ASUS Eee PC 900 16G (8.9" Display, Intel Mobile CPU, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB Solid State Drive, Linux) Pearl White

by Asus

• Easy to learn, work and play
• Excellent mobile Internet device
• Exciting multimedia enjoyment
• Shock proof
• Excellent on the go

Product Description

Amazon.com

The Asus Eee PC 900 provides the power of a full-sized laptop in a compact body with a larger 8.9-inch screen. Even with the larger size of the Eee PC 900 when compared to the original Eee PC, the new model weighs just over 2 pounds--perfect for students toting to school or road warriors packing away to Wi-Fi hotspots. And because it uses flash memory instead of a hard drive (with 16 GB of storage), the Eee PC 900 is optimal for weathering rough handling and sharing space in overstuffed bags.

The Asus Eee PC 900's 8.9-inch screen is easier on the eyes, and the integrated webcam makes video chats a snap.

Other features include a 1.3-megapixel webcam integrated into the bezel above the LCD, a Secure Digital memory card slot, Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11b/g), multiple USB ports, a VGA output for connecting to a monitor, and 1 GB of RAM. It comes preinstalled with the Linux operating system, and it's also compatible with the Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system.

For the students and professionals, the Eee PC comes with a powerful selection of software to maximize personal productivity--over 40 built-in applications. The Open Office suite of software enables the user to open, edit and create documents, presentations, spreadsheets and databases that are compatible with Microsoft Office. For journalists, photographers and other professionals who need to use a computer in the field to create, to communicate and to collaborate with other colleagues, the Eee PC's combination of power, extreme portability and rugged build makes it the ideal computing solution.

No technical manual required with the specially designed, user-friendly, and intuitive graphic interface.

It's also a great choice for young students, with a built-in Dictionary that's great for homework, and it includes two modes of intuitive graphic user interface design to accommodate both experienced and inexperienced PC users. The Eee PC also handles your digital images, movies, and music as well as Internet radio.

Nicely light at just 35 ounces, the Eee PC 900 has an 8.9-inch wide TFT LCD with a 1024 x 600-pixel resolution (WXGA)--making it more comfortable on eyes than its predecessor. Under the hood is a 900 MHz Intel Mobile CPU with integrated Intel graphics processor, 1 GB of RAM (not expandable), and 16 GB of flash memory solid-state drive (SSD). The SSD provides quiet performance and helps save energy, while its shock-proof solid state design helps to guard against data loss or shock-related damage if the laptop is dropped.

In addition to its wireless LAN, it also offers wired Fast Ethernet connectivity. The Eee PC includes software for Web browsing (Firefox), e-mail, OpenOffice 2.0 for creating and editing word processing documents and spreadsheets, and a suite of other productivity software to help keep you on track.

You get three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA output for connecting to external monitors, headphone and microphone jacks, and a Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot. The rechargeable battery provides up to 3.5 hours of battery life (depending on usage). It's backed by a 1 year warranty for parts and labor.

Specifications

• Internal memory: 16 GB solid state disk
• Memory expansion: Slot for MMC/SD(SDHC) cards
• RAM: 1 GB DDR2
• Processor: 900 MHz Intel Mobile CPU
• Operating system: Linux
• LCD: 8.9 inches, 1024 x 600 pixels
• Networking: 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), 10/100 Fast Ethernet
• Peripheral connectivity: Three USB 2.0
• External video: One VGA
• External audio: One headphone and one microphone port
• Webcamera: Yes, 1.3 megapixels
• Battery life: up to 3.5 hours
• Weight: 2.2 pounds (35 ounces)
• Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.7 x 1.33 inches

What's in the Box
ASUS Eee PC 900, AC adapter, printed operating instructions. It's backed by a 1-year warranty on parts and labor.

Product Description

Easy to Learn, Work, and Play Easy to use with one click interface Travel light, weighting only 2.18lbs Drop tested, Shock-Proof design Wireless connectivity Save time with fast 15 sec boot time Preloaded with over 50 applications including Open Office Wde Multi-Touchpad for comfort and convenient Glossy Pearl White Color for elegant look Connect with friend with built-in Camera ZBD Guaranteed for best quality LCD Protect your investment with sleeve case

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 109 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars E E E... Easy Excellent Exciting... July 25, 2008

By Gloria

Color Name:Galaxy Black|Amazon Verified Purchase

Asus markets this computer an easy, excellent, and exciting computer to use. They are not wrong with this piece. I own the 701 model and have purchased this one because for the same price as my 701 model ($400), I am now getting a 1.9" larger screen, double the memory, four times the storage space, better resolution, an improved webcam, and a better touchpad. I use the EEE when I'm laying in bed and when I travel. With all the things that go with me on travels, the last thing I need is a computer deadweight. It is light, compact, and fits in woman's mini backpack purse (or larger sized purse). I don't even notice it with me, and carrying the computer is no longer a hassle.

While the 900 model does not have the new Intel Atom chip or the longer battery life, it does work quickly to boot everything I want to use it for - IM'ing, web surfing, and email. I also have the ability to do work with Open Office, which has drivers compatible to Microsoft Office. Hence, transferring files is easy. As a bonus I did not expect, the Linux version includes some perks - such as a music manager (for a small library of my mp3 favorites to play), games when I'm bored, Internet Radio, and handy references tools (e.g., dictionary). I chose this version over Windows because of the quicker boot and everything ready to go. With the Windows XP version, the only included software is Microsoft Works. In addition, with the 901 and 1000 series, the weights and prices of the EEE start to increase, and go against my inexpensive convenience. It looks as though Asus repackaged this model line because its "new life" was only one month before the 901 came out.

Please note that the keyboard is small. I had the same problem of it being cramped. However, my fingers and me got used to it quickly, and I no longer have problems with typing errors. It takes a bit of patience, but will all work out.

One drawback to the unit is that Linux uses Mozilla. Unfortunately, if you're web surfing a site that shows video only via Internet Explorer, you will be out of luck. The other thing to consider - if surfing the web for several hours, consider purchasing a mouse.

Asus does a good job at having one tab to show all software updates. Hence, rather than look for new versions, you click on "Add/Remove" programs and all updates available for your machine are there ready for download. This setup saves me lots of time in trying to see if I have the latest BIOS and software updates available. There are also a few additional applications that will show up from time to time that I can add onto the system (e.g., Learn Chinese or a new game).

Finally, Asus includes a soft case for the unit. This touch is very nice; I didn't have to go and look for another accessory/make an additional purchase. Everything I needed was IN the box.

All in all - a great investment.

55 of 59 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good deal July 30, 2008

By Jan Dolinay

Color Name:Pearl White

I was about to buy the 4GB EEE PC when this 16G version appeared. Hesitated about 2 weeks, then bought the 16 GB with Linux. I have it for a week and don't regret it. Works fine, the system is easy to use for someone who doesn't have much computer experience and an expert can tune it up to his needs.
For $400 this is very good deal!

Thoughts I gathered during the "hesitation period":
Compared to the EEE 900, 20 GB which costs $550 the "catch" seems to be the disk speed. This 16 GB version uses cheaper but slower SSD disk. According to some test I found, its write speed is very low (about 7 MB/s) compared to the 30 MB/s of the 4GB or 20GB model. My simple test showed write speed about 14 MB/s with large video file.

Since I did not want to spend over $500 on this thing, my options were either this or the 4GB. The 16GB won for these reasons:

- Bigger screen with better resolution which allows you to browse web without horizontal scrolling (unlike the 4GB screen which is only 800 pixels wide)

- Bigger RAM memory (1 GB vs 512 MB of the 4GB model)

Technical points:
1GB RAM is still a lot. Windows XP were designed when 1/4 of a GB or less was common, so on 1 GB it runs like a breeze. Unless you have about 10 programs running, there should be no need for the system to swap between RAM memory and the disk - which is where the disk write speed could make a difference. The Linux system has disk swapping disabled and I would do the same on Windows XP if I decided to install it. If you get a low memory warning from the system you can always close some program, but you can have a lot of programs open before this happens with 1 GB of RAM.
You can also disable the cache in the Firefox web browser to speed up the web browsing.

I don't have the 4GB model to compare, but the speed of this one is reasonable. Nothing unusably slow. Sometimes it takes couple of seconds for a program to start after you click it, but it's the same as on normal computer with Windows XP. It makes sense, because for starting a program, the disk read speed matters, not write and the read speed is not so bad.
The system starts in about 30 seconds, turns off in about the same time, though several times it took much longer (perhaps over a minute) to turn off. I didn't try it yet to the end, but the battery could last for about 2.5 hours.

Cons:
The keyboard could be better, it feels kind of cheap and you have to press the keys rather hard.

Conclusion:
The bigger screen and RAM are well worth the $50 more this one costs compared to the 4GB.
You should not buy this as your primary computer or laptop though. For all your pictures, music a videos, 16 or 20 GB is not enough and you'll be better off with normal laptop with at least 120 GB hard drive, which you can get for about the same price as the 20GB model or EEE 901.
This is good as a second computer, to use in a waiting room, train or bus or any other place where normal-size laptop feels too big. For travel it should have longer battery life (as the 901 version has), but I would not pay $600 just for that.
It can also be good for your mother, wife, kids...anyone who's not much into computers but needs to browse the internet and do some typing, e-mailing etc. Another good use is watching movies in bed.

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Acceptable as a Limited Use PC. August 15, 2008

By L. Bellocchio

Color Name:Pearl White|Amazon Verified Purchase

Positives:

All the features as advertised function properly, e.g. wifi, SD port,
& Ethernet. It starts up about as fast as my MAC mini (Core 2 Duo, 1G),
hardy an instant-on PC. The suite of apps are adequate for a limited needs
user. The screen size is definitely an improvement over the previous 7"
screen. The screen size would have been more useful at 1024X800 versus
the 1024x600. The screen brightness and sharpness are very good, though.

Negatives:

As mentioned by others, the in-use battery life is very poor. What hasn't
been mentioned, though, is the power-off (non-use) battery life which is
very very poor and is about 5 days. This negative feature shortens the
Lithium-Ion battery's overall useful life significantly, especially when
the battery becomes fully discharged from non-use multiple times.
There's no option to change how the battery life is affected whether
in-use or during power-off and no main power switch which would have
solved this problem.

The O/S (KDE) lacks the overall capabilities and usefulness of a
Ubuntu Linux which would have been a better install and more
comparative to a WIN X/P O/S which was the other O/S option for this
PC. Most who are more of an WIN/MAC power user would probably
prefer Ubuntu, or just select the WIN X/P version of this PC.

Summary:

If it weren't for the very poor battery life, I'd again buy this PC
and would recommend it for others. Therefore, if I had known this
problem prior to my purchase, I would have considered other
sub-notebook PC options.