Table des matières

Asus Eee PC

(Note aux propriétaires d'Eee : Merci de vous référer à la page principale de wiki pour les guides et tutoriels. Cette page contient principalement des informations de base sur l'appareil et les évolutions à venir. Celles-ci sont légèrement obsolètes puisque n'y figurent pas encore les nouveaux modèles tels que la série 900 et 1000. Merci de patienter pour les futures mise-à-jour.)

Introduction

Eee PC

L' ASUS Eee PC (prononcez “E P C”1)) est un ordinateur ultra-portable dont les tarifs débutent à environ 450€. Il a été développé conjointement par Intel et ASUSTeK, basé sur le projet Classmate PC d'Intel, mais avec pour objectif de toucher un public de masse. Contrairement à certains appareils similaires, notamment l' Ultra-Mobile PCs et les prochains Appareils Mobiles dédiés à Internet, l' Eee présente une conception traditionnelle de style “clamshell”, un dispositif de pointage type “touchpad”, et un clavier peu profond AZERTY. Son intérêt réside principalement dans une subtile combinaison de portabilité, de prix abordable, de performances relativement élevées, et surtout grâce à une utilisation ultra simplifiée. A cet égard, il est parfois comparé au OLPC XO-1, un pc portable bas-coût voué à l'éducation et conçu par “the One Laptop Per Child project”.

A l'origine, dénommé “Eee PC 701” afin de préparer l'arrivée d'autres modèles aux tailles d'écrans différentes, son nom a depuis été raccourci à “Eee PC” pour simplifier. Depuis la sortie des Eee PC 8G, 4G, 4G Surf et 2G Surf, tous partageant le même écran de 7”, Asus a revu sa copie en mettant en vente d'autres modèles aux tailles plus importantes, (900/901/904/905 et 1000/1000H/1000HD) dotés de claviers plus confortables, d'une autonomie drastiquement renforcée, grâce notamment au nouveau processeur ATOM d'Intel, ainsi que des spécifications techniques différentes pour pallier aux erreurs de jeunesse des premiers eee PC (écran et clavier trop petit pour une utilisation quotidienne, autonomie, performances…).

Models

(Source: Page officielle Eee PC et notes d'utilisateurs)

Modèle Eee PC 8G Eee PC 4G Eee PC 4G Surf Eee PC 2G Surf Eee PC 900 Linux Eee PC 900 WinXp
Disponibilité Disponible
Prix (USD) $499 $399 $349 $299 $550
Couleurs disponibles Pearl White, Galaxy Black Pearl White, Galaxy Black, Blush Pink Pure White, Galaxy Black Pure White, Galaxy Black, Lush Green, Sky Blue, Blush Pink Pearl White, Galaxy Black
Accessoires inclus Housse de transport, Souris USB Housse de transport / / Sac de transport
Memoire (RAM) 1 GB (DDR2 SO-DIMM) 512 MB (DDR2 SO-DIMM) 512 MB (DDR2 SO-DIMM)
(Modèle blanc sans trappe d'accès)
(Black generally has access cover) 		512 MB (DDR2 soldered) 1GB (DDR2 SO-DIMM)
Solid-State Drive 8 GB (PCIe) 4 GB (soldered) 4 GB (soldered) 2 GB 4 GB + 16 GB (PCIe) 4 GB + 8 GB (PCIe)
Webcam VGA (640×480) @ 30 fps / 1.3M Pixel webcam
Batterie 4 Cells: 5200 mAh, 3~3.5hrs* 4 Cells: 4400 mAh, 2.8hrs* 4 Cells: 4400 or 5800 mAh, ~2-3hrs*
Extension mémoire External MMC(plus)/SD(HC) slot
Résolutions 6” (15.25cm) par 3.6” (9.15cm) ou 7” (17.78cm); WVGA (800×480) @ 133.3 PPI 8.9” dia. WSVGA (1024×600)
CPU 900 MHz Intel Celeron M ULV 353 @ 630 MHz 800 MHz Intel Celeron M ULV @ 571 MHz 900 MHz Intel Celeron M ULV 353
O.S. Linux OS (Xandros); Windows XP Home
Port réseau 10/100 Mbps Ethernet
Réseau sans fil 802.11b/g Wi-Fi (PCIe)
Modem interne Connecteur externe RJ-11 présent mais carte MDC board interne non “populated” (?) Pas de modem interne
Ports USB 3 externes
Affichage externe VGA D-SUB (1600×1280 et +)
Audio Audio Haute définition avec haut-parleurs stereo et microphone stereo
Poids 0.92 kg (2.0 lbs) 0.99 kg (2.2 lbs)
Dimensions 22.5 x 16.4 x 2.15~3.5 cm (8.86 x 6.46 x 0.846~1.4 in) 22.5 x 17.0 x 2cm~3.38cm(WxDxH)

(* Autonomie constructeur. L'autonomie varie suivant l'usage (Wi-Fi, luminosité de l'écran…)
(* Certains EEE PC 4G et 8G sont vendus avec une batterie 4400 mAh au lieu d'une 5200 mAh suite à une pénurie de batterie. L'autonomie des batteries diminue à l'usage.)
(* Les EEE 900 PC sont vendus soit avec une batterie de 4400 mAh soit une de 5800 mAh.)

Disponibilité

A partir du 23 Novembre 2007, l' Eee PC est disponible dans différentes configurations et couleurs dans de nombreuses régions du Monde. Un fil de discussion du forum EeeUser.com liste un certain nombre de détaillants en ligne. ASUS s'était fixé comme objectif de vente quelques 200000 unités pour 2007, sans doute limité par la production, qui augmentera progressivement entre 300000 et 500000 en Mars 2008 et à plus de trois millions d'ici la fin de cette année. Compte tenu d'une forte demande, l'attribution initiale de certaines régions devrait être plus limitée que prévue.

Chronologie

Matériel

Specifications

Processeur

900MHz Intel Celeron M ULV 353 (Dothan-512, Ultra Low Voltage)7)

Chipset

Mobile Intel 910GML Express8) northbridge.

Carte Graphique

Intel GMA 900 (integré) avec connectique externe VGA

Mémoire

512MB ou 1GB single-channel DDR2-400 (PC2-3200) SDRAM (8MB-256MB alloué à la mémoire vidéo)

Stockage

2, 4, ou 8GB SSD with Silicon Motion SM223 controller12)

Connectivité

Affichage

Batterie ASUS

Asus Li-ion Battery Pack A22-P70116)

Batteries génériques

Software

Operating System

The Eee PC home screen

A l'origine, l'ordinateur a uniquement été conçu pour intégrer un OS Linux customisé, mais le fabriquant a depuis décidé d'offrir une variante avec Windows XP pré-installé et un tarif légèrement en hausse. Comme l'installation de Windows est présumée “typique”, cette section couvrira uniquement l'OS Linux. (Note: La plupart des informations de cette page sont applicables à l'ensemble de la série des EEE PC.)

Thanks to a relatively lean operating system and quick-access SSD, the computer reportedly boots in under ten seconds (ASUS claims within fifteen) and shuts down in five, though some estimates put boot times at up to thirty seconds. The boot screen (with ASUS and Eee PC logos) presents this message: “Press F2 to run Setup. Press TAB to display BIOS POST Message”. The BIOS allows the user to make limited changes to the system, including changing the time and date, changing the boot priority, and enabling and disabling onboard devices. The integrated webcam is disabled by default, so the user would have to enable it here to use it in the operating system.

Upon first boot the user is prompted to consent to the end-user license agreement (EULA) that accompanies the operating system, set the keyboard layout, register their full name, enter and confirm a password, and set the time and date. The user should then click Finish and be taken directly to Easy Mode (see below), which is the default destination on subsequent boots.

The OS is an ASUS-customized variant of Xandros Linux (based on Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 [”etch”], kernel 2.6.22) with Easy Mode and Desktop Mode designed for novice and advanced users, respectively. As with a normal Xandros installation, this Linux distribution runs the K Desktop Environment (KDE) by default. Easy Mode is a menu system that consists of a custom tabbed interface, organized by task, with large icons under each tab to launch applications, files, or websites. Desktop Mode is essentially the normal Xandros desktop (but without Xandros branding) and resembles the Windows XP desktop environment, in particular the original Luna visual style. The default theme is Silver, and there are three more preinstalled (Green, Orange, and Blue).

The following details were observed on a late engineering sample with 4GB SSD, 512MB RAM, and webcam17); production 4G and 4G Surf models are reportedly identical. Internal storage is divided into four partitions, the first two of which are combined via UnionFS: / (root) partition (2353MB, ext2), /home partition (1338MB, ext2), a FAT32 partition (8MB), and an EFI partition (8MB). (No swap partition is configured by default.) Note that of the 4GB total capacity, only about 1.3GB (35%) is available to the user (excluding any free space remaining on the root partition); the base 2GB model (2G Surf) ships with less software preinstalled.

The computer features a voice-recognition program (Settings → VoiceCommand, not available on 2G Surf) that can launch applications (a total of sixteen) and shut down the system. The user must prepend the word “computer” before each command, as in “computer web” and “computer mail”. Once the command is registered the computer echoes back the command and executes it. According to one source, however, the software is “a bit too sensitive”18) (translated from Chinese) and is less effective in high-noise environments.

Easy Mode

(A user-created interactive demo of the Easy Mode interface is available online.)

This mode, which uses the IceWM window manager, is the default mode upon boot. Horizontal tabs run across the top of the screen, and once clicked, the active tab's icons are laid out below in a grid-like structure (specifically, a 3-by-5 matrix at the default resolution). As is the norm, icons must be double-clicked to launch. There may be multiple levels of icons, in which case a navigation bar (with a back button) appears below the tabs once the user leaves the top-most level. According to one report19), there is no need for a second (right-click) touchpad button in this software environment, which ASUS calls their “one-click intuitive interface.”

There are six tabs, in this order: Internet, Work, Learn, Play, Settings, Favorites; plus a Help button in the top-right corner. They present the following icons, in their respective order (from left to right, top to bottom):

* not available on 2G Surf (Webcam also not available on 4G Surf)

There is a panel on the bottom of the screen, analogous to the Windows taskbar, that shows currently open programs and has a notification area on its right. The panel can be hidden by clicking the icon with a rightward-pointing triangle on the far right, or invoked by clicking the icon with a home symbol on the far left, which also minimizes all open programs. The notification area contains, at a minimum, status indicators for Wi-Fi, battery, Num Lock, Caps Lock, and volume and a digital clock. Three icons are always present to its right; these are shortcuts to the Task Manager, the ASUS FAQ web page, and the shutdown dialog (which can also be invoked by pressing the power button).

Advanced Desktop Mode

This mode was made easily accessible on prototype systems, but that is not the case for production machines; the user must perform “hacks” to enable this functionality. (See Enabling Advanced Desktop Mode.) It is typical of a “full-blown” Linux graphical desktop, in particular a KDE desktop, and allows the user to do most anything that can be done in Linux, save for perhaps some commands in the shell. The only default desktop icon is Home (shortcuts to Trash, My Documents, and others can be made). Also by default, there are two switchable desktop sessions. Shortcuts to Firefox, Thunderbird, File Manager, and Show Desktop (in that order) are to the right of the Launch button on the bottom panel.

Included Applications

More than 40 applications are included, most of which are open-source and licensed under GPLv2, with the exception of Adobe Reader and Skype. Version numbers are provided where known.

* not available on 2G Surf (UCView also not available on 4G Surf)

The user can add, remove, and update applications (and the BIOS) through the Add/Remove Software utility under the Settings tab. While there are none to add at this time, ASUS has promised to certify applications and make them available via this method.20) Of course, experienced users can install applications manually and integrate them into Easy Mode as explained in the main wiki article Customizing the Easy Mode GUI.

Alternative OSes

The Eee PC is capable of running other operating systems, but hardware limitations of the device must be considered. Although it is possible to install most Linux distributions and Windows XP, other operating systems may pose problems due to the relative lack of driver support for the Eee PC's Atheros network card. Additionally, the Eee PC lacks an integrated optical drive, so users who wish to install Windows or an alternative OS must boot from a USB device (usually flash memory or an external CD/DVD drive).

The main wiki page offers instructions on installing other operating systems on the Eee PC.

Windows XP on the Eee PC

Windows

ASUS plans to offer a variant of the computer with Microsoft Windows XP Home preinstalled21) by the end of the first quarter of 2008. In the meantime, Windows XP can be installed manually by the user. ASUS provides instructions for doing so in the Windows XP Installation Guide (in earlier packages, the User Guide), and official Windows XP drivers are provided on the included Support CD.

Earlier versions of Windows will probably not work without proper drivers (perhaps with the exception of 2000, given its NT roots and similarity to XP). At least one production system has been modified to run Windows Vista22), but this is not recommended due to incomplete driver support and the computer's performance and space constraints (notably CPU, RAM, and graphics capabilities).

Other Linux Distributions

An engineering sample has been shown on video running PCLinuxOS and an unidentified Linux distribution in Live CD mode.23) A number of production systems have been modified to run Ubuntu Linux, and there is an online tutorial on the process.

In addition, there exists a “full-blown” Fedora spin called EeeDora created by an EeeUser.com forum regular.

Mac OS X

:!: Warning: Under its EULA, Apple prohibits (and thus makes illegal) the installation and usage of Mac OS on any “non-Apple-labeled computer.”

A user has successfully installed Mac OS X v10.5 “Leopard” using OSx86 and a workaround for the Pentium M-based CPU's lack of support for the SSE3 instruction set required by Apple's Rosetta dynamic translator.24) Rosetta enables applications compiled for the PowerPC architecture to run on x86 processors.

Community Projects

Well before the release of the computer, there has been considerable interest in the community regarding an operating system (using the Linux kernel) and applications suite (of the GNU variety) optimized specifically for its limited combination of hardware, which is similar to that of an embedded system in this respect. The main reasons for this development include constraints on processor performance and hard-disk space and, notably, the low-resolution screen (especially in the vertical dimension). Also, it is believed that the default K Desktop Environment is too demanding on precious resources and that an alternative, lightweight DE like Xfce would be more suitable.

The first community project was EeeNix, led by former EeeUser.com forum member bbz_Ghost. It was later shut down by its founder (with rights to the name reserved), but new efforts such as The New Desktop Project and The Untitled Eee Project (TUEP) were quickly launched to fill the void. In December 2007, eeeXubuntu, a custom variant of Xubuntu 7.10 Live CD with fully integrated hardware support, was released by its creator, EeeUser.com forum member oasisbob. Development on these projects is ongoing, and users are encouraged to contribute.

More information on Linux distribution projects for the Eee PC series can be found in the Eee PC Custom Linux Distribution Projects subforum.

Miscellaneous Information

FIXME

Suggested improvements to this article:

1) http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=1549
2) http://www.digitimes.com/displays/a20071022PD205.html
3) http://www.eeeuser.com/2007/09/11/confirmed-by-asus-eee-pc-ram-will-be-replaceable/
4) http://www.eeeuser.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=2414#p2414
5) http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/tradeshows/2007/idf/eeepc/bios.jpg
6) http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=291702f017efdfe556cb87b8530eb7d1ff08cbae
7) http://www.chiplist.com/Intel_Celeron_M_ULV_3x3_series_processor_Dothan_512_Ultra_Low_Voltage/tree3f-subsection--2157-/
8) http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/910gml/index.htm
9) http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?pid=6732#p6732
10) http://bp2.blogger.com/_AnB08Ffvex4/RtBEO8Cx3aI/AAAAAAAAABc/WhlcZDQYx3A/s1600-h/CIMG1907b.jpg
11) http://www.sis.com/support/support_memory_16.htm
12) http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/HKM00830072007-1.htm
13) http://www.3dnews.ru/mobile/asus_eee_pc_701/index2.htm
14) http://www.asources.com/gallery2/v/Eee+Pc+Gallery/album/?g2_page=3
15) http://old.mt-system.ru/pub/c623fa3ea41c4ef9a6d53ca9ff1dc103.pdf
16) http://eeepc.asus.com/global/battery.htm
17) http://www.unicap-imaging.org/unicap_eeepc.htm
18) http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jeremy-3c/article?mid=9717&prev=9777&next=9713
19) http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3829
20) http://laptopmag.com/Review/Exclusive-First-Review-Asus-Eee-PC-701.htm
21) http://eeepc.asus.com/en/news10192007.htm
22) http://www.modaco.com/content/Asus-EEE-PC-http-www-EEEasy-com/261965/Installing-Vista-on-the-Eee-ive-done-it-and-it-works/
23) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNLs3GKCAog
24) http://uneasysilence.com/archive/2007/11/12654/