Asus Eee PC - spoiled for choice
It seems like a crazy thing to complain about, but I'm frustrated at how quickly Asus releases new versions of the tiny Eee PC. Like the latest model to appear, the S101.
Asus is already talking about new units with built-in HSDPA, which would be great assuming they work with 3. Now Asus has launched the S101, which features a 10.2 inch LED backlit display, Atom processor, Bluetooth V2.0, 4-in-1 flash card reader and choice of 32 or 64GB solid state drive. Sounds pretty sweet, especially as it's only 18 mm thick and weighs in at 1kg.
At $US699 the price is starting to blow out, although the S101 is not really designed to fit in the same category as the 1000 range, it's more of a Mac Book Air wannabe. Shedding 400 grams sounds good, and it might replace our 1000HD when I see it on special somewhere - although I'm sure we'll see a new model by Christmas.
I'd say the 10 inch models are certainly the best Eee PC yet, and those put off by the small screen and keyboard of the early models should take a second look. Just be prepared to live with that sinking "maybe I should have waited" feeling.
It seems like a crazy thing to complain about, but I'm frustrated at how quickly Asus releases new versions of the tiny Eee PC.
It was only at the start of the year that we first saw the original 7 inch Eee PC, available in several different configurations. It was an amazing feat of engineering but far too small to be practical for most people.
By mid-year we had the 8.9 inch units, with various options such as Linux or Windows. The extra 2 inches made the Eee PC almost useful, but it was tempting to wait as there was already talk of 8.9 inch models with bigger keyboards, as well as talk of 10 inch units.
Now we've got three 10 inch units to choose from - the 1000, 1000H and 1000HD. They include the option of traditional and solid state drives.
I decided it was finally time to take the plunge when Catch of the Day listed the 1000HD for $499 (they retail for $679). I bought one for my wife. Now she's finally got a computer of her own and she loves it.
Combined with a USB wireless broadband modem from 3, it's the perfect companion for her daily commute or just sitting around the house.
The arrival of the Eee PC has triggered a shift in the household's electronic balance of power, as she rightfully demands access to our music, contacts, calendar, photos and website - forcing us to restructure our family's online presence.
At 1.4 kg the 1000HD only just scrapes in as ultraportable, but the 10 inch, 1024x600 display provides enough screen real estate to actually get things done and the keyboard is very user-friendly.
It runs Windows XP Home, with the 900 MHz Celeron processor and 1GB of RAM handling Windows surprisingly well (it supports up to 2GB of RAM). The notebook comes bundled with StarOffice and Microsoft Works.
Applications can be a little slow to open but I had Firefox, StarOffice, Windows Media Player, Skype and Jungle Disk all running and the tiny computer didn't miss a beat.
Just to complicate things, Asus also offers the Eee PC 1000 ($799) and 1000H ($699), both of which offer 802.11 draft-n, slightly longer battery life and the more powerful Intel Atom processor.
The 1000 offers a 40GB solid state hard drive while the 1000H offers a standard 160GB drive. If you check out the Australian website there are now 11 Eee PCs to choose from, with more options if you want to shop overseas (although the falling dollar makes that a less attractive option these days).
As well as the size, the Eee PC's price is also starting to creep up. If you're paying RRP then I'd say the 1000H probably offers the best value for money, and I sort of wish I'd opted for the 1000H so it could run on my 802.11n network, as my 802.11g network is currently at war with my microwave, the neighbour's tech and the private school down the road.
Still, if you shop around you'll find the 1000HD down near the $500 mark whereas the 1000H is closer to $600. In a few months a better deal will come along and, at the $500 mark, I can afford to upgrade and give/sell/trade the 1000HD to a friend (with the permission of the Lady of the House, of course).
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Thoughts on this article? Add a comment below.
Comments: 3
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geller
Oct 9, 2008 2:06 PM
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Adam, just how slow is the Celeron machine? I'm finding Atom is a dog when it comes to some mini notebooks - and it's meant to be faster than the Celeron. |
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Adam Turner
Oct 9, 2008 3:11 PM
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Like, I said - it had Firefox, StarOffice, Windows Media Player, Skype and Jungle Disk all running and it didn't miss a beat. My wife has been using it for a few weeks and hasn't complained about the speed once. I'm really surprised - the 1GB of RAM certainly helps but I'm wondering if it might be running a slimmed-down version of XP. I don't think I've tested an Atom notebook yet, although the Via processor in the HP Mini Note really groaned under the weight of Vista. |
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divya
Oct 13, 2008 8:16 PM
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