It’s been nearly a year since I first cracked open the case of my Asus Eee 701SD.  At the time, the netbook was probably a middle-of-the-road option, as far as the Eee line goes.  I have used it as my main computer, running Ubuntu Linux.

I’ve been pretty tough on that computer.  I’ve accidentally dropped it multiple times.  I rarely turned it off, always running multiple Firefox windows with way too many tabs active (just ask anyone who’s looked at my desktop recently).  It’s kept up pretty well.

Recently, however, I’ve been waiting… and waiting for my windows to respond and the wireless network to reconnect.  And there has been a problem with the power cord connecting to the battery.  It’s been a bit of a drag.  And I realized that I’m expecting too much from that sweet little machine.  So I invested in a new netbook.  This one’s a little larger and has incredible improvements in hardware (it’s an Acer Aspire One).  I would have loved to get a newer Eee, since the new ones have improved so much.  They even have one that has a touch screen and converts into a tablet PC.  The new Eee’s have bigger hard drives (or solid-state drives), more memory, better screens, etc.  But they are difficult to find in local stores.  Between Best Buy and Target, there are a few models available for immediate purchase, but most models need to be ordered.  So, when looking for a product for immediate acquisition, I was forced to choose another brand (not that I don’t like Acer – they’re awesome, too!).

So after nearly a year of use, I have figured out where the Eee 701SD fits into my life.  It’s great as a secondary PC that can be easily transported and  connected.  As a primary computer, however, it doesn’t quite make the grade.  I’m sad not to use it all the time now, but it’s cute little screen will accompany me often while on the go.