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Even if you don’t know much about Asus you have probably almost certainly heard about the EEE PC, it’s a very popular sub notebook computer. It was the first affordable subnotebook, or netbook computer to be launched.
The original EEE PC’s had 7” screens which was far too small for most people. Recently Asus has added two new models to its line, including the EEE PC 901 and EEE PC 1000
The 901 has a larger screen and is available in both Windows XP and Linux configurations. Although the 901 is a great computer more people are excited about the EEE PC 1000. These are more expensive than the original EEE PC’s, however they are still very good value.
So what’s the EEE PC 1000 got?
- 10” Screen
- 92% size keyboard compared to standard laptop
- 1.6GHz Intel Atom Processor
- A choice of windows XP or Linux
- - 40GB SSD
Asus also produce an EEE PC 1000H model which is identical in spec, with the exception of the SSD being replaced with an 80GB conventional hard drive. The 1000H is the first EEE PC to come with a conventional hard drive.
This machine is designed to compete with the already popular HP Mininote computer. The only real complaint that people had with the original EEE PC was that the keyboard and screen size was a little too small. Now thanks to the 901 and 1000 there are two different options people have available.
The EEE PC 1000 is available with Windows XP preinstalled, or a Linux version. The Linux version is cheaper than the XP version; however XP will make it much easier for more people to use. Again this could be in line with competing machines. xml:namespace prefix = o />xml:namespace prefix = o />xml:namespace prefix = o />xml:namespace prefix = o />xml:namespace prefix = o />
The keyboard size is a very impressive improvement, the keyboard is only slightly smaller than a standard laptop computer keyboard it's actually 92% the size of a standard laptop computer keyboard. This makes typing much easier than with the original models; the cramped keyboard was actually one of the only complaints with the original EEE PC.
There will no doubt be plenty more EEE PC’s released further down the line, what’s in store for us? Well we’ll have to wait to find out! A touch screen would be a fantastic addition to the EEE PC as it would make it even easier to use.
The great thing about these computers is that they are very affordable, even models with windows XP are much cheaper than many other subnotebook computers. All of the EEE PC 1000 models are run using Atom processors, which are a new processor created by Intel, this makes it very efficient to use.
The EEE PC 1000 does not have any optical drives, and when using the SSD drive there are no moving parts inside the computer. This makes it the ideal PC to travel with.
Comparing the specs:
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Asus Eee PC 701 (original) |
Asus Eee PC 901 (8.9”) |
Asus Eee PC 1000 (10”) |
Asus Eee PC 1000H (10” with HDD) |
|
7” |
8.9” 1024x600 |
10”/10.2” 1024x600 |
|
Linux Only (Windows drivers included) |
Windows XP Home
or
Linux |
|
900MHz Celeron (underclocked to 630Mhz) |
Intel Atom Processor |
|
802.11n wireless network |
|
512MB – 1GB DDR2 |
1 GB DDR 2 |
2 GB DDR 2 |
|
2 - 8GB SSD |
20GB SSD |
40 GB SSD |
80GB HDD |
|
895 – 990g |
1.1kg |
1.33kg |
1.45kg |
As you should be able to see, the new models are a great improvement on the older spec, however people that want a small computer still have to put up with the pretty dire specs of the 701 laptop. As a second computer the original Asus Eee PC laptop is ideal. Newer models are being shipped with better specs and even Windows XP installed as standard, this makes them a much more enticing and useful computer.
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