Asus Eee PC: 900 Review

The Eee PC 900 is the latest model in this range of ultra-portable notebooks. Its specifications are designed to address the main drawbacks of the earlier 701 series models:

• Bigger screen with higher resolution (1024 x 600) means you can view most web sites and documents without horizontal scrolling.
• More storage space (20GB with Linux model, 12GB with Windows XP model).

The Eee PC 900 is very slightly bigger than the 701 series, measuring 22.5cm (8.9") wide, 17cm (6.7") deep and 3.38cm (1.3") in height. It still weighs just under 1kg, so it's just as ultra portable as the earlier models. In fact, until you've seen one in the flesh, it's impossible to visualize just how tiny it really is.

You can choose to buy the Eee PC 900 either with the Linux operating system installed or with Windows XP if you prefer.

Asus have kept the price the same for both models, but to account for the fact that Linux is free while Windows XP is not, you will get 20GB of built-in storage with the Linux version, but only 12GB with the Windows XP version. The storage is partitioned into 4GB plus the remaining 16GB or 8GB depending on model.

Of course, there's nothing to stop you buying the Linux model with 20GB and then installing Windows XP on it yourself. This is what I initially intended to do with my Eee PC 900, but the more I see of Linux the more I think I'll probably try and do without Windows XP. The drawback for me is that there are one or two programs which I use that won't work on Linux. I'm going to have to see if I can manage without them, as I'd like to get to know Linux better.

My Eee PC 900 arrived yesterday. First off, I was surprised at how small and light the package was. When I opened it I couldn't believe how tiny the Eee PC 900 really is. Mine is the pearl white Linux version with 20GB of storage space.

It was surprisingly easy to get started and I linked into my wireless network straight away. The screen is sharp, clear and easy to read. I'm still getting used to the keyboard. It feels good and it's quite easy to get a reasonable speed touch typing, but I'm making alot more typos than I used to. The main annoyance is the right hand shift key, which is in an unusual position. When I want a capital letter I press the up arrow instead, and end up typing in completely the wrong place. I guess I'll get used to it.

I love the multi finger touch pad. I don't have to fiddle around with scrollbars any more, I can just stroke two fingers up or down on the touchpad to scroll. I haven't tried many of the other features yet, but the ease of scrolling means I'm no longer going to bother attaching a mouse like I did with my old laptop.