Asus eeePC 901 and RadarBox

[Allocator]

Just for a laugh, I though that I'd try running RadarBox on my new Asus eeePC 901 Ultra-portable laptop.  It's not really built for this sort of application and is sold as a "Netbook" to allow easy email and web access when out and about.

The spec is:

Windows XP SP3
Intel Atom CPU N270 @ 1.60 GHz
1.33 GHz 0.99 Gb RAM

8.9 inch LCD display
12 Gb of solid state storage, split into 2 drives of 4 Gb and 8 Gb
A very cheap and nasty 2 Gb SD card in internal slot to boost storage space - no HD fitted

And the result is - RadarBox runs :-)

I installed RB on the SD card to save the internal storage of the eeePC. The limitation of the small screen is the main drawback and RB does run slower than on my normal laptop, but the CPU loading is between 25-46% with the refresh rate set to 4000 (about once every 4 seconds).  Live aircraft only, not accessing Network data and sharing deselected as I didn't have the eeePC connected to the Internet for the test. I wouldn't really recommend running this setup as a practical RB unit, mainly due to the screen size, but it goes to show that you don't need a supercomputer to run RB 2009.

Pictures to follow as I'm not clever enough to figure out how to Bluetooth them from my mobile phone to the eeePC! 

[tarbat]

I've been thinking about getting one of these for "out-and-about" Radarbox use.  I'm guessing the screen resolution is 1024x600, so screenshot should look something like this.

What's battery life like when running Radarbox.

[Allocator]

Hi tarbat,

Looks about right - yes it is 1024 x 600 although you have to use the 1024 x 768 screen, either scrolling or compressed to fit in order to see all of the Preferences menu box.  Not sure about battery life, as I just ran it to see if it worked rather than testing it over an extended period.

A better choice might be the eeePC 1000 with the 10 inch screen and 80 Gb HD - but it costs more, uses more power for the HD and is bigger all round - not to mention more expensive.

I looked at the eeePC 701 when it first came out, but decided that I just couldn't live with Linux, not that there is anything wrong with Linux, it's just what you are used to.  The 901 was a big as I wanted to go for portability and the price was right.  I almost got into capability "creep" and would have ended up with something not much smaller than my present laptop.

http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Category.aspx/TruHome/TruComputers/TruComputersLaptop?ref=TruHome/TruComputers

And yes, I did get it from Toys R Us - then it is just another toy really :-)

[Allocator]

My phone has now make friends with the eeePC and I've managed to Bluetooth the pictures across.  Sorry about the quality of the pictures, but they are the best I can do with the phone.

[tarbat]

The eeePC901 looks just the right size for what I'm looking for.  For "armchair" net browsing I currently use a Simpad SL4, but the only way to get Radarbox on that is using remote desktop, so no use for trips to the airport.  And it's only 800x600, so Radarbox looks a bit tight on it.

Might just have to look at getting a PC901, and look at ways of running it from the car power.

[XR220]

Hello

Out of interest, roughly how long did the Eee PC 901 with the Atom processor take to load the RadarBox software. I tried it on a friends PC 900 which has a 900 MHz Celeron and it took just under 3 minutes !

Thanks

Jim

[AirNav Support]

Make sure if you have AVG Anti Virus installed you setup exemption for your RadarBox folder otherwise each time you run RadarBox AVG scans the whole RadarBox directory which takes time.

[Allocator]

Hello

Out of interest, roughly how long did the Eee PC 901 with the Atom processor take to load the RadarBox software. I tried it on a friends PC 900 which has a 900 MHz Celeron and it took just under 3 minutes !

Thanks

Jim

It took no time at all, 30 seconds or so, although I didn't time it.  The 901 has the Atom processor and I'm not sure what the 900 has - also bear in mind that the power saving modes reduce the processor speed to save power. I have set up an exception in AVG Free to exclude checking of all the files in the RadarBox 2009 directory.

Do bear in mind my earlier comments - the EeePC 901 isn't ideal for running RadarBox, so I wouldn't buy one just to do this.  However, if you already have one, it's fun to try it.

[XR220]

Thanks for the replies

Jim

[tarbat]

Well, I've finally decided on a "netbook", or small, lightweight laptop!!  Great for armchair interneting, emailing, etc.

I actually find Radarbox very usable on it's 1024x600 screen once you remove some of the screen-clutter (vertical tracking view, photos, some columns).  Reduce the update rate to 4000ms, remove path vector, etc.  Will be great for some mobile use of Radarbox over at Lossiemouth and Kinloss bases.

So, a couple of screenshots with Radarbox running on my Samsung NC10.

[Blackthorn]

Thanks Tarbat, this looks a useful setup for remote monitoring whilst at airports. I would be interested to know how long the batteries last for?

[Tailwinds]

Make sure if you have AVG Anti Virus installed you setup exemption for your RadarBox folder otherwise each time you run RadarBox AVG scans the whole RadarBox directory which takes time.

I should point out that that it only takes time when loaded up for the first time when starting a session. If you close ANRB and then open the application back up then it opens almost instantly. If you close or restart your PC and start Airnav again then the process of waiting for a while starts again. This is a small price to pay rather than moving your complete Airnav Systems folder into the AVG Exemptions.

[tarbat]

Blackthorn, that's what I'm interested in as well.  I haven't tested yet, but on normal usage (without Radarbox) yesterday, I got just under 6.5 hours from the standard battery.  That's with wireless ON all the time, and lots of installs, etc.

When I get a few spare hours, I'll test with Radarbox connected and wireless OFF.

[Blackthorn]

Thanks Tarbat, I had a look at the Samsung Netbook recently and it looks really good, to be able to use radarbox on the move this looks like the ideal solution.

[tarbat]

I tested running Radarbox on my Samsung NC10 last night, and got just under 5 hours on the standard battery.  That was with the wireless network turned off, and no screen saver, etc., using the "Normal" power profile.  So, great for mobile use.

At home, I often use it with Teamviewer to view what's happening on my main PC.  It's almost readable!!!