ASUS pioneered the low-cost laptop frontier with its Eee PC 701. This trailblazer, now competing against more polished competition such as HP’s Mini-Note, seeks to maintain its lead with the Eee PC 900. This $549 mini-notebook addresses its predecessor’s drawbacks by including a larger, higher-resolution 8.9-inch screen and more storage space.
We tested the Linux-based version, which comes with a 20GB solid state drive. (A Windows XP version of the 900 will also be available for $549 but it will sport a smaller 12GB SSD). Add in an improved 1.3-megapixel webcam and a multi-touch capable touchpad, and you have the makings of a successful, albeit more expensive sequel. If you can live with shorter battery life and a still-small keyboard, the Eee PC 900 is worth the extra dough.
Similar Design, Size, and Weight
Aesthetically, the Eee PC 900 isn’t noticeably different from the Eee PC 701 (or Eee PC 4G); the two look almost identical when sitting side by side. The systems, however, are more fraternal than identical twins: The Eee PC 900 is 0.2 inches longer than its brother and approximately 3.2 ounces heavier. Nevertheless, the system is still no bigger than most hardcover books, and carrying it around in a shoulder bag still left ample room for a wallet, keys, and cell phone. Under the lid we instantly noticed a few key differences. The screen is almost 2 inches larger (more on that below), the speakers that straddled it have been moved to the underside, and a silver plate surrounds the webcam.
ASUS didn’t change the port configuration on the Eee PC 900; it comes with headphone and microphone jacks, an Ethernet connection, an SD/MMC card reader, and three USB ports. There’s also a VGA output for connecting to an external display.
Cramped Keyboard, Expanded Touchpad
In order to maintain its minuscule dimensions, ASUS left the tight keyboard intact. The tiny keys are no bigger than Chiclets, and the cramped layout takes practice to build up a decent typing speed. We much prefer the HP Mini-Note’s 92 percent–size keyboard, which is very comfortable. We had no problem, however, attaching a USB Logitech keyboard to the Eee PC 900 for long typing stints.
Measuring 2.5 x 1.5 inches, the trackpad on the Eee PC 900 feels like a king-size bed compared with the one found on the 701 or 4G. The wider and more spacious pad requires less backtracking and is made for more accurate controlling of the screen. ASUS also extended the single silver bar that serves as a left and right mouse button; a divot separates the right from the left, but the uniform button still feels mushy and requires a firm press. We would prefer two dedicated buttons with more tactile response.
The trackpad’s standout feature is ASUS’ new multi-touch FingerGlide capability. Similar to the Apple MacBook Air’s touchpad, we could scroll vertically through Web pages by swiping two fingers up or down; scrolling horizontally was finicky. You can zoom in on pictures or documents by pinching and zoom out by spreading two fingers apart. However, we weren’t able to rotate a picture or move through multiple pictures or Web pages with quick finger gestures.