Review of Asus Eee PC 900
Asus is getting as popular as the days go by and that includes the release of their Eee PC 701 netbook which broke boundaries in some areas where netbook features are concerned. So much that others tried to copy it and couldn’t succeed Now, here comes the Asus Eee PC 900 which is the upgraded version with lots of improvements and upgrades.
Specifications
Processor: 900MHz Intel Celeron M
Memory: 1GB, 400MHz DDR2
Hard drive: 12GB SSD
Chipset: Intel 915GM
Graphics: Intel 915GM (integrated)
Operating System: Windows XP Home Screen size (diagonal): 8.9 inches
Price: $549
Let’s first find out what have been improved; there’s now a 9-inch screen, definitely of higher resolution, better storage and memory space, a much better webcam and a now multi-touch mouse trackpad. By having a slightly bigger display, Eee PC 900 still makes it happen with enough space by removing the small speakers from the sides of the lid. The display has a 1024 x 600 resolution as compared to Eee PC 701’s 800 x 480 resolutions. The Eee PC 900 measures 8.9 x 6.5 x 0.9 (WDH) inches and weights at 2.2 pounds and 2.6 pounds with AC adapter.
Design
The Eee PC 900 has the same outlook as its predecessor except with the chassis being slightly larger and a little bit heavier. It does have the same white plastic look. The speakers are now located under the front of the netbook. The netbook’s resolution is something to talk about as even the original Eee PC had a lower resolution than this one. With the Eee PC 900’s 1,024×600 resolution, items are better viewed on the netbook as compared to its predecessor.
Processor
No change in the processor in this one, it’s still the 900MHz Celeron processor, since it was working fine before, Asus probably didn’t see any reason to change it. But while other rival brands are putting up their netbooks with more powerful mobile processors, the Eee PC 900 might seem outdated. Nevertheless, to make do with the Intel Celeron M processor, having a bigger hard drive space seems to compensate for that and just to surf the web and handle a few documents, it shouldn’t cause a problem. There’s now a 1GB of RAM included in this netbook. Asus provides an improved memory space of 12GB built-in memory.
Touchpad & Keyboard
The touchpad is slightly larger and with this one, there are a couple of controls that will come in handy with which images can be handled and sites can be surfed. The keyboards on this netbook are the same as on the Eee PC 701 which still is slightly uncomfortable to be used.
Power
The battery life (four-cell battery) of the Eee PC 900 has managed to impress us by sustaining the netbook for more than 3 hours and that includes performing a video playback battery test. It is, by far, a 10-minute improvement from its predecessor as well as, over other netbooks such as the HP 2133 and the Lenovo IdeaPad U100.
Conclusion
Bottom line, the Asus Eee PC 900 is certainly an improvement from its predecessor and we think calling it an ‘improvement’ really justifies this netbook. If you already are a fan of the Eee PC 701 netbook then you will definitely like this one.
Generally, I am happy with this netbook as it has a backup utility unlike many other netbooks. The Asus Eee PC900 had worked flawlessly since I purchased it. The Wireless and Internet work perfectly. The battery life reduces to 30% after 3 hours of usage, so I have to use it with the power on. It weighs only 2.2 pounds and it’s a handy netbook to travel with. The keyboard is small but I can manage with it.
I am not satisfied with this netbook. The Asus Eee Pc 900 does not have the Asus SSD which makes it slow. It is featured with 16GB SD card which fuse in place. This gives a weak performance causing the read/write speed to be slow. Overall, it does not have a good storage memory and gives a slow performance.
Asus Eee Pc 900 is an amazing laptop. I love everything about it. The Keyboard is perfect, not too small and not too big for my fingers. The Linux works great even after I had unlocked it to the full desktop mode. It has better performance and speed. Compared to my Dell laptop, the Windows have twice memory and fast speed processor. Moreover, I don’t have to be anxious about viruses with Linux (it has about 20 written viruses for the OS verses millions for windows). I have managed to use the netbook for 3 hours of battery life to download music and check my emails at the same time.
This is a perfect netbook for a traveler. It comes inclusively with Windows XP, Works and other programs. You can get an easy access of internet no matter where you are. It is good for note taking, presentations, web surfing and more. The keyboard is manageable (it takes some time to get use to it) whereas it takes some time to boot. It is a compact and light netbook. The battery power is good. It is a netbook that takes away the stress of having to carry a heavy laptop around.
When I first heard of the Asus Eee PC 900, I thought it was expensive. Then, I found out that I’m getting a 4G model for $400, which was a good deal. So, I bought this 4G model with web camera for $400. I had spent another $30 to get a 1GB RAM stick (so that it can be upgradeable) and spent another $75 to $125 to get a 16SD card. At last, I’ve gotten a complete laptop except with 7 inch screen for only $500. Overall, the Asus Eee PC 900 is worth the price.