Re: [dwm] Asustek EEE PC 1000 Atom 1GB 40G SSD Linux Black

David Tweed wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 3:25 PM, Matthias-Christian Ott <ott_AT_enolink.de> wrote:
> > Kurt H Maier wrote:
> >> I have a string of thinkpads. The newest model I have is a T43, and
> >> after my wife brought home an X41 on loan from her employer I
> >> considered buying one. Sure, you can get a used x-series for not much
> >> money, but I bought an Acer Aspire One[1] for $300 -- and it's under
> >> warranty, I don't have to worry about replacing the worn-out battery,
> >> and all the other things that come with a new computer instead of a
> >> used one.
> >
> > That's stupid! Even if the battery is nearly unusable, you can still buy
> > a new one instead of buying a new computer (I also heard about people
> > who build their own batteries ;)). Buying a new computer if the old one
> > is not entirely broken just contributes to these huge e-waste dumps in
> > Africa and Asia.
>
> FWIW, I still have my old laptop and occasionally use it, but a year
> ago I got tired of walking around with this heavy thing in my backpack
> all the time and bought a very cheap UMPC thing with a 7 in screen and
> support for a USB plug-in keyboard. The machine is much more useful to
> me because, being lighter, I no longer have to think about if I'm
> going to be walking too far to want to carry the laptop, the UMPC just
> automatically goes in my backpack. There are only two problems with
> the new machine: boot up time, because Linux suspend doesn't work, and
> because it's so small it can be difficult to use on a train/bus with
> bright sunlight outside (normal laptops being bigger tend to block out
> the sun better). It's an enivronmental trade-off: I'm buying new kit
> but then I don't do all the driving around other people do
> unthinkingly.
>
> The screen works acceptably in a tweaked dwm which automatically
> assigns a new tag to every opened window, and I can write papers and
> do programming on it (at least, providing it's not really sunny!)

That must be really painful. When I tried to touch type on an EEE PC
700 I often hit two keys at the same time (maybe just because I'm used
to an IBM Model M keyboard, but anyhow it seemed unfavourable). I'm
aware that some people managed to use the keyboard effectively [1].
 
> > I meant this seriously. I didn't touch a EEE PC 1000, but for the EEE PC
> > 700 this is true. I haven't seen someone using this as his development
> > computer or computer for longer works.
>
> I work on my 7in PC (primarily using dwm & emacs), although train &
> bus travel is sufficiently tiring that about 2 hours is all I can
> manage. (I also zonk out at about 2 hours reading fiction books whilst
> traveling.)
>
> > Additionally I can't understand, why all people started to carry around
> > laptops (what's the difference between laptop and notebook?) with
> > themselves, except they are maybe professionals (programmers,
> > scientists, ...) and travel a lot. I don't have to have a laptop to sit
> > in an internet cafe during holidays.
> > All the world seems to be busy (or at least pretend this) and therefore
> > has to run around with mobile devices (mobile phones, laptops, ...) in
> > order to do their "important" work. In my opinion these mobile devices
> > are just modern today and people often just buy them and use them in the
> > public for no reason, just to show who they are. It became some kind of
> > status symbol.
>
> I've never understood why people who drive have laptops, other than to
> give client presentations, since they don't have the ability to use
> them whilst travelling. But on public transport and planes they can
> make sense if you've got work you can do in a relatively crowded
> environment. The other minor use is that, having been stranded once
> during a foreign trip -- the railway line the Eurostar trip home
> passed by exploding gas cylinders -- and had to book an emergency
> flight home via the web, I would have been really, REALLY nervous
> about trusting an internet cafe's computers with my credit card
> details.

I didn't say that portable computers aren't useful (I mentioned
programmers and scientists as an example), but the extents of that are
far too great.
I don't mean computers aren't useful, but a lot of work non-professionals
do with their computers could be more or less done with pen and paper
(even if it takes a little bit longer). You usually don't need check
your E-Mails every hour while you are travelling and in case you really
need this, you should ask yourself whether there's something wrong with
your job.
 
> > If your at an airport, just look at the screens of these "business
> > men" - nearly nobody of them does serious work (or at least I got the
> > impression). You can also observe this at internet cafes or railway
> > stations.
>
> When actually ON the train I've observed lots of people writing
> reports, etc. (Of course, most reports are pointless but then you can
> say that about lots of paid human activity...)

Yes, indeed ;).

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjZGbJhcRbY
Received on Sat Sep 06 2008 - 08:01:37 UTC