Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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101 of 104 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
E E E... Easy Excellent Exciting..., July 25, 2008
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.
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52 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good deal, July 30, 2008
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.
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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding value for $399, July 25, 2008
What great value in an 8.9" sub notebook! Easy to use... I bought this for my 80 year old mother, and she loves it. Easily connects to our wireless, and HP PSC 11315 all-in-one printer. Small and light, she moves it to wherever she is going to alight. The KDE interface works like windows XP, so she made a quick leap from the old Toshiba she had. (it broke and needed to be repaired... and she wanted something lighter.)
Linux is a breeze, and if you come from a Windows machine, you'll like at how quick and nimble this operating system is. Boots fast and shuts down fast.
If all you need is web browsing and basic tasks provided by Open Office 2.0... this is the computer for you!
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