Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good things really do come in small packages, 29 Oct 2008
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!
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The 901 is the Eee to go for, 16 Nov 2008
I bought the original eee 701, and was so happy with it, that when they updated it to cover most of the disadvantages of the original, I bought the 901. It has improved in the following areas: bigger screen, better CPU, 5 times more disk, twice as much memory, bluetooth, Wifi N, twice as much battery power, and these improvements have cost me an extra eur70 (and a little extra weight).
In brief: Intel Atom processor at 1.6GHz, that adjusts its speed according to what you are doing, 1G memory, 20G (flash) disk, with over 16Gig free, 9 inch/23cm 1024x600 colour screen, VGA out (up to 2048x2048), 3xUSB, ethernet, Wifi N, webcam, 2 built-in mics, stereo speakers, mic in/headphone out, SD card reader. Weighs about 1.1kg/2˝lbs. Battery life is amazing with 5 hours flat out use, or 8 hours web browsing.
It runs a version of Linux (Xandros) with by default a simple user interface. Includes Skype (with video), Openoffice, Firefox, multi-service instant messenger (Pidgin, includes IRC), PDF, email of course, video/music/sound/photos etc.
The speed: I ran dhrystone, a standard computer speed measurement program, and it came out at well over 1 million dhrystones, which approaches the speed of my 2 year old work laptop. It boots super fast, of the order of 20 seconds. It is quiet, having no hard disk, but it does have a (quiet) fan.
I have added a 16Gb SD card for eur35, giving me a total of 36G 'disk' space (the half of my work laptop). The wireless mouse I found on the local street market for eur5 works out of the box. I easily connected via bluetooth to my mobile phone, and so can connect to the internet anywhere I have phone coverage.
Although I use Windows for my work, I also have experience with Linux, but I've never had to administer it, so I was a little wary of making changes. However there is an extensive Eee community, with wikis and forums, and lots of stuff has been documented.
You can use the Synaptic package manager to add software. I added a couple of programs I wanted, but really it provides everything I need for everyday computing out of the box. I can plug in a big screen and keyboard when at home, and carry it with me at other times hardly knowing it was there. Thanks to its diminutive size, it fits easily on a plane seat table. I have given talks with it with no problems.
After the original success of the Eee 701, Asus have brought literally dozens of Eee models to market, some with harddisks, some with ten inch screens, some with different processors, some without bluetooth, but as far as I am concerneed the 901 is the best mix of functionality/size/price. Although the 1000 is tempting for its 40GB SSD, the extra weight, size (and price) of the 1000 model makes the 901 the one I prefer.
In conclusion:
Upside: Great price, great functionality, amazing range of software, amazingly light.
Downside: can I think of a downside? You have to get used to a smaller keyboard, but that's been OK for me, there is no built-in CD or DVD drive, but there isn't in my work laptop either. For me there are no downsides I can think of.
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb!, 12 Oct 2008
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.
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