Is it worth it to buy an eee pc if your a programmer?

[Kweku]

Howzit guys,

Is it worth it to buy an eee pc if I am a programmer? I wont be using it to program just to take out when I have to go do presentations and what not.

Here is a link to the actual one I am looking for.

http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=Kp9FSSex21aq8WPA

http://www.prophecy.co.za/asus-1201ha-seashell-12134-atom-z520-133ghz-ddr2800-250gb-p-73264.html

 

[W1zzard]

not sure how it is related to being a programmer?

for presentations you need to have hdmi and vga output and a decent screen to show stuff if you have no projector on-site

and dont use a laserpointer when you have shaky hands during presentations

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

With that screen res and it only being 1.3 GHz I'd be afraid it would choke up worse than your average netbook.

When you say presentations do you mean just to read/take notes or for running powerpoint type stuff?

 

[Kweku]

no mean like going to a certain place, maybe having to change code here and there (java, php apps).

I wouldnt want it chooking. Is there anything thats about the same size that one can get?

 

[temp02]

If you are looking for top performance the netbook market just isn't for you, you would be better of with a Core i3/i5 laptop. But if you want the machine to program, then this is just enough (of course nothing compares to a big screen and full size keyboard).

The most important thing, to me, when it comes to a "developer machine" are: screen resolution, keyboard layout, battery time and only after those, performance.
That netbook is more than enough for a programing environment, damn, I used to code everything on a 1024x768 screen powered by a single core Mobile Pentium 4 @ 2.0GHz and it more than enough.
Unless you are coding extremely performance dependent applications, like intensive 3D application (read CAD) or intensive cyphers usage, you will be more than pleased with one of these machines.
IMO, the only downside on one of these machines is that I cannot de-attach the screen from the rest of the netbook so I don't have to program always looking down (netbook on top of knees), still this is related to all laptop devices.
Also the keyboard on that one has all the Home, PgUp/Down, Insert, End, Delete and End keys which are very useful while coding.

Assess your priorities and choose a machine that suits them: performance, battery time, screen resolution, keyboard size, etc.

Written on a 1201T.