Google Reader on a ASUS Eee PC

By webbythoughts | Jun 12, 2008

I use my little ASUS Eee PC quite abit. In fact, I’m using it right now to write this post. The computer really is all kinds of amazing.

I really love being able to scan through Reddit and check email and sports scores without going down to the desktop computer in the basement.

I use Googe Reader several times a day but have really started hating it on this particular computer. The Eee PC has a 800X480 resolution (I have the older 7″ model). Here is what Google Reader looks like with Firefox maximized

Google Reader Maximized On Asus Eee PC

Notice that there is no scroll bar in that lower left window which lists all of the feeds I subscribe to. It is impossible to select an individual feed to read unless it happens to be at the beginning of my list.

If you send Firefox to full screen mode it gets a little better:Google Reader Full Screen on ASUS Eee PC

You can scroll around but it is still a little cramped.

The ASUS isn’t really a “mobile” device. The screen is somewhere between a smartphone and a normal LCD. With the popularity of these ultraportable laptops it would be nice to see some consideration given to them from big time sites.

For example, Bloglines (which I used before switching to Google Reader, looks like this on my ASUS Eee PC:

Bloglins on the ASUS Eee PC

See, a nice full column scroll bar and no need to switch to full screen mode.

I don’t really want to switch back to Bloglines, but I wish Google Reader would give me nicer left column. That upper left box on Google Reader is a complete waste of space for me. Google could fix the problem by just providing a way to collapse that box similar to how you can hit Ctrl+U to collapse the entire left column.

1 Comment so far
  1. Tom July 10, 2008 2:43 am

    I had the same problem - Google Reader is close to unusable on the Eee. The solution I found was a Lifehacker Greasemonkey script that lets you turn the top bar on Reader on and off, giving you enough space to work with. I wrote a bit more about the solution here.

Leave a Comment

If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Comments

© 2007 Webby Thoughts, - Daily Blog Tips Themes