I wouldn't start from here to get to there

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If you want/need to use certain programs (mapsource, Autocad, word) then you are stuck with the operating system they run under .. microsoft. If you can use other programs (star office for word/excel like things, GIMP for Photoshop like things etc) thee you can use Linux ..

My thinking is teh best option is 'dual booting' where you can chose what operating system the computer uses this start up. This way I can have microsoft to run mapsource, then use linux and firefox to connect to teh inernet (thus giving me more protection..)

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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S

If you travel in an Unimog (=MOG?) then I'd rather take a slightly bigger windows laptop (maybe 15"). Neither Photoshop nor Autocad will run under Linux.

While instead of Photoshop you could use GIMP, I don't any replacement for Autocad.

The question is not what's generally better, but what's the better tool for your situation and in your case the answer might be windows.

While I do like Linux and use Ubuntu almost exclusively on my desktop, I have just windows on my MSI Wind subnotebook, because I do need Mapsource and some other programs when I'm on the road.

In my experience it's also best to go with the most simple setup. You could probably run Mapsource or Photoshop under Wine, save your routes and export them to your GPS with gpsbabel. The problem ist that this setup is complicated and will be far likely to break somehow than plain old Win XP.

Also I don't know about the size of the Asus EEE you're aiming at, but consider the ergonomy. If you're going to blawg, do serious work, edit photos, (...) you'll most likely will be spending quite some time in front of that tiny machine. A bigger notebook (with bigger screen and bigger keyboard) will in the end give you a better productivity, simply because of the better ergonomy.

That beeing sad and for what I do (planing routes, doing basic photo editing and blogging) I absolutely love my Wind.

So my advice: Don't follow the hype, but find the best tool for your job.

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Projekt Balkan
www.buebo.de - Der tägliche Wahnsinn

Hmm server = Linux, desktop = windows, laptop = either

I have everything I need running on Xandros on my eee PC, including my map software, photomatix for HDRing images and Synergy so I can use a mouse & keyboard over a network (great for netcafe's and compatible with windows computers). Personally I like Linux better because I have an obsession with customising stuff but my job is with Linux, I would never recommend it to a standard user because if I am not around who the hell do they get to fix it when something goes wrong?

One day the majority will use Linux and when that day comes I will recommend it. On a side note Vista is not much greater than XP which is giving Linux heaps of time to catch up to Microsoft in functionality.