EEEP!

Or, should I say "eee PC" -- which is what just arrived in my mailbox today! I mean, honestly it could have literally fit in my mailbox if not for the packaging.

If you're not familiar with what an eee PC is (or as I'll from here forth refer to as my "eeep") -- think full-power PC, but the size of say, a day planner! It features a full-size keyboard (a little scaled down, but I'm having no trouble typing on it), total mobility, 3 USB ports, 2.5 - 3 hour batter power (depending on use), and a full suite of office applications. This means internet, email, word processing, and more!

At first I held off on buying this model of micro PCs...because its interface is Linux instead of Windows, which intimidated me. But after reading hundreds (really, hundreds) of reviews, I figured out that its called Linux, but it is your typical GUI (graphical user interface) and closely mimics all of the familiar icons, functions, layouts, etc. of Windows or Mac Operating Systems. It took me less than five minutes to be online and writing my first email, and now my first blog from the machine.

A few years back when my cute little Mac laptop stopped performing, I made the leap to PC (I go back and forth depending on budget...Mac is pricey). I love my big laptop -- an HP system that has a beautiful big monitor. But what I didn't bargain for was that my laptop use would totally change. I can move it from place to place, but its heavy, its big, and it even took a lot of trial and error to figure out the best bag for it. I ended up with a rolling carry-on bag..as opposed to being able to slide my little mac right into my (large) handbag.

While my big laptop is awesome for many reasons, it is not awesome for portability. Additionally with a monitor that large...the battery life is weak. Even taking it to the couch in the evening means lugging the cable along and arranging everything so the dog and cat chases don't interfere with the cable situation. Ugh.

So, over the course of about two years I kept going back online looking for inexpensive "second" laptops. I merely wanted a little laptop with internet and word processing. I wanted something easier to take on trips, pull out in the car for quick info, have on my lap on the couch...take to the yard or a coffee shop (I work from home and need some outside-the-house time sometimes). I kept finding that the minimum price for the most basic scaled-down laptop was in the $600 range. Well...why not just wait then, and invest more when I NEED a new laptop? The $600 question. I gave up my hunt over and over.

And then....I read a few blogs raving about the Asus eee PC...and the clouds parted! The prices for these start at around $300 -- and for my money, its everything I need in a computer with a 7" monitor! I can easily see most websites I use daily (already tried all of them)...and I'd never design on this machine...so I don't need to load any memory-eating software (including the Windows OS, which you can get these with)...and now I can fit this into my purse and leave the big bulky laptop with the megapowers at home, where it will probably be more safe and last longer anyway.

This little eeep has a "solid state disk" -- which means it can take all kinds of bumps and bruises with no damage. It handles digital pictures (though I have yet to try this) and is designed for portability!

I'll be sure to post an update if I find any big issues to be warned about for those of you considering an EEEP for yourselves. Apparently these are absolutely perfect for kids (there's a special OS you can turn on for kids that is super-helpful) ad college students for note-taking and portability.

The other amazing thing: I ordered mine Saturday afternoon and had it Monday (today) at my door! I ordered through amazon.com and selected 1-day shipping for just $5 total shipping cost. I expected the delivery for tomorrow, so I really couldn't be more happy with the $5 investment!

For any of you still reading, if you're interested in anything else about my eeep...feel free to comment with questions. I am apparently very excited to talk about it!