[wellylug] Asus eee pc

[Lindsay Hunter]

Comments from a Redmond oriented friend in Texas.  Comments re RAM limit 
for Linux is interesting?

"Well, my little $399 Eee PC with XP installed was already faster than 
my $2200 Sony laptop with Vista, but today I replaced its factory 
installed 512 MB of RAM  with a 2 GB module (which cost $57) and now 
it's really smokin'.

The RAM upgrade couldn't have been easier: turn it off, turn it over, 
unscrew two small screws and pop out the cover plate. Pop out the old 
RAM module, pop in the new one, screw the cover back on and boot her up. 
It literally took about a minute.

XP immediately recognized 1.99 GB of RAM. No problems, just nice fast 
performance. The RAM I used is Kingston DDR-2 667. Note that if you 
choose to keep the original Linux operating system, I've heard that it 
will only recognize 1 GB.

Also note that opening the case voids the warranty. There's a tiny 
yellow sticker across one of the screws and it's impossible to remove it 
intact or unscrew the screw without destroying it. So be very sure 
everything else is working fine and you're not going to want to return 
it before you take the upgrade plunge.

As modified, I've spent $399 for the system itself, $57 for the RAM, $63 
for an 8 GB SD card, and $35 for a copy of XP Pro (from the Microsoft 
Company Store). All in all, I have $554 invested in the little guy. Yes, 
I could buy a more powerful laptop for that - but not one anywhere near 
this tiny. The least expensive subcompact under 3 lbs. that I've seen 
was $1000, and I have a very functional one (at 2.5 lbs) for about half 
that. I'm happy with it."

-- 
Lindsay Hunter
021 341 232
(4) 934 1702