EEE PC is hottiest and sexiest than ever

The issue of an EEE PC has been already written over many many times. I wrote a comparison of the laptop to an Amazon's Kindle. There also was a news post about schools being purchasing those laptops and then Ars Technica published their own review and reinforced my opinion.

Now, I think the laptop has riched even the business niche. I hear that a lot of people who need a laptop on the road to read and respond to emails, to have a Skype calls and browse the web are very keen to test and use this device. After all, its price at ~$400, and weight ~1kg, are very attractive points. Added to that the fact, that this is a fully functional laptop with a decent hardware specifications, make a really attractive deal.

I just read an article by James Maguire at Datamation. I like the following saying by the author:

Unlike Apple, though, Asus will never have to fork over a rebate to customers who bought as soon as the doors opened, then suffered buyer's remorse when the price inevitably fell. Instead, the Eee PC fans will keep scooping up these small units as fast as the company can make them. Until, of course, competitors flood the market, and a $75 unit finally hits the streets. That will be next year's must-have ultra-portable.

I doubt that this laptop will conquer the ultra-portable niche (although it might), but at the very least it probably will make waves to the whole industry. And who knows, maybe the likes of IBM and Sony will listen, and make some of theirs ultraportables comparable in terms of price. But just imagine the possibility: a $100 for eeePC? I'll take 2 please...

That could really change things around, could it? I think that OLPC camp would have now something else to worry about.

Is OLPC team crossing the lines?

And if they would've, what would those lines be?

Hello dear reader. I've just been reading an article on News.com, which explains in some detail the exit of Intel from an OLPC alliance. It happened after some few years of disagreements and heat between the teams; and after they seemingly made up and OLPC started developing an Intel-based model (which I would love to see). What's going on then? Why road is not all that slick and easy for the project, which took the pledge to help all the poor kids in the world (sort of)?

It seems that while everyone agrees with the goal, many disagree on the way that goal is to be achieved. Here comes the question I asked at the beginning:

The OLPC project is made to help educating children, and they are doing so by letting children laptop computers. Choosing to use the technology to solve some of the hardest problems existing right now, is great act. But the world of technology is very well advanced in developing world. So, would it be fare to ask other technology vendors not to try and develop similar solutions? Especially ones they can profit from? Would it be fare to ask them not to compete? And to specifically target the problem on hand: had the OLPC from the beginning had using Intel's processors, would Intel start "Classmate PC" program? And would AMD then develop their own?

I believe, that a chip vendor other than a would-be chosen one for the project would try to stick his nose into the project, or try to invent some other way to compete. It's just the way that capitalism works. Searching for a new market is nothing new. And that's exactly what Intel did.

So, if OLPC team cannot demand that Intel would stop all their "competing with OLPC" programs, then by doing so they are crossing the line. I'm just starting to believe that there's too much emotion is getting into the issues here, and while by itself is a good thing, emotions in this case do not serve the purpose. More and more lately I feel that OLPC is slowly turning into completely commercial project, while at the beginning the idea was to draw attention and to show what can be done with technology.

Now, don't get me wrong. I really like an OLPC. I do think that a project like this should exist. I truly believe that the technology that was developed is the best one in the market today, and it beats the hell out of Intel's Classmate PC. But I'm beginning to see sorts of weird elitistic behavior in some of the issues with the team. It's the "we're the volunteering for the poor, how can you compete with us? shame on you!!!" attitude that I think is wrong.

Making the technology that advances the whole world and provides means to poor kids to get education is good. Trying to shame everyone else and press them to do what you want (and especially by insinuating they against poor kids) is not.

Just do what you know: the great technology. The great community. The great people. Education

Don't cross the lines. In capitalism world, it can backfire right back at you.

OLPG, or One Laptop Per Grown-up

Dear reader,

As the year of "Mobile is Linux (TM)" has now come, I foresee many devices that will be created this year that will run a variant of a Linux-based operating system. Current choices vary from embedded environments, such as Open Embedded (which is the basis for such operating systems as Maemo and OpenMoko), and to the big named platforms, such as Motorola's Platform and Android. All this leads me to hope and believe that there will be great products made this year, which makes a choice of one even more complicated and difficult (there will be some many great products, how can a person choose one?).

But there's a little thing that keeps me occupied: I like the OLPC. It was built using open source software from bottom up, and the whole idea of creating it was that every single part of it will be open to the public. While I'm not in the right place to argue whether they did it well or not, I know one thing: the software developments and improvements that were made during the life of the project are worthwhile for all projects used in creating this laptop.

Which led me to thinking about the following issue - OLPC is a laptop with, say in short, the following great features:

• It's small
  
• It's light
  
• It has great screen (small one maybe, but still a great one)
  
• It has very optimized software which makes up the great experience of using the device.
  
• It uses Linux.
  
• It has a mesh networking
  
• It's cool
  
• There are all sorts of recharging devices that help you to recharge it in case of inaccessible power outlets.
  

And so, I was thinking about this: I like this laptop. I like the small and light computer, which is built upon good hardware, has very developed software and runs Linux. So I though, I need another OLPC, but with the following slightly different features:

• Still small and light, not more than 12" screen. But no less than 11"
  
• No need for dust, water, wind, fire, bullets and wooden stick proofing case. A good keyboard with maybe fingerprint scanner would do.
• Bluetooth
• Some sort of high speed connectivity, for example 3G or 3.5G
  

So in fact, I'm looking for a sort of OLPC in a casing similar to ThinkPad X61s. Wouldn't it be great?

I'd call it a One Laptop Per (for) Grown-ups. I believe that such laptop would be appealing to a lot of people who need a simple computing device (journalists for example, or writers, or business people who need simple computer on the road to check their email, check web sites and write documents). It would be great for bloggers (say, something similar to Asus eeePC 701 but with bigger screen and better keyboard). I believe that all this possible, and even more so after the CTO of the project just resigned to start a commercial entity based on technology created for OLPC.

If the OpenMoko project can exists, and Sean says they are ready to produce other devices than Neo, why not make something similar with laptops? Creating a light and low-cost Linux laptop would benefit us all, as we could see it with Asus and Nokia Internet tablets N770/N800/N810.

Wouldn't you agree?

Technorati : Linux, OLPC, Open Source, Technology, hardware, laptop
Del.icio.us : OLPC

Better Than Kindle?

OK, so by now I think there are no people left who didn't hear about the Amazon Kindle. Or read about it. Or written something. Or something.

I just listened to a podcast by Leo Laporte (it's on Twit network - go check out), where he and his guests in the studio are talking about the kindle device and are not really thrilled by it. These are the sort of people who jump on all the newest and the greatest in the gadgetry, but they don't jump on this one.

Why?

I could probably take a guess, and to be correct as much as anyone. But here are few things that pop into my head when I'm thinking about any eBook:

• It has to be sorta cheap
  
• It has to have a great screen - quality is important
  
• The screen size should be convenient (I know, this one is very subjective)
  
• It should be lightweight
  
• The power should have a long life for this
  

While I'm thinking about all the things I'd do with it, this is what comes to my mind: this thing cost around $400. There are few other devices that cost that much these days:

• Nokia N810
• Asus eeePC 701
• OLPC
  

So, how about relative comparison between the products?

Lets take a look, one by one:

Amazon kindle with Nokia N810:

Weight Kindle: 300g; N810: 226g
Size Well, Kindle is larger
Screen size Kindle: 6"; N810: 4.13"
Screen features Kindle: eInk, grayscale; N810: LCD, 65K colors
Power features Kindle: can go for days; N810: needs recharging frequently
Connectivity Kindle: 3g+ cellular; N810: WiFi and Bluetooth (other?)
Applications Kindle: reading books, articles, blogs, listening to a music?? N810: whatever you like and can get your hands on

Amazon kindle with Asus eeePC 701:

Weight Kindle: 300g; 701: 920g
Size Asus is larger
Screen size Kindle: 6"; 701: 7"
Screen features Kindle: eInk, grayscale; 701: LCD, color
Power features Kindle: can go for days; 701: needs recharging frequently
Connectivity Kindle: 3g+ cellular; 701: WiFi
Applications Kindle: reading books, articles, blogs, listening to a music?? 701: whatever you like in regular Linux desktop, limited by performance

Amazon kindle with OLPC:

Weight Kindle: 300g; OLPC: 1.58kg
Size OLPC is slightly larger
Screen size Kindle: 6"; OLPC: 7.5"
Screen features Kindle: eInk, grayscale; OLPC: LCD, dual-mode, color and B&W
Power features Kindle: can go for days; OLPC: needs recharging frequently
Connectivity Kindle: 3g+ cellular; OLPC: WiFi (with mesh)
Applications Kindle: reading books, articles, blogs, listening to a music?? OLPC: whatever you like in regular Linux desktop, limited by performance

So, what can we tell by these comparisons? Few things actually: we have 4 devices, priced similarly, but allowing different using models. While Kindle is specialized in reading books, articles, newspapers and blogs (and maybe listening to some in the future), all the other devices run almost any application you would like (in Linux).

Asus is not really fair comparison in the bunch, as it has completely different format, and is more appropriate for writing an article than reading it (I mean, it's a laptop, and hence it is more convenient to use its keyboard than on all other 3 devices).

So, for the matter of this argument, I would choose an OLPC laptop as a reading device for the follosing reasons:

• Its much more cool (subjective)
• While buying one for me, I contribute one for some kid somewhere in the world
• It's grayscale mode and ability to turn the screen make it very good reader device
• I can do a lot more than just reading books on it
• It has interesting power recharging solutions
• I can easily read blogs and RSS feeds on it

While the Kindle has interesting technology (eInk, or whatever it is called), and it is much lighter, and don't need recharging that often, I'd choose OLPC for now. Even Nokia's device seems more cool and technically superior than a kindle.

Actually, besides that eInk screen, and commercial model for getting stuff, is there anything exciting in the Kindle at all? Is the OLPC better than Kindle? Even as a book reader? I think so.

Tell me what you think.