Although the Eee PC community is still quite young, it’s already quite large and there are some really very talented hardware and software modders working on developing the platform further. I'm sure a few of you have already seen the modifications where internal USB ports have been added to hide away Bluetooth devices, and flash drives.
If you take a look at some of these mods, they involve some really quite fiddly soldering that requires not only an expensive fine-tipped soldering iron, but a large amount of soldering skill. I quite openly admit that I am really quite poor at soldering. I'd like to blame my equipment, but a lot of it comes down to my complete lack of dexterity in my left hand – and my right hand isn't great either. My family cringed at Christmas when they saw how poorly I managed to wrap their presents.
Taking this into account, I came up with a much simpler method that not only requires a lot less dismantling of the Eee PC, but also only needs soldering that even I can manage with my £12 soldering iron and RSI crippled fingers.
The Eee PC has three external USB ports, which is more than enough for something of this size. This particular mod solders into a pre-existing USB port rather than trying to create a new one. This will of course leave you with only two external ports, but this is still an ample amount and can always be added to with a USB hub.
Corsair has been kind enough to provide us with a massive 32GB Flash Voyager. At around £175, this is getting close to the cost of the Eee PC, but still offers pretty good value for all that space. The 16GB version comes in at around £75, which is a little easier to swallow, metaphorically speaking. Physically, they are both the same dimensions – so either will work. Although you could use other brands of flash drive, there is no guarantee that they will fit inside the Eee PC, as this is all we have tested with.
It goes without saying, that this will void the warranty of your Asus Eee PC, and that any soldering is potentially dangerous to you and your Eee PC. For the sake of protecting ourselves, this should be undertaken at your own risk and bit-tech will not be responsible for any damage you do to yourself or your Eee PC.
If you want a bit more performance, then go for the GT version of the Corsair Voyager - although for the same price you'll get a lower capacity - but both are physically the same size and ideal for this mod.
If you take a look at some of these mods, they involve some really quite fiddly soldering that requires not only an expensive fine-tipped soldering iron, but a large amount of soldering skill. I quite openly admit that I am really quite poor at soldering. I'd like to blame my equipment, but a lot of it comes down to my complete lack of dexterity in my left hand – and my right hand isn't great either. My family cringed at Christmas when they saw how poorly I managed to wrap their presents.
Taking this into account, I came up with a much simpler method that not only requires a lot less dismantling of the Eee PC, but also only needs soldering that even I can manage with my £12 soldering iron and RSI crippled fingers.
The Eee PC has three external USB ports, which is more than enough for something of this size. This particular mod solders into a pre-existing USB port rather than trying to create a new one. This will of course leave you with only two external ports, but this is still an ample amount and can always be added to with a USB hub.
Corsair has been kind enough to provide us with a massive 32GB Flash Voyager. At around £175, this is getting close to the cost of the Eee PC, but still offers pretty good value for all that space. The 16GB version comes in at around £75, which is a little easier to swallow, metaphorically speaking. Physically, they are both the same dimensions – so either will work. Although you could use other brands of flash drive, there is no guarantee that they will fit inside the Eee PC, as this is all we have tested with.
It goes without saying, that this will void the warranty of your Asus Eee PC, and that any soldering is potentially dangerous to you and your Eee PC. For the sake of protecting ourselves, this should be undertaken at your own risk and bit-tech will not be responsible for any damage you do to yourself or your Eee PC.
If you want a bit more performance, then go for the GT version of the Corsair Voyager - although for the same price you'll get a lower capacity - but both are physically the same size and ideal for this mod.
You Will Need:
- Small Philips screwdriver
- Stanley Knife / Craft Knife
- Soldering Iron
- Solder
- Insulating Tape
- Corsair Voyager (GT) Flash Drive
- USB Extension Lead (provided with Corsair drive used in this guide)
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