Thanks prostuff, I've got a few followup questions:

 

1) Is the battery life really only about 3 hours?  My 14" laptop has an 8 hour battery (which has totally spoiled me), so I'm not sure I would be too happy with just 3 hours.

 

2) Do you know how hard it is to access the HDD?  I would like to switch it out for a SSD.

 

3) Is Win7 Starter as bad as everyone says it is?  Not a big deal since I could just reformat it with some other version of Win7, just wondering.

 

4) Is it still in warranty?  Any damage?

 

I'm a bit turned off by the lack of Wireless-N, but for such a cheap machine I suppose it doesn't really matter.  I'm sure I could get a Wireless-N USB adapter if I really cared.

Check this out

 

Eye-Fi

1) Is the battery life really only about 3 hours?  My 14" laptop has an 8 hour battery (which has totally spoiled me), so I'm not sure I would be too happy with just 3 hours.

It is a 3 cell battery only so it does not last all that long, and def not as long as the 8 hours on your 14".

 

2) Do you know how hard it is to access the HDD?  I would like to switch it out for a SSD.

Not a clue, have not taken it apart. but it is a fairly tight little package.

 

3) Is Win7 Starter as bad as everyone says it is?  Not a big deal since I could just reformat it with some other version of Win7, just wondering.

I don't find it all that bad.  It works for what it was designed for and it runs pretty well on the machine.

 

4) Is it still in warranty?  Any damage?

No damage to speak of.

 

I'm a bit turned off by the lack of Wireless-N, but for such a cheap machine I suppose it doesn't really matter.  I'm sure I could get a Wireless-N USB adapter if I really cared.

Now you sound like me.  The no wireless N thing annoys me also.  I don't understand why it could not have been included, could not have been that expensive.

Interesting, thanks NAS, I'll look into that.  I expect that would work just as well with something like a Droid or an iPhone, right?  Anything wifi compatible?

 

absolutely. anything 802.11b/g will work

Check this out

 

Eye-Fi

 

Damn, that is brilliant.  And only $50?  Not bad at all.  Too bad I just bought a bunch of microSD cards for my camera (to be used with an SD adapter).  If there was an Eye-Fi microSD adapter, I would buy it in a heartbeat.  I'm still considering it, since $50 isn't much for a perfect backup solution for all my pictures on-the-go.

 

Now I wonder if it could be configured to backup to my unRAID server?  Or maybe it could backup to my desktop over the internet, then unRAID could backup a certain watch folder (via rsync or whatever)...

 

Thanks for answering my questions, prostuff.  I'm still thinking about it.

 

Thanks also, NAS.

I just bought the 4 GB Eye-Fi for $50.98 from Newegg (they had the best price after shipping).  I didn't even check the camera compatibility, but even if it doesn't work with my camera I'm sure it will work with one of my dad's or sister's.  My coworker just offered to buy some of the microSD cards I bought off of me, so that helps too.

 

Thanks so much for the link Rob_Esc!  This really seems like the perfect camera backup solution.  Even if I'm only able to find a wifi hotspot once a week or so, that's still going to be safer than my previous plan to carry a bunch of microSD cards in my passport/money pouch.

Sorry I saw this a bit late, but this was a great deal as well.. http://picasa.google.com/eyefi.html

Hmm, that is a good deal, and I'm sure I still have time to cancel my Newegg order if I want to.  However, it sounds like I can just use my gmail account's included 8 GBs of storage, right?  I'm pretty sure that will be enough for me.  I can also use flickr if I run out of space there.

Well, the Eye-Fi didn't work.  Even though the compatibility list claimed it would work with my camera, it didn't.  I would get 'card errors' nearly every time I tried to use it.  Also the software wouldn't work on my homebuilt Win7 PC.  Lose-lose.

 

I tried contacting Eye-Fi about the problem, but they just sent me an email about having lots of support requests at the moment and asking me to be patient.  After another week went by, I gave up on that.

 

I also realized that it wouldn't be as useful in Europe as I originally thought.  You need a computer with the software installed in order to add new networks to the card, so therefore I would need to have a computer with me anyway, or seek out an internet cafe.  If I'm going to that much trouble already, I can just back up my photos manually.  Hence, I'm going back to my original plan of carrying several SD and microSD cards and swapping them out often.  If I have the chance to backup my photos online, great, but if I don't, oh well.

 

At least Newegg is good about returns.

I guess you could use an Imagetank kinda device...

 

Here's a review of an older model, if you look around the net you will find a lot of newer improved Imagetanks...

 

Also you could buy just an imagetank enclosure and put any old laptop drive in it, something like this...

Thanks nAffie!  I'll look into that.

Thanks nAffie!  I'll look into that.

 

...and if you choose the north/west of Europe travel path, instead of the southern path , you're welcome to have a beer/Bacardi/Whiskey/party/sleepover/unRAID-server-tuning-session with me here in The Hague.... (direct train to Brussel, and just 1 transfer if you want to go to Paris directly, trainstation is on walking distance from where I live!)

Sweet, thank you!  That should be easily do-able.  I was planning on going from Amsterdam to Brussels/Paris, so you are right on the way.  I'll take any free lodging I can get.

Thanks nAffie!  I'll look into that.

 

...and if you choose the north/west of Europe travel path, instead of the southern path , you're welcome to have a beer/Bacardi/Whiskey/party/sleepover/unRAID-server-tuning-session with me here in The Hague.... (direct train to Brussel, and just 1 transfer if you want to go to Paris directly, trainstation is on walking distance from where I live!)

 

unRAID-server-tuning-session !!!!! I know where I'm going on vacation next !!!!!

Rajahal, I just saw this and I actually have something that would be perfect for this...see #15 http://www.extuff.biz/forsale/list.htm

 

Read the REVIEW. In flight entertainment and you can then delete what you've seen for more storage. Has a 160 gig drive so in divx format, you can get around 150-200 movies. You CAN surf the web, has touch screen, the screen has an amazing quality and you can also record sound, video from a tv, etc and has the option of a helmet cam so that you can even record stuff if you should want to.

 

George