home Tips personal digital assistant. ASUS EEE PC? personal digital assistant Asus eee pc netbook specifications

personal digital assistant. ASUS EEE PC? personal digital assistant Asus eee pc netbook specifications

Few could argue that Asus created something special when it launched the Eee PC series. But the idea of making a truly mobile and very affordable computer was well received by consumers. Although the Eee PC 4G 701, released in 2007, was a success, there were questions that spoiled the overall impression. With the Eee PC 900, Asus has done its job almost perfectly.

Model history

In the concept of simple laptop computer with SSDs and no moving parts, nothing new. With the 5 Psion series, the company introduced a handy device that could be used, for example, to type while sitting on a train. Then the manufacturer expanded the boundaries by presenting the world with the 7th series - a netbook.

Psion netBook managed to balance the main functionality, small size and long time battery life. Over time, however, full-fledged laptops became smaller and lighter, and end users wanted to have feature-rich operating systems. All this led to a decrease in demand for Psion (although its operating system EPOC OS continued its life as Symbian).

For a long time there were no devices like the 7 series and NetBook. Luckily, Asus realized that there was room in the market for a simple, affordable machine that didn't have to run the latest version of Windows, and the Eee PC netbook was born.

Frame

For those who have not heard of the Eee PC, some explanation should be given. This is a very small device measuring 225x165x35 mm and weighing about 1 kg. With such parameters, the model really belongs to the ultraportable sector. The device is designed for use on the go, does not take up much space in your bag. The netbook comes in two colors: pearl white and black, like Apple's MacBook. But this is the only similarity that connects them. The assembly of the body and hinges is of high quality, but there is no transport lock, so the device requires careful handling when carrying.

Display

While the chassis of the Asus Eee PC 900 matches that of the 701, it's enough to open the lid to see the first major difference. The screen took a huge step forward and gave the Eee PC an even more attractive look than its predecessor. The original netbook's 7-inch display was 800 pixels wide and forced the user to constantly scroll sideways on the vast majority of web pages.

In the enlarged screen of the PC 900 to 8.9”, this problem was corrected by increasing the image resolution. 1024 pixels wide allows you to display web pages without the need for additional manipulations. The full resolution of the display is 1024x600 pixels. This means that a wide format is used, like most full-featured laptops on the market.

According to user reviews, the screen quality of the Asus Eee PC 900 is excellent. The display, while not as light and bright as the Sony TZ, is evenly lit, has wide viewing angles, and doesn't suffer from dead pixels. It fills the netbook's lid much better than it used to - it looked tiny back then, with speakers on the sides and surrounded by wide black bezels. Along with the improvement in functionality, the aesthetics of the model also increased.

Keyboard

Considering the overall size of the Eee PC, it's no surprise that the keyboard is quite small. Anyone who can barely keep up with the reduced key sizes of traditional ultra-portable notebooks will not enjoy the Eee PC. If the fingers are thin, then there should be no problems with input. Surprised by the good travel of each key and Feedback after each press, which ensures that the finger bounces back and is ready for the next press. If there is a significant drawback, it is the reduced size of the enter key. While this can take some getting used to, users would rather have a normal sized button.

Touchpad

Below the spacebar is the touchpad, which is another change from the Eee PC 701. Not only is it much wider, but it also supports multi-touch. You can zoom in and out by spreading or pinching your fingers. Laptop users who are used to using the right edge touch panel to scroll documents, you will probably be disappointed to learn that the Eee PC 900 touchpad does not support this feature. But do not despair, because the manufacturer has come up with a much better way. Instead of moving your finger along the edge of the touchpad, the Asus netbook allows you to do so anywhere on the touchpad - all you need to do is use two fingers. Scrolling works in both vertical and horizontal directions.

Speakers

Asus has been criticized for its huge speakers at the edges of the screen original model. This time, the bezels of the display have narrowed significantly, and the speakers have moved to the base of the netbook. The sound quality is good, if you put the device on your knees, it becomes muffled.

Asus Eee PC 900 Specifications

There are some big internal changes as well, though the processor isn't one of them. Despite the fact that many hoped that the model will receive Intel Atom, this did not happen. The main platform has remained unchanged. The Intel Celeron 900 MHz and the motherboard based on the 915GM chipset don't perform miracles, but they do their job without any complaints. The RAM has undergone modernization - it has doubled and reached 1 GB. The webcam has also been upgraded from 0.3MP to 1.3MP - perfect solution for those who want their friends to see them better while chatting on Skype.

Other important update became the volume of the data warehouse. The 701's 4GB of internal storage is now available in 12GB and 20GB. There is no price difference between the two versions as the 12GB version comes with Windows XP pre-installed on the Asus Eee PC 900, while the 20GB version comes with Windows XP. Linux system. The manufacturing company used the money saved by installing an open source OS. source code, to increase the amount of ROM. Of course, there is an option to purchase a device with Linux and then just install Windows yourself.

Software

Users who have used the 20 GB Linux version are not sure if they need Windows XP. The beauty of the Asus Eee PC 900 lies in its simplicity, so there is simply no need to load it with a heavy OS, and most of the features that it offers will be unclaimed. Except when it is necessary to run such Windows applications, how Microsoft office, there is nothing that can't be done with the Linux version.

The Asus Eee PC 900 handles tasks with lightning speed where Microsoft's operating system users are accustomed to CPU-intensive work. Unlike Windows, 1 GB random access memory enough for a well-configured Linux build, and the fast SSD ensures the netbook responds instantly to all commands.

Working with Linux

Navigating the Linux GUI is incredibly easy. The user is dealing with a tabbed desktop, clicking on each of them changes the icons on the desktop. The first is called "Internet" and contains icons related to access to the World Wide Web. Among them is an email shortcut that opens a page with various icons. mail clients, such as Gmail and Hotmail. There are preinstalled Firefox browser, Skype and Google Docs. The messenger button will launch Pidgin, which is a multi-profile instant messaging protocol. Users especially like the fact that all conversations take place in one window with tabs for each interlocutor - this is very convenient when desktop space is worth its weight in gold.

The Work tab gives you access to OpenOffice, which allows you to edit text, tables, and presentations that can be saved in MS Office format. Here you can also find applications for reading PDF files, writing notes, and Thunderbird, which will satisfy all your email needs. The file manager is also located here, which basically corresponds to Windows Explorer and allows you to search through all folders.

The Education tab is clearly aimed at the education sector, which is a big part of the Eee PC market. There are games and software to help you improve your vocabulary, spelling and even math skills. There is also a basic graphic paint application, an analogue of the program of the same name in Windows, and the shortcut "Science" will open access to the periodic table and the planetarium.

The Game tab contains entertainment programs such as a media player, an audio file manager, and a webcam utility. There's a voice recorder and a shortcut that will unlock several pre-loaded games, including the obligatory Solitaire.

The Settings tab contains all system utilities and application settings. Here you can set the touchpad settings, change the date and time, control the use of disk space and the operation of the anti-virus system. The uninstall and add programs button is located right there and allows you to not only install or remove applications, but also check for updates for all available programs. Finally, the Favorites tab is where all your favorite links and shortcuts are stored.

Equipment

Asus has provided the netbook with a small neoprene case that will keep the glossy surface of the device intact while you carry it around. There is also a network adapter, a user's manual with entire sections devoted to working with Windows, a system recovery DVD with drivers for XP and a Linux installer.

Connectivity

Despite the very small case, the manufacturer managed to accommodate a surprising number of ports. On the right is the D-Sub interface for connecting an external monitor. Next to it are 2 USB 2.0 connectors and an SD card slot. Given the cheapness of flash memory, it should be noted that the presence of such a slot means that even if the Asus Eee PC 900 runs out of memory, its increase will not be expensive. On the left is a third USB 2.0 port. That's more than most full-featured ultraportables.

There are also headphone and microphone jacks. You can choose which headset to use: traditional or USB when working with a webcam in the pre-installed Skype application. Of course, there is a microphone built into the lid, but a headset is always the best choice. The last port on the left is the Ethernet connector for network adapter 10/100. It is worth noting that Macbook Air it does not have, despite the significantly large size. Of course support and wireless connection Asus Eee PC 900. WiFi is implemented according to the 802.11 b/g standard.

Battery Life

One area where the Eee PC 900 really doesn't outperform its predecessor is battery life. With the improvements the manufacturer has made, battery life remains the only flaw in a great design, but it's still a significant one. According to the manufacturer, the Asus Eee PC 900 battery allows the netbook to work 2.5 hours. According to user reviews, the charge is barely enough for 2 hours. wireless communication. Perhaps the optimization of energy consumption could extend the life to the time declared by the manufacturer, but even 2.5 hours is very little by today's standards.

Ideally, users would like to see at least 4 hours of battery life, especially given that the Sony TZ Ultrabook is capable of running for more than 6 hours. On the other hand, the Asus Eee PC 900 has a very small power supply, so it will not be too burdensome to carry it yourself. But this will not help much if you want to work in the garden or in the park where there is no outlet. Of course you can buy more powerful battery, but this will increase the cost and weight of the netbook. The Asus Eee PC 900 has a universal charger and is designed for voltages of 120 or 230 V, 50 or 60 Hz.

Conclusion

The manufacturer has made enough changes to make the netbook very attractive for those who are thinking about buying a small, thin and light laptop. Of course, these improvements increased the cost of the Asus Eee PC 900 - the price of the device rose to 23 thousand rubles from 15,000.

The manufacturer has done a brilliant job of updating an already great netbook. The engineers took all the comments about the original Eee PC and tried to satisfy them. The 1024 pixel wide screen makes it easy to use, especially if you spend a lot of time browsing the web. Additional operational and inner memory were a nice change and allowed the Eee PC to be a real alternative to full-fledged laptops.

Despite the significant price increase, Asus' small, light and affordable netbook is still a bargain.

I remember that morning in 2009 well. I was 14 years old and slept through school once again - thanks to FIFA 2009 on PSP, which I played all night. It became clear: either I’ll give up on games and restore the regime, or I’ll just become dumb and undermine my health.

Then I made a strong-willed decision and put up for sale a prefix that was not even a year old. It came with one disk, an expensive memory card (by the way, I bought it with the first money I earned), a plastic case, a charger and a box - it is not surprising that a buyer was found on the same day.

I didn’t have to bargain - after I quick check they handed over six thousand, and the PSP, along with the fifa, flew off to some guy. At first I was going to just put money in a piggy bank, but in the end I realized that I need to buy another, more useful gadget.

Decent phones for six thousand did not exist then (now there are also few). I already have a player. Cameras never excited. It’s useful to look at laptops - by, everything is from 15 thousand. And then I saw on the "Market" column "netbooks".

I poked it purely for the sake of curiosity, but fell into the world of hellishly cheap devices. For 10-12 thousand it was already possible to take a good computer - with Windows, a 10-inch screen and 3-4 hours of battery life. But I had only six thousand, that is, half of the required amount.

My parents refused to help - they were not satisfied with my monstrous grades. I had to pick out the most a budget option- he was found in some leftist online store.

It was Asus Eee PC 701, and in the most flawed modification. 2 GB of internal memory (a nightmare), a slightly shameful blue case, a 7-inch screen, but most importantly - an unfamiliar Linux instead of Windows.

But the netbook cost 6700 rubles. Somehow I begged for seven acres from my dad, ordered delivery, sat on the sofa to wait. A courier arrived, from which he stank of sweat, like from a company of soldiers - it seemed that the dude did not know about the existence of deodorant at all. I didn’t want to check the gadget in such conditions, so I quickly put the bills in and said goodbye.

In a small box was a tiny laptop. Before that, I had never seen him live, so at first I thought that they planted a toy on me, and now I won’t prove anything. But no - after I inserted the battery, the device turned on obediently.

The keyboard buttons and touchpad were designed either for gnomes or hobbits. The screen is for patient people: due to non-standard resolution, sites were displayed in such a way that they had to scroll not only vertically, but also horizontally.

At the same time, there was practically no negative - I was wildly happy that I had my first own computer.

That's what excited the most:

1. They gave a cover in the kit. Nice and soft daddy, in which the laptop fit just perfectly. It seemed that even if you dropped the netbook packed in a case, nothing tragic would happen to the gadget.

2. Linux has been incredibly optimized. Built-in applications (Skype, ICQ, Mozilla browser, Open Office, video player) did not slow down or freeze. For all the time I rebooted my EeePC 2-3 times. Warm hello to slow Windows laptops with an Intel Atom processor.

3. Netbook fantastically cheerfully pulled social networks: VK vids (of varying degrees of frankness), applications in the same social network. I hardly played Happy Farmer, but I came up with a cheating tactic in online darts: I drew two dots on the screen, hovered over there and knocked out 180 points 10 times out of 10. Two weeks of such gaming raised me to the first line in the rating of several thousand human. Then I calmed down with the games, remembering the fate of the PSP.

4. The computer charged in 2 hours and held the charge strictly for 2 hours at any load. Surfing, movies, text, ordinary standing on the table - it doesn't matter, he still endured 120 minutes.

On that netbook, I constantly did three things: I chatted (either in ICQ or VK), watched movies (just packs) and enjoyed pirated football broadcasts.

I even watched the great match between Liverpool and Arsenal (4:4, Arshavin's poker) with the help of a small 7-inch screen.

Unfortunately, there were things that were terribly annoying in a netbook. I didn’t like that applications had to be installed through some kind of repositories - on Windows this was easier. I was also angry that I could not play FIFA on the Asus - sometimes I still wanted to kick a virtual ball.

It is logical that after a year of use, I have matured to Windows installation. I did everything according to the instructions from some fan site, but Windows started up and hung. I decided that I needed to reboot and the netbook would come to life. Pulled out the battery, put it back - emptiness. Only a black screen and a burning light bulb.

No procedures helped the patient - even in two repairs after the diagnosis, they admitted that they did not understand what the problem was. There is only one scenario left - to put the netbook in the ads. My little friend left for 2000 rubles - for spare parts. For another 700 rubles, I sold a nice case.

It turned out that a year with the EeePC cost me 4,000 rubles. Did the gadget work this money?

Definitely. 100% .

I still sometimes remember that computer and think how great it would be if they released something similar now - ultra-affordable, but compact, fast and reliable.

There is, but it costs $ 400 and is still far from our market.

It turns out that all hope for chromebooks, but they are also in no hurry to the Russian shelves.

In general, the EeePC 701 legendary and unique- it's a pity that this Asus line has been closed for 4 years already.

Rate.

The year 2012 has already ended, and the final victory of tablet computers over netbooks, as most experts predicted, has not happened yet. Of course, tablets have squeezed out competitors, but there is no talk of completely ousting them from the market. Tablets are more convenient for surfing the Internet, watching videos and photos, but when it comes to use for work purposes, netbooks have a design advantage - the keyboard. Writing articles, compiling reports and graphs, in general, it is more convenient to work with text on any netbook, even considering the fact that there are options for modern tablets external keyboards. Why invent something when there is a ready-made working solution, which, moreover, will cost less?

It is not surprising that major market players continue to release workhorse netbooks, devoid of external gloss and glamour, crazy graphics, but very comfortable on long business trips and trips due to their low weight, relatively compact dimensions and power, which is enough for office applications. .

In this article, we are reviewing ASUS 1015, a 2012 device that opened a new series and gave the company a chance to become a leader in the compact netbook segment. The model is produced in two versions - with the letters C and CE. The second is a little more advanced and expensive. We met with a simple version, but there are not many differences between them. This allows you to talk about two models at once in one article.

Specifications

CPU: Intel Atom N2600 or N2800 (1.6 or 1.8 GHz), 2 cores.
Display: 10.1 inches, 1024x600 pixels, matte.
RAM: 1GB or 2GB DDR3-1333.
Storage device: 320 GB or 500 GB.
Video adapter: Intel GMA 3600 (integrated graphics).
Communications: WiFi 802.11b/g/n.
Battery: 6 cells, 5200 mAh, or 3 cells, 2600 mAh.
Ports and connectors: 3xUSB 2.0 (there are options with 1xUSB 3.0), combined microphone and headphone jack, network port, HDMI, VGA, card reader.
Webcam: 0.3 MP
Operating system: Windows 7 Starter.
Dimensions: 262x178x21~34 mm.
The weight: 1.08 kg.

Housing, appearance

Design for a modern netbook is almost the most important thing. In an environment where the hero of the review and its competitors from Acer and HP have identical power characteristics, buyers have to make a choice according to other criteria. And appearance is the most important of them. ASUS has its own style, and almost all of the company's computers look like twin brothers. Knowledgeable people determine the brand even without a nameplate on the lid.

But it was with the 1015 model that ASUS launched a new Flare series, which finally received a slightly modified design. The body of the netbook has become flatter (although the side where the battery is located is still wider), the corners are not rounded, but rather cut. The sidewalls received a chrome finish and are more carefully designed. The general style is businesslike and concise, which, given the purpose of the netbook, is a plus: you don’t go to a club with it, but work with it.

However, there are color options. If the model with the letter C is produced in soothing colors (black, white, gray, red, brown and blue), then the CE has more “playful” shades (pink, lilac and aquamarine). Plus, in this modification, in some color options, the battery is painted in silver. True, it is not clear why.

Dimensions of ASUS 1015 are quite modest. For clarity, we photographed a netbook next to an ordinary book. It turned out to be a little larger and thicker (especially in its wide part), but it still fits easily into women's bag not to mention the travel suitcases. Weight - just over a kilogram - is also pleasing: such a computer can be carried around with you all day without any problems.

The build quality is traditionally high for ASUS. The gaps between the panels do not play, and the lid opening mechanism inspires confidence. The only pity is that the lid itself does not recline 180 degrees: the maximum opening angle is 130 degrees. Given the characteristics of the display, this may not be enough to work on your knees.

The most pleasant thing about the appearance of the netbook - finishing materials. Finally, a bright and terribly impractical gloss has a matte finish. It does not shine in the light, but it is convenient in everyday life. The most important advantage is resistance to pollution. Of course, you can stain any thing, but to work with this netbook, you do not need to wash your hands with soap and water so as not to leave prints on the case. For the most part, this applies to the top cover, but the plastic of the interior does not differ in soiling. Top cover, in addition to relative cleanliness, boasts good tactile sensations. The netbook is pleasant to hold in hands, which is good in any case.

The plastic on the back is rougher and more grooved. By appearance it should resist well not only dirt, but also scratches. We did not check the latter on a test instance.

Continuing the theme of design, let's say a little about the charger. It turned out to be very modest in size and harmonious in appearance. From afar, it can be confused with charging from a mobile phone. It is very convenient to take such an adapter with you on a trip.

Ergonomics and interfaces

If the design of ASUS 1015 has changed a bit compared to its predecessors, then the keyboard has remained exactly the same as we saw, say, in the 1215 model. The ASUS keyboard is quite specific. In terms of the location and purpose of the keys, it is very good. Unless the right Shift is slightly smaller than usual, but there are full-fledged arrows, for which a separate respect. The keys themselves are not small and do not require much getting used to. It is necessary only to their mechanism of work. A small stroke and specific sensations from pressing someone like it, but someone does not. These features are preserved from model to model, so if you have already encountered ASUS keyboards at least once, you have formed an opinion about them. It makes no sense to convey impressions in words - it's better to try once.

The touchpad is also made in the company's traditional style - the material does not differ from the rest of the panel. The touchpad borders indicate only two sides, but this does not cause any problems. There are no complaints about the operation of the buttons. True, some users complained that the touchpad is small, they say, you have to “point” very accurately. The author of this material did not feel any problems.

There are practically no keys above the keyboard itself. Only in the right upper corner power button. During the operation of the netbook, it is highlighted in blue, and this does not depend on the color of the case.

Interfaces on the sides are quite traditional. On the left side are HDMI, one of the three USB, D-sub, jack charger and a cooling system radiator. The right side panel contains an SD card reader, a combined audio jack, two USB ports, a Kensington lock and an RJ45 network. There are modifications in which one of the USB pair supports the 3.0 data transfer standard. There is no disk drive in any of the versions.

Accessories

Like all of its main competitors, ASUS 1015 is built on Intel platform Atom, codenamed Cedar Trail. Intel releases two third-generation Atom processors, N2600 and N2800, and both of them can be installed in ASUS 1015. The difference between them is like between two engines of a car of the same model: N2800 is a little more powerful, a little more gluttonous and a little more expensive. The last "slightly" just makes it more interesting compared to the N2600. The model we tested had the N2800, and I didn't want to change it for a younger brother, even if it could potentially work a little longer on battery power.

The amount of RAM on board can also be different. There is an option with 1 GB, and there is with 2 GB. We brush aside the first: one gigabyte of "RAM" for a modern computer is not enough even for normal work on the Internet and office applications. 2 GB is already enough. Another thing is that in this version there is a certain bias in the resources. The author of this material worked on a netbook equipped with an N2800 processor and 2 GB of RAM and tracked the use of resources. In most tasks, the processor power "ended" before the "RAM" was completely occupied. This is confirmed by the index Windows performance. The processor is almost the bottleneck (after the graphics), but the RAM is in the lead. But this is hardly a serious minus. "RAM" is such a thing that it is better to let it be an excess than a lack.

In general, the performance of the version that we tested is not bad: the system copes not only with all basic operations, such as web browsing, video and office tasks, but also allows you to edit images in Photoshop, for example.

The subjective feelings of the author of the material coincided with Windows score: the video card here is the weakest link. It is integrated - Intel GMA HD 3600. Its capabilities are enough to work with video and play HD format, but Full HD is already slowing down (on the other hand, why play Full HD on this netbook with its screen resolution?). You should also forget about resource-intensive games. It is clear that the price of ASUS 1015 requires savings even in comparison with the class of expensive netbooks, and it is logical that the video card fell under this savings. You don't need an expensive one to work.

Another rather weak point of the ASUS 1015 is the display. The ten-inch screen gives a resolution of 1024x600 pixels. For such a size, this seems to be the norm, but this is little consolation. If you don't have much experience with monitors of this resolution, then the need to use the scroll bar often will be annoying. Even in Word, you have to change the usual scale so that the A4 page fits completely in width.

This, however, is nonsense. The real problem is in the viewing angles. Everything is really bad here. What can I say, even if viewing photos and videos together is already uncomfortable. You need to look only at a right angle and nothing else. Plus, the screen has only one - it is matte, so there is less glare than competitors. However, we tested the version of the netbook with the letter C. According to reviews, the CE modification has a slightly better screen.

The model comes with two options hard drives: 320 and 500 GB. They differ only in price.

The netbook uses a six-cell lithium-ion battery. It has a capacity of 5200 mAh. The manufacturer claims that this volume will be enough for the owners for twelve hours of work, but this, of course, is a very optimistic forecast: if you really work, then even in economy mode you will get ten hours, which, however, is still a very decent result. By the way, there is a package with a three-section battery of a smaller volume. It is lighter, but we did not see much sense in it.

Above the display is a webcam with a resolution of 0.3 megapixels. In various modifications, the camera is the same, only in CE there is a mechanical shutter for closing, but in C it is not. Did you save? CE is also distinguished by the presence of Bluetooth.

The functionality of both modifications of the netbook is reduced in the audio aspect: they lost the second speaker, although all competitors have exactly two "columns". This affects the sound quality, but not the volume: ASUS 1015 has one speaker, but loud.

As a feature of the netbook, we note the minimum noise. The company's engineers managed to find a compromise between the temperature and the volume of the coolers. They can only be heard in complete silence.

conclusions

ASUS 1015 is a worthy representative of the class of compact netbooks designed to work in isolation from the main computer. Considering its class and price (about 10 thousand rubles), both performance and build quality can be considered quite good. Separate pluses are the design and the matte finish of the body and screen, which does not get very dirty and glare. The main disadvantage of this netbook is the screen. In any case, in modification C, which we tested. Whether this is a serious drawback and whether it is capable of forcing the model to be abandoned is up to the buyer to decide.

http://website/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_0799.jpg 559 1024 Alexander Nechaev http://website/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/logo_AN-1.pngAlexander Nechaev 2013-05-07 09:00:30 2016-05-24 20:06:40 Review of netbook ASUS Eee PC 1025

IntroductionOur laboratory has had a sample of sub Asus laptop Eee PC 900, the next model after reviewed in June Eee PC 701. However, we deliberately delayed the review of this product, as we expected a more advanced modification of the Eee PC 901 to appear on the market soon and in our hands, which is based not on Celeron M, but on a more economical specialized Intel processor Atom. However, the wait has been too long. Despite the fact that the Eee PC 901 is on sale in the priority markets for ASUS, deliveries of this miniature laptop to Russia have not yet been made. The reason for this, apparently, is the shortage of Atom processors, which Intel promises to deal with no earlier than the last months of this year. That is why we decided not to wait any longer, but to get acquainted with the ASUS Eee PC 900 separately from the Eee PC 901, despite the fact that these solutions are very similar. Moreover, as it turned out, ASUS is not going to curtail the supply of subnotebooks based on 90-nm Celeron processors. The company even announced another novelty, the Eee PC 904HD - a kind of analogue of the nine hundredth model, made in an enlarged case and equipped with a traditional mechanical hard drive. In other words, in the light of the latest realities, the Eee PC 900 is destined for a long life, and therefore it deserves a separate article, which, in fact, we bring to your attention.

Since the ASUS Eee PC 900 is a further development of the Eee PC series of subnotebooks, the ancestor of which was the Eee PC 701 we reviewed earlier, in this review we will focus primarily on the differences between the older model and the previous one. That is why we recommend our readers to be sure to read our previous review dedicated to the first revolutionary ASUS subnotebook.

Recall that in general, the Eee PC 701 made a favorable impression on us. The very idea of producing miniature, light and inexpensive laptops turned out to be very fruitful: as a gadget, the Eee PC 701 can be a great addition to a desktop computer, a traditional laptop and a smartphone. However, a detailed acquaintance with Asus's first-born in the Eee PC line revealed a number of unpleasant problems. The main disadvantages relate, of course, to ergonomics. Thus, the Eee PC 701 keyboard turned out to be uncomfortable, especially in the Russian layout, and the seven-inch screen with a resolution of 800x480 is far from ideal. Also, the hardware stuffing caused a certain disappointment: to work with the Windows XP Eee PC 701 operating system familiar to most users, there was a catastrophic lack of disk memory and not catastrophically - RAM memory.

From this position, ASUS Eee PC 900 can be considered as a "work on the bugs". Many problems of the 701 model have been eliminated in this representative of the ASUS subnotebook family. The new modification acquired a screen increased to 8.9 inches diagonally, a larger disk based on Flash-memory, and an increased amount of RAM. Are these changes enough to make an ultra-portable mobile computer running Windows XP more user-friendly? This is the question we will try to answer below.

Specification

First of all, let's pay attention to the specifications of the new model. For tests, we received an older modification of the Eee PC 900 with a 20-gigabyte hard drive, which is why we placed its characteristics in the table below. For clarity, this table shows specifications ASUS Eee PC 4G - the older model of the previous generation 701 with a seven-inch screen, which is already we have previously reviewed.

It should be added to the contents of the table that all those numerous improvements made in the ASUS Eee PC 900 got to potential buyers far from free. Currently, the prices for the models compared in the table differ by about 4.5 thousand rubles. That is why the appearance of the new model has not forced the old one out of the market: both the Eee PC 701 and the Eee PC 900 are widely available in retail at the same time.

Supply

Despite the fact that the ASUS Eee PC 900 is, one might say, a new subnotebook (or, as it is fashionable to talk about such products lately, a netbook), which is very different from its predecessor, the package contents have practically not changed: both the box and its the contents are the same. The laptop comes with a manual software for Xandros Linux and for Windows XP, a thick fabric laptop sleeve and, of course, a power supply.

By the way, among all this set, it is the power supply that deserves special mention. The fact is that the last modification of the subnotebook was supplied with a block combined with a plug, similar to mobile phone power supplies. The Eee PC 900, on the other hand, has a separate power supply, made in a more traditional mobile computers performance.

At the same time, not only the power of the block has increased, but also its weight, which is now 150 grams. So travelers who have chosen the Eee PC 900 as their companion will have to carry a total of 100 grams more than adherents of the younger model.

External changes

If you do not pay attention to the power supply, then in the closed state it is almost impossible to distinguish the ASUS Eee PC 900 from the Eee PC 701. These models are very similar both in terms of workmanship, size and appearance, as well as the location of the connectors. And although the new modification has become half a centimeter larger in one of the dimensions, it is absolutely impossible to notice this without applying one laptop to another.

Just like the Eee PC 701, the Eee PC 900 can offer three USB port 2.0, 10/100-Mbps network port, microphone input and headphone output, D-Sub connector for connecting an external monitor and MMC/SD card reader.

The only noticeable difference between the Eee PC 900 and the previous model is the lack of a hole for the modem connector on the case, which the previous modification of the Eee PC had, but was not used.

The main changes are hidden under the cover: there is a new improved screen, the diagonal of which is now not 7, but 8.9 inches.

At the same time, it should be noted that the dimensions of the lid of a miniature laptop have not changed much: the dimensions of the matrix have become larger due to the reduction of the edging around the screen and due to the removal of the columns that framed the screen on the left and right in the 701 model. The increase in size has practically no effect on the quality of the screen. As with the 7-inch model, the screen in the new 900 Eee PC has visual characteristics that are quite appropriate for the size and purpose of this miniature notebook. So, among the pluses should be noted the brightness of the backlight, which is adjustable over a very wide range (even larger than before), and at its maximum level the screen remains readable even in direct sunlight. As for the viewing angles, here, as in the previous model, there are certain complaints about the fading of the image even with small deviations of the view in the vertical plane from the normal to the screen. Also leaves much to be desired and the quality of color reproduction.

However, the listed shortcomings of the 8.9-inch matrix should hardly be considered critical, despite their apparent seriousness. A notebook of the size of the ASUS Eee PC 900 is not intended to be used in situations where the accuracy of color reproduction and their hue is really critical. When working in typical office applications or Internet surfing, the screen performs more than decently. Especially if you take into account its increased resolution, which has grown to 1024x600. Now Windows XP (not to mention Xandros Linux) looks quite organic on the ASUS Eee PC 900: the vast majority of standard dialog boxes. The display of the vast majority of websites can also be called adequate: a horizontal resolution of 1024 pixels is now considered the minimum for which sites are optimized.

As noted, the enlarged screen forced the developers of the Eee PC 900 to remove the speakers from the inside of the cover - now they are in the bottom of the case and pointing down. Naturally, this negatively affected the quality and volume of the sound they reproduced. However, it is obvious that acoustic system any subnotebook - and not only "sub" - will not be able to suit music lovers by definition. To listen to the standard operating system notifications or to accompany the soundtrack of YouTube videos, the existing speakers are enough. So, as in the case with the screen, we must state that the ASUS Eee PC 900 sound system is fully consistent with the mission assigned to it.

The same words can be said about the webcam, traditionally located above the screen. Although its resolution has been increased to 1.3 megapixels compared to the Eee PC 701, the lack of sharpness adjustment makes it possible to use it only for video conferencing. But the microphone built into the laptop is now placed next to the webcam and picks up the voice of a person sitting in front of the computer much better than the microphone in the Eee PC 701, which had an output on the bottom surface of the laptop.

We've been waiting for ASUS to provide their Eee PC 900 with a different, more comfortable keyboard. But nothing of the sort happened: the updated model of the ASUS ultra-portable computer is equipped with the same awkward keyboard as the Eee PC 701: with letter buttons of different sizes and no dedicated cursor keys. Even the Russian letter "P" is again applied to the corresponding button in a distorted style. The mechanical part has not changed either: during operation, the buttons rattle slightly, and the keyboard itself flexes and creaks unpleasantly.

But the touchpad has undergone major changes for the better. In the new model, it has not only become larger - its dimensions have grown to 63x37 mm, in full accordance with the increased screen resolution - but also more convenient. The keys are now softer and more comfortable, but most importantly, the touchpad has acquired support for multi-touch technology (multi-touch, support for processing simultaneous touches with multiple fingers). In other words, like Apple iPhone or a MacBook Air, the ASUS Eee PC 900 understands a basic set of two-finger gestures, including scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, and pinch-to-zoom.

Hardware changes

There were not so many changes in the hardware of ASUS Eee PC 900 compared to Eee PC 701. A much more advanced solution in terms of hardware looks like the next Eee PC with model number 901, based on the Intel Atom. The miniature computer considered in this review is based on absolutely the same Ultra-Low Voltage processor Celeron M 353 of the Dothan generation, produced according to the old 90-nm technology, like the Eee PC 701. The nominal frequency of this processor is 900 MHz, the supply voltage is 0, 94 V.

As you can see from the screenshot above, the processor in the ASUS Eee PC 900 runs at its nominal parameters, and not at a lower frequency, as in the ASUS Eee PC 701. However, this is true only as long as the Eee PC 900 is connected to the network. When switching the power to standalone, the processor frequency drops to 630 MHz - the value that was standard for the previous modification of the Eee PC.

Since the Celeron M 353 multiplier is fixed at 9x, and this processor does not support any power-saving technologies, the processor frequency has to be reduced by reducing the bus frequency from 100 to 70 MHz.

The amount of RAM in the new modification of the Eee PC is doubled, up to 1 GB. However, the used DDR2 SDRAM again does not work in the most efficient single-channel mode.

Some growth bandwidth is provided by the increased memory frequency, which now runs at a fair 400 MHz when using 3-3-3-8 timings. However, we should not forget that the SDRAM frequency is always synchronized with the bus frequency. Therefore, when switching to battery power, when the FSB frequency is reset to 70 MHz, the memory frequency is also reduced to 280 MHz.

The interaction between the processor and memory is provided by the Intel 910GML chipset, there are no differences from the Eee PC 701 here. Accordingly, the built-in northbridge of this chipset is responsible for the graphics output. Intel core GMA 900. But, despite the use of the same video accelerator, the Eee PC 900 shows in practice more high speed work with graphics due to the increased frequency system memory, which is used by this graphics core and as video memory. This, given the larger screen resolution of the Eee PC 900, is most welcome.

However, to expect from the built-in graphics core four years ago, acceptable by modern standards of performance is clearly useless. Its power is only enough to run old, undemanding games for a 3D accelerator, the list of which, nevertheless, is very impressive. The main advantage of the GMA 900 in this implementation is the ability to connect external monitors with resolutions up to 1600x1200 to the Eee PC 900 (however, the laptop's video output is unlikely to provide a clear image at resolutions higher than 1280x1024).

The south bridge of the chipset is ICH6-M. Two SSD drives are connected to its IDE controller, with a capacity of 4 and either 8 or 16 GB. It should be noted that the first of them is physically soldered to motherboard, and the second is made as a daughter board with Mini PCI-E interface and can be replaced. Due to this, ASUS offers modifications of the Eee PC 900 with a second disk of different sizes (depending on the pre-installed operating system). Access to the SSD card, which acts as a second drive, is possible through the hatch on the bottom surface of the case.

In this compartment, in addition to the SSD connector, there is also a SODIMM slot with a memory module installed in it, which can also be replaced with a more capacious one. Note that despite the fact that the i910GML chipset supports dual-channel memory mode, the Eee PC 900 has only one SODIMM slot. Therefore, the memory in a laptop in any case will only work in single-channel mode.

The rest of the hardware is of little interest, it does not differ from the contents of the Eee PC 701. This, unfortunately, means that the novelty inherited from its predecessor and another significant drawback - the lack of Bluetooth support. Thus, the connection of this modification of the Asus ultra-portable computer with cell phones and many other devices without a separate USB key fob is impossible. Initial support for this wireless interface is implemented only in the Eee PC 901 and newer models.

The Eee PC 900 sold in Russia has one more flaw, which is simply impossible to pass by. Most of these subnotebooks, such as the one we received for testing, ship to our country with the weakest battery of all options: with a capacity of 4400 mAh.

And if for the Eee PC 701 such a battery is still allowed to work for more than two hours, then a newer and more productive modification with a large screen loses a lot of autonomy because of it. And although the supply of Eee PC with such defective batteries is a forced measure, due to the consequences of a fire at the LG Chem factory that produces batteries for the ASUS Eee PC under an OEM contract, this does not justify ASUS in the least. Not only are laptops with the worst batteries supplied to our market, but also this unfortunate fact is not reflected in the packaging, while on the official website of the company, data on battery capacity and battery life are bashfully omitted.

Testing

We received for testing the model ASUS Eee PC 900, equipped with a 16-gigabyte hard drive. This means that the Xandros operating system (Linux clone) was preinstalled on this subnotebook. This fact should not scare potential Eee PC buyers at all, since this system has a user-friendly graphical interface and is already equipped with about forty applications, including the OpenOffice office suite, Firefox browser, media player, and more. In addition, there are many programs that can be installed additionally. Applications are sorted into "Internet", "Work", "Learn", "Play", "Settings" and "Favorites" groups, marked with arshin-sized icons that appear on the screen immediately after turning on the Eee PC. As a result, from the pre-installed Xandros one gets the impression that this system is even easier for inexperienced users to master than the Microsoft products familiar to most.

We installed the Eee PC 900 on this ultra-portable computer for testing. operating system Windows XP. It's almost certain that most Eee PC owners will do the same. Moreover, contrary to popular belief, the Windows laptop XP is no slower than Xandros, and if Windows optimization XP to spend some time, then from this operating system you can achieve even noticeably more agile response to user actions.

In our previous article on the Eee PC 701, we found that the performance of this machine is quite sufficient to perform typical tasks: work in office packages, Internet surfing, video conferencing, watching videos and so on. Now let's look at specific numbers. To evaluate the speed of the Eee PC 900, we used the popular Futuremark PCMark05 test. Performance was evaluated in two modes: productive, when the processor and memory operate at full frequency, and in energy-saving mode, with reduced frequencies. Recall that the latter is turned on automatically when the ASUS Eee PC 900 switches to battery power. By the way, in this state its performance practically does not differ from the performance of the Eee PC 701, which uses the processor and memory frequencies reduced to the same values in the normal mode.

The results show that the Eee PC 900 is a fairly balanced system, with a clear dip in terms of graphics performance. However, many older 3D applications will be able to run on this notebook, as evidenced by the 3DMark2001 SE and 3DMark03 results. We tested the Eee PC 900 at its native resolution of 1024x600, so next to the test results are the same results from the EeePC 701 at 800x480.

In performance mode, the EeePC 900 outperforms its predecessor despite the increased screen resolution. Thus, we can say that the EeePC 900 has become not only more convenient than the EeePC 701, but also faster in all respects due to the increased frequency of the memory and processor.

It should be noted that the speed of the first SSD (with a capacity of 4 GB) has also increased in the new subnotebook, which was achieved by changing the controller that serves the flash memory chips. This is clearly seen in tests, for example, in HD Tune.

At the same time, the second, 16-gigabyte disk, unfortunately, has somewhat worse practical characteristics.

In the course of tests, we again encountered a fairly strong heating of the EeePC 900 case. The fact is that, like in the previous model, the heat generated by the processor and chipset components is dissipated by an aluminum plate located under the keyboard. To further create airflow inside the subnotebook, a small centrifugal fan is used, which has an exhaust on the left side of the case. However, the surface of the keyboard and touchpad may reach temperatures of over 40°C during operation. The remaining parts of the case during intensive work of the laptop from the network have a temperature of about 35-37 degrees. As for the internal temperature of the Eee PC 900, if you believe the readings of the built-in sensor, it does not exceed 71 degrees, a considerable merit of which belongs to the timely activation of the fan.

And, finally, the most interesting thing is the measurement of battery life. We conducted these tests at maximum screen brightness. Built-in webcam and network wireless adapter switched off during testing. For testing, we used the BatteryEater program, which simulates two typical scenarios: standard loading and text reading. To these two tests, we added a third, during which we measured the battery life of the Eee PC while watching DivX video recorded on the built-in SSD.

Oddly enough, the Eee PC 900 turns out to be able to work on a standard 4400 mAh battery for deliveries to Russia for significantly more than two hours. To be honest, we did not expect such results, especially in light of the fact that the first tests of this modification of the subnotebook revealed much lower battery life. However, ASUS engineers have done a lot of work and significantly improved the autonomy of the netbook. simple updates BIOS. So, it was the new firmware versions that began to reset the FSB frequency by 30% when switching to battery power, and in addition, they corrected the algorithms for determining the state of the battery. As a result, the battery life of the 900th Eee PC model has increased to values that are no longer deplorable, although they are still insufficient for a full-fledged ultra-portable solution.

However, the main problem with running the Eee PC 900 on battery power is by no means insufficient battery life. Much worse, in this mode, the laptop behaves completely unpredictably, reporting strange and misleading information about the remaining battery charge. For example, below is a battery drain graph based on the information reported by the laptop while watching a DivX video file.

As you can see from the graph, more than half of the time the battery shows a 20 percent remaining charge. But despite this, it continues to work properly until it turns off without additional warning. This battery behavior is unforgivable even for an inexpensive mobile device, since user misinformation can easily result in the loss of vital information. That is why the battery of the Eee PC 900 greatly spoils the impression of this, in general, not a bad product. Batteries of a larger capacity, although they are sold separately from the Eee PC, are sadly rare.

conclusions

Reviewed by us a couple of months ago, the first representative of the Eee PC line, equipped with another seven-inch screen, left a lot of positive impressions. Inexpensive ultra-portable computer won favor with the very idea, forcing you to close your eyes to the not-so-good details. This is what makes it so abundant. positive feedback about the Eee PC 701, even well-reasoned objections to which are hopelessly lost among the general jubilation of fans of ASUS subnotebooks. Nevertheless, we must remind you that the ASUS Eee PC 701 was far from perfect: in our review, we made a lot of claims against it. And in this sense, the new model, the Eee PC 900, is of great interest, since it is an update of the previous model, correcting many of the unpleasant shortcomings of its predecessor.

Obviously, the Eee PC 701 was assigned the role of a kind of pilot product, the main role of which was to test the soil for creating a new market niche - low-cost, low-power ultra-portable notebooks. And with this role, that model did an excellent job. She not only gained unprecedented popularity, but also became a role model for many other manufacturers who began to copy the Eee PC and try to develop this direction in their own way.

However, the ASUS developers have made other conclusions from the popularity of the first Eee PC model. As practice has shown, low cost is not a very important characteristic for this breed of laptops. After all, initially the price of laptops with a seven-inch screen should not have exceeded $200, but as a result, it turned out to be in the fork from 300 to 400 (at the moment in Moscow retail - about 9.5 thousand rubles). However, this did not prevent the subnotebook from becoming a bestseller. Therefore, ASUS quickly realized that it’s not worth worrying too much about the price, and you shouldn’t sacrifice functionality too much for the sake of a profitable price - the price gap between the Eee PC and ordinary “full-fledged” subnotebooks will in any case remain large enough to attract a buyer.

It was this kind of marketing soil that lay under new model Eee PC 900. As a result, the developers made it the way they think a computer of this class should be. And the fact that the price of this ultra-portable computer has risen to $ 550 ( about 14 thousand rubles in Moscow retail) - this is, excuse me, a side effect. But the new version by no means can be called a victim of compromises.

As a result, the Eee PC 900 retained all the positive qualities of the model with a seven-inch screen: first of all, compact size and low weight. In addition, the Eee PC 900 is more productive with more processor speed and more RAM, and more user-friendly with a new 9-inch screen. The matrix resolution is now 1024x600, which finally allows you to comfortably visit websites and work without problems in the Windows XP operating system. It turned out to be very useful and added disk space, which allows you to install on a laptop not only an uncut operating system, but also full set required applications along with all relevant data. It should be noted that another huge plus of the new modification is the touchpad, which now supports two-finger gestures, thanks to which it has become by no means an attempt to replace the traditional mouse, but a completely full-fledged navigation tool.

However, the new nine hundredth model still did not solve all the problems of the Eee PC. The laptop was left without the necessary support for Bluetooth technology for an ultra-portable device. Its keyboard with its layout and workmanship causes more complaints than positive emotions. Yes, and a regular battery with a capacity of 4400 mAh can not be called otherwise than a mockery of the user. The Eee PC 900 not only depresses with its short battery life for ultra-mobile devices in “heavy” modes, but also frightens with the fact that the battery charge end time is absolutely unpredictable, as standard diagnostic tools simply misinform.

So ASUS has room for improvement of the Eee PC. There is also some freedom for the competitors of this company, which can still bypass the founder of a new class of mobile products, as they say, “on the turn”. In addition to addressing these shortcomings, we would be happy if the Eee PC acquired support for, for example, touch screen. Well, that we are looking forward to the opportunity to try in practice netbooks, which are based on new processor Intel Atom, you don't have to stutter.

In other words, the emergence of ASUS Eee PC 900 has not yet put an end to it, so we continue to closely monitor the development of this concept and will soon introduce you to new similar solutions offered by both ASUS and its competitors.

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Model history

Frame

Display

Keyboard

Touchpad

Speakers

Asus Eee PC 900 Specifications

Software

Working with Linux

Equipment

Connectivity

Battery Life

Conclusion

Specifications

Housing, appearance

Ergonomics and interfaces

Accessories

conclusions

Specification

Supply

External changes

Hardware changes

Testing

conclusions

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