13 steps

I want one. Why? A subnotebook running linux for $299.-, that’s why.

First some specs;
Weight; 0.92kg, 900Mhz Celeron-M processor, 7 inch screen with 800×480 resolution, 2-8 GB (depending on model) Solid State Drive instead of a harddisk, 512MB-1GB RAM, LAN & WLAN and numerous expansion ports. All but the basic model also have an integrated webcam.

The eee comes standard with a linux distribution based on Xandros, they’ve included a menu system which is very newbie friendly.
Linux regulars can easily enable the underlying desktop, after which they’ll be greeted by KDE 3.4. It’s also possible to install Ubuntu or even Windows XP on it (or Vista or OsX even). Some users have joined forces and are now working on eee optimized distributions, such as eeeXubuntu. Oh, and the eee comes with a recovery DVD, so if you’ve messed something up while experimenting you can always easily roll back.

It’s the perfect geek toy, you can easily take it with you wherever you go, it’s tiny, lightweight, runs linux, and has a lot of community support behind it.

The success of the eee means we’ll be seeing a lot more of them this year, as can be seen if you search for umpc news. But most are 2 or 3 times the price of the eee, with one exception thusfar. Coming soon is the Everex CloudBox, roughly similar specs (Except a harddrive instead of SSD) and a similar price tag. It runs on gOS, which I hadn’t heard of but it looks rather nice. It’s basically yet another Ubuntu clone, but heavily centered on web apps and running Enlightenment E17 as its window manager. Everex is a US only brand, so that’s no good for us Europeans unless we import, and personally I think the eee looks sexier anyway, plus Asus is ahead of the game and will be coming out with their second generation models soon.