HappEee Driving: Turn the Eee PC into a GPS Navigator

How tired that little ASUS Eee PC must be at the end of the day. Not only can it serve as an accomplice in stealing money in an ATM scam, but it also morphs into a GPS navigator.

The Eee PC’s 7-inch matte display gives you plenty of screen space for maps and directional instructions and decently handles sun glare. Even better, its small build doesn’t take up too much space on the dash.

While it’s no Dash Express or Garmin nüvi, the Eee PC can handle getting you where you want to go with voice navigation while saving you more than a few bucks. All you need is a relatively inexpensive and compact USB-powered GPS receiver and companion mapping software. I used Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 ($99.99), which is a decent software and receiver package for its price. You can also purchase a standalone receiver and download freeware, such as GPS Utility, EasyGPS, and GPS Positioner Smart.

I spent a day driving around with the Eee PC on my dashboard. Check out the video below to see how I set up my ride and how it handled a short trip to a local Starbucks. Then check out these detailed tips on how to set it up.

I am not the first to let the Eee PC sit shotgun; the abundance of in-car tools made especially for the Eee PC can attest to that. I suggest picking up an Eee PC DC adapter from Incipio and a mount for the system from MountGuys.com. Honk three times for Eee PC!