By popular request, here is the full step-by-step guide to using a Asus Eee PC with a Novatel Merlin XU870 3G/HSDPA/EDGE wireless card.

You will need.

• Asus Eee PC (this guide is for the Linux version)
• Novatel Merlin XU870
• USB Extension cable*
• USB - Expresscard adaptor*

* Note: Both the USB extension cable and the USB-Expresscard adaptor are supplied free if you buy your XU870 from Edge Thailand, for this demonstration I am using a DTAC sim card in Thailand, the principle is the same worldwide and I have used the same set-up with UK providers including 3 in the UK.

Step By Step Guide.

Switch on your Asus Eee PC , plug the XU 870 into the adaptor and then connect to the Asus Eee PC using the USB extension cable.

Next..

Click on the “Network” Icon as shown..

Next..

Click the “Create” button as shown..

Next..

Choose “GSM / 3G (UMTS) / HSDPA” as the connection type and click the “Next” Button as shown.

Next..

Assuming that your Novatel is connected and a sim card is installed then you should see it in the select hardware window, select Novatel Wireless and click the “Next” button.

Next..

Click the “Search” button.

Next..

After a scan of available networks, your network should appear highlighted in green, if you are roaming then you may have more than one choice.

Click the “Next” button..

Simply choose a name for this connection, or accept the default.

Next..

That’s it, you can now connect via your Novatel Merlin and enjoy real mobile internet.

Thanks to Tim at www.edgethailand.com for the Novatel Merlin and the USB-Expresscard adaptor that makes this possible.

I recently needed to use my Eee PC whilst on the move, no problem at airports and other areas with (sometimes) free wi-fi but I ended up in a Travel Lodge where they wanted ten pounds extra to use the wi-fi, so instead I bought a “3″ sim card for a tenner and it came with 1 gb of internet use.. more than enough for me to answer a few emails and surf a couple of websites.

I had my trusty Novatel Merlin XU870 in my bag and my USB adaptor so that it plugs into my Asus Eee PC, I slipped in the “3″ sim and the next thing I knew I was surfing at true broadband speeds via HSDPA at nearly 3 mbps… amazing.

My Novatel Merlin is the most flexible of data cards as I can connect it to:

• Expresscard directly
• USB Via USB Adaptor
• PC Card Slot via a Caddy
• PCI slot via a PC Caddy and PCI Adaptor.

All the adaptors and the datacard itself came from Tim at www.edgethailand.com who always seems to have the best prices and a wealth of information that you just wont find elsewhere. Thanks Tim.

I have been playing with the ASUS Eee now for a couple of days, and I have formed the opinion that whilst it’s far from perfect it is unique and represents the future of notebook computers.

Let’s start with the physical size. It’s as small as a notebook could really be without making the keyboard difficult to use. The Eee keyboard is good, better than many machines that cost 8x as much.

The machine could easily support a screen of about 9″ with a resolution of 1024 x 768 and that would be about perfect (of course that would cost more). The 800 x 400 resolution if the current screen is fine for email, writing text and for general internet browsing, but it’s very tricky if you want to have two windows open at the same time.

The OS is very good, it has all the applications that most users need, however it’s a bit tricky to add new ones compared with a machine running Microsoft Windows or Mac OSX. I do not feel that it’s a good idea to switch to XP on the Eee as it works so well with Linux. It would be interesting to try and install Windows 2000 though!

The power adaptor is great! It’s so small and easy to carry, I wish more notebooks came with smaller power adaptors.

The Eee is quick to start up and quick to shut down, this is very important for me on a portable machine as sometimes I just want to check my email or look something up on the move, it’s annoying to wait whilst an OS loads just to check some email.

The choice to use a SSD drive instead of a Hard Drive is really what makes this machine shine, it the way of the future.

The CPU ( a 900 mhz Celeron) is more than powerful enough for everyday use, enough said.

The price is what attracts most users to the Eee, and given the price any like for like comparisons are impossible. I’m sure that we will see lots of imitators, it would not surprise me at all if Apple produce a similar sized notebook that uses SSD memory very soon.

I’m continuing to use my Eee and it’s going to come into a class of it’s own when I’m travelling.

Yesterday I bought an Asus Eee from Pantip Plaza (Thailand) and it’s an amazing little notebook that is great fun to use and does everything well.

I bought it to use when I travel around, as do quite regularly. It was important to me that I can use it with EDGE so that I can have internet access everywhere and not just within range of a wi-fi access point. To my utter amazement I plugged in my Novatel Merlin XU870 via a USB adaptor and the Eee recognised it immediately and virtually set itself up and even recognized Dtac and set up the APN correctly.

What makes this machine so special?

1> It’s cheap, very very cheap.

2> It’s the lightest notebook I have ever seen.

3> The screen and keyboard are amazing for the size.

4> Long battery life and miniture charger.

5> Works with my EDGE card

6> It’s fast.. really fast.

7> Boots up in seconds.

8> Switches off in seconds.

It’s fair to point out that good as the screen is, it could do with being an inch or two bigger with slightly more resolution, and the trackpad is small and not so easy to use.

The reason this is so fast is because it uses a SSD instead of an old fashioned hard drive, and the Operating System is a customized version of linux that works faultlessly and feels very much like windows, only faster.