In the last four weeks after I got hold of an Asus Eee PC, it has become my tag along personal computing device. It has served me well and here are some of the nitty gritty details I’d like to share about it.
I’ll break them down to 10 things you need to know about the Eee PC:
1.) The Size. It’s so small and lightweight you won’t think you’re lugging a full-featured laptop. At 920 grams, it’s like carrying a 200-page hardbound pocketbook. For people who always need to have a laptop everywhere they go, the Eee PC will fit the bill 9 out of 10 times.
2.) The Choices. For a fairly new ultraportable device, you’d be surprised Asus offers a fair selection of models — the 2GB, 4Gb and 8GB models. Upgradeable RAM from 512MB to 1GB. Color options — white, black, pink, blue and green.
3.) The Design. Simple, clean, no-fancy design adds more points in the cutesy department. The matte texture of the chassis helps avoid grime and smudges. The black version is exceptionally elegant that others would think it’s a 100k sub-notebook.
4.) The Storage. The regular 4GB solid-state drive may be too lacking to many but that’s a limitation of the SSD technology and the cost and not the laptop itself. I’m sure once the 16GB and 32GB flash drives become more available and cheaper, Asus will follow suit. Besides, that doesn’t stop users from offloading large media files into external USB drives; the Eee PC has 3 ports for them.
5.) The OS. Though most of the models come loaded with the Xandros OS, newer ones are available in Windows XP. If not, you can always reformat and install XP or any other operating system you fancy. The 4/8GB models can be upgraded up to 2GB RAM but Xandros only supports 1GB. From my count, the system boots at 28 secs., restarts at 40 Secs., and shuts down in less than 7 secs.
6.) The Features. The 4GB model sports a 900 MHz Intel Celeron-M processor. Couple that with a 1GB DDR2 RAM and the rig runs quite fast. Three USB 2.0 ports, WiFi, a 0.3MP webcam, LAN port, built-in MMC/SD card reader, mic/headphone jack and external VGA port completes the range of features.
7.) The Display. The 7-inch (17.8cm, diagonal) TFT LCD display supports a native 800×480 pixel screen resolution which is a little odd since it often creates horizontal scroll-bars when browsing the net most of the time. The VGA port can be used to hook up to an external monitor and can effectively expand the screen to 1600×1280 pixels. Since the LED is backlit, display quality is fairly good and does not strain the user’s eye on prolonged use.
8.) The Durability. There are no mechanically moving parts in the Eee PC and the absence of an optical drive makes it less prone to shock. I’ve already dropped mine at the height of about 2 feet (while powered on) with no problems. The exterior coating also helps in preventing minor scratches and scrapes.
9.) Battery Life. Small devices tend to carry smaller battery sizes but the Eee PC can still squeeze more juice. Battery life of the entire Eee range is rated between 2:45 hours and 3:30 hours. My repeated use from full charge to full drain was just around 3 hours (Wifi was mostly on and running).
10.) The Downside. Nothing much really. The usual discomfort I’ve experienced is with the cramped keyboard. Obviously, what can you expect from a keyboard that is as wide as your hands placed side by side? Typing could be a bit awkward at first. The trackpad is also smaller and may take some time to get used to.
The Asus Eee PC is the first sub-20k laptop to ever be commercially available in the Philippines. IMO, the price is a huge factor for its apparent popularity and overall performance is best bang for the buck.
[tags]asustek eeepc, asus eeepc price, buy asus eeepc, 2g surf, 4g, 8g, 701, 900, 1001, release date[/tags]
I am surprised why ASUS EEE cannot make a bigger keyboard.
Some suggestions would be a foldable keyboard that splits in half when in storage, Much like the IBM keyboards of yesteryears or even the PALMTOP keyboard-like thingy. It was alot easier to type with those.
[...] 1: It’s the best and cheapest laptop around. Even Abe of Yugatech.com agrees and to quote his review, “The Asus Eee PC is the first sub-20k laptop to ever be commercially available in the [...]
good idea! im going to try to give my father one of these .. for father’s day which is this week!
i’m loving my pink one. sometimes though, i have trouble with the keypad, it seems to lock up. it scrolls continuously out of the blue. could there be a virus on a linux os?
[...] webcam, 2 USB 2.0 ports and 4-in-1 card reader. We’re putting it side by side with and Asus Eee PC 701 and an HP [...]
It’s good!!!
[...] Note: Current SRP of the Asus Eee PC 701 is around php14,000. Check out the specs here and read my review here. [...]
nindot jud kaau mga amigo.i wish I cud have one sooner
asus eeepc900 is fine for its price and size. but whats the best laptop in the market interms of price, quality, clarity, size, features and durability? the best laptop that you can get for the best price and features?
for sale eeepc 1000h
P22k
Specification:
Operating System: Genuine Windows® XP Home
Display: 10″
Intel CPU & Chipset: Intel Atom
Keyboard Size: 95% of Ordinary
Wireless Data Network: WLAN: 802.11 n
Bluetooth: YES
Memory: 1GB (DDR2)
Storage: HDD 80GB
Camera: 1.3M Pixel
Audio: Dolby Sound Room Certified (only support on XP OS) Stereo speaker
Digital Array Mic
Battery: 6 Cells, 4.2 ~ 7 hrs*
Weight: 1.45 kg
alexphilspencer@yahoo.com
[...] Top 10 Things about the Asus Eee PC [...]
im still looking for the asus eeepc 1000h PINK one. is there any possiblity that it’ll be available in the philippines? ive seen it on CNET i think.
hi..is this made in china or japan??
I contest … the keyboard sucks and the service center takes ages to replace the keyboard … only for me to find out that this is indeed the problematic part of a taiwanese product!!!!
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8.) The Durability. There are no mechanically moving parts in the Eee PC and the absence of an optical drive makes it less prone to shock. I’ve already dropped mine at the height of about 2 feet (while powered on) with no problems. The exterior coating also helps in preventing minor scratches and scrapes
Hi.Where could I possibly buy an lcd for this kind of notebook here in Philippines?
Can I buy such in Cagayan?Or CEbu?I unintentionally broke my bro’s asus notebook lcd.
HOpe to hear a reply.
God bless!
hello guys im here coz my Eee pc 2G surf keyboard is malfunctioning is there any of you know were i can find a store to buy a new keyboard??tnx guys need help by the way im in manila