It's my new Asus Eee PC! This is something I have lusted after since SITEX last month, but which I didn't get to attend the official launch of because I had too much wedding stuff to do. I probably wouldn't have braved the crowds anyway.
In my college days I was quite a gadget freak, but I suppose after buying the biggest gadget which is my car, I've since cut down a lot on everything else. But this laptop is really a dream come true because I really like little laptops. And compared to the $3k+ I splurged on my 10" IBM S31 in 2001, this little 7" beauty is only $600. Of course it's way slower, but I do all the heavy-duty processing on my desktop anyway. My mini laptops purely serve to surf and remote-control their bigger brothers. (Can you imagine using photoshop through Remote Desktop or TightVNC? I used to!)
Linux really tickles the inner geek in my because I have always wanted to play with other operating systems. Correction: as a computer science major I always felt that I should try other operating systems, but I never got off my lazy ass to do so. Even back in school when all my classmates were customising their Unix shells, I would just go to lab, finish the homework, and leave. Sometimes I think I was a programmer just because it was easy, I never knew another computer science major who was less interested in computers (apart from the girls who were forced into the course by over-eager parents).
So anyway, I figured that since I was already keeping my Linux in a bible case, the most fitting thing would be to install a bible on it. After some quick searching, I identified The Sword Project as the best available free bible for Linux, so I set about installing it. And that was where the problems started.
Firstly, the Eee PC uses a highly customised Xandros implementation of Debian Linux, which basically means it isn't as open source as you might be led to expect. It was only ever intended to be installed with programs that are made available directly from the Eee PC site. It does not come with a C compiler, which is quite essential since my bible comes in API form. So after some muddling around, I managed to install the GNU Compiler Collection on it, and the next step is to figure how to get make working. Not how to use it, but why I don't have it either. Sigh.
Ok, this is taking to much effort. The inner geek will have to wait until after the wedding. I guess I won't have a bible, or much else anytime soon.
4 comments:
is this the one that cost $599 or something???
i hope i have a chance to play with it one day! hee hee hee...
- fellow techie Eliza
Was eyeing one of those! Most annoyed at having to lug the crummy T40 all around Tokyo. But intrigued by the promise of fanless second-generation coming out next year.
Have yet to really play with Linux too. If I'd gotten an Eee, was looking to use Ubuntu (or Eeebuntu really) for distro. Apparently needs to be tweaked for stability but, because I'm lazy, nice little patches for wifi etc and probably highly documented on the 'net so wouldn't be too difficult. Cheesily (and commercially) enough, Ubuntu markets a Christian Edition distro that includes GNOMEsword and e-sword. But would have to figure out how to squeeze the CE into Eee. Also read somewhere suggestions for using Unionfs to optimise disk space while enjoying both Debian and Ubuntu. 6/8gig don't go far these days.
But I am lazy and ignorant and cut programming classes to play CS so who am I to say anything to a comp science maj (who passed his exams)! ;-)
Za: are you back already? You missed it when I brought it to xmas service because you were in the land of gadgets and gizmos.
Shadow: see, you are lazy and ignorant but you already know more than I do. I only started reading after I bought it.
Ooh very nice! =D
I didn't know it was going for only $600 here...tempting tempting...
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