ASUS Eee PC 901 W006 Netbook, Linux Preloaded, 1GB RAM, 20GB SSD (Pearl White)

It was love at first sight when I first started using my eee PC 901 nearly two months ago, and I'm still happy.

Everything about this machine works well from straight out of the box. The build quality feels very nice and the keyboard, though small, is perfectly functional. The Linux OS (complete with other preinstalled goodies such as OpenOffice, Firefox, skype and a few basic games) mean that this really is fully usable from the outset.

The battery life - at over 5 hours - is not to be sneezed at... and, bless them (should you happen to sneeze) the bods at Asus have very kindly provided you with a wiping cloth so that you can keep your Eee PC clean! (although the supplied slipcover case is handier, adding to the out of the box portability of the product.)

Having lived with Windows from 3.11 onwards, I was worried about how well I would cope with Linux... I needn't have been. I turn my netbook on and within seconds of entering my password I'm looking at a fully loaded OS, without an hourglass in sight. I don't feel the absence of Windows at all when using my 901. Instead, I'm pleased that I opted for the larger SSD version and took a chance on Linux!

I was a little sceptical about some of the other reviews I've read about this machine, but was in urgent need of a small portable machine for remote maintenance of a server farm, so I decided to give one of these a try...

The keyboard, though small, is OK, and has a good "feel" to it. The touchpad is just what you'd expect - functional, but I still prefer a trackball! The display is remarkably bright, and can be used outdoors on sunny days. The wi-fi works well, and was able to connect to my WPA2 home and office networks without fuss. The machine feels well made, and I have no concerns about broken lid hinges (unlike with most other laptops). Battery life is not exceptional, but I get 5 hours usually.

The supplied Xandros OS is perfectly fine for 99% of users - it will do all they want. Web browsing, emailing, word processing and all the other basic tasks are easily handled with the supplied software. Adding software (as I had to) is easily done, and the price of software is "just right" (free)!

If you're in the market for a small, lightweight netbook, you can't do better. There is NO POINT in buying the Windows version - it comes without useful software and is crippled by the bloated, insecure and unstable nature of Windows.

PS: All you Windows diehards - there's not much you need to learn to make the move to this type of Linux. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the speed and stability of the operating system and software, and will probably want to migrate your home Windows box to (at least) a "dual-boot" when you've tried this! Remember - there are no Linux viruses to worry about.

I set it up OK and got it on the home broadband in about an hour. A box appeared offering 11 updates which I installed. Then it would do email but not go on the internet or play sound. Technical support were refreshingly honest!

If this happens to you restart and hold down F9 when the ASUS logo appears to revert back to the condition it arrived in. Ignore the updates until they get them right.

Now it works really well, plays movies off an SD card as well as everything else you would expect.

Alan Tucker