I have had a chance to use the Asus EeePC for a few days now and here is my completely subjective opinion– it is a remarkable device that changes the playing field on many levels. In the end, however,  between some build quality issues and the overall usability/experience, I’ve realized… it is not for me. 

Some background—

I got caught up in the early UMPC hype. I loved tablet pcs and was enamored by the idea of having a tablet device that could be carried everywhere. The high price, short battery life, lack of pocket-ability, among other limitations/compromises, resulted in it not being the platform for me.

On many levels the EeePC achieves much of that early promise. It delivers a fairly solid unit, with relatively decent battery life, at an astonishingly low price. It is light. It runs cool. It is affordable. And it provides something that was a key area of criticism for the early UMPCs– a small, but serviceable keyboard.  

The EeePC is a decent utilitarian device. If I needed my device to be 

1. small

2. light

3. easy to carry

4. inexpensive

5. run cool and silent

6. be inexpensive 

…it would likely be the device for me.

But it is not. Why? Because, at the risk of coming off sounding a bit shallow I want more than that. I have been spoiled in recent months by the idea that I can have devices that not only work well for me but are a pleasure to use. Shortly after the iPhone came out I read a piece that criticized all the people who said that the iPhone was "fun". Mobile technology and fun…for shame! If the iPhone was ONLY fun it would be one thing, but the iPhone is both FUN and FUNCTIONAL and that is a darn nice combination.

I spend an immense amount of time on the phone and writing/returning

emails.  That I enjoy doing so on the iPhone is a huge plus for me.

Similarly, I spend a lot of time on the computer writing. I enjoyed doing so on my WindowsPC and I love doing so on my iMac. There is something about using a device that I enjoy that makes the writing process a bit easier, and a bit more creative. The tasks are the same but the experience of performing the tasks is much more positive. And that is a good thing. 

The Eeepc could well have been the device for me as it does all those things and it does them fairly well. But while it was functional, it wasn’t enjoyable. It wasn’t fun. And I want/need both.  

In brief the three areas that did the EeePC in for me are–

The OS and Software-

I recently used Parallels to run Ubuntu Linux on my Mac. It was my first experience with Linux and, while I enjoyed the learning process, the OS is no longer on my Mac. It works but the Macs OSX is so much more refined, hitting that sweet spot of usability and user experience. 

The Screen-

The initial UMPCs had a 7 inch screen and a resolution of 800*480. This is the same screen resolution as the EeePC. I liked the concept of the UMPC that I was willing to make the sacrifices necessary to use one. The result was the constant need to work around windows that ran below the screen’s bottom bezel, sites such as Google Reader that were almost unusable on a screen that size, and the list goes on. Two years later, I’m just not interested in making those sacrifices. Especially not with this device.

The Keyboard–

The original UMPS were beaten down for their lack of a keyboard. As a tablet pc inker I didn’t mind. But while I like to take notes in a meeting using the Windows tablet pc I still have, most of my real writing is done using either voice recognition software or a keyboard. To my knowledge voice recognition is a "no go" on the EeePC (short of the rudimentary device navigation that is pre-installed). The keyboard is another story. It is small- tiny actually- and yet it was actually fairly easy to write with. My typing falls somewhere on the continuum between touch-typing and hunt and peck  typing and for that the keyboard worked fairly well. And, as is often the case, the more I typed with it the more proficient I became. But it fell short in two areas that are critical to me.

First, the page/line up button was placed right beside the shift key and I constantly hit it by accident, thereby typing in the midst of the previous line. It was a constant annoyance that did not disappear no matter how long I typed on the device. Second, the constant key-clanking (a technical term used by keyboard experts nowhere) was a constant issue. The contrast between the solid build of the EeePC itself and the cheap feeling and sound of the keyboard was marked. It detracted from the experience of using the device. 

And THAT was really the bottom line for me when it came to the EeePC and me. It is an amazing concept that is well executed and priced right. I fully understand why it has been such a big hit.  

The EeePC I was using was bought for a project that requires a device that is small, quiet, easy to use and priced reasonably. It will be perfect for this use. Moreover, If I were going to be traveling a great deal and wanted a light, inexpensive device for basic computing it might be a terrific unit to take along. Finally, I may even pick one up for my niece and nephew some time soon since, having given them their first iPods, I wouldn’t mind giving them their first laptops either. 

But for me, it is time to say goodbye to this small wonder. 

And yes, I did write this using the eeepc.