Avatech - Computers, Technology, Games, Movies, Airsoft Guns and More!: Asus Eee

When the first time I saw Asus Eee series ultra mobile personal computer (UMPC), I would say that it is very stylish and compact, but actually I'm thinking the most is its price. I thought this kind of stylish UMPC would cost more than US$1500 like the pocket sized UMPC OQO Model 02. But then when I saw the price tag, I was completely wrong. It is really "affordable", meaning it only costs you around US$350! Compared to other more expensive UMPC like HTC Shift or Samsung Q1, Asus Eee looks more like a laptop than a standard UMPC.

Asus Eee PC uses a tweaked-down Celeron M 900Mhz processor equipped with 512MB or 1GB of RAM. Altough it has slow processor, this computer starts quite fast with only 20s before you can open your first application.

For data storage, it is equipped with a shock-proof flash drive with capacity ranging from 2GB to 8GB. I say this storage capacity is too little even for a compact laptop or UMPC, however you can always use an external harddisk for more storage.

By default, Linux Xandros OS (a linux distro which has Windows look and feel) and OpenOffice.org 2.0 are installed, which in my opinion is enough for basic computing. But if you want to run Windows applications, you also have an option to upgrade it to Windows XP.

With 7" display and 800 x 480 resolution, the LCD screen looks quite clear and sharp. But with this small resolution, you might find trouble with some application windows drawn off the screen. And if you want a bigger screen, you can hook it to any analog monitor with its D-Sub connector.

Weighing only around 0.92kg including battery, it is very portable yet its battery can lasts up to 3.5 hours. About the audio capability, Asus Eee comes with complete Hi Definition audio and speakers with external 3.5mm speaker and mic jack. Additionally, it has Wi-Fi and ethernet port for internet connectivity and an optional integrated webcam for video chat or photo.

See table below for full specifications:

Model Name	Eee PC 8G	Eee PC 4G	Eee PC 4G Surf	Eee PC 2G Surf
Display	7"	7"	7"	7"
Intel CPU & Chipset	●	●	●	●
Operating System	Linux Windows XP compatible	Linux Windows XP compatible	Linux Windows XP compatible	Linux Windows XP compatible
Color	Pure white/ Galaxy black	Pure white/Blush pink/Sky blue/Lush green/Galaxy black	Pure white/Blush pink/Sky blue/Lush green/Galaxy black	Pure white/Blush pink/Sky blue/Lush green/Galaxy black
Ethernet Communication	●	●	●	●
WLAN	●	●	●	●
Memory	1G (DDR2)	512 MB (DDR2)	512 MB (DDR2)	512 MB (DDR2)
S.S.D. Storage (Solid-State Disk)	8G	4G	4G	2G
Camera	●	●	-	-
Audio	Hi-Definition audio Stereo speaker Microphone	Hi-Definition audio Stereo speaker Microphone	Hi-Definition audio Stereo speaker Microphone	Hi-Definition audio Stereo speaker Microphone
Battery	4 Cells, 2.8~3.5hrs*	4 Cells, 2.8~3.5hrs*	4 Cells, 2.8hrs*	4 Cells, 2.8hrs*
Weight	0.92 kg	0.92 kg	0.92 kg	0.92 kg
* Specification changes are subject to different models * Actual battery life will depend on actual operations and configurations * Product contains software under GPL license agreement

Of course, for such a small device, you cannot expect a powerful computing power or playing 3D games. But for basic computing like browsing, using office programs, chatting, playing movies or music, this UMPC is more than enough. My complaints are that because of its small size, there is no DVD-Drive which makes installing program harder, also you can only have a very small keyboard and touchpad which makes it hard to navigate and type, and at last it has several screen resolution compatibility which perhaps in the future Asus can upgrade Eee PC with bigger resolution (at least 1024px). With its small size, you can carry this computer anywhere, perfect for doing presentation or doing your daily work and with its super cheap price, it would be a good computer for beginners.