[Novalug] My EeePC 1000 Review

Jay Hart jhart@kevla.org
Tue Jan 6 06:04:28 EST 2009


So do Samsung printers, and I can reload the toner pretty easily.

Jay

> But HP printers work amazingly well under Linux without installing
> anything extra, so buying HP makes perfect sense for people on this
> list.
>
> On Mon, 2009-01-05 at 19:43 -0500, Jay Hart wrote:
>> Varol,
>>
>> Don't worry too much about my comment, I wonder the same thing about people
>> who buy HP printers.  Why I have to load 100MB (or more) of stuff under
>> Windows just to use the thing is WWWWWAAAAAYYYY beyond me as well.
>>
>> Jay
>>
>> > Why people buy from Tigerdirect is beyond me!!!
>> >
>> > Varol, I hope your new laptop gives you years of reliable service.
>> >
>> > Jay
>> >
>> >> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>> >> Hash: SHA1
>> >>
>> >> I just bought the hp2133 for $400,- after rebate from Tigerdirect.
>> >>
>> >> The specs:
>> >> 1.6GHz C7 CPU, 2GB Ram, 7200 rpm 120GB HD, 1280x768 8.9"screen, Vista
>> >> Business ( and got the Recovery DVDs free after calling HP ), wifi +
>> >> bluetooth.
>> >>
>> >> The thing I like best is the metal case and the keyboard. The CPU is the
>> >> only weak point but I do not intend to use it as my main development box.
>> >>
>> >> I installed OpenSuSE 11.1 on it but might switch to Ubuntu 8.10 because
>> >> it supports HW acceleration etc.
>> >>
>> >> I would also like to get the Voodoo Splashtop working
>> >> http://www.hp2133guide.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=914&sid=5058d49b517d0a2ecc311409b7263051
>> >>
>> >> Anyhow, Tigerdirect run out off this version but you might find it at
>> >> another location. Only the no-bluetooth 1.2GHz version at Tigerdirect
>> >>
>> >> Varol :)
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> James wrote:
>> >>> Digging up an old thread that I just reviewed. Are there any recent
>> >>> thoughts on the Eee PC 1000 since August? Has the unit aged
>> >>> gracefully?
>> >>>
>> >>> I'm looking to get a netbook for blogging, writing, note taking,
>> >>> coding, studying, video watching, web surfing -- anything between my
>> >>> home and office, and I'm leaning toward the 1000 (nearly $400 now on
>> >>> newegg).
>> >>>
>> >>> On Wed, Aug 13, 2008 at 1:36 PM, David A. Cafaro <dac@cafaro.net> wrote:
>> >>>> Small update on the review.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> I figured out that the webserver running on port 20032 is used for the
>> >>>> virus scanner interface.  It appears to only allow access from
>> >>>> localhost to the program though the webserver does respond from any IP.
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>> David A. Cafaro <dac@cafaro.net>
>> >>>> Cafaro's Ramblings:  www.cafaro.net
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>> On Aug 13, 2008, at 12:08 AM, David A. Cafaro wrote:
>> >>>>
>> >>>>> Ok, I finally received my EeePC 1000 this week and have had some time
>> >>>>> to play around with it. Have to say I love the hardware, very well
>> >>>>> made. This thing is loaded. Though the default Xandros OS is nice and
>> >>>>> well integrated with the hardware, it's not going to meet my needs in
>> >>>>> the long run; I'll be upgrading to Fedora or Ubuntu in the near
>> >>>>> future.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> I know there was some discussion on if the EeePC 1000 was too
>> >>>>> expensive or had lost the meaning of what being an EeePC is, but I
>> >>>>> have to say it's just what I was looking for. To give some background,
>> >>>>> I commute to work, and like to have a small light laptop with me in
>> >>>>> case of emergency work while I'm between home, job, or out traveling.
>> >>>>> Something simple that can provide net access, a browser, and a command
>> >>>>> line. For the past 4 years that has been my Sharp MM20 laptop. It had
>> >>>>> reasonable support for Linux and has worked very well for me. But it's
>> >>>>> 4 years old, and that odd ball for a processor, the Transmeta
>> >>>>> Efficeon, is being left behind by Linux. The non-upgradeable 512MB of
>> >>>>> memory wasn't helping either. So I've been searching for a
>> >>>>> replacement, and for almost 1/3 the cost of my original MM20, I've got
>> >>>>> a more functional, just a little larger and little heavier, laptop.
>> >>>>> That's what I was looking for.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Hardware:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> So, with that said, here is what you get with the EeePC 1000:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>     * Intel 1.6Ghz Atom CPU - Seems to be quick enough, much better
>> >>>>> than the old Transmetta Efficeon
>> >>>>>     * 1GB DDR2 400Mhz Main Memory
>> >>>>>     * 10.2" 1024x600 LCD - Excellent brightness, looks great
>> >>>>>     * Intel GMA 950 based graphics controller - So far, seems snappy
>> >>>>>     * RaLink RT2790 Wireless 802.11n - Excellent Linux support,
>> >>>>> opensource driver, and connects at N speeds with WPA2 no problem
>> >>>>>     * Atheros Corp, L1e Gigabit Ethernet Adapter - Ok, it says
>> >>>>> Gigabit in lspci but it's not, still it works
>> >>>>>     * One 8GB SSD ( mounted as / ), one 32GB SSD (mounted as /home)
>> >>>>>     * Bluetooth 2.0
>> >>>>>     * MultiTouch Touchpad
>> >>>>>     * 1.3MPixel Webcam, dual microphones, stereo speakers.
>> >>>>>     * 3 x USB 2.0 ports, VGA port, Audio IN/OUT port, SDHC Card reader
>> >>>>>     * 6 Cell Li-Ion Battery
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> I can't complain about the hardware, that's really what I bought this
>> >>>>> for. It meets every need that I had, hardware wise. Might have been
>> >>>>> nice if it was a little thinner and lighter, but that would have
>> >>>>> raised the cost. So far, the battery run time is incredible. I've left
>> >>>>> the latop sitting on my desk all day with all wireless on, Ethernet
>> >>>>> connected, using it every once in a while lightly, and it's still got
>> >>>>> 50% charge left. That's insane! Perfect travel laptop.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Software:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> I decided to try living with the default Xandros Linux that comes with
>> >>>>> the EeePC for a few days. I also figured it would give me time to
>> >>>>> collect all the information I would need to do a fully working install
>> >>>>> of Fedora or Ubuntu. Ignoring the security issues, which I will talk
>> >>>>> about later, I have to say the basic setup is pretty nice. Everything
>> >>>>> works, things are pretty clearly labeled, and it's easy to navigate
>> >>>>> around. I really do like how well they integrated in the hardware
>> >>>>> functionality, I've never had a Linux laptop work this well.  It's
>> >>>>> clearly designed for someone with much less Linux experience, but
>> >>>>> that's there target audience.  A list of software pre-installed can be
>> >>>>> easily found on the web. My minor gripes about the default Linux
>> >>>>> install are the following:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>     * The default install of xorg was set to 16 bit and not 24 bit. I
>> >>>>> like my millions of colors (vs ~65K)
>> >>>>>     * FileManager disappeared on me, though I found a way to replace
>> >>>>> it online and there are alternate means of accessing it
>> >>>>>     * Could use more software to install through the Add/Remove
>> >>>>> Software system
>> >>>>>     * Needs more mouse control, less speed more acceleration. Hard to
>> >>>>> hit small targets.
>> >>>>>     * Since it's multi-touch, why can't double finger tap act as a
>> >>>>> right click like on Mac OS X?
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Security:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Security being an interest of mine, I was curious to see what was
>> >>>>> setup by default on the Xandros OS for EeePC. This is where I
>> >>>>> confirmed that I'll be loading my own Linux on this. I found a couple
>> >>>>> of issues and some good points. First the good points:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>     * Most services are turned off by default
>> >>>>>     * It comes with a virus scanner to scan your documents and such.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Now the bad points:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>     * Default user name of "user" with sudo (root) no-password
>> >>>>> required access
>> >>>>>     * Default to instant login, though this can be changed via the
>> >>>>> Personalization icon under settings
>> >>>>>     * No ipchains/iptables compiled into the kernel, NO FIREWALL!
>> >>>>>     * Yes, it does have a virus scanner, but we're on Linux, I would
>> >>>>> rather have a firewall!
>> >>>>>     * Broken updates, see below
>> >>>>>     * Several open ports by default, bad
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Here are the results of the nmap test:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Starting Nmap 4.20 ( http://insecure.org ) at 2008-08-12 13:51 EDT
>> >>>>> Interesting ports on xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:
>> >>>>> Not shown: 65531 closed ports
>> >>>>> PORT STATE SERVICE
>> >>>>> 111/tcp open rpcbind
>> >>>>> 139/tcp open netbios-ssn
>> >>>>> 445/tcp open microsoft-ds
>> >>>>> 20032/tcp open unknown
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> So we have rpcbind, netbios-ssn, and microsft-ds open. Netbios-ssn and
>> >>>>> microsoft-ds are a big no no, even though it's samba that's providing
>> >>>>> the service (yes nmbd and smbd Samba daemons are started by default)
>> >>>>> so less likely to fall to the standard script kiddies, it's a big sign
>> >>>>> that says "Hello!!! Try to HACK ME!!!" when connected to the internet
>> >>>>> directly. I know they do this for convenience to improve the ability
>> >>>>> to file share with the EeePC, but why can't these be off unless a user
>> >>>>> actively chooses to share? Oh, and by default the laptop is part of
>> >>>>> "Workgroup" just like any other out of the box Windows system. As for
>> >>>>> rpcbind, it's up and running but no services are listed at the open
>> >>>>> ports.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Now port 20032 is interesting, according to netstat this is the
>> >>>>> nginx.conf program. This is some form of web-server namely "nginx/
>> >>>>> 0.5.33". Why on earth is there a web-server running on the EeePC? I
>> >>>>> haven't dug through the file system to find out what it is serving,
>> >>>>> but this is another one that makes me nervous. Since there is no
>> >>>>> firewall, I'm going to have to see what I can do with host.allow/deny
>> >>>>> or just stopping the process from starting.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> As for the broken updates, most seem to work fine, but one "Asus
>> >>>>> Update System Update" download fails. Based on what I've found,
>> >>>>> apparently there are files missing on ASUS servers. Funny thing is
>> >>>>> they don't seem to believe people who try to tell them they are
>> >>>>> missing. Hopefully that will get resolved soon.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Personally, I'm not impressed with the security of the default Xandros
>> >>>>> Linux. There are open ports that just shouldn't be open and the lack
>> >>>>> of a firewall is very frustrating.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Conclusion:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> I think this laptop is going to be a great companion for the near
>> >>>>> future. Once I get my own Linux distro installed and gain back a
>> >>>>> little more control, things should be good. Though the pre-installed
>> >>>>> version of Linux is functionally very nice, I just found too many
>> >>>>> drawbacks to use it, not the least of which were the security issues.
>> >>>>> The hardware more than makes up for it, so all is good!
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Some comparison pictures can be found on the my blog post of this
>> >>>>> review:
>> >>>>> http://www.cafaro.net/linux-related-information/eeepc-1000-linux-review/
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Cheers,
>> >>>>> David
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> David A. Cafaro <dac@cafaro.net>
>> >>>>> Cafaro's Ramblings:  www.cafaro.net
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
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> --
> Mackenzie Morgan
> http://ubuntulinuxtipstricks.blogspot.com
> apt-get moo
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