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Brief interim report on the Eee PC and Ozi Explorer as a moving map system

Submitted: Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 18:31

Mike Harding

If you know how to format disks, have some idea what partitions are, can do a few bits in MSDOS, understand how to install drivers and can still find one at $300… buy it!

You’ll need a GPS too - preferably Sirf III mouse, about A$70 from ebay. A car charger will set you back an additional $15 and an 8GB SDHC card, for the maps, about $38.

At $300 you’ll have the Linux Eee PC so you need to ditch that and install XP – shame really as Linux is the better operating system but Ozi Explorer will only run on Windows. It’s possible to install XP from a USB stick (I did!! :) but I would suggest investing another (eBay) A$20 and purchasing a USB to IDE adaptor and using a CD drive to do it(nLite is good here too – more on that later).

Once you have XP up and running the rest is pretty simple – there is an _amazing_ number of hacks out there for the Eee PC (takes me back to the ZX81 days of computing :) and it’s astonishing what this little box can be made to do – I doubt I’ll need to take my Acer notebook bush again.

On top of all that it’s small enough to sit on the dash of a 4WD.

This site is the bible for it:

Eee PC

Mike Harding

mike_harding@fastmail.fm
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ThreadID: 59469 Replies: 5
Views: 1019 FollowUps: 10
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AnswerID: 313672   Submitted: Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 18:49

Member - Nev (TAS) replied:

Hi Mike,
Does it come with Windows XP software as well?

Reply 1 of 5
FollowupID: 579726   Submitted: Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 19:04

Mike Harding posted:

It does - but the extra cost is about $180, I think - Microsoft have to make a bob... or two :)
FollowUp 1 of 6
FollowupID: 579731   Submitted: Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 19:18

Member - Nev (TAS) posted:

Hi Mike,
So you have to buy the Unix eeePC and also a licenced copy of XP if it is to stay legal. There was a posting a few weeks back which one contributer mentioned a program called WINE which you can run on the unix version and then should be able to run OziExplorer. Sorry to be a legal PITA but our workplace has recently been audited and properly licenced operating systems on our PCs was one of the targets.

Rgds
FollowUp 2 of 6
FollowupID: 579734   Submitted: Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 19:26

Mike Harding posted:

You are quite correct about WINE Nev (although I cannot guarantee it will run Ozi?).

As for buying XP.... well... do so if you wish but Microsoft hardly seems to be struggling for funds.

Mike Harding

PS. Do you plan to take an Eee PC into work and allow people to audit what software you have on it?????
FollowUp 3 of 6
FollowupID: 579737   Submitted: Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 19:33

Member - Nev (TAS) posted:

Hi Mike,
Just a bit gun-shy at the moment after seeing them in action during our audit. Still interested to know who dobbed us. I probably won't be running around prompting unlicenced use after our audit visit. Only a friendly comment Mike so please don't take any offence.

Rgds

FollowUp 4 of 6
FollowupID: 579748   Submitted: Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 19:46

Mike Harding posted:

Of course not Nev :)

It's just that I have little regard for huge multinational corporations who seek to use their market power to grab every bit of profit they can. They need to be stopped.

Mike Harding
FollowUp 5 of 6
FollowupID: 579754   Submitted: Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 19:57

John S (NSW) posted:

I have successfully gotten Ozi to run on a Dell laptop running Ubuntu using WINE and with a bluetooth GPS. Works really well. Just takes a bit to setup - a couple of tweaks are needed to Ozi to get it to run.

I have not heard of anyone running Ozi on a Linux Eee PC, but it would only take a few hours to find out.
You cant beat a V8 Ute to help you thru a mid life crisis.
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FollowUp 6 of 6
AnswerID: 313684   Submitted: Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 19:43

age replied:

Hi Mike

If using nlite to slim down your XP, be careful what actually gets removed. I followed the guide from the site you posted the link for a while back and although I had a slick and slim booting XP, it took out stuff that made getting bluetooth working again and if you read the forum on EEEuser you will see plenty who have had similar problems. I reinstalled a full XP then removed some stuff with XPlite - not as good as my original nlite version but only has a 1.3Gb footprint. Mount your SDHC card as a "folder" inside your C: drive and you can get programs to install to it as if it was on the C: drive and saves the SSHD from writing all the time.

Love my EEE and I think you actually ribbed me about it when I first posted about the EEE on this forum several months ago - good to see your now a convert and as you said, never need another laptop.

Cheers

A
Reply 2 of 5
FollowupID: 579749   Submitted: Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 19:49

Mike Harding posted:

>I think you actually ribbed me about it when I first posted about
>the EEE on this forum several months ago

Did I? I don't recall. But if I did... you were right and I was wrong - not such an unusual occurrence.... :)

Mike Harding
FollowUp 1 of 2
FollowupID: 579751   Submitted: Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 19:54

age posted:

Cheers

I also have now upgraded RAM to 2 GB and it flies. Might try and score another one at sub $300 - will scrounge the shops over the weekend.

Keep us posted on your developments with it


A
FollowUp 2 of 2
AnswerID: 313765   Submitted: Friday, Jul 04, 2008 at 06:19

ML replied:

Where have you guys been finding the Eee PC for $300 as at that price it sounds like a good option.

I have been running Oziexplorer on a HP IPAQ and have found the screen size too small to be effective. How have you found the screen size on the Eee PC for viewing maps etc?

Thanks
Reply 3 of 5
FollowupID: 579820   Submitted: Friday, Jul 04, 2008 at 07:05

Mike Harding posted:

Asus have recently brought out a new model and existing stock, of the old model, is being sold off - $300 gets you a Linux based unit with 4GB "hard" drive and 512MB RAM look here:

Centre Com

and here:

MSY

The screen size (7") is a good compromise for mapping, much easier to read and navigate then a PDA but not so large as to be cumbersome.

Mike Harding
FollowUp 1 of 2
FollowupID: 579822   Submitted: Friday, Jul 04, 2008 at 07:18

ML posted:

Thanks Mike, one of these places is just down the road, so might go have a look on the weekend. Just need to convince SWMBO!
FollowUp 2 of 2
AnswerID: 313831   Submitted: Friday, Jul 04, 2008 at 13:01

rabs replied:

Ive had my EEE PC for about a month now and find them fantastic. I bought the 900 series that came with XP. I run Ozi explorer through a GPS mouse and moving maps. without the car charger I ran it last weekend for over 4 hours before it went flat. I feel these small compact light weight lappys are an ideal answer for all your nav needs as well as the usual things lappys are good for, storing photos while on a trip, play a movie for the kids, Wi Fi to connect to the web for collecting and sending emails, the 8.9" screen is ideal and easy to see. Its a perfect fit between the speedo binnacle and the oh sh$t handle on the GQ, because of the SSHD they are not affected by rough roads, add a few 4gig flashdrives and an 8 gig SD card and you have plenty of storage. At a price of $550 compared to some GPS units that will take topo maps IMO are a far better buy

cheers

Rabs
Reply 4 of 5
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AnswerID: 314639   Submitted: Thursday, Jul 10, 2008 at 01:28

TonyMac replied:

Ok all sounds easy, so what are the best maps?
I have a Tom Tom for cities, I want maps for Cape York trip etc ......
Lots of details.
Now any particular Sirf III mouse?

Regrards
Tony
Reply 5 of 5