Customer Reviews

ASUS Eee PC 900 8.9-Inch Netbook (Intel Mobile Processor, 1 GB RAM, 12 GB Solid State Drive, XP Home, 4 Cell Battery) Galaxy Black

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have been thinking about getting an ultra-portable device for a while and finally decided this was "it".

Ideally, I wanted a sub $500 solution, but this was close enough.

I was looking at the Nokia 800 and 810 for a while, but ultimately decided I needed windows compatibility over size.

Also, I almost got the 7inch version when it came out, but I'm glad I waited. The 1024 pixel width makes ALL the difference when browsing.

I was debating quite a bit between the XP and Linux versions, but decided to go with the XP and get a 16 GB SD for $80. The SD card does NOT stick out from the machine when it's inserted, so there is no problem having it in all the time.

Even though technically there is no reason not to install XP on the Linux (20GB) version, I wanted the piece of mind that if anything should go wrong, I won't have to worry about the OS change.

The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is the keyboard.
I know it's impossible to have a great keyboard on such a small machine, but to be honest, I type faster on my cell phone's keyboard than my EEE.
I've just had the machine for a couple of days, so I'm hoping that eventually I'll get used to it.

It's great that it really has just about everything a "full size" laptop does (webcam, built in mic, speakers). I wish it had bluetooth as well, but I can get a USB for like $30 if I really need it.

Also, I read that some people (i think in the UK) got the lower powered battery (I think 4400 mah) but this comes with the better battery (the 5800 mah one).

I've been using laptops since 1995. I bought a 16 GB SDHC card for $79 Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD CLASS 6) with Compact Card Reader) when I bought this amazing computer. It gives me a total of 28 GB hard drive space. The trick is to install whatever software you can to the E drive (SDHC). An SDHC card plugs directly into the SD port without an adaptor -something my full size notebook computer won't do.

I do a lot of photo editing with programs like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro and a bunch of plug-ins. I installed Paint Shop Pro and 5 different plug-in programs on the EEE 12G model. The screen is a little small but portability is the reason I bought this gem in the first place.

I use a small portable optical USB mouse. It works better for something like editing photos.

I've got Street Atlas USA 2008 installed on the SDHC card and my USB GPS works fine with it. Having 3 USB ports makes the EEE quite flexible. I've also got a 160 GB portable USB hard drive so I can use it for storing photos and large documents.

There isn't a thing the EEE won't do. It make take a little longer than your regular computer but this is a great computer to stick in your briefcase or even a purse.

I highly recommend it.

This is the first review I have written for a product purchased from Amazon. I have been very interested in the sub-notebook category and was excited when it arrived 6 days ago. On a personal note, I am a doctoral student; thus, while I do quite a bit of my research online, I now need to spend more time in the library. Carrying my 9 lb laptop with me gets old and is cumbersome at times, which is why this device and others like it have held a certain appeal for me. Over the last few days, I have used the 900 in several different environments to see how it performs.

Thus far, I can share that I have been most impressed. The ASUS Eee 900 does exactly what it states. The machine turns on remarkably fast and the Wi-Fi has been flawless so far in my home, in the library, and at a local Starbucks. Connecting to the internet is seamless and the pages move very quickly. The screen is bright and I have an 8GB SDHC card in for additional memory needs. For those that may be concerned that the screen is too small, I would offer that aside from the obviously smaller measurements, the laptop has several options for enlarging the font, including the finger glide option that allows you to immediately enlarge the screen as needed. I learned that this is very similar to the I-phone feature. For those of us who are 40-somethings (like myself) this is really nice. Additionally, I have been able to get 3.5-4.0 hours battery use out of this computer each day before having to recharge.

The challenge I think, for most people will be getting used to the smaller keyboard, although I have been able to adjust fairly quickly. The shift key on the right is a bit smaller and so I have made a few errors due to this, but otherwise, it has not been a big deal. Several reviewers have recommended getting a small mouse to navigate more quickly. Other than this, I do not have any concerns. The laptop is very lightweight and several people have come up to ask to look at it and are very impressed by it. I love that I can quickly put this in my purse or book bag and just go.

Some final notes...one of the other reviewers commented that the 900 will be discontinued due to the fact that the company is preparing to come out with the 901 (and now the 1000) version(s). That's true, although I do not know that this information alone merits a lower rating for this particular device. I suspect that this may mean the price of this computer will begin to come down fairly soon when the new versions are released sometime later this summer or early Fall. The processor will be faster and on the 1000 version, the screen will be 10 inches and the keyboard will be 92% of a typical laptop which will be a plus for those who have large fingers or just want a more adequate keyboard to type on. If you are thinking about waiting, then you may also want to watch for what Dell is also about to offer in this category as a release date is pending soon. Check out the CNET or Engadget web sites for more information. But for those who want a device like the ASUS Eee 900, I do not believe you will be disappointed either. Having a sub notebook allows some additional flexibility that a heavier laptop does not and the 900 certainly meets that need. Thanks.

I bought this computer to replace my wife's Sharp MM20,that was uneconomical to repair due to a damaged screen,and is no longer available new. I searched for a replacement for weeks and bought the EeePC 900 which seemed the best replacement available at a reasonable price. I have waited for a month to learn about the machine prior to writing a review. Had I written my review sooner, it would have had more stars, here is why I reduced the star rating.

Out of the box everything worked, except I had difficulties getting a good connection with my wireless router. I got the connection established, but, it constantly tried to validate my identity. Two calls to tech support, failed to resolve the issue. The best thing I can say about tech support is that you can reach them relatively easily. They are not particularly nice nor competent. They are quick to shift the problem to others, saying we don't deal with that, call your internet provider or other software provider.

When my wife, a flight attendant, returned from her first trip using the ASUS 900, I had to try again to resolve the wireless issue since she was unable to connect with the internet at hotels where she has always been able to connect with her Sharp. This time when I contacted Tech support, I got a better representative, we deleted the wireless adapter from device manager and reinstalled it. That seems to have fixed the problem, since yesterday we went to a public WiFi location and were able to establish an internet connection.

Now for the more serious drawbacks. I have Network Magic installed on the unit so downloaded files, some of which can be large, can be transfered to a server on our home network. This is to preserve precious disk space on the PC900. Unfortunately, I keep getting warnings that an important update for XP is available and needs to be installed. That update is XP SP3. That is where things got messy. The hard drive is partitioned with 3.75 GB devoted to C: and the remaining 8.25 GB assigned as D: Trying to install SP3 failed due to insufficient space on C:. I began looking for items to delete or remove from C: to try making room. After several hours of trying I called tech support seeking suggestions; they offered none. Only telling me I needed to remove stuff from C: to make room. So into Control Panel Add/Remove Software I went - looking for stuff to remove.

The machine comes with OEM software installed, some on C: some on D:, however, from Add Remove Software, I could not determine on which drive the software was installed, and regardless, shared files are on C: even if the program is installed on D:. Hours later, after removing software and trying to move files and directories on C: I still encountered the insufficient disk space message. I decided to forget about SP3 and return to my prior configuration. That is when I discovered that the Restore function is turned off and cannot be activated. I had now messed up my configuration and removed programs and moved files, which would not work properly and in some cases would not reinstall. Without Restore the only alternative was to hook up an external DVD Drive and return the machine to original configuration. Good bye hours of work installing and configuring other software.

Conclusion: Things work as advertised. The installed software is questionable. There is a DVD player without a DVD drive. Who in their right mind buys a miniature computer for convenience, then carries an external DVD player. Star Suite 8 is installed, taking 866mb of disc space and seems to be identical to Open Office that uses less than 375mb, Huh!!. In addition to the DVD player and Star Suite 8, the PC900 comes with Skype and MS Works. With disc space severely constrained, why are two office type programs installed? ASUS makes a 20GB hard drive version that has Linux installed, why they don't make that drive available with XP, I cannot understand. The larger drive would allow larger partitions and solve a host of problems. Another review talks about buying that model and installing XP, if you have the XP program and the know how, that certainly seems a better option. Would I buy this unit knowing what I know now, probably not.

I hope you find this review informative.

I ordered it on Sat here on Amazon and had it waiting for me when I got home from work on Tues. I am using it now. I got the 900xp model. I love it! I was worried getting the xp verson because of the windows crawl..lol..Boy was I surprised. This thing is faster then my Sony Vaio 1.6 duo tech with 2 gigs of ram and it boots super fast...works like a charm, took me a whole of 5 minutes to be surfing the web...get one U R gonna love it!

We just got this yesterday. I know that one day is not a long time to evaluate anything, but if I don't write this now, I never will.

I bought this for my wife for her business trips. She had a regular sized laptop which she was growing tired of lugging about.

I had to 'convince' her that this would be a good thing for her. However, after it arrived, she promptly fell in love with it. She does such things as e-mail, web browsing, logging on her company web site, etc. She is also addicted to those little tile-matching games which require little graphic power.

It seems "peppy" and the screen appears bright, at least inside a building. I cannot comment on brightness outside in the sunlight (I know another reviewer commented on the dark screen, perhaps he was referring to being outside?)

The keyboard is small of course, though I had little difficulty in using it. However, if you intend some serious word processing, this is probably not the PC for that job.

There is no CD. You will need to install software either from the internet, a USB port, or from another PC on your home network (I shared out the CD drive from another pc on our network).

OK, it's not a powerhouse, but I knew that when I bought it. That said, it does exactly what I want it to do--it helps me be productive without having to drag out my full sized laptop. Surprisingly, it's a lot faster than I expected. My only complaint-- when I do try to type an email, the space bar isn't as responsive on the right side--does better when pressing on the left. But what can you expect with something this small? I'm still very pleased overall. I purchased a larger purse and now the laptop goes with me most everywhere. Along with my wireless modem, I can surf at the beach whenever! Love it, love it!!

My main purpose for adding this review to the many good reviews already here, is to point out that a good, slightly padded, fitted cover is included with the ASUS Eee PC 900 8.9-Inch Netbook. The included cover is perfect for protecting the netbook from knocks and scratches while traveling. If I had known this, I wouldn't have wasted my money on the Kroo neoprene cover, shown as an accessory for this netbook!

My only criticism of my netbook is that the right/left click buttons on the mousepad are a little stiff, but the mousepad can be tapped to left click. I've bought a cheap, small mouse for the occasions that I am using the netbook for an extended time. I bought this netbook as an alternative to taking my full-size, laptop with me when I travel, mainly so that I can keep in touch with my family by email, IM and video chats, and it's perfect for that purpose.

I received this item two days ago and have used it continuously. I love it! No complaints about the size of the keyboard. I purchased this to use as a mobie unit and I am not disappointed. It is mainly used for internet. I have a wireless mouse I use with it which makes surfing the net even easier. I like the two-finger scrolling feature on the pad. After I ordered this I wondered if I should have waited for the new Dell minis to appear, but now I know I bought the right one. It fits in my purse and is ultra mobile. I am thrilled with this gadget!!!

Even at the brightest setting, this screen is 25% dimmer than the Hp 2133. Also note that it comes with IE6 installed, and the unusual screen size re the weird driver setup causes some web pages to go bonkers (huge text). Going to IE7 or Firefox solves this.

The keyboard is almost unusable, of course.

The Pros are the small size and weight.

See my review of the Hp 2133 and the critical problem it has with the Via chipset.

My conclusion, this machine is, for a secondary, going to meeting type of machine, the better of the two. If HP changes the VIA to an Intel chip, there is absolutely no question that the ASUS would be inferior. Note, however, that the ASUS does OK on its 4 cell...and the HP is somewhat bigger and about 60% heavier (the souped up model is well over 3 lbs, despite the adverts).

<<<<<< Update June 7 >>>>>>

Asus has just demonstrated the eee PC 1000. It has 7 hours of battery life, a larger keyboard, and is about 1.75 inches wider.

Using the Atom chipset (as does the 901) it looks promising. Initial pricing estimates put it near the Hp 2133 at $750, however. I saw the 901 takes a ca. $80 price hike over the 900.