revolution

Garmin 360 Nuvi
3rd week of use - travelling around MidWest and SouthCentral U.S.. A few map glitches (on way to Chicago from Detroit - a detour through Ann Arbor? (unit does not have travel/construction alerts so this was just a glitch). If you travel through different time zones, be careful - unit does not auto-adjust when you cross over, so your arrival time is stated in the time zone that you left. Per Garmin, the technology patent for changing the time zone over is owned by cell phone companies? And I thought one couldn't patent the obvious! Overall good little unit - like how compact it is. Haven't used bluetooth or Mp3 features....can't imagine using MP3 ever since audio would be less than stellar (don't have FM transmitter).

Great GPS!!!
I bought the Garmin nuvi 260 for my husband for father's day. He absolutely loves it! He said he could not be happier. He takes it everywhere he goes.....thumbs up!!!

Bad out of the box
We researched these very closely before deciding on the Garmin 360.

We were majorly disappointed. Ours not only didn't hold the bluetooth connection, it failed at the basics. We contacted Garmin. After nearly an hour on hold we were told trying downloading an update for the firmware, another for the bluetooth function, and yet another for the map. Overall we spent over 4 hours on-line with the updates. The map alone took over 2 hours even though we have a high-speed connection.

The unit then started to work - sort of. We took it on a trip to Washington DC. There it often took 15 minutes or longer to find satellites. We tried using it to find restaurants. It's updated map took us to an office building instead. Later we tried to use it to find a Walmart that was in Alexandria VA. There we found another office building where the Walmart was supposed to be.

The bluetooth problem got worse, connecting then disconnecting every few seconds. We gave up and turned it off.

We tried it around our home town and it often would tell us to turn right verbally when the map showed a left turn. Basically the unit we got was defective, at least we hope it's our particular unit and not typical of their product. We contacted Garmin again and arranged for a replacement. That took a couple of days.

When we contacted customer service via email it asked us for the same information we had already provided in their on-line form in order to get a return authorization. We then had to send the bad one back at our own expense.

It's bad enough when the quality control is not the best, but if you are unfortunate enough to get a lemon, don't expect too much in the way of customer service. We dealt with two agents. One honestly seemed to want to help. The other seemed to do everything in her power to slow the process down.

Excellent acquisition
This GPS is the best. I had a JVC and it loses the signal very often, specially in big cities like Chicago. This Garmin is great. The bluetooth connection to use with my bluetooth-enable phone makes things easier, because I can answer to the calls without touch the phone and looking away from the road. My only really minor complaint is about the sound volume that it is somehow low. Driving with the windows open, you can hear the turn-by-turn directions as a wisper, but nothing that will make me change my mind. It is a great product ! And specially because I found an excellent deal at Amazon.com.
Definetly I recomended it !

Not that great if you are not familiar with the roads.
I'm new to the country and I bought a garmin (out of all the reviews I read) and it's not that all that's cracked up to be. Yes the computation may give you the best route, the best time, etc. However, during use it's not that helpful in some parts. When I have to exit to the right and then stay on the left lane after 200 ft and then switch to another lane, it only gives me the instruction "turn right on ramp" then when the road splits after a few feet it will suddenly say "stay on left and keep left" and by that time, I'm already on the wrong lane. For a fair review, yes it's good. But for someone like me who's not even familiar with any of the roads here, I would get a tomtom. A tomtom system would definitely guide you and tell you to keep left or keep right way ahead of time. My co-worker had a tomtom and it was good as well telling us ahead of time on which lane to stay on.

Kindle
I waited quite awhile for the kindle to go off backorder and when they cut the price and threw in free shipping I went for it. I've owned the kindle for about two weeks, now. Downloaded 3 novels and 2 non-fiction titles and have finished one of each. I had a minor operating issue when it froze for some reason but a click of the reset button took care of it - and to my surprise did not lose any content.

I figured that since I read about 2 books a week on average the device would pay for itself fairly quickly. (And it would significantly reduce the pile of books on my nightstand that my wife finds so unsightly.) One surprise was finding the new Lincoln Rhyme novel by Deaver released in a kindle version at rather than the .95 which has been the benchmark. I fired off angry missives to Amazon and the publisher and waited. Three days later it was , three days after that down to .95 which is when I downloaded it.

Why do I enjoy it enough to rate it 5 stars? It is easy to handle and read and the download process works flawlessly. I enjoy being able to place a bookmark with the push of a button and being able to annotate a section of a book the same way. I like being able to carry this many books, switch from one to another and have them open where I left off. The lookup function for unfamiliar words is convenient - I am just as surprised by some of the words it finds as the few that it misses.

The cost saving are impressive. (Just before abandoning the "Book of the Month Club" I used my last book credits to purchase a book. The discounted price and shipping came to .99. Some reward!)

Battery life is good. I have only had to recharge it once a week but this would probably shorten if I spent more time "online". Interesting that some of the people I have shown it to would prefer to use it in the protective cover. More like a book, they say. Old habits die hard.

Great machine. This may do to books what digital did to film, but I for one will still love the feel, smell and texture of the real thing now and then!

Just like reading a book!
I love my Kindle! The screen is easy to read in daylight or artificial light. You need to spend a little while figuring out where to hold it so you don't turn a page inadvertently, but otherwise, it's pretty user-friendly. I highly recommend it to avid readers. Especially nice if you're going on a long vacation because you can take multiple books along by just bringing your Kindle.

You will love your Kindle
I have been using my Kindle for about a month now, and I am very pleased with it. I would like to share two impressions:
1- Do not get discouraged by the comments regarding the placement of "next page" and "previous page" buttons, flipping pages without intending to do so, etc. Once you place the device appropriately into the extremely useful and handsome "book cover", and remember to put your device into "sleep" as soon as you pause reading, half of your problems in this area gets solved. For the other half, I assure you, in a short period of time, your hands "learn" their right places while you are reading in different positions, like laying down, etc. It is like your balance system learning how to ride a bike. Once learned, it serves y