Asus Eee PC Review

You might well have seen the Asus Eee PC featured elsewhere, as this cool bit of kit is garnering positive headlines and reviews all over the place. Basically, it's an ultra mobile notebook computer which is very light and very portable. It doesn't have an optical media drive, and it doesn't have a hard drive - opting instead for some solid state memory - which means there's no moving parts and it's really light.

I took delivery of my Eee PC (4GB Black) this morning and you can see from this video how small it is - about the size of an A5 flyer - and quick it is to setup and get working.



First thoughts are that it really is very simple to use. It comes pre loaded with a Linux distribution and probably all the applications most people will need - a web browser (Firefox), OpenOffice, some games as well a multimedia applications and Skype. It's all very straightforward to use and intuitive too. Extending it beyond the default setup by installing new applications is probably a bit trickier than anyone from a Windows background will be used to though.

On most models there is a webcam built in ("Surf" models don't have this) and the quality is good although the Instant Messenger client it comes with, Pidgin, doesn't support its use at the current time. It does work with Skype, however.

As a mobile PC, I love it. It's small, rugged and easy to throw in a bag and take anywhere. It's cheap enough to not care too much if it gets the occasional knock or scratch. My existing Sony Vaio laptop is in theory a portable computer but generally I find that its great for moving around the house but actually taking it out with me is an arduous task as it requires its own bag and its kind of heavy. Not with the Eee Pc. I can seriously imagine taking this almost anywhere and it will be great for a traveller. I'm going to France this weekend and I specifically ordered this before I go because it's just perfect for that kind of thing. It has Wifi and ethernet connectivity options so you should have no problems getting it online wherever you go.

It's also possible to get Win XP on there which I am going to attempt at some point so I can link up my Sony Ericsson 3G phone using one of the three USB 2.0 ports and enjoy truly mobile working. Using one of these with a USB dongle would also be a great mobile solution.

Eee PC is definitely recommend by myHotspots.

UPDATE: Where can you get it? (01/04/08)

I got an email asking where I got my Eee PC, as it does seem to sell out very quickly or some retailers or putting the price up when they do get limited stock. I got mine from BT Shop for about £228, with black being the only colour in stock at time of writing but other colours due back soon.

They are also available from Marshall Ward for about the same price and available in all colours.

Review: Kodak EasyShare EX1011 Digital Photo Frame with Wifi

We've probably all seen digital photo frames by now, and how they can be a great conversation piece in any home. But why did we decide to review the Kodak EasyShare EX1011? Because this digital photoframe is wifi certified.

Upon opening the box, you'll find your digital photo frame, remote control, software, manual, and all required leads. The frame itself feels solidly built and offers a 10" (800 x 480) display. Plug it in and turn it on, and after some initial setup questions your ready to roll. It comes with a few example images onboard and you immediately see the vividness of this top quality display.

I was excited to crack on with the wireless connectivity so immediately set that up. Firstly you enable Wireless connectivity on the frame and it checks for WLANs. It had no problem picking up my access point downstairs or even my next door neighbours. After putting into my WEP key and connecting up, I then went to my PC and installed the Kodak software. Actually you can use Kodak's software or you can enable media sharing in the latest version of Windows Media Player. Returning to the photoframe, I asked it to search for media servers across the network and it instantly picked up my PC. Within a few clicks, I was displaying the photos in my designated folders on the computer.

Since I was able to share photos wireless, it would have been nice if I he photo frame could have been completely wireless and may have a rechargeable battery pack onboard, but unfortunately it has to remain attached to the mains.



So the wireless worked nicely for me - what else is the photo frame capable of? Well, the frame offers slots for a variety of memory cards (SD, MMC, Memory Stick, xD, CF and MD cards) so you can slot in photos straight from the camera. Also is has 128mb built in memory so you can connect it to your PC via USB and copy images on to it.

But the EX1011 doesn't just display images - it's also capable of displaying video files and has an MP3 player built in.

So in summing up, this is a fantastic digital photo frame with a large, widescreen aspect ratio which provides stunning virbancy to your images. It's packed with features and is easy to use, not requiring me to resort to the manual once. The RRP for this unit isn't cheap - coming it at over £220 - but I looked around online and found some great prices, with Amazon selling it for under £150

Kodak Easy Share EX1011 Price Check*

Amazon.co.uk: £149.99

*prices accurate at time of writing

Review: Nokia N800 Internet Tablet

Nokia N800 Review
Manufacturer: Nokia
Price: £279

What's In The Box

• - Nokia N800
• - Protective wallet
• - Headset
• - USB Cable
• - Power Cable
• - Memory Card
• - Spare Stylus
  

The Nokia N800 is an internet tablet device which allows quick, easy access to the internet and internet services. It's an interesting hybrid device, being smaller and quicker to start up than a laptop, but giving a bigger, more usable experience than a mobile phone.

It has a modified Linux distribution as the OS, and you mostly work from a "home" page which allows you to drab new widgets and applets onto it. The N800 comes with the Opera Browser as standard, and also has Flash installed.

Straight out of the box you can connect to Google Talk and Jabber networks for instant messaging, and the handy webcam pops out of the left hand side to enable video calling. I made a few internet phonecalls to other Google Talk users and the quality was excellent, with the people I chatted to reporting that I came through nice and clear. A Skype application is still forthcoming but that will be a very useful addition when it's available.



The camera rotates and has a nice feature whereby if you rotate it 180 degrees, the image is flipped so that it's not upside down. A stand releases from the back which allows you to position the N800 standing on a flat surface - ideal for conference calls or for watching movies on.

You operate the tablet through the touch screen. There's a stylus neatly slotted in the back of the device and a spare one in the box. With it, you can click and drag intuitively on the screen. Inputting text has three modes of operation - a virtual keyboard, handwriting recognition and a larger virtual keyboard which can be operated with fingers rather then the stylus.

Connectivity

The N800 has Wifi onboard and I was able to pick up more Wifi access points than are seen by the the internal wifi adaptor on my Sony Vaio. If you don't have access to a WLAN, you can connect to the web by using a Bluetooth connection to your mobile phone. Also included in the box is a USB lead for PC connectivity. Unfortunately the USB cable doesn't allow you to charge the device down the wire.

Media Player

The display and sound are crystal clear and it actually makes a very good portable media player, for either playing files stored on memory card or streaming media. One of the standard applets on the desktop is an internet radio player, and the sound quality is great. The basic functionality can be extended with the software downloads that are available. Applications are available which will turn it into an FM radio (using the headset as the antennae) and also to use it to connect to a media streaming server on your local network.

The standard applications it comes with include an RSS feed reader, email client, contacts manager, calculator, PDF reader, sketch, notes, and games like chess and mahjong. Checking out the software to extend the device is one of the best things about it, and there's also a burgeoning gaming community and I was able to play a great port of the classic first person shooter, Doom.

I was impressed with the battery life on the machine, having to charge it rarely despite leaving the internet radio player on for prolonged periods.

The device - a successor to the N770 - is a nice size and the large screen makes browsing the web a doddle with it's 800 x 480 resolution. Many websites now have fixed width designs for larger screens, but these can easily be managed by just dragging the window from left to right. Be default, your browser occupies only a portion of the visible screen, but a button on top of the device can switch to full screen mode, and there are other buttons for zooming in and out.

The Nokia N800 measures up at 140mm wide and 75 mm tall, and about 15mm deep. See the picture below to see how it compares size-wize to a Sony Ericcsson K800i.



My initial reaction to the N800 was "meh", but the more I've used the N800, the more fond of it I've grown. It's truly portable device and gives you the full web experience not some cut down, mobile version. Starting the device from cold takes about 30 seconds and being able to just get online anywhere around the home or office in a way which is much easier than even a laptop makes this a great device for anyone who's a heavy or frequent web user.

Nokia N800 Price Check*



Update: Also check out the successor device: Nokia N810

Review: Kensington Wifi Finder Plus

We were previously a big fan of the original Kensington Wifi Finder, so were definitely keen to check out its latest incarnation: The Wifi Finder Plus.

It retains the essential functionality - press the button and wait for a reading on the LEDs to tell you if you are in range of a wireless hotspot. There's five LEDs which indicate the strength of the signal you are receiving.

Plus what?

So what are the extra features on this new Wifi Finder? Firstly, it has more LEDs so you can get better indication of the signal strength. Another addition is that you can now detect Bluetooth networks (where there is sufficient network activity to be detected). And to top it off, they've added a handy little flashlight. And I do actually mean handy because whilst I was writing this review, someone just asked me to if I had a torch and I was ready and able with my little wifi finder plus!

The Plus sports a slick new look: solid black rubberised exterior with silver detailing. It feels surprisingly sturdy in your hand and it's obviously been built to survive the rough and tumble of life on a keyring.

The Wifi Finder Plus can detect 802.11b and 802.11g networks, and also has a search mode that helps you determine the direction of a hotspot.

If you use wireless networks, you'll find that after five minutes of having this, you won't want to be without it as it's just so useful for quickly finding out if you're in range of a hotspot.

myHotspots Verdict: Recommended!

Prices for the Wifi Finder Plus vary online:
PC World - £19.99
Amazon - £14.05