For all the little niggles, we really liked this device. If you're a frequent traveller, having a fully featured combination notebook/tablet PC that weighs around 1kg to just toss into a bag is a serious plus.
What really helps this device stand out is its true sense of portability. With an extended battery in place and the screen set to 50 per cent brightness, the machine will run for over five hours on a single charge, we found. The touchscreen and tablet mode feels like a legitimate function and not some tacky add-on.
That battery life figure was the one we achieved in general use. For a more comparative test, we ran a 640 x 480 H.264 video continuously until the S37B gave up the ghost. Wi-Fi was turned off but the screen was set to maximum brightness.
Battery Life Results
Battery life on minutes
Longer bars are better
Please note that the S37B was supplied to us with a six-cell extended battery, whereas the other two Eee PCs and the s.book were not. Had we been provided with the standard, three-cell battery, we'd expect a score of around 198 minutes, which still puts the S37B ahead of the Eee PC 701 by 20 minutes.
Mobile telly is optional
This is a device designed to used out and about and can adapt to be used in almost any situation, but we're not convinced that £700 is a premium we're willing to pay for that level of convenience. The Asus EeePC 701 sells for around £220, a third of the price of the S37B.
COMMENTS
It's really nice
I (well more specifically my money for the other half) got one of these last November back when they were around £850 to buy and the Eee's hadn't really hit the stores yet. I got one of the first 800Mhz models to get to the UK (there was a 600Mhz version but it got widely critised on speed).
For us it was an easy decision - the size and weight (the screen for the size is a very good resolution). It is also a touch screen which it has to be said makes life loads easier on a small laptop. And the keyboard is very nice to type on even with my finger size. But that said I think were it comes into its own is for women. She carries it around alot and loves that it goes in her bag and is unnoticable - no obvious laptop bag which is London is a plus. Lasts for a good 4-5 hours listen to music, running Word 2007, WiFi, MSN and browsing. Having used normal laptops the battery life really is quite amazing. It has a built in camera which is of good enough quality to capture A4 pages to be read later (such as books in libraries for research).
Get a USB 3G Modem with a few Gb a month and it makes for a great never miss a sporting event device. Just take it with you, set it up on the grass and tune in. The built in speakers are however a bit weak.
Don't get me wrong tho - its not just for women. I still get pangs of jealously when we sit in bed at the weekend and she gets it out and sits watching TV/Videos browsing the internet on her little touch screen beast.
Few pointers tho:
1) Buy a 2GB SODIMM. It's peanuts and the speed increase is considerable.
2) Follow one of the Vista speed up guides by turning off all the unnecessary services, etc. Again - it made a massive difference.
3) Reinstall it with XP - wow. Different computer :)
When buying:
Be really sure on the EXACT model you want. The model that Philip quoted above (s18pb) IS NOT THE SAME LAPTOP AS THIS. He has quoted an AMD based laptop. The S37/41 are Intel based systems. In addition the screen is smaller on the S18 - 800x480 instead of 1024x600 - but the reviews generally on UMPC sites is that the 7" 1024x600 screen is very good and a key selling point of the S37.
The XP version of the reviewed laptop is actually the Vye mini-v S37BXPP.
Overall its a fantastic device. I've seen and used an Eee and Vye next to each other. I suppose the comparison I'd make would be something like Eees are bit like Fords. Everyones got one. The Vye is more like an Audi. It's "reassuringly expensive"/bit overpriced, it's a bit more refined, got more toys to play with, and you can show it off to all you're Ford mates to induce jealousy :) Essentially tho they are different - this is a tablet PC, which has a good keyboard and can be used as a laptop. The Eee is just a laptop. Chalk and cheese.
If you missus is after a laptop for general use, and you want a toy to show off, I can't recommend enough :)
@vince
In addition to my last comment we've been able to run full screen video with no issues on it using VLC Player. Not tried iPlayer myself, but VLC streaming over WiFi from my desktop works fine.
Yes, XP IS AVAILABLE - SO THERE !!!
http://www.vyeshop.co.uk/product/7788/vye_miniv/vye_miniv_s18pb.html
a quick search on the friend of the little guy (Google) ....
happy To assist, as always
Machine looks nice, and is certainly interesting.
Question is, how can they put XP on it if it breaks the rules with it's table functionality?
Or are those rules only coming in after June 30?
so confusing....I'm gonna ask the Moderatrix for advice
Paris, cos my mouse missed the one next to it!
Philip
Actually it runs Vista well.
Actually I own one of these, alongside a number of other machines, and my Vye, running Vista, is by far the MOST stable I've got running Vista. It doesn't suffer from any of the constant problems my Sony Vaio SZ4 does running the same, it doesn't die at being asked to work hard and right now I trust my little Vye (which was only supposed to be a "light duty" machine) more than any of my other computers.
They do sell this with a Windows XP Option too, so you don't HAVE to have Vista (seriously, how hard is it to Google to find out?), and I wasn't sure, but I made the right choice. You can't run full screen video on this but non-full screen iplayer (etc etc) runs just fine.
It really isn't terrible at all. I know, I own one, which makes me more authorative than some of the half baked and uninformed opinion. (and no, I don't work for Vye. If I did I wouldn't have had to wait so long for a 2nd power supply for it...)
No rest for the Working Dog.
On Page 3, it is good to see that that fearless exposer of sham salesmen and bogus diet's, Mike Moore, is getting a run on Mobile TV.
