New low cost sub-notebook

[SteveG]

Anyone seen a Asus Eee PC, carp name, but looks good value at 220 quid for 1/2meg RAM 4G HD, 7" screen that's XP compatible. Says it's shockproof too Has wireless and 3 USB ports

http://eeepc.asus.com/global/product.htm

Could be a good in car nav solution.

Cheers

Steve

[LandyManLuke]

Looks like it doesn't run a standard OS, which will cause problems loading anything like Memory Map etc. which is a shame.

[SteveG]

that's XP compatible

Ships with Linux so they don't have to pay Msoft for every PC, but you can load XP onto it and it's compatible.

Cheers

Steve

[LandyManLuke]

My bad, looked at the pretty picture and didn't see XP, assumed a custom OS.

Lot of good reasons to keep it on Linux, if only you could get linux versions of memory map etc.

[SteveG]

My bad, looked at the pretty picture and didn't see XP, assumed a custom OS.

Lot of good reasons to keep it on Linux, if only you could get linux versions of memory map etc.

Agreed if it wasn't for memory map/OxiExplorer the linux would be ideal. I suspect you could dual boot it. For that price and given it's size, it seems a good solution.

It also comes in black in case anyway is worried about carrying a white PC in their LR

[white90]

white would be nice

[bishbosh]

white would be nice

Never thought you were so vain Tony!!

[David Sparkes]

Do you really think a 7" screen is viable, even when slow speed Green Laning?

Then there's the high speed (30mph) linking sections.

At a magnification that you can see the details, and ensure the GPS 'you are here' marker isn't covering 100 sq yards, then surely you can see so little of the surroundings, or get advance warning, that you would have to know the district well enough not to need any map.

Talking of GPS, how does this thing pick up the signal?

I don't see this delivering the goods, black or white.

Sorry to be negative.

[bishbosh]

As a PDA screen is fine I would say anything bigger would also be fine and would show more of the map at the same magnification.

[Mark90]

Sorry to be negative.

Yeh it's really not like you to be so negative

Do you really think a 7" screen is viable, even when slow speed Green Laning?

It's certainly bigger than a PDA screen (and cheaper than many PDA's too) which many people, myself included, fine a viable an useful navigation aid. Many people also use 7" screens with in car PC's too. But yes I have to admit that a 22" widescreen really would be the way to go for a good overview of the area.

Talking of GPS, how does this thing pick up the signal?

Simplest would be a GPS mouse, either serial or USB. Although it is a shame it doesn't have built in bluetooth, but I guess something has to give when building down to a price point.

[moose]

Lot of good reasons to keep it on Linux, if only you could get linux versions of memory map etc.

I have used this in the past gps drive bit geeky but will do every thing that brand software you paid for will do B)

[Teebags]

Storage and speed are likely to be your biggest issues if you stick XP on it. The reason it runs Linux isn't just to avoid the cost of M$, Linux runs a lot faster on it. In terms of storage 16gb isn't a lot to get excited about these days, by the time you've stuck MemoryMap on as well as XP it won't have a lot of room left.

I realise it's 3x the price but personally I use one of these Ebay Link, it's a fully functioning Laptop with everything you're likely to need, and it'll still be useful when you take it out of the truck. Great for travelling too, very light.

[SteveG]

Do you really think a 7" screen is viable, even when slow speed Green Laning?

Yes, but then I don't tend to route plan on the move which is really when a big screen is handy

Then there's the high speed (30mph) linking sections.

You zoom out for on road

At a magnification that you can see the details, and ensure the GPS 'you are here' marker isn't covering 100 sq yards, then surely you can see so little of the surroundings, or get advance warning, that you would have to know the district well enough not to need any map.

Advance warnings of what? I'll let the PDA users like Bish etc answer this one, but from using a 15" tablet I don't see there be an issue with a 7" screen.

Talking of GPS, how does this thing pick up the signal?

Like any other bloody laptop that doesn't have GPS built in

I don't see this delivering the goods, black or white.

Don't buy one then , unless you want a different colour, maybe they'll bring out some new pastel ones like the iPod

btw I so often read that size doesn't count

[David Sparkes]

Ahh well, I've viewed my Drivers PDA, and it's convinced me it has merits for walking, but driving? No.

He is 'lucky' or very experienced, whichever you like, and has a fantastic memory for lanes, and their connection points onto the tarmac network. The PDA is 75% a toy, interesting but not essential.

Very useful in that allows him to pre-plot the route onto the screen, but when we hit a (tarmac) closed road we needed the paper maps, and someone (Me) had to find where we could re-route PDQ. Then we could pick up the PDA route again.

However, I was asking for the opinions of others, so different views are fine :-))

Cheers

[GBMUD]

Ahh well, I've viewed my Drivers PDA, and it's convinced me it has merits for walking, but driving? No.

He is 'lucky' or very experienced, whichever you like, and has a fantastic memory for lanes, and their connection points onto the tarmac network. The PDA is 75% a toy, interesting but not essential.

Horse manure.

When you have a free day David, come down to Wiltshire, bring your map, I will take my PDA and we will go out for a drive on Salisbury Plain. Bet you I know who gets told off by the Land Wardens or steps on a UXB first.

Even a regular GPS is of limited use where there are no marks or confusingly numerous tracks on the ground.

Chris

[LandyManLuke]

I've got an 8" widescreen and that's perfectly veiwable, on or off road.

Before, i had a 7" widescreen and that was viewable too. The only reason i changed was the 7" got nicked.

That really is a good price (google found ~£220) for not only off road use, but at under a Kg, carrying around with you.

[sotal]

I've got a smallish pda - it's a phone too, one of the MDA Vario II's - linked up with a bluetooth GPS unit, it's fantastic for GPS unless you've got really bad eyesight. I even used my previous phone before which was an SPV C500 like this:

Admittedly I only ever used that with tomtom but it was more than adequate

[David Sparkes]

Sorry Chris, you have misunderstood what I wrote. (And ironically I've been tagged the agressive one!! :-))

I was NOT saying paper maps are better than a GPS connected PDA.

I was saying that when we needed to view a wider area, to plot a re-route, the area containing the alternative roads could not be viewed on the PDA screen, at a sensible, usable, scale. The only alternative we had were the paper maps belonging to the vehicle driver. From these we made the selection that would take us back on course.

Re your Land Ranger/UXB comment, it seems we do agree that local knowledge is a very useful thing to have.

More to the point of this thread, I'll ask again, how does this Asus PC pick up a GPS signal?

Whatever our differences about screen size, presumably you all do think it is sensible that a GPS indicator is combined with the map?

Cheers.

[Mark90]

More to the point of this thread, I'll ask again, how does this Asus PC pick up a GPS signal?

You may ask again but I see little point as it has been answered twice since you first asked.

However it seems I may have been incorrect about the Eee having a serial port, that'll teach me to check mt facts first

[GBMUD]

Let me quote you again David.

it has merits for walking, but driving? No.

I said that it does have merrit for driving.

And paper maps are better than a PDA but that does not mean that a PDA is not a useful tool for a navigator/driver and a fine companion to paper maps.

I quite agree that one cannot navigate completely with a PDA (at least, I cannot), although it is easier with a pre-plotted route being followed on screen. It makes location of the start and end points of un-metalled sections easier to locate and, one on a track it makes junctions easier to negotiate - especially where the ROW is not marked on the ground or there are existing tracks which are unmapped. I do not think that anyone has so far suggested that a computer could act as a replacement for paper mapping - not in this thread anyway.

So, it looks like we in fact agree that, while the ultimate may be a 32" wide screen in place of a windscreen, that is not practical and a 7" screen, or even (God forbid) a PDA, is a useful tool. Now you just have to back-track to a point where you can admit that a small screen computer does, in fact, have merit as a navigational aid while driving.

Chris

[David Sparkes]

Thankyou Mark, I had missed some posts that came in while I was composing my responses, or otherwise distracted.

Like you, I can't find a Serial port mentioned

http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=24&am...amp;modelmenu=2

Nor can I find Bluetooth connectivity mentioned.

Both these points I looked for (but may have missed) before I asked the question originally.

So, if someone can point us all towards how a GPS signal is captured by the PC, I'm sure we will all be interested!

And SteveG, I use the in-car PC for more than greenlaning, that main road use is when the large screen comes in handy. For that purpose I've moved from a 7" to a 10" screen, so perhaps you can see why I'm still not convinced a 7" screen is suitable. I've used one.

Cheers

[David Sparkes]

Chris, you quote me correctly, but I thought I was allowed an opinion, and the extract you quoted is my opinion.

PDA good for walking, Yes, good for driving, No.

I'm not backtracking.

"a small screen computer does, in fact, have merit as a navigational aid while driving."

Of course it has some merit. My Green lane driving partner thinks it does, I've found his PDA to have some merit, you and others think it does.

I just don't agree that it's suitable for me, and I wouldn't spend money on one for use while driving. That evaluation is what gets the 'driving, No' response from me.

I might spend money on one for walking, but as most of my walking is local, where I get to know the paths after a couple of trips, I might not bother, and stick to carrying the paper map, 'just in case'.

Cheers

[SteveG]

Thanks for the diversion David, but your opinion seems to be in the minority.

I personally think that one of these for £220, plus a 4GB SD card for £15 and a waterproof GPS mouse for £30 and you have a very good in car nav unit for on road and off road. Solidstate harddrive is good for off-road use too.

The sub notebook size and weight means you can mount it easily, and use it's keyboard for waypoint entry etc. If my screen on my tablet continues to degrade I'll consider one as a replacement.

Cheers

Steve

[Les Henson]

My PDA has Tomtom for on the road and Memory Map for off it - it takes a few seconds to switch between one and the other. I can zoom in and out on either program, so planning ahead on the move is possible.

Les.

[simonr]

Like you, I can't find a Serial port mentioned

Nor can I find Bluetooth connectivity mentioned.

I agree - but it does talk about uploading photos & video - which would suggest a USB port at the very least.

Although there is no Memory Map for Linux, there are loads of very good PC emulators, including one, one of my friends was talking about which is just like a wrapper for any application which just makes it run as if it was native.

Supposedly it even works with CAD software - so MM or X-Nav should be easy!

I agree that a bigger screen would be good - but even a toughbook with a 10" screen takes up a lot of space in the cab. I think 7" may be a pretty good compromise between PDAs and full size monitors

Si