OK I know its been a while since I made an entry into my blog, but between getting setup, and trying to get some reliable wifi sorted its meant that the blogs had to have some downtime...
But now I'm setup, I should be ready to fire out a new entry or two some time soon(ish), so untill then, be patient, I haven't abandoned my little blog from the little laptop.
Also the poll is in its last few days for voting, unless we get a sudden flood of fashion victims, err I mean white Eee owners it looks like Stealth Black is the cool colour to own. New poll will be posted soon.
Soon to come will be a spot of extreme environment Eee testing!
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Sunday, 9 March 2008
So the EeePC 900 has been announced, its the second generation Eee
Read all about it....
Its been announced that the next Eee will add to the current by offering:
Also I'd like to know some more, for example Asustek have recently purchased a large volume of low end AMD semperon chips. Will the next Eee's be AMD powered? Will there be an option to get bluetooth included? Bigger battery? A range of accessories that will actually be available? Will they be making any extra stuff available to tempt existing users.
For a bigger screen and a bit of extra storage I don't see the immediate need for my owning the next gen Eee. After all I'm doing fine with 4Gb at the moment, and even with the extra software I've installed I've still got 1Gb spare.
So at the moment I'm waiting expectantly for Asus to deliver...
Its been announced that the next Eee will add to the current by offering:
- 8.9″ screen
- 1024 x 600 resolution
- 12GB of data
- 1GB of ram
- A package a bit larger than the Eee PC 701
Also I'd like to know some more, for example Asustek have recently purchased a large volume of low end AMD semperon chips. Will the next Eee's be AMD powered? Will there be an option to get bluetooth included? Bigger battery? A range of accessories that will actually be available? Will they be making any extra stuff available to tempt existing users.
For a bigger screen and a bit of extra storage I don't see the immediate need for my owning the next gen Eee. After all I'm doing fine with 4Gb at the moment, and even with the extra software I've installed I've still got 1Gb spare.
So at the moment I'm waiting expectantly for Asus to deliver...
Saturday, 8 March 2008
Another use for my Eee
The Eee is a wonderful laptop, its small, its light, its easy to take with you.
So say I was looking to make a trip into the countryside, and wanted to take a computer along to make notes on the way. Do you really need to ask what I'll be taking with me?
And why should this become something I've been pondering of late? Well I've started Geocaching recently. Basicly you go on a treasure hunt to a location somewhere, and use a GPS (not to be confused with sat-nav) to find a small cache of items left by someone else. You then sign the log book, in the cache, and see what's been left in the cache. These things are all over the place, possibly a lot closer than you think. To find out more about geocaching, go to geocaching.com.
But why would I be taking my Eee to go geocaching?
Easy, I can use Open office to make notes on the way. Online maps can be saved and pulled up in the field for referring to, as well as webpages with details of cache locations. Any photo's I take can be edited there and then, meaning I have a full set of notes, and pictures ready to post online when I return home at geocaching.com.
Essentially I have an outdoors office I can take with me. McDonalds have a pert to play in all this. I can travel to places, find a McD's and upload any info out and about.
Finally theres the business of getting to a cache, using the online mapping I can find likely local parking spots, and convert the location of these parking spots to something I can use with my TomTom.
All in all it seems that the Eee could be usefull in a whole range of things outdoors. The only thing I need now is a car charger.
So say I was looking to make a trip into the countryside, and wanted to take a computer along to make notes on the way. Do you really need to ask what I'll be taking with me?
And why should this become something I've been pondering of late? Well I've started Geocaching recently. Basicly you go on a treasure hunt to a location somewhere, and use a GPS (not to be confused with sat-nav) to find a small cache of items left by someone else. You then sign the log book, in the cache, and see what's been left in the cache. These things are all over the place, possibly a lot closer than you think. To find out more about geocaching, go to geocaching.com.
But why would I be taking my Eee to go geocaching?
Easy, I can use Open office to make notes on the way. Online maps can be saved and pulled up in the field for referring to, as well as webpages with details of cache locations. Any photo's I take can be edited there and then, meaning I have a full set of notes, and pictures ready to post online when I return home at geocaching.com.
Essentially I have an outdoors office I can take with me. McDonalds have a pert to play in all this. I can travel to places, find a McD's and upload any info out and about.
Finally theres the business of getting to a cache, using the online mapping I can find likely local parking spots, and convert the location of these parking spots to something I can use with my TomTom.
All in all it seems that the Eee could be usefull in a whole range of things outdoors. The only thing I need now is a car charger.
Saturday, 1 March 2008
I'll be back
Over 2000 visits, I'm a bit shocked that the blog's being read so much.
However, I'm away next week for a few days staff training, in case you start to wonder when your next fix of 'Notes from a small computer' is on the way.
I'll be writing a bit while I'm away, but it'll depend on if I can find some spare wifi to upload something here.
Shortly after this I'll be working abroad for a couple of months, however I've been informed that there will be wifi there to use, so I should be able to keep this going. This trip was the reason I got the Eee, and my selection of accessories have all been selected with this in mind.
I've had nearly six weeks so far to get used to my Eee, and my journey should prove or disprove weather traveling light, and using the Eee as a main computer was a wise strategy (as opposed to taking my 15.4" Acer laptop).
Either way I should have something to write about
Anyway
Toodles.
However, I'm away next week for a few days staff training, in case you start to wonder when your next fix of 'Notes from a small computer' is on the way.
I'll be writing a bit while I'm away, but it'll depend on if I can find some spare wifi to upload something here.
Shortly after this I'll be working abroad for a couple of months, however I've been informed that there will be wifi there to use, so I should be able to keep this going. This trip was the reason I got the Eee, and my selection of accessories have all been selected with this in mind.
I've had nearly six weeks so far to get used to my Eee, and my journey should prove or disprove weather traveling light, and using the Eee as a main computer was a wise strategy (as opposed to taking my 15.4" Acer laptop).
Either way I should have something to write about
Anyway
Toodles.
pimpmyeee.sh updated, go check it out
Just a quickie...
Its been kindly pointed out by a reader (Alexandru Dobrinescu) that pimpmyeee.sh has been updated.
The link's still the same, as is the install instructions. However you'll need to re-name it to pimpmyeee.sh before using it.
Its been kindly pointed out by a reader (Alexandru Dobrinescu) that pimpmyeee.sh has been updated.
The link's still the same, as is the install instructions. However you'll need to re-name it to pimpmyeee.sh before using it.
Destkop tweaks II, revenge of the shutdown menu
OK, so this is really a follow on from an earlier post about tweaking the desktop background. Have a quick scan through there to get the basics of editing the backgrounds, if you didn't read that one.
So after having a look further I found all the shutdown menu icons and backgrounds, so you can change it, they were hiding away in /opt/xandros/share/AsusShutdownDialog, Go edit them to your taste.
Have a look at the picture for the idea:
OK so for mine, I took the business set and inverted them to give the above results.
More coming soon.
So after having a look further I found all the shutdown menu icons and backgrounds, so you can change it, they were hiding away in /opt/xandros/share/AsusShutdownDialog, Go edit them to your taste.
Have a look at the picture for the idea:
OK so for mine, I took the business set and inverted them to give the above results.
More coming soon.
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Making Thunderbird better.
Outlook, its a good piece of software, it manages emails, it has a calendar to allow you to manage your time, tasks to be done and other things. Its no surprise that a lot of businesses use Outlook.
Now in the Eee we have PIM which is trying to do a similar job, but to be honest I don't like it, its a bit crap. I like Thunderbird for my emails, but its can't do the calendar, to do lists and other outlook type stuff....
Or can it?
Well if you read about the add-ons for Firefox, then you'll have seen me mention that one of the add-ons (firesizer) also worked in Thunderbird, which it does. The reason for this is Mozilla make both Thunderbird and Firefox. They are designed to work in a similar unified manor, so its no surprise that Thunderbird can accept some of the Firefox add-ons. But Thunderbird also has some tricks of its own when it comes to add-ons.
Lets start with the biggest feature missing. The calender, this can be replicated by using an add-on called lightning, its made by Mozilla, so you can be sure it'll work well with Thunderbird. It offers most of the calendar functionality of Outlook, without paying Bill Gates a small fortune.
On installing you'll get a calendar dropdown at the top, and below the folders you'll get two icons, one for email, one for the calendar for easy switching.
So there you have it, a calendar, that allows tasks in Thunderbird. Now go play, as I find more stuff I'll post it here.
OK so I feel that all I can acheive in Easy mode is starting to reach its limits, so I'll be looking a bit more into the advanced desktop soon, beginning with a quick walkthrough of the advanced desktop.
Keep checking back for more.
Now in the Eee we have PIM which is trying to do a similar job, but to be honest I don't like it, its a bit crap. I like Thunderbird for my emails, but its can't do the calendar, to do lists and other outlook type stuff....
Or can it?
Well if you read about the add-ons for Firefox, then you'll have seen me mention that one of the add-ons (firesizer) also worked in Thunderbird, which it does. The reason for this is Mozilla make both Thunderbird and Firefox. They are designed to work in a similar unified manor, so its no surprise that Thunderbird can accept some of the Firefox add-ons. But Thunderbird also has some tricks of its own when it comes to add-ons.
Lets start with the biggest feature missing. The calender, this can be replicated by using an add-on called lightning, its made by Mozilla, so you can be sure it'll work well with Thunderbird. It offers most of the calendar functionality of Outlook, without paying Bill Gates a small fortune.
On installing you'll get a calendar dropdown at the top, and below the folders you'll get two icons, one for email, one for the calendar for easy switching.
So there you have it, a calendar, that allows tasks in Thunderbird. Now go play, as I find more stuff I'll post it here.
OK so I feel that all I can acheive in Easy mode is starting to reach its limits, so I'll be looking a bit more into the advanced desktop soon, beginning with a quick walkthrough of the advanced desktop.
Keep checking back for more.
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