The Eee PC and its competitors can connect to the internet, not just through a cable
but also wirelessly in certain places. The internet now offers a range of talks
and videos. Past editions of Melvyn Bragg’s excellent ‘In Our Time’ BBC Radio 4
intellectual discussion programme can be retrieved as computer audio files and played
at any time. The BBC has other ‘podcasts’, and also allows people to listen to radio
programmes and watch TV programmes up to a week later than they were broadcast, using
its internet ‘iPlayer’. ‘Podcasts’ started in America, for the Apple company’s ‘iPod’
personal music player with earplugs. The Apple ‘iTunes’ website has an extensive
range of audio and visual material which includes serious subjects, with contributions
from universities, museums and galleries. Gresham College provides free lunchtime
talks in Holborn in an academic style. These can now be taken from the College’s
website. History is reasonably well represented within non-
The Asus Eee PC 901
The Eee PC is solidly built and does not seem ‘cheap’ at all. The screen display
is very clear indoors. It is almost silent in operation. Its mains adaptor is lighter
than the 3 pin plug it needs in Britain. To economise on power a special button
turns off the screen and pressing two keys together renders it dormant until a key
is pressed again. The imitations look promising, but battery life is crucial. Those
who have limited need for a super-
The author of this article, David Boote, (email David_Boote@yahoo.com) is very happy for all or part of it to be copied but asks that this sentence be included in any subsequent copy made.
