NoypEee

My New Advocacy: eBooks for Pinoy

2009-09-21T02:59:00.000-07:00

I just started a new blog and it will, more or less, concentrate on eBooks -- reading, organizing and hunting for them. See it at eBookster :)

MSI Wind Tip: Sharing Files between a Dual-boot Wind (XP & OSX)

2009-04-06T01:36:00.001-07:00

Now that I'm running a dual-boot MSI Wind (XP Home & OSX) I have a problem about sharing files between OSX and XP. This is not a really big problem with OSX because the XP partition is seen as a read-only drive but under XP, the OSX partition is rendered invisible. This makes things a bit difficult for me because I may have files I downloaded or created under OSX that I will need to access in XP.

The simplest solution to this problem is to save all data files onto a USB flashdrive. This solution may suffice to most users but I personally don't want an extra appendage constantly attached to my Wind so I thought of a more elegant solution.

There's this cross-platform service called DropBox and I installed the DropBox client on both XP and OSX. Whenever I am running on either OS and need to share a file between the my XP and OSX partition, I just save it on my DropBox folder. Easy and no sweat sharing of files!

cool huh?

Blogged with the Flock Browser

My WindOSX-periment -- 95% Functional

2009-04-06T00:48:00.001-07:00

This is a continuation of my two previous posts.

The OSX installation on my MSI Wind was a resounding success. I have a fairly stable system and everything seems to "just work" even if I had to jump through hoops to make them work the first time. Here are some of the additional customizations I did on my WindOSX so far:

I was able to make its built in wifi adapter to work using a leaked driver that can be easily searched on the 'net. That means I don't have to crack this baby open and replace its wifi adapter in order to have untethered access to the 'net.
Using a nifty little program called Audieee4Wind and CHUD, I was able to make the headphone-out of this baby work. However, I am still searching for a way to make the microphone work.

So far, the only things *not* working under OSX the are microphone and the VGA out (fixable by applying the updated video drivers). The webcam initially didn't work under Photobooth but it eventually did when I applied the 10.5.6 combo update.

So, what's in store for this OSX-ified MSI Wind? I'll probably hack it until I find a way to make everything "just work" and by that time, I hope I have enough dough to buy me the real McCoy.

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My "small" Switch -- Hacking the Wind

2009-03-29T04:24:00.001-07:00

I I previously mentioned, I switched from the Eee PC 701 to the MSI Wind U-100x. The Atom processor in this baby is vastly faster than the Celeron processor of my old Eee PC. The larger screen is also kinder to my aging eyes.

The primary reason why I switched to the Wind is its high "hackability" potential. I know that people had been installing OSX to the Wind since last year but there were a lot of kinks and bugs that made installing OSX a losing proposition. That was until I discovered that the built-in wi-fi adapter of the MSI Wind is already working with minimal fuss. All thank to MSIWind.net.

Installing OSX to the Wind was very easy as long as all the drivers required is at hand. I was amazed at this because I feel like the Wind is as fast as my previously stolen white Apple MacBook. The only quirk remaning with this installation is its wonky webcam when running PhotoBooth -- something I rarely use.

I configured my Wind to dual-boot with the bundled MS Windows XP Home but I find myself using OSX 90% of the time because I mainly use it to surf the 'net and I am more confident that I will be less vulnerable to at least 98% of virus and trojans on it.

One good effect of this exercise is now I am more convinced to get a unibody MacBook later in the year as a replacement for my stolen white MacBook. But for now, I'll just enjoy what I have at hand.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

My "small" Switch!

2009-03-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

For more than a year now, I've been contented with my Eee PC 701 (4G) but around two weeks ago, I decided that the small screen and small storage of the Eee is no longer serving me well. An officemate, who is also connected with a local PC reseller has offered me a good deal on a yet another netbook. Since I have some disposable cash, I opted to "bite" at his offer.

My new netbook is now an MSI Wind U-100x. This is the cheaper variant of the Wind that does not have built-in bluetooth but has 2GB on-board RAM and 160GB hard drive.

Setting up the Wind for the first time was a no-sweat affair. All I needed to do was sit back and relax while it does its own thing and after a reboot, everything is in place -- MS Windows XP was installed and all I needed to do was to install my favorite apps (FireFox, MS Office, etc.)

Being a self-confessed techie, I also experimented with installing the Wind with OS X but that's for a different post altogether.

Eeep! The MSI Wind is Finally Available Locally!

2008-06-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

Well, its official: The much awaited MSI Wind ulpc is now available locally at PC Corner! Initial pricing ranges from Php 24K (around $535) for a "bare" unit with no OS and it goes up to Php32K (around $710) for one that has Windows XP preinstalled among other add-ins.

Although the Wind is priced around Php10K more than the entry-level Eee PC, the Wind has the upper hand in terms of processor (Intel Atom), keyboard/trackpad size, and storage. If I'm in the market for a laptop, I wouldn't think twice before getting this baby over the HP2133(mininote) but I would have to reserve final judgement until Acer and Dell comes out with their own entry to the ulpc niche.

OSX on the MSI Wind!

2008-06-29T16:01:00.001-07:00

A fellow at Insanely Mac was able to hack his way into installing OS X on the yet-to-be-officially-released MSI Wind! It is running OSX 10.5.2 (kalyway) and according to the person who did it, ethernet and bluetooth works but he's still working on making its built-in wifi to work.

Not to shabby eh?

Evernote 3 Rocks... Especially with the Eee PC!

2008-06-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was alerted to the fact that Evernote has launched a web-based service where notes taken using Evernote on a desktop can be uploaded and saved to the Evernote server on the internet. I got really interested but at that time, the service was still in closed beta. I completely forgot about it until this morning when I heard that this new service is now available to the public.

I promptly registered for a free online account (which grants me a 40 Mb of online storage) and promptly installed the newest version of Evernote. I installed it on my Eee PC, weary of the additional storage space it will occupy in my measly 4Gb of Eee PC SSD storage. I was surprised when after installing Evernote on my Eee PC, the installer asked me if I want to install a "portable version" of the program!

I allowed it to install the portable version and I uninstalled the copy that is on my SSD. Now, I can continue using Evernote 3 without having to worry about its impact on my small Eee PC's SSD!

Foil Keyloggers with Keyscrambler

2008-06-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

I have been doing an Information Security Awareness training for the past couple of days and in doing so, I realized that I am not practicing what I preach... I have been discussing about trojan horses and keyloggers and I realized that I am now using Windows XP and I am not exactly protected against keyloggers.

Good thing I chanced upon a program called Keyscrambler. It is a browser add-in (compatible with IE7, Firefox and Flock) that, as the title program says, scrambles the keystroke you enter on your browser. It is a nice additional security layer for people who, like me, sometimes finds themselves using the 'net on public wi-fi access points.

Its also kind of cool to actually see how keyscrambler encrypts your keystrokes on the fly.

Keyscrambler is a free download, but will cost you a few dollars in case you want inreased functionality.

Eee PC running MacOS 7.0.1?

2008-06-15T18:58:00.001-07:00

Screw Snow Leopard, MacOS Classic rulez!

AirborneAccess + Smart Gold Promo!

2008-06-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

If you are in the Philippines and is a subscriber of Smart Gold, then here's some good news:

Get unlimited monthly Wi-Fi access at Airborne Access hotspots with your Smart Gold and Addict post-paid subscription!

Starting June 3, 2008; all SMART Gold and Addict subscribers who still wish to avail of the Unlimited WiFi Connections through Airborne Access may register for the promo with the following offerings:

1. P99.00 (less than $2) Monthly Service Fee (VAT inclusive)
2. Unlimited WiFi access in all Airborne Access Hotspots
3. Monthly Service Fee discount from P199.00 to P99.00 monthly for existing pre-registered subscribers.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

1. Subscribers should text REG to 9434 using the Smart Gold/Addict account to be registered in the WiFi promo

2. The password shall be sent to the SMART Gold /Addict MIN/mobile phone of the subscriber within 2 hours upon successful registration.

3. Subscribers will receive an error message for unsuccessful registrations.

4. Within a Hotspot area, the subscriber should access the SMART Gold Airborne Access log-in page where the username and password should be entered. The mobile number is the default username.

5. The log-in page shall display the Terms and Conditions for the service for his/her acceptance. If accepted, the subscriber is allowed to access the internet.

More details at the AirborneAccess website

Woopra Rocks!

2008-06-04T16:30:00.001-07:00

Tried the analytics web application called Woopra and I loved it! It gives a real-time view of the web visitors that goes to websites/blogs. Above is a screenshot of *this* blog where someone from Canada is reading a post on Doom.

Intallation of the Woopra app is quick and easy but its not intantly visible on my Eee. I had to download and install another app to make everything viewable (more on this app later).

DIY Plurk Client (Just like my previous post)

2008-06-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

...the only difference is the URL is http://www.plurk.com/m. Cool huh?

My DIY Twitter Client via FireFox

2008-05-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

When I XP-fied my Eee PC, one of the things I *avoid* doing is install non-essential apps to it to preserve my 1Gb+ free storage. To do this, I used PortableApps from the external SD card but not all the things I want to use are available as a portable application... one of them is a Twitter application.

Anyway, having tried using the mobile version of Twitter on my iPhone, I tried adding a new sidebar panel on FireFox Portable with the url http://m.twitter.com/ and it worked! Now I uninstalled Twhirl and Adobe Air and is now using my twitter sidebar most of the time.

ADDENDUM:
There is a question in the comments section on how I "detached" my sidebar from Firefox. I did it by installing a Firefox add-on called EZ-Sidebar.

Bullet-point Review: The Axioo Classmate PC

2008-05-30T03:03:00.000-07:00

It looks like the Neo Xplore X1.
Unlike the Neo Xplore X1, the Axioo Classmate PC doesn't have a traditional hard drive, opting for a meager 2GB SSD.
It has PCLinuxOS preinstalled which I find rather difficult to work with.
In preinstalled Linux is full-blown -- too many apps installed.
The integrated graphics processor is powerful enough to run Compiz Fusion with relative ease.
It does look like a kid's lunchbox when closed.
It is difficult to use on a WPA-encrypted wireless network but a breeze to use on an unprotected wifi network.
Its ethernet connection is also relatively easy to configure.
Plays stunning video -- provided the video file is of high quality too. :)
The keyboard has a better feel than the keyboard of the Eee PC. However, it only has one [Shift] key, making touch typing a chore.
No integrated webcam (as if I use my Eee PC's integrated webcam...).
Integrated speakers are barely audible.
The package I got doesn't have a restore CD, which will make it difficult to restore in case something goes wrong with the OS.
Driver download from the web seems to be non-existent (I can be wrong here) making a DIY upgrade to WinXP an impossibility (for now).
Should be good enough if a user only intends to do web surfing, emailing and 'light' document writing.
I'd be laughed out of the conference room if I decide to bring this to a meeting.
The SD/MMC card slot is at the back of the unit, making it a chore to install/swap cards.
It only has two USB ports available.

More later...

My Eee PC has VD!

2008-05-29T16:30:00.001-07:00

Well, VD, in this case means Virtual Desktop (gotcha!).

When I went "Philistine" and installed Windows XP on my Eee, one of the things I missed was the virtual desktop that was built in to Eee's bundled Xandros Linux. Well, when I downloaded TweakUI Powertoy from Microsoft, I noticed an application called "Virtual Desktop Manager". I downloaded it (its quite small) and installed it. At first I was sort of lost on how to use it -- it turns out that you'll have to do a right-click on the Windows Taskbar and choose the virtual desktop manager from the toolbar submenu.

Anyway, I was able to activate it and it seems to work well.

Now I can organize my running apps more efficiently and I also have an additional eye-candy which I can show my non-geek friends.

Acer Aspire "One"

2008-05-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

Hot on the heels of Dell's entry to the ULPC niche comes Acer's Aspire One. Both ULPC is expected to make an appearance next week at Computex. [from umpcportal]

Dell-icious ULPC from... Dell

2008-05-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

Gizmodo was able to snag an exclusive photo of Dell's entry to the ULPC (Ultra Low-cost PC) niche and it looks absolutely Dell-icious!

I hope this is not one of Gizmodo's infamous practical jokes...

Via OpenBook: If At First You Don't Succeed

2008-05-28T00:16:00.000-07:00

When Asus announced their popular Eee PC, Via Technologies followed suit with their own NanoBook reference design. Despite their similarities, the Eee PC succeeded while the NanoBook came out as a"2nd rate trying hard copycat" and the dismal reviews for Via's "baby" did not help at all.

Now, it looks like Via wants to have a second shot at the niche created by the Eee PC by releasing the OpenBook reference design website. This new design's specs are quite impressive on paper and should they pull this off at the current $400 price of similarly designed computers, Via may have a winner here.

Here's hoping...

CDisplayEx on Eee

2008-05-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

I was a a bit bored and decided to read some comicbooks... on my Eee. I used CDisplayEx and the reading experience is pretty good!

My Eee PC on SP3

2008-05-26T02:37:00.000-07:00

I just applied Windows XP Service Pack 3 on my XP-fied Eee PC. My free space was down to 1.5+ Gb from around 2 Gb. No worries because the SP3 uninstall files now weighs in at around 220+ Mb and once I see that my system is stable, I'll let CCleaner remove it so I'd still have ample space on my Eee.

I downloaded the SP3 file manually and applied it by double-clicking the file. I opted to do the download-and-install method because I heard that it is among the safest way of applying the patch.

So far, my Eee PC seems stable enough. The hacks I installed before SP3 are all working flawlessly and if I do not encounter any problems until Wednesday, I'll clean up my SSD to free up precious disk space.

NetBook Remix: Ubuntu for ULPCs!

2008-05-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

It looks like the niche we are in, the ULPC (Ultra Low-cost PC) niche, will have our own Ubuntu distro called "NetBook Remix". Here's what Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Canonical, has to say about it when asked by The Guardian, if he will be coming out with a special Ubuntu version for the small laptops we love:

We're announcing it in the first week of June. It's called the Netbook Remix. We're working with Intel, which produces chips custom-made for this sector.

So that's it, straight from the horse's mouth. Can't wait for June!

Here's the link to the complete interview.

uMobile + LG KU 380 + CDR King "Smallest Bluetooth Dongle" = Happiness?

2008-05-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

I just bought a really small Bluetooth dongle from CDR King and paired it with the free uMobile handset (LG KU 380) and guess what? I got a decent online speed from my house at Sta. Rosa Laguna!

If I can consistently get this speed, then I'll have a reason to just drop my CRAPPY Digitel DSL service. Why? well, look below and see why I'd prefer surfing using my cellphone:

The Redfox Wizbook [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

2008-05-24T05:11:00.000-07:00

The ULPC (Ultra Low-cost PC) niche is indeed getting crowded as more and more manufacturers enter the niche and here's one of the latest entries: the 10-inch screen Redfox Wizbook. Running a 500 Mhz AMD LX800 processor, this *may* be a bit slower than the Eee PC *BUT* this baby costs only Php19,000 (around $450) making it worthy of a second look.

There is a smaller Wizbook (Wizbook 800) that has an 8-inch screen and has an LX700 processor running at 400 Mhz. Priced competetively at Php 16,000 (around $ 380), this is a direct competitor of the original Eee PC 701.

Separated at Birth?

2008-05-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

Snagged this controversial photo from engadget. See anything suspiciously suspicious?

Taking The WinXP Plunge... Again

2008-05-18T04:05:00.000-07:00

After holding out for a looooong time, I finally took the plunge and installed Windows XP on my Eee PC! I'm actually posting this from my spanking brand new(?) OS! My first attempt was not up to par because it rendered my Eee PC mute (no sounds).

Anyway, I was able to finally make everything work now and so far so good! To save on the disk space I did not install any major applications on Windows, opting instead for the Portable Apps suite. Installed as portable apps are OpenOffice.Org, FireFox, 7-zip, GAIM, uTorrent, and few more. I am using portable apps not only to save disk space but also to prevent my Windows XP registry from being borked before its time. Now, almost all my programs (except for a 3rd party firewall app Ashampoo) are running off my 2GB SD Card. To "fix" the low resolution screen of the Eee PC, I also installed Astray+ *after* updating the graphics drivers as recommended here.

Even with Windows XP, the Eee PC is still not "able" enough to function as a primary PC and it will still act as my secondary, take-along computer. So far, I have not seen any obvious advantage of using Windows XP over the bundled Xandros Linux except that my Eee PC is now more vulnerable to 99% of the malware out in the wild.

I wonder how long I can tolerate using this before going back to Xandros?

Eee PC 900, Unboxed... Locally!

2008-05-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

My good friend, reverseengineer (of Macadoodle and PeeePCeee) got his grubby little hands on a review unity of the Eee PC 900. For the uninitiated, the Eee PC 900 has a larger screen, larger internal storage (up to 20 GB) and presumably also a larger pricetag.

Anyway, reverseengineer has had the pleasure of doing an unboxing "ritual" and it can be found here.

Blue H1: A Philippines-only Eee Competitor?

2008-04-20T04:49:00.001-07:00

Blue Digital Systems

It got the attention of Engadget and it also got mine. The Blue H1 has a rather decent specs is said to have a better battery life than the Eee PC considering its larger 40 GB hard drive. It is reported to run Linpus, a distro that I'm not too familiar with.

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Blame it on the iPhone!

2008-04-20T04:44:00.001-07:00

I know... I know...

I haven't been updating this blog for a while now. Well, you guys can blame it on the Apple iPhone! I just got one from a friend (which I have to remember to pay :) ) and its been keeping me busy these past few days.

Add to that the week-long training that I'm slated to take between May 21 to 25.

To my 4 loyal readers, my apologies. I will try to update this blog as soon as the inspiation hits.

In the meantime... I'll continue playing with my new phone :)

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MSI's 8.9- to 10-inch "Wind" [Know They Eee-nemy]

2008-04-14T00:40:00.001-07:00

MSI's 8.9- to 10-inch Wind breaks in Q2 for less than $500 - Engadget

The ultraportable pc niche is really starting to get scorching hot as more and more PC manufacturers announce their own version of small laptops. This is really good news because it offers users with a wealth of inexpensive ultraportable computing choices. Together with cheap broadband access, the introduction of these types of machines may indeed help in bridging the digital divide.

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The Cloudbook Has Landed! [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

2008-04-11T06:28:00.001-07:00

The Eee PC's first serious competition will soon be available locally -- end of April 2008 to be exact. I chanced upon this juicy piece of information through an email I received earlier today. The distributor will be "Advance Microsystems Corp." a local company and they can be found online at http://n1smartbook.com/ -- too bad their website doesn't show the Cloudbook... yet.. The local Cloudbook will have an SRP of Php 19,999, the same SRP of the Eee PC when it was first iintroduced locally.

Will this pose a serious threat to the Eee?

I'd love to hear some comments from my readers :)

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Test Driving SafePup

2008-04-09T16:36:00.001-07:00

Out of boredom, I tried to install SafePup from a seldomly-used flashdrive I have and I must say that I'm a bit impressed with the performance of the diminutive Linux distro. SafePup is a variant of Puppy Linux, one of the so-called minimalist Linux distribution. The whole SafePup system occupies a little less than 65MB of my unused 128MB flash drive.

Making SafePup boot from a flashdrive is as easy as formatting the flashdrive using FAT as its filesystem and simply copying the SsafePup files into it. Then to use it, simply press the Esc button while the Eee is booting up and choose the flashdrive in the boot up routine.

SafePup seems quick and robust and may well be a worthy alternative to the bundled Xandrox Linux.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Dell to Release its own Eee PC Competitor [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

2008-04-09T04:08:00.001-07:00

CNN reports that Compal, one of the large contract manufacturers for Dell says that they are manufacturing yet another 8.9" ultra portable laptop that Dell intends to sell by June of this year. Reported to retail for less than $499 (around Php 20,000+), this will definitely be another Eee PC competitor.

This niche is really starting to get interesting considering that HP has already released their own 8.9" model (the Mini-Note) and other manufacturers are also coming out with their own version of the ultra-small laptop. I sure hope that the industry sustains this thrust because these types of computers are highly instrumental in truly bridging the digital divide.

The "powers that be" at Asus should start patting themselves at the back for starting this trend.

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F9 to the Rescue!

2008-04-08T16:59:00.001-07:00

An Eee PC user that often tinker with his computer would know how invaluable the F9 key is in restoring the Eee PC to its factory default. By pressing the F9 key while booting up, one can wipe out everything in the Eee PC and return it to its factory fresh condition.

I often used the F9 key to restore my Eee PC each time I bork my system but today I found another use for it. Last night, I spent a lot of time reading using the built-in ebook reader of the Eee PC. When I realized that it was time to sleep, I promptly turned off my Eee but it got sort of stuck in the shutdown window. So I forced it to turn off by performing a long-press of the power button.

This morning, I turned on my Eee PC but it just boots up to a black screen! Thinking that the system simply "slept", I pressed the power button to wake it up but upon pressing it, the Eee shuts down immediately. I tried to start my system twice and the same thing happened! Thinking that I messed up my Eee, I thought of wiping out my system and starting again fresh. But instead of restoring my Eee to factory default, I decided to use the option to check the disks.

After a few seconds of checking, my Eee restarted normally! This saved me a lot of time tweaking and reinstalling my apps. So there, if you think you messed up your configuration, don't wipe out your system just yet, maybe a simple disk check can breathe new life into your Eee -- saving you time in reinstalling and re-tweaking.

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HP's 2133: Great Hardware, Crappy OS

2008-04-07T19:42:00.001-07:00

PC World - HP's 2133: A Tiny Laptop an Adult Can Really Use

If we are to take this review seriously, it seems like the HP2133 is a worthy adversary for the Eee PC in terms of hardware specs but the praises ends there. It seems like its preloaded Microsoft Vista is acting like a millstone around the HP2133's neck causing this little wonder to slow down and not perform at its peak,.

Too bad, it certainly looks really good but at almost double the price, I'll take an Eee PC anytime... for now...

UPDATE: Hours after posting, it seems like the 2133 is now available in the U.S. with an SRP of $499 (around Php21,000) for the base model, its higher spec'ed sibling will retail at around $749 (around Php 31,000). See more details here and here. It is now oficially known as the "HP Mini-Note".

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Fix for Eee PC's "Out of the Box" SAMBA Vulnerability

2008-04-07T04:05:00.001-07:00

There was a buzz on the 'net about the Eee PC's "out of the box" vulnerability through SAMBA. As a stop-gap measure, I simply uninstalled SAMBA from my Eee because I have no need to access any Windows box. I did this by typing the command "sudo apt-get remove samba" from the console.

A few days ago, I was looking for things to install through Synaptic (by typing "sudo synaptic" at the console window) and I saw this.

So I promptly installed it and now I can breathe a bit easier.

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Globe Telecoms Finally Relents: Allows Time-Based 'Net Connection!

2008-04-06T15:04:00.001-07:00

One of the reasons why people refuse to go online using their Globe Handyphones is the expensive rates they charge -- Php0.15/KB. Under this pricing scheme, a 10-minute visit to a media-rich website will cost a user a lot! This is why Globe's chief rival, Smart Communications has gained a lot of subscribers because Smart has een offering GPRS/EDGE/3G access at Php10/30mins which means that no matter what kind of website is visited, the charge remains to be tied to Php10 as long as the access does not go beyond 30 minutes.

Globe has finally come to their senses and now offers GPRS/EDGE/3G/HSDPA access at Php5/15minutes! Based on my experiences, I find going online using Globe a bit faster than using a Smart. Anyway, this is a real welcome news because I am a regular (not prepaid) subscriber of Globe for the longest time now.

Source: http://www.philmug.ph/forum/showthread.php?t=34562

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PornEee: Eee PC vs. Fujitsu U1010

2008-04-02T20:15:00.001-07:00

Picasa Web Albums - Bernie - Talkin' Tech - DSC00042.JPG

I had a chance to (man)handle the Fujitsu U1010 early today. It belongs to the boss of my boss which is actually the president of the small company I work with. It is obviously smaller and lighter than the Eee PC **BUT** it is running Windows Vista Home Premium which makes the machine really sluggish.

But despite its rather slow performance, I find it really attractive despite it being four times more expensive than my Eee PC.

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Extra Eee PC Batteries Now Available Locally!

2008-04-02T04:53:00.001-07:00

Eee Accessories -- look at page1 for the items...

An enterprising member of the local Eee PC enthusiast forum (silieee) is now taking orders for the elusive extra batteries for the Eee PC. This is a god-send to a lot of Eee PC users because of the not-too-impressive battery life of the current generation Eee PC.

Just click on the link above for pricing and availability.

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Monday, Scary Monday! [Webcam non-problem]

2008-03-31T23:55:00.001-07:00

I was fiddling with my Eee PC at home yesterday when I switched to Easy Mode on a whim and clicked on the webcam app. Well, the application only showed me a black screen! I fiddled around with my Eee PC trying to see what's wrong with it. The unit I was playing with was barely two weeks old and I was thinking of the hassle of having to drive to the store where I got it to have it fixed/replaced. I was also fretting that if the store decides to simply repair my unit, I'd be left with no computer!

Well, just as a friend found a solution to a much bigger problem after dinner, so have I... I decided to check my Eee PC's BIOS setting (by pressing F2 during boot up) after dinner and I found that my webcam was disabled on the BIOS!

A big sigh of relief escaped from me because now I have a fully working Eee PC and the problem that I was trying to fix is not even a problem at all.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Testing BloGTK 1.1 from the Eee PC

2008-03-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

This is a test post using BloGTK 1.1 from my Eee PC.

Although this blogging client is not as full-featured as the one that is built-in to Flock, BloGTK may be of some use for me whenever I get the blogging "itch".

I will soon post a short how-to on installing and configuring BloGTK in my coming posts so keep... um... posted :)

Can Real Work be Done on an Eee?

2008-03-28T20:34:00.001-07:00

As I've mentioned, this is my 2nd Eee PC. I've thought long and hard before getting this because a week before I actually purchased my 2nd Eee PC, Intel's "Classmate PC" (locally known as the eXporer X1). But after a short look at it, I deemed it unfit for my work-related needs.

Anyway, back to topic: Can one really do *real* work on an Eee PC? I primarily use the Eee PC in the office as my quick-reference machine -- it is always connected to the 'net so that if ever I need to look up something, its ready to consult Google and Wikipedia. To date, I already did a couple of magazine articles on the Eee but in relation to my real bread-and-butter, I have yet to use it to earn *real* money. But I do use it to track my projects using a TiddlyWiki variant called MonkeyGTD. Most of the stuff written in this blog was also done on the Eee PC.

This Eee PC is also the repository of my personal financial data (as if I need one :) ) using a nifty program called Buddi. I also store notes on it through TiddlyWiki. I am looking forward to using this Eee PC to do a presentation to my clients and hopefully I can do it within the next coupe of weeks.

So, can real work really be done using the Eee PC? I still think that the Eee is not meant to be a primary computer. I can live with the Eee PC because I have a full-sized laptop at home and a desktop computer at the office. If push comes to shove, I think I can live using the Eee PC exclusively but I shudder at the thought of how it will affect my hands -- its keyboard *may* cause Repetitive Stress Syndrome (RSS) because of its size but then again, its the size that makes it an attractive complementary computer for me and for a lot of people.

Note: this post really has no point. I just wrote this to kill time while waiting for my car to get fixed :)

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A Word of Warning to Eee Users Out There...

2008-03-27T17:42:00.001-07:00

A good friend (you know who you are) called me yesterday asking for help with his Eee PC problem. He filled up his Eee PC's internal SSD storage and the Eee simply refused to boot anymore. This is the first time that I've encountered this problem and I tried to help him the best I can -- like telling him to mount his internal SSD from his eeeXubuntu-bootable SD/MMC card to using the "su" command so he can access the files from his home directory in the internal SSD. I'm sure he'll blog this interesting experience himself and I'll eagerly await how he resolves this little conundrum.

You see, despite my apparent knowledge in Linux, I have yet to consider myself an expert but there's one thing I learned from this... never ever fill up your Eee PC's internal storage!!!

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3-D Desktop for Eee!

2008-03-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

While waiting for a client to call, I browsed around my Eee PC's Synaptic Package Manager when a particular application caught my eye: It was called "Xandros 3ddesktop". Its description says "This package contains configuration files to make the 3D desktop program activate under the Xandros KDE desktop when F12 is pressed." Throwing caution to the wind, I installed it and after a restart, I was greeted by the picture shown above when I pressed F12! I was so amazed by the effect that I added an additional virtual desktop to my configuration because having *only* two virtual desktops makes the effect less... um... effective. :)

I must caution that my Eee is running with a 1Gb RAM and this 3D effect may cause machines with less RAM to slowdown considerably.

GameboyEee - Eee PC becomes a Gameboy Advance

2008-03-25T18:10:00.001-07:00

vba_eee_full.JPG

Here's how to convert your Eee into a supersized Gameboy Advance:

Make sure that you have added the necessary repository on your Eee's Synaptic package manager.
Open a console window and invoke the command "sudo apt-get install visualboyadvance"
You will then be prompted that VisualBoyAdvance will be installed, together with two library files.
Once the installation is done, invoke the command "VisualBoyAdvance -F YourRom.GBA"

And that's it! A supersized emulated Gameboy Advance for your gaming pleasure!

Note: Before you install VisualBoyAdvance, make sure that you have some GBA ROMs ready for use. Also, your ROM must be saved on the folder where you invoke the last command I mentioned above.

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Intel NetBook Gets a Specsheet! [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

2008-03-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

Well, stop sniffing on the vavor(ware) and read the complete spec sheet for the Intel NetBook. According to Gizmodo, the Netbook will be manufactured (at least in the US) by CTL and should be available within the next 60 days(?). I wonder if it will become available locally through a different vendor?

Oh, and the good news? It seems to have a way to connect to an external monitor/DLP projector via "Digital LVDS" (whatever that is...).

Back to Eee!

2008-03-23T04:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like the universe is conspiring so that I will have no choice but to go back to using an Eee PC.

A few weeks ago, I lost my MacBook. To help me get through the loss, I opted to get an el cheapo laptop so I can continue working. A few days before that, I sold my old black Eee to my sister on a whim -- bad decision coupled with bad luck huh?

Anyway, yesterday, my almost 4-year old Apple iBook's display seems to have conked out. I sense that it still boots up but but its LCD screen refuses to turn on. So today, Easter Sunday, I brought my family to an Easter Mass and we strolled around the Bonifacio High Street. After a hearty lunch, I noticed a small store called "Portable1" and found that they have stocks of the Eee PC at a price that is too tempting to pass off. So I went home with a white Eee PC (4GB SSD, 1GB RAM).

So now I spent the afternoon configuring it as near as my previous Eee PC (which I dubbed Macbookquito). In the weeks that I got out of touch from the Eee "scene", a lot of things has already happened. There is now a script that makes it quite easy to activate the Eee's "advanced mode", but the current version of Flock (Flock 1.1) doesn't seem to work well. Anyway, I don't want to invest too much time customizing this Eee because I plan to install Windows XP to it -- just to make things a bit... well... interesting.

Oh, and one more thing... I plan to call my new Eee "Macbookqui2", in honor of my first Eee PC. :)

Classmate PC and NetBook Side-bySide Photo

2008-03-22T16:20:00.001-07:00

Flickr: Photos from mgminthu

To doubters who claim that Intel's Classmate and Netbook are one and the same, here's proof to debunk them. The one on the left is the Netbook (notice the rectangular trackpad and larger screen) and the one beside it is the Classmate (circular trackpad and obviously smaller screen).

Too bad it doesn't show if it has VGA-out. Anyway, here are some more pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/minthu

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The Intel NetBook Is Coming? [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

2008-03-17T23:21:00.001-07:00

Is This the Intel Netbook?

Suspiciously looking like the Classmate PC (retailed locally as the Neo eXplore X1), the Netbook is set to be released by mid-2008.

Hopefully, the Intel Netbook will fill the gaps that has been opened up by the Classmate PC especially its lack of USB ports (the Classmate only has two) and VGA port (the Classmate has none). I also hope that Intel gives potential Netbook users the option to run Linux from it because, IMHO, Windows is simply too bloated to run on such machines.

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Intel Classmate PC in the Wild [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

2008-03-12T21:48:00.001-07:00

This might well be the first "in the wild" picture of Intel's Classmate PC reference design. It is now available for sale at a store in Park Square 1 Makati. It is branded as "Neo" and the model name is Extreme X1.

I was able to convince the store personnel to show this little beast to me and from what I have gathered, it has a 30Gb hard drive, 512 MB RAM and obviously it is running an Intel Processor. It comes preloaded with Windows XP Starter Edition. Screen resolution defaults to 800 x 600 but it can be maxed out to 1024 x 768. The keys are as cramped as that of the Eee PC and I had trouble right-clicking on stuff on the desktop.

It is definitely thicker than the Eee PC and its folder-like cover (which doubles as a carrying case) makes it look like a child's toy.

I almost whipped out my credit card to get this but lucidity immediately came into play when I saw how ridiculous I'd look lugging this to a meeting with my clients.

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Know Thy Eee-nemy: The MSI "Wind"

2008-03-09T22:25:00.001-07:00

Engadget

Although not much details were released on this new eeep on the block, what's known for now makes it a rather attractive alternative because:

8- or 10-inch display
1024 x 768 screen resolution
option for SSD or traditional hard drive
Intel Atom CPU

But then again, who knows? Maybe the wind will turn out to be yet another "vaporware".

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Know thy Eee-nemy: ECS ‘G10IL’ is a pretty Eee with 3G wireless built in

2008-03-06T16:21:00.001-08:00

CrunchGear » Archive » ECS ‘G10IL’ is a pretty Eee with 3G wireless built in

And look at the cutesy keyboard!

Release date is still up in the air but at this early in the game, the G10IL looks pretty solid.

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Whoa Mama! The 9" Eee PC is So Near, I Can Taste It!

2008-03-04T03:55:00.001-08:00

Engadget

Some of you may already heard of the bad news... my 13" MacBook was stolen last week... a few days after I sold my 4G Eee PC 701 to my sister. Yeah, I know... big bummer!

Anyway, looking at the silver lining of this cloud that had formed over my head, I find it serendipitous that Apple had released a new line of MacBooks days before my MacBook was stolen. Then barely weeks after I sold my old Eee PC, this comes along. Is the universe conspiring so that I can refresh my gear?

I am blogging this using an El Cheapo, no-name generic laptop running both Ubuntu Linux and Windows XP (dual boot) and I am quite thankful to my Eee PC experience because I now know my way around Linux to make me use my Ubuntu installation more than WinXP. A friend (or a relative) may look forward to another bargain laptop for sale once the 9" Eee PC becomes available locally because this is just to sweet to pass up.

And as for this blog, well, it just had a new lease on life, thanks to the 9" Eee.

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Why I really Sold my Eee PC

2008-03-03T15:28:00.001-08:00

Hands-on with the 9-inch Eee PC - Engadget

Do I still need to elaborate? :)

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Why oh Why???

2008-02-25T14:59:00.001-08:00

Last night, I received an SMS from my good friend the Doodler owns PeeePCeee asking me why I sold my MacBookquito. Other friends are also asking so here are the reasons:

It was an "impulse selling" (as opposed to impulse buying). My sister wants one, I happen to have one so I sold it to her.
I was neglecting my other gadgets (MacBook -- the real one, NDS Lite and iPod Touch). To find time for them, one has to go and the Eee PC was it.
A friend asked if I was unhappy with the Eee PC. Well definitely not! It was my first Linux-only system and I really enjoyed the opportunity to hack my way through Linux using this system.
What now? I'll probably wait for the next big (or small) thing to come along and if things are as good as the Eee PC, I will get it.

BTW, anyone interested in a slightly used iPod Touch?

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Au Revoir Macbookquito

2008-02-24T03:37:00.001-08:00

My MacBookquito (my Eee PC with the distinctive white Apple Sticker) now has a new home. It was bought by my sister and hopefully, she'll take good care of it.

Since I no longer own an Eee PC, I'll probably do less and less entry on this blog but I'll continue to monitor the Eee PC "scene", both local and international... maybe I'll get the next generation Eee PC or maybe I'll try out another ultraportable. But in the meantime, I'm thinking of getting either an iPhone, or a Nokia E90... or a Nokia N595 with the proceeds of my Eee PC sale -- I'm still deciding which next gadget to get.

So for the few people who read this blog, thanks for visiting... it's been a wild ride.

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Know Thy Eee-nemy: Classmate PC will Soon be on Sale Locally!

2008-02-19T21:27:00.001-08:00

TAGUIG CITY, Philippines -- Intel will start offering a retail version of its Classmate PC, an affordable mobile PC device initially designed for use in schools, in the local market this year, a regional executive told INQUIRER.net.

Intel to start offering retail version of Classmate PC in RP - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

On the local front, Intel just announced that their Classmate PC will soon be available locally through a local partner. The Classmate PC should, like the Asus Eee PC, be able to run either Windows XP or Linux. If the supply of the local Classmate PC is not as tight as the Eee PC, then Asus has something to worry about.

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Know Thy Eee-nemy: The HP Compaq 2133 UMPC

2008-02-19T20:34:00.001-08:00

Gizmodo

Obviously geared towards the same market being dominated by the Eee PC, this piece of ultraportable tech from HP/Compaq looks good on paper. But given the bad history HP computers have with me, I'd rather stick to the Asus Eee for now.

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Touch Screen Eee PC for Sale

2008-02-11T23:54:00.001-08:00

Selling my eeepc 4gb with touchscreen at 21,000.
1gb memory touch screen with windows xp pro
box and manuals.
good as bnew!

EEEpc 4g TOUCH SCREEN / Windows XP PRO. 21,000pesos

Don't look now but a local dude is selling a "Touch Screen" Eee PC for the "yummy" price of Php 21,000 (approx. $512).

Is it kosher?

Is it legit?

I guess we'll never know... :(

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Kindle Schmindle! I Prefer Comix!

2008-02-10T03:24:00.000-08:00

My fellow PhilMUGger vicicasas has converted his Eee into his very own Kindle ebook reader. His picture of the Kindle-ized Eee was even featured at Gizmodo. I have a Treo 650 and I love reading my eBooks from there so although I do have a couple of eBooks on my Eee, only to keep on returning to my Treo 650 for my eBook fix.

However, another good friend of mine, reverseenginner of PeeePCeee has another idea: turn the Eee PC into a comicbook reader. I followed his tip on reading comicbooks from the Eee and I think that the Eee makes the best comicbook reader using a Linux program called "comix".

But instead of the "Killing Joke", I'm currently reading Iron Man: Inevitable. Cool huh?

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

2008-02-04T23:46:00.001-08:00

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

Dress up the Eee PC and get a chance to win an Eee PC!

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Accessor-Eee's Galore!

2008-02-03T23:44:00.001-08:00

Brando Car Charger

Brando Travel Charger

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Wireless Eee PC Surfing using a Nokia N95 (8Gb)

2008-01-31T16:35:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to snag a Nokia N95 (8Gb) as a review unit for a local magazine that I write for and after doing my article (actually, two articles) for that unit, I experimented and tried connecting it to my Eee PC to see if it plays well together.

To my pleasant surprise, I was able to configure my Eee to do dial-up networking using the Nokia N95 as a wireless modem! Here's how its done if you want to use Smart:

connect the phone to the Eee using the bundled data cable (the cable for the N95 is a standard USB-to-miniUSB cable). Once connected, the phone will ask what kind of connection it will start, I chose "PC Suite".
on the Eee side, initiate the Network Connections applet (Control Center --> Network Connections) and click on the "Create..."
button. This should start the "Connection Wizard"
On the Connection Wizard, select "Dial-up" as the connection type then click next. The Eee will seem to freeze for a while as it tries to detect the N95.
On the next screen select "Nokia - Nokia N95 8GB /dev/ttyACM0 then click "Next"
It will ask for a phone number, enter the phone number of your ISP. In Manila, Philippines, the dialing prefix should be "02" and dialing suffix blank then click "Next"
enter the user ID and password you use for your ISP and click "Next"
enter a descriptive name for this connection and click Next. The Eee will again freeze for a bit as it saves your configuration

That's it! To use this new connection method, go back to the Network Connection applet and select your new configuration, click on the Connection button and select "Connect..."

I need to do more researh if this method can be used to access the local telco's 3G/HSDPA network,

Know They Eee-nemy: The Cybertron CM9000

2008-01-29T17:57:00.001-08:00

It looks like an Eee PC, its sized like an Eee PC so is it an Eee PC? Nah! Its the Cybertron CM9000 which is *probably* a rebadged Asus Eee PC. The bright side... it is $50 cheaper than the Eee (but it only has 2GB SSD).

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The Ideal Bluetooth Adaptor for the Eee!

2008-01-21T16:21:00.001-08:00

Tiny Tooth: Tiny Bluetooth Adapter from Brando Gives you Connectability

Gizmodo showcases an eeensy-weeensy Bluetooth adaptor that is well worth a USB slot in the Eee! I sure wish there is an easy way to use Bluetooth from within the default Xandros installation though...

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Know Thy Eee-nemy: Flipstart Firesale!

2008-01-16T16:59:00.001-08:00

They probably saw how fast the Asus Eee PC was selling at its pricepoint so Flipstart -- an ultramobile computer that was released waaaay before the Eee PC has slashed its price from US$1,000+++ to US$699 (approximately Php 28,700-ish).

Here's a quick rundown of Flipstart's specs:

1.1GHz Intel Pentium M Ultra-low Voltage Processor
30Gb Shock-mounted Hard Drive
512 MB Ram
5.6" Viewable Display
1024 x 600 Wide Screen Resolution
Bluetooth, Wifi & 3G-ready
OS: Windows XP or Windows Vista

I wonder how easy/hard it is to install Linux in this little beast?

No DVD Drive? No Problem!

2008-01-13T20:46:00.000-08:00

Here's another reason why I'm not missing Windows XP on my Eee PC: I just discovered that the Eee's bundled media player (SMPlayer) can play DVD movies even without a physical DVD drive. This can be done by copying the contents of a DVD to a removable media (either a large capacity flashdrive or an external hard drive.

Once the files are on the removable media, fire up SMPlayer then from the main menu, choose Open --> DVD from folder... then point it to where you copied the files from your DVD and viola! DVD playback on the Eee without the drive!

Happy Penguin Awareness Day!

2008-01-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

It's Penguin Awareness Day! Have you hugged your penguin today?

Prot-Eee-ction: Cases for the Eee

2008-01-11T01:08:00.000-08:00

Brando released a leather case for the Eee and it might look pretty good on my Galaxy Black Eee PC but I have yet to see one locally.

A few minutes ago, I received a message from a friend who asked me if I would be interested in a crystal case for the Eee. This got me thinking... would a crystal case be practical/viable for the Eee? Given a choice, what would YOU choose: a leather case (such as the one shown above) or a crystal case?

Feel free to add your thoughts on the comment section.

Know Thy Eee-nemy: The Cloudbook is Coming!

2008-01-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

It looks like the first *real* competition for the Eee is coming real soon! Slated to be on sale at Walmart.com starting January 25, 2008, the Cloudbook may pose a serious threat to the Eee's early dominance in the ultramobile/ultra-inexpensive niche in the market.

Flyback: Time Machine for the Eee?

2008-01-09T16:43:00.000-08:00

One of the "killer" features of the newest OS X (Leopard) is a feature called "Time Machine". In a nutshell, Time Machine is an automated backup facility of OS X that does the dirty job of creating backup in the background and on the fly. Theoretically, a Mac user who accidentally deletes a file can "go back in time" to recover his lost data. Time machine does its work quietly and efficiently while freeing the Mac user from worrying about doing his backups.

Enter Flyback. The princible behind Flyback is the same, set and forget backup scheme that works unobtrusively in the background. Flyback requires some Python files as dependencies but theoretically, once it is set up, your Linux system will have a consistent backup running in the background.

I have yet to try installing Flyback on my Eee and once I do, I'll surely document it both as a personal reference and as a service to my fellow Eee users.

Heads Up: Money Manager Buddi Updated... Again!

2008-01-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

My favorite money manager on my Eee PC has released yet another update. The most current version now is Buddi-1.1.1.1.

I downloaded and installed this newest version and the program seems more responsive than its predecessor... but still not as responsive as the pre-3.x.x.x versions. It is, however still compatible with the plugins I installed for version 3.1.1.0 so no problems on that front.

Here's how I did the upgrade:

When I fired up Buddi, it prompted me that there is an update available, so I clicked on the button that says download update.
Using File Manager, I navigated to where the file "Buddi-1.1.1.1.deb was saved and pressed Ctrl-Alt-T to open the
console where the file was saved.
I issued the command "sudo dpkg -i Buddi-1.1.1.1.deb
I tested if the upgrade was successful by typing in "buddi" from the console.
When Buddi ran, I clicked on Help --> About Buddi and made sure that the version reported is already 3.1.1.1.1.

That's it!

If you are not using Buddi yet but want to try it on your Eee, you can download it for free here.

Hots-Eee-ncing Treo 650 with the Eee!

2008-01-07T02:53:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, I decided to re-animate my Treo 650. My Treo was in a coma for almost a year because its speakers has inexplicably lost its "voice". I decided *not* to have it serviced through the official Palm service at Singapore because refurbishing it was simply too expensive. Anyway, thanks to a post at PhilMUG regarding a "dead" Tungsten X which was eventually revived, I was able to track down the stall that did the repairs and the technician at the stall was able to replace my Treo 650's speakers for only Php 800 (around US$20).

Armed with my revived Treo 650, I remembered seeing "Palm Pilot Tool" in my Eee's Advanced Mode menu. So here is what I did to HotSync my Treo 650 with my Eee.

Start the Palm Pilot Tool (Applications --> Utilities --> Palm Pilot Tool)
Select "Wizard" and let the wizard detect your PDA's user name and port
Once the wizard has done running (it took me a couple of tries to successfully complete this step so be patient), it should display your user name on your PDA.
Once its all done, run HotSync again by pressing the hotsync button on your PDA.
Your PDA's data will now be viewable on the Eee through the Palm Pilot Tool.

That's basically it! I tweaked the Palm Pilot Tool to "dump" my Treo's data on my Eee's built-in Addressbook and Organizer.

Oh and one more thing... this my problem of importing/synchronizing the addressbook and calendar between my Mac and my Eee PC! (take note Adel)

L-Eee-nks!

2008-01-03T17:10:00.000-08:00

I have no Eee tips today but I do have some worthwhile links to share.

First up is a yet another Eee PC blog, peeepceee (Personal Eee PC Experiment & Enlightenment Excercise) but what sets this apart from the others (including NoypEee) is that it is well written -- as it should because its author is *the* editor of the magazine I sometimes write for.

Another notable link is an entry at The Downloadsquad called Flipping the Linux Switch: 5 Tips Every New Linux User Should Know. I'll post more links as I see them in later posts.

Know Thy Eee-nemy: Redfly

2008-01-02T02:01:00.001-08:00

Gizmodo

Gizmodo dubs it as the "Foleo for Windows Mobile" and it *almost* shares a similar form-factor as the Eee. Details are still sketchy but although it is indeed similar to the Eee PC, it may be targeted towards a different niche (Windows Mobile device users).

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EeePics of the Moment: Official Eee PC Accessories

2008-01-01T16:05:00.001-08:00

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Know Thy Eee-nemy: The E-Lead Noahpad

2008-01-01T04:05:00.000-08:00

Pocketables.com reports that there's another ultramobile Linux-based notebook called the E-Lead Noahpad. What makes this little beast stand out from the crowd is its overall design that allows different ways of using it.

Under the hood, the Noahpad has a 1Ghz Via Eden C7 CPU, 512 Mb RAM, 30GB hard disk, 7" Touchscreen and a "patented" Noahpad touch-based keyboard. It is said to come bunded with Ubuntu Linux 7.1 but like the Eee, it can also run Windows. Other features are still vague but with whatever information available now, this indeed looks pretty interesting and *if* made widely available, may pose a serious threat to the Eee PC's early dominance in the market.

Erratum: Activating the Eee PC's Advanced Mode

2007-12-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

My post on activating the Advanced Mode for the Eee PC has an error. I was not able to type the commands completely so people who followed my instructions may not have successfully activated their advanced desktop. So here's a clearer instruction:

from the Easy Mode desktop press "ctrl-alt-t" to open the terminal
at the terminal window, type "sudo apt-get update" at the user prompt and wait for the user prompt to return
then type "sudo apt-get install ksmserver kicker" and the installation process should start
once the process is done (you'll know because the user prompt at the terminal will return, close the terminal and restart your Eee. After the restart, you'll still see the usual Easy Mode screen.
to go to advanced mode, press the power button (or click on the round red button beside the smiley face in your task bar) and you'll see an additional option "Full Desktop" -- click it and your Eee will restart its window manager to the Advanced Mode.

The error in the original post was I forgot to include the word "install" in the 3rd step. Thanks the the eagle-eyed ivan for the heads-up.

JKKMobile: Internal 3G/HSDPA on the Eee PC!

2007-12-29T03:18:00.000-08:00

The dude who stuck a touchscreen on the Eee PC is at it again! This time, he was able to fit a 3g/HSDPA modem *inside* the Eee PC!

Read more here

Heads Up: Money Manager Buddi Updated!

2007-12-26T23:06:00.001-08:00

Well, when I ran the NoypEee-certified money manager Buddi, it prompted me that there is an update available. The previous version I was running was Buddi 2.6.4.2 but after the update, my Buddi (pun intended) is now Buddi 3.0.0.0! I didn't notice too much difference except that the program is having a hard time recognizing the clicks I make on my accounts to add entries.

Oh, and version 3.0.0.0 doesn't recognize the data file from the previous version but it does have a facility to import those older data files (whew!). Anyway, the newest version of Buddi can still be downloaded here.

My Eee Does MetrobankDirect Online Banking!

2007-12-26T17:27:00.000-08:00

This is to dovetail the previous post about my favorite online banking site. MetrobankDirect was originally designed to run exclusively on MS Internet Explorer but recent changes in their system allows non-IE browsers to access and transact with it. This post verifies that MetrobankDirect can now be accessed anywhere using the built-in Mozilla FireFox of the Asus Eee PC! (click on the pic for a larger version).

MyPasswordSafe: Password Manager for Eee

2007-12-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

When my favorite online banking site changed their password authentication scheme to accommodate web browsers other than Microsoft's (in)famous Internet Explorer, it prompted me (and I assume other users) to change their passwords. I dutifully changed mine but after a few days, I stupidly forgot my new password! So I had to go to my bank to apply for a new password and now I had to find a way to remember this newer new password.

Thankfully, I stumbled upon a thread at the EeeUser Forums that discussed password managers. They were discussing KeePassX but when I attempted to install it, I always end up with a "segmentation fault" error. Exasperated, I opted to do my own research on the matter and after browsing my Eee's Synaptic Package Manager, I came up with a nifty program called "MyPasswordSafe".

Installing MyPasswordSafe is as straightforward as marking it for installation under Synaptic -- as long as the additional Debian repository is included in it -- and then clicking on the "Apply" button on the menu. If you prefer to use the CLI, here's how it's done:

Open a new Terminal window
At the prompt, type in "sudo apt-get install mypasswordsafe"

And that's it!

MyPasswordSafe will be installed at /usr/bin so to run it, open a Terminal window and type in "/usr/bin/MyPasswordSafe". If, like me, you find it useful, you can add it to your advanced mode menu by using the Menu Editor (Application --> System --> Menu Editor). For help an how-to on using MyPasswordSafe, refer to http://www.semanticgap.com/myps/.

HappEee Christmas Everyone...

2007-12-24T15:31:00.001-08:00

or HappEee Hanukah...

or HappEee Newtonmas...

or HappEee Festivus...

whichever the case may be... :)

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FEBE: Restore FireFox Settings After an Eee PC Reinstall

2007-12-22T16:42:00.000-08:00

Since I got my Eee PC a couple of weeks ago, I had to restore it to factory defaults several times because I had this compulsion to almost constantly install/uninstall apps that causes it to crap out. Restoring to factory defaults is really easy but the hard part is to restore my settings, especially the customizations I made for FireFox. Following the lead from a post at EeePH, I downloaded and installed FEBE to create a backup of my FireFox settings.

Installation and configuration of FEBE is a no-brainer and even the most novice user should be able to do it, Now I have one less headache should I happen to bork my Xandros install.

Eee PC + Jailbroken iPod Touch= Happiness

2007-12-19T20:39:00.001-08:00

One of the downside of always bringing my Eee PC with me everyday is its inability to directly sync up with my iPod Touch. Not much of a big deal because my music library is rarely updated. My problem is my inability to add eBook files to my Touch. I use my iPod Touch more as an eBook reader and since I read fast, I need to add new eBooks rather frequently and just this morning, I finished yet another book.

So I thought of experimenting with my Eee PC so I can use it to upload an eBook to my iPod Touch and heres how I did it:

I made sure that my iPod is running the BSD Subsystem and OpenSSH is enabled.
On my Eee PC, I checked if I can connect to the iPod Touch by opening a Terminal window and issuing the command "ssh 192.168.1.xxx -l root + [Enter]" where xxx is the last octet of my iPod Touch's IP address. The Terminal session will ask for a password so enter your iPod Touch's root password.
Once connected, I typed "ls" and see if I can list down the files on your iPod Touch. Then I ended my SSH session by typing "exit"
Then I typed "sftp root@192.168.1.xxx + [Enter]" then entered my root password when prompted.
I then navigated to /Media/EBooks and issued the command "put [name_of_my_ebook]" and after a few seconds... HAPINESS... I have a new eBook on my iPod Touch!

Note that the iPod Touch I used in this exercise has already been "jailbroken". An iPod Touch that is "fresh" out of the box will not work with the procedures I outlined here. That being said, this procedure can also be used with a jailbroken iPhone.

Happy hacking!

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[You Ask, NoypEee Answers] How to Increase OpenOffice Menu Fonts

2007-12-19T18:34:00.001-08:00

NoypEee reader Miko asks how to increase the font size of OpenOffice.Org's menu.

Here's a quick and dirty way to do it (not exactly dirty but I like to use the term...)

Open OpenOffice Writer
Got to Tools --> Options --> OpenOffice.Org --> View
In the User Interface area, change "Scaling" from its default of 90% to a larger value (110% works fine with me) then click Ok

And that's it! The menu items of OpenOffice should be more myopia-friendly.

Enjoy!

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Introducing Prism

2007-12-18T17:17:00.001-08:00

With the Christmas break coming, I have more time to surf the web and one of the "new" discoveries I made is a project from Mozilla Labs called Prism.

Prism is a way of integrating web applications on a desktop. It essentially creates a we browser window that does one thing -- access a single website and present it to the user as a desktop application.

At first, I was skeptical about it but when I used prism to create an "app" that shows me a compact view of my Gmail account, I was hooked. Now I plan to create another one that will show me a compact view of my Google Calendar. These compact views are ideal for the cramped screen of the Eee PC.

Prism is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

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Mercury: Eee's answer to Mac's Quicksilver (and Windows' Launchy)

2007-12-18T14:56:00.001-08:00

This is what I love about the Open Source community... they see a need and they do something about it and share it. This is exactly what happened when a few Mac users bought their own Eee PC. They missed a nifty Mac application called Quicksilver. they talked about it and someone took action by coding a program that somehow worked similarly and dubbed it "Mercury" (Quicksilver... Mercury... get the drift?).

Well, its not much to look at in its present form but the author (eeeuser.com's MD81544) will release the code of this baby as GPL so the Open Source community may continue to improve on it.

Anyway, here's where Mercury got announced to the world and here's here it can be downloaded.

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A Bugged Life: My MacBookquito

2007-12-17T03:37:00.001-08:00

A Bugged Life

My tongue-in-cheek attempt at making my Eee PC more like at home with my small collection of Apple notebooks (one iBook 800 and a C2D MacBook) gets noticed by blogger extraordinaire Jayvee (a.k.a Mr. Beanster).

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NoypEee Suggestions for a Better Eee

2007-12-17T03:22:00.001-08:00

The Asus Eee PC is a breakthrough product. Although it may seem to have an under-powered processor and anemic built-in storage, it has captured the fancy of a lot of geeks and non-geeks alike. There are still a few variants of the Eee that has yet to be released but they are all mostly the same thing as their 701 variant.

Here's a few suggestions for the second *real* version of the Eee PC:

keep the size but increase the screen real estate by maximizing the screen bezel.
add a bluetooth module *and* bundle a basic synchronization application for the more popular cellphones.
make the battery last longer.
allow users to upgrade its internal storage.
bundle an application that allows it to synchronize files with a desktop PC
come up with a docking station that will provide the Eee with an optical drive, expresscard and/or PCMCIA support, and modem.

Aside from these improvements, I wish Asus would also release a low-cost tablet PC (or at least a touch-screen version of the Eee).

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V-Eee-sta: Running Windows Vista on the Eee

2007-12-16T23:28:00.001-08:00

Installing Vista on the Eee - i've done it and it works! - MoDaCo

Well, someone has successfully crammed a Windows Vista install down the gullet of the diminutive Eee PC (poor Eee...) and he has a video to prove it. The link above also outlines all the needed ingredients to make it work.

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Torrent-ing on the Eee (using Bittornado)

2007-12-13T20:39:00.001-08:00

I've been wanting to try Ubuntu Linux on my Eee since I got wind of the news on eeeXubuntu. I found the download link but since I'm a good netizen (at least I think I am), I opted to use bittorrent to download it. BUT, the Eee doesn't seem to come with a good bittorrent client so I had to install one.

I decided to use Bittornado as my torrent client and here's what I did to install it:

at the terminal, I first issued the command "sudo apt-get -s install bittornado-gui" to make sure that the installation will not bork my Eee
after making sure that it will not over write any important files, i then issued "sudo apt-get install bittornado-gui" to initiate the download and installation of Bittornado.
once its done Bittornado client automagically appeared at my Advanced Desktop's Application --> Internet menu group!

And that's it! Happy torrenting!

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eeeXubuntu [EeeUser Wiki Home]

2007-12-13T17:13:00.001-08:00

eeeXubuntu

If you want to run an alternative Linux distro for the Eee, specifically Ubuntu, then go and download this custom package dubbed as eeeXubuntu, set it up on a flashdrive and away you go! I you like it so much, you can even install it permanently (or so says the wiki).

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You Ask, NoypEee Answers (Activating Eee's Advanced Mode)

2007-12-12T19:13:00.001-08:00

NoypEee reader danny asks for any easy way to activate the Eee PC's advanced mode so here it is:

from the Easy Mode desktop press "ctrl-alt-t" to open the terminal
at the terminal window, type "sudo apt-get update" at the user prompt and wait for the user prompt to return
then type "sudo apt-get ksmserver kicker" and the installation process should start
once the process is done (you'll know because the user prompt at the terminal will return, close the terminal and restart your Eee. After the restart, you'll still see the usual Easy Mode screen.
to go to advanced mode, press the power button (or click on the round red button beside the smiley face in your task bar) and you'll see an additional option "Full Desktop" -- click it and your Eee will restart its window manager to the Advanced Mode.

That's it!

If you want your Eee to permanently boot in Advance Mode, go to Settings --> Personalization in Easy Mode and additional Login Mode will be visible, click on "Full Desktop Mode" .

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You Ask, NoypEee Answers part deux (Windows-less Eee PC)

2007-12-12T03:27:00.001-08:00

My colleagues has been asking me why I have not "Microsoftified" (read: installed WinXP) my Eee yet. Here's the long and short of it:

My Eee is not my primary computer. I use Windows XP at work and I use OS X at home. I like to think that I am platform-agnostic and I take pride in my ability to work in whatever computing environment in front of me. Besides, the cost of "upgrading" my Eee PC from Xandros Linux to Microsoft (Windows XP + MS Office + MS Money) will end up being more expensive than my hardware!

In its out-of-the box state, the Eee PC is usable because upon its first boot up, it already has almost all the necessary applications for a person to be productive -- OpenOffice.Org for word processing/spreadsheets/presentations, FireFox for web browsing, Thunderbird for email, Pidgin for instant messaging, and a host of other **free** bundled applications.

With all these in mind, I see no need to change my Eee PC's operating system.

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MonkeyGTD: GEeeTEeeDEee for the Eee

2007-12-10T23:53:00.001-08:00

Ok! I admit it! I have poor short-term memory! This is why a PDA (and now the Eee PC) is amont the things I carry with me on a daily basis. These tools serves as a container for all the things I need to get done. On my Mac, I use iGTD as a way for me to track all the things I need to do but now that I use my Eee more than my Mac, I needed to find something that will will work under Linux.

Enter MonkeyGTD — a flavor of Tiddlywiki that has been customized to work under the GTD paradigm. Just like ~Tiddlywiki, MonkeyGTD doesn't require any compliated installation routines nor knowledge in esoteric Linux command line interface, simply download a copy of the MonkeyGTD's .html file to your Eee PC, open it using the bundled FireFox and you're set! What could be simpler and easier than that?

Here's a tip, set your MonkeyGTD as FireFox's default homepage and you'll see a list of your to-do's each time you run your browser. Here's a bonus tip: you can host your MonkeyGTD at Tiddlyspot.com and access your to-do list everywhere you have internet access!

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Flexible Keyboard for my Eee

2007-12-10T22:07:00.001-08:00

I just bought my 2nd Eee PC accessory: a usb flexible keyboard. I got this so that I can maintain a better posture while playing/working with my Eee PC. Althought using this keyboard may require as much adjustment as the Eee's diminutive built-in keyboard,at least my back won't ache whenever I need to type long documents. I intend to leave this at my office table because that is where I usually type long documents

I got this keyboard for Php 400 (around $9) — a small price to pay for a more comfortable typing on my Eee.

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Know Thy Eee-nemy

2007-12-10T16:23:00.001-08:00

Linuxdevices.com reports that Everex (purveyor of the Linux-powered gPC) is set to release its own $399 ultraportable computer sharing the Eee's basic form factor. The report further says that this new ultraportable (dubbed "Cloudbook") will run gOS -- the same Linux distro they preinstall on their low-cost desktops. What makes the Cloudbook interesting is that instead of using solid state disks (SSD) similar to the one used with the Eee, this will have a traditional 30Gb hard drive!

Everex will also release a "developer edition" Cloudbook that has a touchscreen -- a hint that the second iteration of this ultraportable will also have a touchscreen.

I wonder how would Asus react to this (if they react at all)?

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HOWTO: Install DOSBox on the Eee

2007-12-10T04:07:00.001-08:00

Previously, I posted a screencap of a classic DOS-based PC Game called Dune 2. I was able to run it on my Eee PC using a nifty application called DOSBox. Here's how to set up and run DOSBox:

make sure that "deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stable main non-free contrib" is included in your "sources.plist" file.
at your Terminal window, issue the command "sudo apt-get install dosbox" and it will show that it dosbox will install a couple of files, press "y" at the prompt.
after the installation routine, type "dosbox" at the Terminal and it should run a DOS window. In that window, you can issue several command but the most important command, IMHO is "intro mount" because that command will allow you to run your DOS games.

That's it! In my case, I loaded up my old copy of Dune 2 on my Eee PC and ran it flawlessly.

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Retro-gaming on Eee

2007-12-10T03:51:00.001-08:00

One of my all-time favorite old game on the PC is Dune 2 and I'm glad that I am able to run and play it on my Eee PC. I'm able to do this using DOSBox. I'll post a howto later.

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NoypEee

My New Advocacy: eBooks for Pinoy

MSI Wind Tip: Sharing Files between a Dual-boot Wind (XP & OSX)

My WindOSX-periment -- 95% Functional

My "small" Switch -- Hacking the Wind

My "small" Switch!

Eeep! The MSI Wind is Finally Available Locally!

OSX on the MSI Wind!

Evernote 3 Rocks... Especially with the Eee PC!

Foil Keyloggers with Keyscrambler

Eee PC running MacOS 7.0.1?

AirborneAccess + Smart Gold Promo!

Woopra Rocks!

DIY Plurk Client (Just like my previous post)

My DIY Twitter Client via FireFox

Bullet-point Review: The Axioo Classmate PC

My Eee PC has VD!

Acer Aspire "One"

Dell-icious ULPC from... Dell

Via OpenBook: If At First You Don't Succeed

CDisplayEx on Eee

My Eee PC on SP3

NetBook Remix: Ubuntu for ULPCs!

uMobile + LG KU 380 + CDR King "Smallest Bluetooth Dongle" = Happiness?

The Redfox Wizbook [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

Separated at Birth?

Taking The WinXP Plunge... Again

Eee PC 900, Unboxed... Locally!

Blue H1: A Philippines-only Eee Competitor?

Blame it on the iPhone!

MSI's 8.9- to 10-inch "Wind" [Know They Eee-nemy]

The Cloudbook Has Landed! [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

Test Driving SafePup

Dell to Release its own Eee PC Competitor [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

F9 to the Rescue!

HP's 2133: Great Hardware, Crappy OS

Fix for Eee PC's "Out of the Box" SAMBA Vulnerability

Globe Telecoms Finally Relents: Allows Time-Based 'Net Connection!

PornEee: Eee PC vs. Fujitsu U1010

Extra Eee PC Batteries Now Available Locally!

Monday, Scary Monday! [Webcam non-problem]

Testing BloGTK 1.1 from the Eee PC

Can *Real* Work be Done on an Eee?

A Word of Warning to Eee Users Out There...

3-D Desktop for Eee!

GameboyEee - Eee PC becomes a Gameboy Advance

Intel NetBook Gets a Specsheet! [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

Back to Eee!

Classmate PC and NetBook Side-bySide Photo

The Intel NetBook Is Coming? [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

Intel Classmate PC in the Wild [Know Thy Eee-nemy]

Know Thy Eee-nemy: The MSI "Wind"

Know thy Eee-nemy: ECS ‘G10IL’ is a pretty Eee with 3G wireless built in

Whoa Mama! The 9" Eee PC is So Near, I Can Taste It!

Why I *really* Sold my Eee PC

Why oh Why???

Au Revoir Macbookquito

Know Thy Eee-nemy: Classmate PC will Soon be on Sale Locally!

Know Thy Eee-nemy: The HP Compaq 2133 UMPC

Touch Screen Eee PC for Sale

Kindle Schmindle! I Prefer Comix!

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

Accessor-Eee's Galore!

Wireless Eee PC Surfing using a Nokia N95 (8Gb)

Know They Eee-nemy: The Cybertron CM9000

The Ideal Bluetooth Adaptor for the Eee!

Know Thy Eee-nemy: Flipstart Firesale!

No DVD Drive? No Problem!

Happy Penguin Awareness Day!

Prot-Eee-ction: Cases for the Eee

Know Thy Eee-nemy: The Cloudbook is Coming!

Flyback: Time Machine for the Eee?

Heads Up: Money Manager Buddi Updated... Again!

Hots-Eee-ncing Treo 650 with the Eee!

L-Eee-nks!

Know Thy Eee-nemy: Redfly

EeePics of the Moment: Official Eee PC Accessories

Know Thy Eee-nemy: The E-Lead Noahpad

Erratum: Activating the Eee PC's Advanced Mode

JKKMobile: Internal 3G/HSDPA on the Eee PC!

Can Real Work be Done on an Eee?

Why I really Sold my Eee PC