Review: Asus EEE PC

The Asus Eee PC certainly doesn’t look as sleek as the ultra portable Macbook Air, but most laptops are not as sleek as Apple or Sony products. Still, the Eee PC is a genuinely ultra-portable everyday workhorse with features, performance, and value that make it a terrific machine. I think the Eee PC is probably one of the best values in computing technology you will ever find.

I bought the white 4G Surf, which means it has a 4 Gig SSD (drive) and does not come with an onboard web cam. I like this machine. It boots up fast and quietly; when I turn it on its ready for me in 20 seconds. No Windows machine I am aware of can deliver that kind of performance on the hardware the Eee PC runs on.

It comes pre-installed with all the software you need to be productive, which is good since this machine does not have an optical disc drive. To install additional software, you do not have to buy a disc drive; instead, you can connect the Eee PC to a network or the internet using the built-in wifi 802.11 b/g connection and download additional software; downloading is also a good way to access updates for the pre-installed software. A BIOS update from AsusTek is already waiting for users of the 4G model.

Since this machine is genuinely ultra-portable, I carry it with me nearly everywhere I take my knapsack. At 2 lbs, it is hardly noticeable. Unlike most notebooks, the Eee PC’s power cord is light weight and the 8g SDHC card I use for extra storage weighs less than a penny.

Integrating the Linux-based Asus has been seamless and easy even though the Eee PC is the third operating system I am using. Thanks to the open source software that runs on the Eee PC, I can create documents that are compatible with anything on a Mac or Windows PC. Although I might be considered a “power user,” believe me anyone can pick up the Eee PC and use it out-of-the box without any prior experience with Linux;you simply point and click your way to whatever you want. And, for the power user, you can do virtually anything on this machine with the flexibility of installing whatever you want on this machine including installing a new operating system or entirely changing the original set up. With all of the choices open to computer users and the bargain basement cost, I am not sure why the Eee PC has not received more media attention in the U.S.

This is a terrific machine for everyday tasks like web browsing, emailing, document creation, and even writing this review. I highly recommend the Eee PC as a second computer for adults, a first computer for a child or an ultra portable computer for anyone.

A Few Issues that Matter

Keyboard Size:

Some folks may not like the keyboard. The Eee PC uses a small key board; it is probably one-fifth to one-fourth the size of a typical laptop keyboard. I can type fast on this keyboard, but the keyboard is not as responsive as my old Compaq v2000 keyboard and the right-shift key is too small - - it is too easy to mistakenly hit the larger enter key instead. Having said that, I think the keyboard is very usable, but be prepared to spend some time adapting to the small keyboard before you are able to type quickly and accurately on it.

Screen:
The 7-inch display is crisp and sharp, but not as bright as some laptops and the resolution is only 800×480 pixels. You are going to scroll the screen more than you would on a 15-inch desktop or laptop. To alleviate this problem, be prepared to buy one accessory: a wireless mouse. The touchpad is responsive, but I think touch pads are particularly poor pointing devices when a lot of scrolling is required.

Storage and Memory:
The solid state hard drive is fast and responsive. Applications load quickly and disc access occurs with a breeze. Although nearly half of the 4 GB SSD is used by the pre-installed software, you can use SD cards to extend your storage capacity. I have over 1 GB of space available on the internal SSD with nearly 50 data files installed. Unless you are installing large video or music files, your data files are not likely to occupy a lot of storage space. Remember, the Eee PC is for productive work, data communications, and Internet access, it is not your game PC and I wouldn’t use it like an iPod either.

Battery life:
I have been able to get slightly over 3 hours of battery life out of the Eee PC when I turn wifi off.