PopMonkeys - Asus Eee PC, Laptops, Gadgets, Tech, and More!

How to choose the best external hard drive for you. Click on the picture to go to the product page on Buy.com.

Basic

If you just need more storage, a simple drive is for you.
I recommend the Western Digital 500GB My Book drive. I have one of these personally.


It features a USB 2.0 port and no fuss set up.

Intermediate

If you are an intermediate user that works with large images and need to connect via FireWire, USB, or eSATA, than this drive is for you.


It features 3 types of connections, eSATA, USB 2.0, and Firewire.

Advance

If you have media or files you want to share with other computers in the house, than the Buffalo LinkStation is for you.


This drive features 2 USB ports and a network port. The drive connects to your network like any computer, most likely through a free port on your router. Any file on the drive can be shared to any computer on the network. It's that simple.

I really trust Buffalo drives. I have one as my main back up drive.

I own many computers. I like computers. So when it's time to buy a computer, my family and friends ask me. I always ask two questions: What is your budget and what will you do with it?

If people ask me which laptop they should buy, I normally don't recommend the Eee because Linux is not right for everyone.

Honestly, you can go really far for $600, about the price of the 9 inch Eee PC. I would definitely take a look at Toshiba in that price range. You can get an Intel dual core processor with at least 1 GB of memory. You'll definitely get a 15.4 inch wide screen display. If you want to splurge, get an entry level Apple Macbook for about $1100. Software will be more expensive.

If you're looking for something lightweight, look for a laptop with a screen size of 14.1 inches or less. It will be a little more expensive due to the miniature size.

Again, the Eee PC and all it's competitors might be a little too under-powered if you're looking for a regular laptop.

If you are just looking to do email, browse the web, type up a light document, the Asus EEE PC 900 might be right for you. It's runs Windows XP, 8.9 inch screen, and cost about $550. Don't expect to edit your pictures because the processor is only a 900 Mhz Intel Celeron. You're not going to multi-task or play any games.

I'm really paranoid about my external drives ever since my Seagate FreeAgent drive died - only 2 months old.

I have a WD MyBook 500 GB drive. I nicknamed it Darth Vader because it's all black and shiny. It's my back drive for music, pictures, and video.

My primary drive is the Buffalo 500GB DriveStation. It's actually a very nice drive. The Seagate started up every time my computer booted up. I have to turn it off every single time. But the Buffalo drive has a switch. Very nice since I don't access the drive that much. Also, it has a firewire port. Very nice since I also have a Mac Mini. My only complaint is that it can be a little loud, especially since it is right next to my monitor.

Highly recommended.

Popmonkeys

If you have followed my blog, I was debating whether to get a Nokia N810 or the Eee PC. There are major differences in both of them. For one thing, the N810 is an Internet tablet, not a full laptop. But it does look good. The Eee PC looks and feels like a toy. This is my biggest complaint against the Eee. I love the portability of it.

The N810 is strictly for Internet use. It goes online, you can IM, read emails, youtube, and anything else you do online. You'll have to consider the size of the screen. Both can only display 800 pixels wide. This is a problem considering that most web sites are best viewed in 1024. However, the N810 comes with a simple GPS function, don't expect Garmin or TomTom caliber GPS.

After messing with my Eee PC, I wanted to start fresh again. Here's how to restore your Eee PC to Factory Settings.

The image of the original OS is already stored in your Eee PC.

Here's the tricky part. When you reboot the Eee, there is a split second for you to get into the BIOS. When you turn on the Eee, start pressing F2. If your Eee actually boots into Xandros, restart and do it again.

Once you get into the BIOS, just select Factory Restore and watch it reboot.

IMPORTANT: Make sure your connect the AC Adapter to power your Eee. If your Eee PC loses power while flashing, you have a big paperweight.

Popmonkey

I'm starting to use my Eee PC more and more in my daily life. At first, I was a bit skeptical on the usability of this miniature laptop, but it's turning out quite well. The CPU is not the latest and fastest, but for your general task, it's fine. Wireless connectivity is very good.

I find that watching video on the Eee PC is about the most you can do. I wouldn't use it to calculate PI to a million digits.

I also advise not to put Windows XP on the Eee. You will just open up your machine to more security flaws. I don't think the Eee can handle all the security suites used to keep Windows Happy.

Everyone has a job. Most people dislike their job. I'm not most people. But I always wonder, just how much money I can make using the things I know from work? I do internet marketing and I see people make a lot of money. Sure, I read a lot of things about making money quick, but I'm a skeptical person.

So...I'm calling this the $100 Challenge.

I am investing $100 of my own money to see how much I can make using this blog and a few things that I learned from the job. Let me be clear, this is not job related in anyway nor am I acting on behalf of my company. This is a personally challenge, using my personal funds, with a personal website, and on my personal time.