Agnivo Roy

2007 was the year of the highly popular Asus EEEPC (or triple-E PC as some prefer to call them) . The 3E PC from Asus is a cheap ultra-portable sub-notebook that raised eyebrows all over the world considering it’s features, performance and target audience.

The notebook received rave reviews from the top gadget reviews from all over the world and Asus plans to sell millions of units in 2008. (they sold over 350,000 units in Q4 2007!)

Those of you who aren’t aware of the Asus EEEPC, let me introduce you to the laptop.

Asus EEEPC 700/701 Specifications

• CPU : Intel Mobile Celeron 453 900MHz. (underclocked by default)
• RAM : 512MB DDR2667 SO-DIMM (1 slot)
• HDD : 2/4/8 GB Solid state drive.
• Optical Drive : None
• Display : 7″ 800×480 pixels LCD with LED backlighting.
• Battery : Upto 3.5-4 hours backup.
• Card Reader : Yes, MMC/SDHC/etc.
• OS : Custom Xandros Linux (Win XP, Ubuntu etc. installable)
• Wireless LAN : Yes, 802.11 b/g
• Webcam: 0.3 MP resolution, Speakers, microphone.
• Ports : USB 2.0, External video out. LAN RJ-45, Kensington security.
• Comes in Models : 2G / 4G Surf / 4G and 8G in colors like white, black, etc.
• Pricing : From $299-$399. Weight : 1Kg.

The specs might look a bit underpowered in modern benchmarks, but the performance, portability, build quality and of course the cheap price made even the cutting-edge gadget lovers pick one up. It was voted “the most wanted Christmas gift” in 2007.

The first series (700) was a real hit and other manufacturers like Gigabyte, MSI, etc. were reported to be interested in launching similar ultraportable notebooks with better specifications and similar pricing as the Asus EEEPC. So, it was clear that something was brewing in the Asus labs so as to stay in the race; the result - Asus EEEPC 900 series officially launched at CeBIT 2008.

So how different is the second generation Asus EEEPC 900 Series? Well, Asus paid attention to the feedback from early adopters and laid out the specs of the new EEEPC; but yes, something more is left to be desired.

Expected Asus EEEPC 900 Specifications (changes from 700 series)

• CPU : Intel Atom (diamondville) 45nm mobile CPU.
• RAM : 1GB DDR2 SO-DIMM (maybe higher as option).
• Display upgraded to 8.9″ 1024×600 LCD with LED backlighting.
• HDD : 8GB (WinXP), 12GB / 20GB (Linux) SSD.
• WiMax & HSPDA support around Q3 2008
• Normal high capacity hard drives might be an option later.
• Available from May 2008 (estimated).
• Webcam: 1.3 MP resolution
• Priced at around $500 to $600.
• More color options, slightly bigger in size. Weight : ~1Kg.

Asus EEPC Resources

• EEE User - Great community offering extensive information, hacking, modding, maintenance, tips and tricks for the Asus EEEPC.
• Asus EEEPC Unboxing - See what comes in the little box!
• Inside the Asus EEEPC - Yes, I’m sure you’d like to take a sneak peek inside.
• The EEEPC Reviews - Well, many reviews can be found on the net.
• Interview on 900 Series - Read what Asus says in public about their new offering.
• Watch EEEPC Videos at YouTube.

Conclusion

So, has the Asus EEEPC lived upto the expectations and offer feature set & performance in comparison to its low price? Or, will the world embrace it when full-size laptops are available for $500 these days? The answer is simple - yes, it does. That’s why Asus sold millions of units in 2007 alone in 3 months of launch. It is aimed towards computer illiterate individuals, students and the aged, but it doesn’t mean tech freaks didn’t pick one up for themselves. In fact it’s one of the best cheap platforms to try hardware and software modding, tricks etc. evident from the eeeuser forums.

So, should you buy one? Yes, of course…but not till you have the 900 series retailing around. I’d suggest waiting till mid-2008 when WiMax integrated EEEPC’s would be available with better features and price. There’s a huge chance of prices falling due to competition in the cheap ultraportable sub-notebook market with HP, Acer, Gigabyte and MSI joining the scene. I’m eagerly waiting to pick one of these up when available!

Overall, It’s a very good low cost ultra-portable that works for all and at under 1 kg, it’s a highly recommended secondary laptop for the developed world and as primary computer for under developed/developing countries.