My post a few weeks ago about the Asus EEE PC 1000 is still drawing quite a lot of traffic (dozens of hits) every day. Time for a brief update, pending full Ubuntu 8.10 kernel support (here).
I’m still happy with this machine but, and this is a barn-door sized BUT, and it’s getting bigger: I am increasingly unhappy with the keyboard.
Nominally, it’s 92% of full size.
Touch-typing should be possible. It’s not.
First, that 8% seems to matter. I can type but it takes concentration, whereas with a full-size keyboard typing is unconscious–except for a few characters that differ between US and UK keyboards. (As I routinely use both I have to remember which I’m using at any given moment.)
Second, the keyboard on my unit is, I am increasingly certain, buggy. Others have described some keyboard problems already (here for example). My own experience is this: after I’ve typed a line or two I suddely find the cursor is somewhere unexpected. If I don’t detect and fix this at once I end up having to repair text I’ve already created.
At first, I thought that it was just my clumsiness. Others have reported problems with inadvertently pressing the right shift key and I certainly did this. But this is not all that’s wrong. Somehow the cursor seems to develop preferred locations and it is inclined to jump back to them in the middle of typing a subsequent paragraph.
It’s not a serious problem for browsing the web or doing a bit of email but it’s infuriating when using a word processor and I’ve had moments of real regret that I didn’t buy a Samsung Q45, which was my number two choice (but which was, among other things, just too hot).
So, what to do? Returning the machine will take time. Opening it may invalidate the warranty and I don’t want to do that. If you have or had the problem let me know.
Meanwhile, there are now some accessories available, including
- a keyboard cover
- a leather cover
- a screen protector and another case
and the price, including VAT, has dropped to £319.
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I had a machine once that had the ‘cursor jumping around in the middle of typing’ problem — like you… I thought it was something I was doing… but no… it was a giant bug.
So far I haven’t found any sign from web research that it’s a known issue. For anyone unhappy with key placements this may help — if you are running Windows. Haven’t looked for Linux solution yet.
Install touchpad drivers with Palmcheck :) It’s probably your palm hitting the touchpad, thus moving the cursor as it think’s you’re tapping :) happened to me a million times before I checked the touchpad drivers…
And this is why I blogged it. THANKS! (and I’m sure others who stumble on this will echo that).
Which OS are you using? For now I am just installing whatever Adam McDaniel is supporting (see http://www.array.org/ubuntu) and I’m currently waiting for full Intrepid support.
I did call Asus in the UK, since the online registration form crashed with an error when I tried to report the fault online. I got to listen to listen to an interesting recording made for keer sinta (i.e., care centre down under) and eventually spoke to a Dutch lady whose advice, after consultation, was to reinstall the operating system.
Glad to be of use :-)
I’m using WinXP, so you may be out of luck (for now) with Ubuntu. I don’t have a clue about configurating the Linux Elantech driver, are there any options at all?
I have the same problem with the cursor causing errors. It’s not me touching the touchpad because i’m using an normal sized keyboard attached via USB. The same error occurs using the keyboard on the eee PC. The cursor stays put and the letters keep appearing. it makes your type look ‘sdrawkcab’ (backwards) imagine pushing the left arrow after every key. that’s what you get.
I had exactly the same problems. I never managed to solve them. I tried using a keyboard attached via USB as well but it didn’t work. Just as well I got an upgrade a few months down the line!
Do you mean you got a new system (which?) or a replacement or a repair/refurbishment?