I just got back from the first day of the Handheld Learning 2007 conference where RM announced the £169 Asus miniBook. There was only one model on show, but I got to spend some time with it and take a bunch of photos.. .

Despite it's tiny size and light weight, the miniBook (aka the Asus Eee PC) still feels very well made, although it's anyone's guess how it'll fare in the hands of schoolchildren. The keyboard is equally small, but it does go right to the edges of the case and it's actually pretty comfortable to use, all things considered.

The thick bezel makes the 7in screen look smaller than it really is, but it's very clear, if a little low-res (just 800 x 480). It isn't touch-sensitive -- there's a touchpad for controlling the mouse pointer. This was far too sensitive for my liking, but this can presumably be adjusted through software. There's only one mouse button, but there is a context key in the usual spot to the right of the keyboard.

The bespoke version of Linux running on the miniBook is very Windows-like -- windows have the usual minimise/restore/close buttons at the top right, and there's a taskbar along the bottom of the Desktop. This model was set to use a simplified, child-friendly user interface -- there is supposedly a more Windows-like advanced UI, but I couldn't enable it. The UI has three tabbed windows for 'Learn', 'Media' and 'Settings', each with large icons for various applications.

First impressions of the miniBook were extremely positive and the only real catch is the comparatively poor battery life of two hours or so. I obviously didn't get to test this, but I'm hoping to get the miniBook into the office next week for a full review for issue 011 of the mag.

Interestingly, RM may offer a Windows version of the miniBook next year, with a suitably higher price tag. At £169 + VAT for the base 256Mb/2Gb model though, the Linux version will probably fly off the shelves when it goes on sale on 1st November.

And yes, RM will be selling it to anyone, although be prepared to say you're a 'parent' buying one for your 'child'...

[Related:  Asus Eee PC 4G review] 

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joxted   |22/10/07 8:35 PM I've heard rumours that a 10" screen model will be available at some time in the future. Worth waiting a bit for? Reply | Quote

Julian Prokaza   |23/10/07 12:24 PM I haven't heard anything about a larger screen, but the lid obviously has room for more than a 7in panel. Worth waiting for? Depends on how long you're prepared to wait, I guess -- the 7in panel was no doubt a compromise between size, cost and power consumption. Reply | Quote

Cheenu SJ   |24/10/07 1:59 PM Am too impatient to wait. Linux OS and Open Office is the way forward for stable multi-tasking enviros, but when will the greater public understand what kinda as*crap MS is, although William Gates III still remains and entrepreneurial genius who understood that PR and public image is EVERYTHING. GO LINSPIRE!!! Reply | Quote

Jim   |05/11/07 7:06 PM hi, im the general,non-cod ing, public and i want to know why i should use linux, bear in mind my current OS of preference in OSX not windows Reply | Quote

Julian Prokaza   |15/11/07 8:52 AM In the case of the Eee PC, Linux is light on resources and nippy to run. The fact that it's *Linux* is largely hidden from view and you certainly don't need to know anything about Linux to use the Eee PC. Of course you can still get at the full Linux experience if you want to, but most Eee PC buyers/users will be oblivious to it. Reply | Quote

David Mitchell   |20/12/07 7:46 AM We have one coming on Friday as we are interested in 60 units for our school. I want to know how it will work on our network, how robust it is, what happens about spare parts? I will let you know! Reply | Quote

Chris  - Asus Minibook   |12/01/08 12:07 PM The Asus Minibook is a great machine. Its perfect for taking on holidays or on the road. Connect to the internet in internet cafes to check your email and web sites. Copy photos from your camera to your minibook to view or edit or email back to relatives. Logon to messaging to chat to your friends. For this prices its a great gadget You can check out my review of the Asus Minibook here http://ga dgetblogger.co. uk/2007/12/23/m iniature-linux- laptop-for-160- from-rm-in-the- uk-eee-pc-revie w/ Reply | Quote

John   |24/01/08 10:50 AM I could buy a much better spec laptop for a little more than these units cost with much larger HDD etc, plus i could get spare parts no problem. I don't see these being easily repairable if anything goes wrong. The only market i could see these being useful for would be primary school children but that's about it. Sorry, but for that price i would rather buy a Windows notebook which makes use of the full screen instead of just the middle part with a huge blank border Reply | Quote

james  - wanttobuy1   |28/01/08 8:41 AM what websight can i actually buy 1 from and get delivered 2 uk? Reply | Quote

Psycho B Delic  - ASUS Minibook   |14/04/08 7:29 AM I'm waiting for the windows version - no operating system is without faults and on balance, having tried macs and linux machines, I find windows far more accessible, it has the most (and cheapest) software available, and doesn't require a degree in software engineering (which I have) to sort out. Ok slight exageration there, but my friend, who has been working with computers for 20 years or more, put Linux on his machine -took three days to get all the drivers working properly only to find it wouldn't run the software he wanted! Ten inch screen sounds good though. Reply | Quote

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