I’ve recently acquired an EeePC 900 as a quick-fix to a terminally dead laptop. I’d have bought an Aspire One, but it wasn’t out when I bought mine and I needed a new computer right away. Anyway, I can echo your frustrations with hardware issues and the default install of Linux not being all that great. In my case, it also involved a two-day fight-to-the-death to make it talk to my mobile broadband modem, which resulted in several sense of humour failures and the whole thing nearly going back to the shop. Anyway, it mostly works now. But I’m still saving up for a proper computer…