REVIEW:
ASUS EEE PC 900
|
·
8.9 inch
LCD ·
Intel Celeron
900Mhz Processor ·
1GB
RAM ·
20GB Solid
State Disk Drive ·
SSD Card Reader
and USB 2.0 ports ·
Built-in web
camera and microphone · 10/100 Ethernet and Wireless (802.11b/g) |
During the month of July, 2008, I was able to test the Asus EEE
PC, model 900. At this writing, the model 900 has been superseded by later
models, but the standard 900 model [obtained in Galaxy Black] is still a viable
contender for best sub notebook. The unit I received came with Linux, but
there are versions now selling with Windows XP (and Asus supplies a Windows
driver CD with the Linux-loaded model, so that you may replace the preloaded
Linux with windows, if you wish. Other specs are shown on the
right.
My initial impressions, besides the obvious “damn, this thing is
TINY” was that the unit felt very solid, and reminded me of a well-built
portable DVD player. Because the unit has a solid-state disk drive, with
no moving parts, it was actually quieter than a DVD player. The first-run
wizard steps you through the initial setup of Linux, but during this setup as
well as the normal operation of the notebook, I didn’t realize I was running
Linux. The typical desktop experience is simplified, as the preloaded
software programs are grouped into logical categories, like Internet, Work,
Learn, and Play.
At the bottom of your screen, there are typical task-based
buttons, and icons representing battery capacity and network connectivity.
There are also single-click icons to manage sound/volume, the Linux task
manager, as well as to shut down the notebook or place it in low-power standby
mode.
The keyboard on the EEE PC takes some getting used to, as the
keys are smaller than a regular full-size QWERTY keyboard. The touchpad
had good response, and Asus implements an interesting “two-finger-scroll” option
to make up for the absence of a scroll key on the touchpad itself. Once
you are used to the smaller keys, you can get a good 20-30 WPM typing speed.
The Asus EEE PC 900 includes almost every application an
internet-centric [read Web 2.0] user could want, which is good because there is
not a lot of room for expandability, neither in software nor in hardware.
Through some under-the-covers exploration I discovered that the full 20GB of
advertised disk space is actually split between two SSD disks. The operating
system is installed on the primary 4GB disk, while your files take up space on
the 16GB drive, in the HOME folder. In fact, during a restore of the
notebook with the provided DVD-ROM [requiring an external USB-connected DVD-ROM
drive] you can reload the OS while keeping the HOME partition
intact.
Speaking of applications, if you do get “sick” of Linux, and want a more familiar “Windows” look and feel to your EEE PC, Asus provides full documentation on installing Windows XP; both the Home and Professional versions are supported but they must be at SP2 level. I did test Windows XP Pro on the EEE PC, and was pleasantly surprised at the performance. Although you need to be careful about formatting partitions and using the correct one for the OS (the SSDs are installed such that the 4GB appears first and that may not be enough for XP and applications as I found), the process is relatively smooth, and the Asus driver disk works well to set up the onboard hardware.
Once your OS and applications are installed -- again by use of an external drive of some kind -- you pretty much forget that this is a sub-notebook. The portability, above-average [yet not excellent] battery life, and easy to read LCD make for a "work-pony" of a PC that in some ways rival the big boys of notebooks. Other reviewers have stated that they found the system "hard to put down" after exploring it for a while, and I must say I fit into that category. Asus has a real winner here, and the stepped-up models will surely have folks ditching their tried and true thin-and-lights. It's tiny but packs an astonishing punch!
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