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Bring Broadband To Your Eee PC
Integrating an HSDPA card
One of the biggest Christmas presents for technophiles this year (despite ample begging we didn't get one, thanks Santa) was the new Asus Eee PC, a tiny solid-state laptop with Linux and integrated Wi-Fi. The folks over at Gizmodo direct your attention to a user who has beefed up the device's broadband connectivity by soldering an internal 3G HSDPA card onto the motherboard.
quote:
Click for full size
This hack works in every currently shipping Asus Eee PC model. No PCIe connector required. Awesome indeed. In fact, he told Gizmodo that it works in all models except the old 7A: "It works in all but the first ones... on those models (7A) you would have to desolder the PCIe connector away to make enough room for the 3G module. Either that or you have to cut 20 millimeters from the modded PCB [printed circuit board.
They offer up a video here , which shows that the user also managed to integrate a touchscreen.
view:
topics flat nest 

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

This device is too small and too limited to be a real laptop. And too big to compete against the smaller and pocketable handhelds. I just don't see a big market for this size device.

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

1 edit

Robert

Premium Member

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

said by FFH5:

This device is too small and too limited to be a real laptop. And too big to compete against the smaller and pocketable handhelds. I just don't see a big market for this size device.
You can install Windows XP on it. If they can make a bigger solid state hard drive, it will become more popular.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

said by Robert:
said by FFH5:

This device is too small and too limited to be a real laptop. And too big to compete against the smaller and pocketable handhelds. I just don't see a big market for this size device.
You can install Windows XP on it. If they can make a bigger solid state hard drive, it will become more popular.
With a max of 8GB of flash disk, that doesn't leave much room for anything else. The EeePC comes in 2, 4 , & 8 GB flash models.

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

Robert

Premium Member

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

said by FFH5:

said by Robert:
said by FFH5:

This device is too small and too limited to be a real laptop. And too big to compete against the smaller and pocketable handhelds. I just don't see a big market for this size device.
You can install Windows XP on it. If they can make a bigger solid state hard drive, it will become more popular.
With a max of 8GB of flash disk, that doesn't leave much room for anything else. The EeePC comes in 2, 4 , & 8 GB flash models.
Which leaves you about 1.5GB of free space if you install XP Pro, and I think a little over 2GB free space if you install XP Home.

But that is enough for me, really, to be portable. My email is online (google), and I can keep all my documents online (google as well). It makes for a good mobile device.

As SS Hard drives come down in price, and increase in space, this tiny device will become even more popular.

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

I think the 8GB plus the SD card space is more than enough for a simple browsing and productivity road device....

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 edit

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

said by Karl Bode:

I think the 8GB plus the SD card space is more than enough for a simple browsing and productivity road device....
I'm not saying NO ONE will want one or use it. Just that for most people it fits into that in-between area of a true handheld and a larger traditional laptop. I still doubt this particular size of device will catch on or make many sales.

If I was shopping for a multi-functional mobile device, it would be more on the order of an iPhone or iPod Touch in size and capabilities.

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

Robert

Premium Member

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

said by FFH5:

said by Karl Bode:

I think the 8GB plus the SD card space is more than enough for a simple browsing and productivity road device....
If I was shopping for a multi-functional mobile device, it would be more on the order of an iPhone or iPod Touch in size and capabilities.
That's because you own Apple stock

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

said by Robert:
said by FFH5:
said by Karl Bode:

I think the 8GB plus the SD card space is more than enough for a simple browsing and productivity road device....
If I was shopping for a multi-functional mobile device, it would be more on the order of an iPhone or iPod Touch in size and capabilities.
That's because you own Apple stock
I own stock in hundreds of companies, but it doesn't affect my choice of consumer products.

In fact I own no Apple devices at all and think they are mostly overpriced and designed for planned obsolescence. But thank god for all the Apple fanboys who continue to buy their products and drive the price of Apple stock ever upward. They help in a small way to keep my portfolio growing year after year.

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

1 edit

Robert

Premium Member

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

said by FFH5:

I own stock in hundreds of companies, but it doesn't affect my choice of consumer products.
Bad shareholder! haha.

kamm
join:2001-02-14
Brooklyn, NY

kamm to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

I own stock in hundreds of companies,
LMAO

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

1 edit

Karl Bode to FFH5

News Guy

to FFH5
quote:
I still doubt this particular size of device will catch on or make many sales.
Their price point is already driving down prices among lower end laptops. I like the idea of something inexpensive between a cellphone and a $1,000-$3,000 laptop, but with a full keyboard and real screen real estate.

Working on the Treo keyboard is a pain, but I also don't like the weight of a 15"-17" laptop.

I think it has a niche. It's been very very popular so far. Both among tech geeks and kids looking for a low-end laptop. It's also proving to be very modable, which is a good sign for longevity....

jester121
Premium Member
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL

jester121

Premium Member

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

Their price point isn't doing squat to laptop prices, because no one's heard of these things. As you mentioned in your article, its target audience is technophiles, a group that has shown little price sensitivity when it comes to the "gee whiz" factor or just being on the bleeding edge.

Cheap laptops came about due to simple economics -- as a product approaches commodity status, its price tends to decrease. The same thing happened to PCs in the 90s, and for exactly the same reason.

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

1 edit

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

quote:
no one's heard of these things.
Not sure where you've been hiding....

»news.google.com/news?hl= ··· rch+News
Current revenue projections have the Eee becoming Asus's largest single revenue source in 2008:

»www.xbitlabs.com/news/mo ··· tek.html

I don't think ASUS is single-handedly responsible for the looming flood of sub-$500 laptops, but the Eee is playing a part....

jester121
Premium Member
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL

jester121

Premium Member

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

Not hiding anywhere, Karl. Just calling "bullshit" on you for your editorial statement about this making a difference in laptop pricing.

As of Christmas they'd sold 300,000 units in the quarter. They expect to ship 1 million *worldwide* in Q1 2008. *yawn*

Those numbers aren't big enough to move pricing in the slightest. We've had the cheap-o laptop specials for the past 2 holiday seasons and even normal pricing has settled down where you can get a decent middle-of-the-road unit for less then a grand. Oh, and that laptop comes with Windows XP, which most users are familiar with.

(Oh, and I'm not real impressed by PR-firm generated links that talk about "predictions" and "projections".)

Pretty neat product, but the keyboard is too small for us fat Americans, and it's still Linux (I doubt the average consumer is going to want to buy an XP license and fart around with installing that). Oh, and keep in mind that outside of gamers and hobbyists, most people have never heard of Asus.

*yawn*

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

quote:
Not hiding anywhere, Karl. Just calling "bullshit" on you for your editorial statement about this making a difference in laptop pricing.
Since when is a forum opinion an "editorial statement?"

Wow. Don't I feel official. Perhaps I was wrong and the EeePC won't/hasn't impacted low-end laptop pricing in the slightest. Was basing my statement off of tech blog chatter. Where do you work?

I read a rumor this week that Apple's releasing a low-end dirt-cheap laptop in '08 aimed largely at doing battle with the EEePC.

FiL25
Premium Member
join:2005-08-16
Silver Spring, MD

FiL25 to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
Couldn't I just use my 120 gig USB harddrive for any an ALL downloads???

Hell, I'd use an employee Sprint or T-Mobile account, unlimited EVERYTHING, and download torrent to my hearts content from anywhere I damn well please!

I like this PC!!!

Noah Vail
Oh God please no.
Premium Member
join:2004-12-10
SouthAmerica

Noah Vail to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5

Thats...

Current Production Models. As SS prices come down they'll expand their offerings. Meanwhile you can buy a 32Gig SS off the shelf and install it yourself. It will only cost you 2x the original price of the unit.

NV
Done_Posting
Shoot to kill
Premium Member
join:2003-08-22
Toledo, OH

Done_Posting to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

When I experimented with XP Pro on my 4GB EeePC, I was able to get the total installation down to only 500 - 600 MB by removing all the useless garbage with nLite prior to building the ISO (the actual install image was less than 200 MB!). Since the EeePC uses SSD and you don't need / want to run a swap file, I was left with around 3 to 3.5 GB of spare room on the SSD, not to mention my thumb drive, SD cards, and external USB HDD.

- Tate

FiL25
Premium Member
join:2005-08-16
Silver Spring, MD

FiL25

Premium Member

Re: Where does the Eee PC fit in ?

Exactly. Just plug an play wit the USB hard drive.

I know so many combinations I could actually use, this pc makes me want to buy it using this hack!
devnuller
join:2006-06-10
Cambridge, MA

devnuller to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
It is an interesting Appliance that could fill a niche or follow the likes of The Audrey selling for $50 on Ebay.

DreamCarr
Winter Sucks.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-16
6D 6F 6F 00

1 edit

DreamCarr to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

This device is too small and too limited to be a real laptop. And too big to compete against the smaller and pocketable handhelds. I just don't see a big market for this size device.
Don't think of it as a real laptop, think of it as a Super-Sized pocket PC. Even the 4g model has lots of room for use as a PPC if you use nLite to strip an installation of windows XP down to about 250mb. couple that with openoffice, gmail, and other web-based apps and this little lappy is a PPC killer.
Done_Posting
Shoot to kill
Premium Member
join:2003-08-22
Toledo, OH

Done_Posting

Premium Member

EeePC for the win!

I absolutely love mine. At first I was concerned that the 7" screen wouldn't be adequate, but I've gotten so use to it that my 15" widescreen lappy seems like overkill now. Trust me when I say 7" is perfectly useable.

The 4 GB of SSD also concerned me, but again, my fears have been proven wrong. 4 GB is more than enough for me, though I do use a 2 GB thumb drive to store data that I want to move between my other machines. My friend just bought a 16 GB SDHC card for his EeePC, so there are plenty ways to get around the max 8 GB SSD issue if you need to.

I can't say enough good things about this little machine. I just got EVDO working on it last night and posted a little walkthrough for anyone who might be interested on my website (»tatethatcher.com/wp/archives/89 ).

If you're thinking of getting an EeePC, do it -- you won't be sorry!

- Tate

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

Robert

Premium Member

Re: EeePC for the win!

said by Done_Posting:

I absolutely love mine. At first I was concerned that the 7" screen wouldn't be adequate, but I've gotten so use to it that my 15" widescreen lappy seems like overkill now. Trust me when I say 7" is perfectly useable.

The 4 GB of SSD also concerned me, but again, my fears have been proven wrong. 4 GB is more than enough for me, though I do use a 2 GB thumb drive to store data that I want to move between my other machines. My friend just bought a 16 GB SDHC card for his EeePC, so there are plenty ways to get around the max 8 GB SSD issue if you need to.

I can't say enough good things about this little machine. I just got EVDO working on it last night and posted a little walkthrough for anyone who might be interested on my website (»tatethatcher.com/wp/archives/89 ).

If you're thinking of getting an EeePC, do it -- you won't be sorry!

- Tate

Nice write up. The more I read about the EeePC, the more I want to get one (but can't really justify buying it since I have a 12" screen laptop that is just fine for now).

Now if they would just install solar panels to the top of the EeePC so you could have the sun recharge the battery!
Done_Posting
Shoot to kill
Premium Member
join:2003-08-22
Toledo, OH

Done_Posting

Premium Member

Re: EeePC for the win!

said by Robert:

Nice write up. The more I read about the EeePC, the more I want to get one (but can't really justify buying it since I have a 12" screen laptop that is just fine for now).

Now if they would just install solar panels to the top of the EeePC so you could have the sun recharge the battery!
Thanks for the compliment! My friend's site »ruckman.net has several good EeePC related articles as well.

As far as solar goes, I don't see why it can't be done! I've already read an article about a guy who fitted his EeePC with internal modular Bluetooth plus the guts of a 16 GB (or was it 32 GB?) flash thumb drive, as well as another guy who installed an actual laptop HDD in his.

These machines have great potential; with a little ingenuity, you could be the first EeePC owner to go solar!

- Tate

Maranello
MVM
join:2000-12-08
Butler, PA

Maranello to Robert

MVM

to Robert
Wil Harris did a review on his video poscast Unwired you might like.

»www.unwiredshow.tv/2007/ ··· -eee-pc/

stray
join:2000-01-16
Warren, NJ

1 edit

1 recommendation

stray to Done_Posting

Member

to Done_Posting
Gotta say that I love mine as well. It's traveled over 20,000 miles with me, hooked up to all sorts of WiFi, including "borrowing" access while sitting on the runway in Dakar from the airport restaurant. No problems web surfing, email, light word processing, and some fairly complex spreadsheet work.

The small keyboard takes some getting used to and you may not want to write your next novel with it, but for email and documents of a few pages or less, its usable. The 2 lb. weight, 15 sec. bootup, and the additional 4g SD card I added make this machine perfect for my travel use.

Although I'm not really versed in Linux, the integrated apps seem to play well with Windows networks, files and printers. No problem accessing my Windows shared file systems or accessing a Windows shared printer. No problem with Word or Excel docs going back and forth. Remote Desktop works perfectly, so I can access my home or office machines from the EEE.

It's not a replacement for a full featured desktop, but for many users who are interested in Web, email, Word, Excel, PDF, etc... it's a winner.

For the most part, sales in Q4 2007 are low because of limited supply.

For those with more than a passing interest see: »www.eeeuser.com/

In any event, I'm selling my Dell Axim X51V as it has no further use for me.
netnerd6
join:2007-04-14
Oakland, CA

netnerd6

Member

y not just get a UMPC laptop!

i have a sony 4.5" umpc and i love it!
it has 1.2G CPU, 1G ram, 30GB hd, wifi, bluetooth, touchscreen, keyboard, stylus, camera, and memory stick expansion!
u can run XP or Vista on it!
u can have it for under 1000$ now on ebay!
Kornflake
join:2006-12-21
4

Kornflake

Member

usb?

if there isa usb port portable laptop drives are cheep so use that as storage for ur stuff
Done_Posting
Shoot to kill
Premium Member
join:2003-08-22
Toledo, OH

Done_Posting

Premium Member

Re: usb?

said by Kornflake:

if there isa usb port portable laptop drives are cheep so use that as storage for ur stuff
There's not just one, but THREE USB 2.0 ports, as well as a built in SD / SDHC / MMC card reader. The people who complain about not having enough space don't know what they're talking about!

- Tate

Maxxxt
Peculiar Mental Twist
Premium Member
join:2001-06-12
Anchorage, AK

Maxxxt

Premium Member

The first generation of many like it

I think its pretty cool little device. It is however limited to what it will become. For those that say the screen is too small, its they same size the use in back of Airplane seats that people watch for hours. I envision Tablet style, OLED touchscreen, lighter and thinner. It will have 100GB+ SS storage, Built in(not soldered) wireless broadband capability's from any provider. It would be great for notes, quick word or Power point documents and presentations, surfing the net and also watching movies. It will become the standard instead of the exception. The solar panel idea was a good one and might work as well.

I love new stuff.

smw315
Premium Member
join:2002-07-18
Edison, NJ

1 recommendation

smw315

Premium Member

Bring Broadband To Your Eee PC - Integrating an HSDPA card

I bought one of these little guys out of curiosity and I am very impressed.

The built-in ethernet port works like a charm, as does the built-in WiFi link. In fact, the Atheros Communications 802.11 b/g PCI Express adapter is much more sensitive than the adapters in most laptops. I live in a condo development which I thought had 18 wireless networks within a 2,000 foot range. The Atheros adapter in my Eee PC has identified 26 wireless networks and the furthest of these is a whopping 3,600 feet from my office. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!

The 4GB solid state ROM is no problem at all. For storage, I use an external USB 250GB drive and can operate programs stored on it with no problem whatsoever.

As far as I'm concerned, the Asus Eee PC is a better product than the average UMPC, for much less money.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Is eeepc just hype?

It appears to sell for $300-$400. I've seen full-featured laptops sell for under $400. Why buy something so restrictive?
Done_Posting
Shoot to kill
Premium Member
join:2003-08-22
Toledo, OH

Done_Posting

Premium Member

Re: Is eeepc just hype?

said by xenophon:

It appears to sell for $300-$400. I've seen full-featured laptops sell for under $400. Why buy something so restrictive?
What are you talking about? Restrictive? This thing has TONS of modding potential! Besides, the $300 - $400 laptops you're referring to are in an entirely different class. When people call the EeePC an "ultra portable," they aren't kidding. It's small size and weight (around 2 lbs) make it absolutely perfect for anyone on the go. I purchased mine for several reasons, but most of all because I can use it unobtrusively during class as well as to upload photos to my website while away from home. Being able to video conference with the built in camera also piqued my interest.

Yes, I also have a full blown Core Duo laptop too, but since purchasing the EeePC, its larger brother has hardly been taken out of its carrying case.

Your mileage may vary of course, but in my personal opinion, the EeePC was a bargain at only $389 shipped free from Buy.com with my Google Checkout discount.

- Tate

CHallmark
@sbcglobal.net

CHallmark

Anon

It will 1 million next 3 months

Asus will sell 1 million of the Eee over the next 3 months (1Q 2008).

So why wonder if there is a market for it?

Low-performance PCs from little-known brands will take half the mareket in the US in 2010.

The S-M-E computer (small, cheap, easy) is an idea whose time has come. Small, cheap, and easy will all work together in future computers. Small is the key. In volume production, smaller is cheaper. Cheaper computers are bound to be easier to use as they include a wider class of users. Also, smaller computers do not support many advanced applications.

So small is the key, and the Eee is just the beginning. Expect to see Curtis, Coby, Starburst, America, etc., brands selling for less than $100 at Wal-Mart and Walgreen's.

wruckman
Ruckman.net
join:2007-10-25
Northwood, OH

wruckman

Member

NICE!

I have a eee myself and that figgin' rocks!

Irun Man
Premium Member
join:2002-10-18
Millsboro, DE

Irun Man

Premium Member

Re: NICE!

I got one for Christmas and I'm typing this reply on it... I like it just fine out of the box with 4GB and the built-in webcam. It runs circles around my Toshiba Tecra with XP TPC and 4GB RAM. Price should come down soon.

aSic
application specific
Premium Member
join:2001-05-17
Wakulla, FL

1 recommendation

aSic

Premium Member

Link for touch screen mod...

Since Karl mentioned it above, I got curious. Here's the link to the touch screen mod Karl eluded to in the article.

»jkkmobile.blogspot.com/2 ··· -pc.html

Ben
Premium Member
join:2007-06-17
Fort Worth, TX

Ben

Premium Member

Toy!

For some reason, I can't help but think that it's just a toy, not unlike a portable DVD player.

The screen is too small to use, and the keyboard is small. Yet the device is too large to slip into a purse or on a belt-clip. The smaller screen is only tolerable if the device is small (like a PDA or Smart-phone).

I can't imagine the use for such a device. I sure can't imagine using the Internet on such a small screen in this day and age. The last time I used the Internet on such a small screen was back in 1988 or 1989, on my father's 8088 (5MHz), which was attached to a 1200 baud modem and a 5" B&W monitor. Well, it might have been a BBS. It's been a long time.

Then again, I don't have a laptop at all. I have never felt a need to take a PC with me in public.
Redwolf
join:2001-01-07
Hot Springs National Park, AR

2 edits

Redwolf

Member

Re: Toy!

Toy yes, a cool one! I could see taking something like this out in my work truck with my usb GPS instead of my bulkier more expensive laptops.

edit: typo
grumpy3b
join:2001-12-11
Lompoc, CA

grumpy3b

Member

Or one could just add USB EVDO..

Awesomely cook hack...but in my clase I would decide to add EVDO, it that offers better speeds and connections around here, using the newest Franklin EVDO USB gadget.

»www.evdoinfo.com/content ··· 2106/63/

Supposedly it comes with a flash drive built-in that has the needed drives for Linux, Windows and something else, I forget. Just plug it in and let it self configure. Not sure how well it works but a tad less spooky (though MUCH LESS FUN) then taking a slaughtering-iron to your Eee.

BTW, I am really considering this as a UMPC...but I have to use EVDO as the other available MBB options where I live are over a year away at their earliest...difficult to service area no matter what the coverage maps claim.

John Comer
@mc.videotron.ca

John Comer

Anon

Great machine but will wait for a bigger screen.

I've seen a white 4G EEE at my local computer store it looks great and solidly built. I don't mind the small keyboard but I do a lot of reading on the internet and will wait for a bigger screen.

EEE ME
@insightns.com

EEE ME

Anon

Merry Christmas to me

Thanks for the article. I must've been living under a rock, as I never heard of this this thing until Friday. I promptly bought one from Newegg and am waiting patiently for it. I also bought a nice portable dvd case from Best Buy to keep it in.

Syanide32
@comcast.net

Syanide32

Anon

a gift for my brother

I bought one of these for my little brother(the $399 4g) who isn't a techi he just needed something to surf the internet and be able to run some basic productivity apps on. I think it's perfect for the young and old who aren't tech oriented but need or want something easy that's portable, or anyone who primarily works off a desktop and just wants something portable.

I chose it for my little brother because he could build a system around it ie external hard drives, screen, external cd/dvd writer, printer, etc. . . and then when the time is right he can upgrade to a real desktop and he'll have all the peripherals. It's not the most amazing machine in the world but for the price it's in a class all it's own. If I'd had a few hundred more dollars to throw at this I might have debated my choice longer but it's (relatively) cheap and very portable if he breaks it or looses it it's not the end of the world, I think a lot of parents are going to find this kind of computer is perfect for students (great for taking notes on) who need something portable but don't want to break the bank.

blah blah blah I feel like an advertisement. downside it's small keyboard is a little cramped but as everyone has said you get use to it. a number of people have reported slightly wonky touch pad, but it seems to be an easy fix, adjusting sensitivity. Almost have to buy extra storage right away. That not so hidden cost should be taken into consideration. If you or your loved one is planning on shifting from the Linux op. to XP then extra ram is highly recommended. more money out of pocket (for someone). NOT great for gaming or heavy computing ie 3d modeling, video editing, etc. . . I had seen a phone jack on these but apparently it's optional and the one that arrived for my brother was blocked, I was disappointed about that. Also most seem to lack the mini pcie port that the early models had, another disappointment but I had read up on it and had expected no less.

Despite all that, I've been playing with my little brother's for a week now (it hadn't arrived yet when he came for xmas, so I'll get it for another week!) I'd have to say I'm pleased and would be pleased to own one myself if I had a little extra cash to buy myself one.
My home comp is an overclocked quadcore 3.3gh with nvidia GTX dual screen, my point is that I'm a power user, but still think this little puppy is is grand, and would serve me well as a mobile compliment.

jjester
@embarqhsd.net

jjester

Anon

Making a mark

Numbers that came out today indicate that ASUS has sold 350,000 units. That is fantastic in this short time period and very worried economy! That sort of answers the who will use this. Lots of people.

We have two of the 4G models. I have black, my wife has white. I just ordered some hardware to add to mine.

I am swapping the built in SO-DIMM 512 Meg module for a 2 Gig module. I am also adding 6 Gig additional flash storage. I will install XP Pro and the VPN software that my company requires and go shopping for a broadband connection.

My wife uses hers at home or hotspots. She can be at a Starbucks or a doctor's office and surf, chat, e-mail, etc.

If you try to use it to replace a normal desktop or laptop you may very well be disappointed with storage and other aspects of this very fine machine.

If you think of this as an access method to other systems, as in my case corporate systems or my wife's internet use, it is an immensely useful tool.

I look forward to exploring the video conferencing capabilities as well.