Asus Eee PC Review

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Asus Eee PC Review
By John T Pratt

The Asus EEE PC is hot, hot, HOT! Who would have thought that a sub-compact laptop would become so popular in a world where “bigger is better”? Everyone wants more storage and bigger screens and more features – and yet these small computers grow in sales every month!

The first surprise is that the Asus EEE PC is a sub-compact laptop that runs on “Linux” and not Windows. Right away that pigeonholes the purchasers to geeks and technophiles. The Macbook and Mac air are both geeky devices, and Mac’s OS share went from 9% to 14% from 2007-2008. Linux use on low-end PC’s is growing, the Everex gPC sold at Wal-Mart online sold out. Consequently, the gPC got pulled from Wal-Mart retail shelves, probably because geeks don’t shop in brick and mortar stores for tech gear. Currently, the Asus Eee PC 4G Surf is in the Amazon top 10 lists for “Computers and Hardware” beating out all Apple models.

Why is it that Makes the Asus Eee PC so popular?

I think one obvious point it that it’s cheaper than an iPhone, but a fully fledged computer. Both the screen and keyboard are smaller than a conventional laptop, but completely usable. If you’re tired of carrying around a PDA type phone with a folding keyboard from hell or tiny thumbkeys – why not just get an Asus EEE PC? It’s probably around the same money.

Features:

- affordable pricetag (from $300-$500)
- Built in camera (0.3 megapixel 30fps)
- Durable Solid State Drive (4-20GB SSD)
- MMC / SD memory card slot and 3 USB Ports
- 512MB – 2GB RAM
- 800×480 screen resolution
- Wifi b/g 10/100 wired connections
- Xandros Linux installed
- Great for Personal Use
- Only 2 lbs
- No bigger than a hardcover book

The company that makes these (Asustek) predicts selling 2 million units in 2008. That’s significant for a Linux based OS. It should be no surprise however that one of the most popular hacks is to convert the Asus Eee PC to Windows XP (if you have a valid license of course). Linux is great, but some of the most popular complaints in Amazon comments for the Eee PC are that it’s not user-friendly or for the first time Linux user. That’s where the geek factor comes into play. The happiest customers for the Eee are geeks that have no problems configuring and using Linux. Even though the Xandros distribution is very user-friendly, your average non-geek might run into problems when plugging in their store bought iPod, printer, or digital camera. Comment squakers will attest to this, but geeks will boast how easy-to-use and configurable it is.

So – it may be no surprise that Asustek is going to play to the masses and release a Windows XP version of the Asus Eee PC installed from the factory. In just the last month the Asus Eee PC 4G and 12G have been released with Windows XP Home installed. The main difference most will notice between the 4G and 12G an increased screen size to 8.3″, allowing a default 1280×600 resolution (much closer to a standard desktop). With the Windows versions selling well, Asus should have no problems reaching their 2008 sales goals.

That does raise the price slightly, but at just over $500 it’s not much more than an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. All in all the “bang for the buck” is pretty good with the Eee PC considering how much high end gaming systems and cell phones cost. Small portable computers are going to get more and more popular, will you be the next to buy one?

John Pratt writes tech reviews at The Smorgasbord and cell phone reviews at Used Cell Phones.

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