Blog 2
Well no replies to first (last??) blog. That could be bad or good. Bad nobodies reading it; but then again Luddites do not read blogs so maybe it is not that bad. Good because nobody spotted my key spelling mistake (sorry sponsors). Well it was my first blog and I ignored the squiggly red line! I’ll get back to that in a minute but firstly, as promised last time, a critique of the ASUS EeeTop so far.
Well I was not in, not strictly true as I was in the back garden celebrating the first sunny day in ages with loud music and a cold beer and did not hear the delivery man, so it was left with a neighbour a few doors down. Later when I found the delivery advice note in the letterbox I went to get it. Mrs P, a petite woman, confidently held out the package in one hand and said “here’s your laptop”. I tried to explain it was a full desktop replacement but had to agree, the package was about a third the size of my previous box of PC bits and pieces! Maybe they had sent the wrong prize! Anyway with a nice light box under my arm I sauntered back to open it up.
First impressions were mixed. It looked good, had no large printed manual to wade through, hence was quick and simple to set up [as mentioned in last (first?) blog]. Basically you turn it on and follow a few on-screen instructions. But could something that size replace a “conventional” separates desktop? It was definitely not a glorified laptop, for a start the screen was bigger than my stand-alone monitor, but it did not look like a PC either. So I christened it non-PC (pun possibly intended).
As mentioned last week the first job was to get a blog done (want to keep the prize!). This was pretty straight-forward using Internet Explorer and Word. I could have done it on my old PC but somehow felt that would be cheating. Having got that out of the way I was very impressed with the cordless small shiny keyboard and mouse. I’m surprised they have not changed the name of the latter as it no longer has a tail. It may just be a different breed; I shall call it a Manx Mouse.
I had intended to keep my old PC running until I had fully explored the EeeTop. This was based on the old Luddite principle of “Better the Devil You Know”. Ned was there first Kylie! Anyway the upshot was, to my surprise, that after just a few hours use I decided to replace the PC totally. Especially as Windows 7 cleverly loaded my software with UK rather than US defaults. Unfortunately I only discovered this after hastily submitting my blog – see first paragraph.
However, there was one further delay. As the ASUS was so nice and neat I felt it needed a matching table. Being a mass produced, flat-packed thing, it took me ages to assemble. I could have knocked up a bespoke wood and nail one quicker! Anyway the result was instead of the old grey desktop and its wires I now have a coordinated neat office environment (see photos below – I got my daughter to transfer them for me in the end).
Finally, seeing the vast improvement, I reflected on Sajeda’s genderisation (if there is such a word) of her laptop. In true Luddite tradition, and not trained in sexing computers, I decided to give it a name – ZZ. [I cannot believe ASUS missed that one; maybe there was a copyright issue?]
So until the weekend when I will unveil, the coolest thing about the ASUS as identified by the younger generation, plus an addition to the new office environment; it is bye for now from me, ZZ and Manx Mouse.
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