Small Business Tech

It can be said that Apple started this small-computer trend with the MAC-mini, but others are picking up the ball and running with it. In addition to the very small ASUS eee notebook computer there are other companies entering the fray with small desktop computers as well. Most of these companies are small shops, but you can bet that bigger names such as Dell and HP will jump on board if they see an opportunity.

One of the small shops is Sharp and Tappin of England. They have created the PicoPC which uses the same low-power processor as the gPC now available at Wal Mart. You can purchase the computer as a kit or a ready-built, tested unit. The cost is still prohibitive, but it will get better if more manufacturers join the fray. The unit pictured on the right costs 295 Euros or $424.89 at the current exchange rate.

Labels: Apple, Asus, eee, thin client, Wal-Mart

Since the announcement in June, 2007 have been anxiously awaiting arrival of the ultra portable notebook computer from Asus. I have been fortunate enough to purchase and review an Asus eee 4 Gigabyte model for someone who will be using the computer on an upcoming foreign trip.

The first word from nearby observers is "cute". Once they have a chance to try it or watch it work they are impressed with the fact that it is actually a powerful platform. It can do the same things that much larger notebook computers can do such as surf the web, edit documents or spreadsheets, and even make VOIP calls over Skype.

I actually tried to do some casual computing for a few days to see how it would fit my lifestyle. Though it is impossible to use it as my primary desktop computer, it does fit my portable needs that are currently filled by a 15.4 inch notebook computer from HP.

I do believe that with a couple of attachments that it could operate as a desktop computer for many users. I would recommend adding a USB keyboard, USB mouse, and an analog monitor for fixed use. With an external monitor the computer is quite capable of resolutions up to 1280 by 1024 pixels and many more choices in between. That would work well in just about any size monitor with the exception of some of the super-large, wide-screen format models.

The price that was paid for this model was a bit more than I had hoped. The price from Newegg.com was $399.99 with a little more for shipping. Asus has blamed the price increase on the cost they had to pay for the LCD screen. I suspect that the price will slip soon as the early adopters grab up the first production run, and possibly a competitor jumps in the ring.

Channel Flip has a great video review below.

Labels: Asus, eee, notebook computer

Asus has indicated that they will announce final pricing for the ultra-low price notebook computer on October 16th. They are indicating that they will release 10,000 units this month with initial sales in the United States in Best Buy retail stores and online retailer NewEgg.

Labels: Asus, eee, notebook computer

I have been anxiously awaiting the release of the very portable Asus eee line of computers. According to rumors the wait might be over this Fall. In the mean time you can view a few details at the official eee web site.

Another rumor that I have found is that the price is continuing to creep closer to $300. I think that the sweet spot for the pricing of a computer like this is about $200 to $250. I hope Asus does not continue to kill this computer market segment by over pricing.

Labels: Asus, eee, thin client