Reader Questions: The $399 Asus Eee PC

The fantastically popular and fantastically cheap Asus Eee PC has generated a lot of love... and a lot of mail for me. Reader William Barnebee hits one of the most common questions with his letter:

I saw your article on the Asus Linux-based system. I'm seriously considering one (especially since my Compaq is on its last legs). I'm just curious if I can use my Microsoft Office software with the Linux system? I'm a college student, and use MS Word to take notes (I type WAY faster than I can write with pen and paper).

Veteran computer users will laugh, but new computer users and folks raised on Windows may not understand what Linux really is. Linux is a completely different operating system than Windows. Just like you can't run Windows software on a Mac, you can't run it on a Linux PC, either. (Yes, I know there are emulators like Parallels and WINE, but we're talking basics here.) So no, you can't put MS Office on the Eee.

But Linux and the Eee have some advantages that may mean you won't have to worry about your Office software at all: The Eee is preloaded with OpenOffice.org, a free alternative to Office that works very well and offers about 95 percent of the same features that you're used to. It even opens standard Office files. If you aren't sure, give it a try before you leap to Linux: OpenOffice runs on Windows as well. (All that said, a Windows version of the Eee is coming soon, though it will undoubtedly also run OpenOffice.)

But the Eee has a problem that may put a little spin on William's question: The Eee has such a small keyboard that touch-typing is impossible. You'll be two-fingering your way to about 20 words per minute, tops. The Eee is great as an occasional portable device, but I wouldn't recommend it in a note-taking situation where speed is critical. The good news: A larger Eee is allegedly in the works. Stay tuned!