Full Review
Features and Design New Intel CPU More Storage Bigger Screen The OS situation Ports, Connectors and Extras
If you thought the original Asus Eee PC was cute, but were waiting for something with a bit more of everything, the 901 will be right up your alley. Though it’s been improved in many ways, it’s still a very small notebook, and is still primarily designed for web surfing and light productivity.
At the heart of the new Eee PC is Intel’s new Atom processor, which is clocked at 1.6GHz and designed for ultra-mobile PCs and handheld computing devices. It is a radical departure from the previous notebook, which was powered by a more conventional low-voltage Celeron processor, and should provide a decent boost on the number crunching side of things. The 901 also has 1GB of DDR2 memory (the previous model had 512MB) in its single DIMM slot, and it can be upgraded to 2GB of memory, but you really won’t need that much with either XP or Linux.
Though the original Asus Eee PC was offered in both 4GB and 8GB varieties, that’s still not a lot of storage these days, and so Asus has upped the internal solid state hard drive’s capacity to 20GB. Asus has partitioned the drive into two partitions, a 4GB partition for the operating system and a 16GB partition for the “my documents” portion of the operating system. When it comes to optical storage, the 901 does not have an optical drive due to its small dimensions, just like its predecessor.
Despite all the changes under the hood, the change users will notice most is the larger display, which has been increased in size from 7 inches to 8.9 inches. Asus has done this by moving the speakers from the edge of the display on both sides to underneath the notebook. Whether or not 8.9 inches is a big enough screen for you depends on your personal tastes, but it’s safe to say it’s a major improvement over the 7 inch screen, which was just too small in our opinion.
Unlike the previous Eee PC, you can now order the 901 with either Linux or Windows XP Home. Both configurations cost the same price, but there’s a difference between them. If you go the Linux route, you get the 20GB solid-state drive. If you opt for XP, you’re limited to a 12GB drive. Of course, just like before Asus provides XP drivers on a CD even if you order the Linux version, so you can always install XP over Linux if you choose to do so.
Just because the Eee PC is so small and affordable, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a barebones notebook stripped of amenities and expansion options. Quite the opposite is true, as it features three USB ports, an Ethernet port, VGA-out, an SD/MMC card reader, headphone and mic jacks and a Kensington lock slot. It even features an 80211.n wireless card, and has a 1.3MP integrated webcam. And just like the previous model, it comes with a soft fabric carrying case to keep its glossy exterior free from scratches while in transit.
Despite being “upgraded, “the new Eee is still extremely small and light, weighing just 2.1lbs.
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by Kylie Nexis on November 14, 2008:
“I use Windows XP with my 901, it was more expensive but I've found it's worth it. For such a small, compact system the 901 runs quickly, as long as you don't overload the memory. I'm using an external hard drive to handle most of my document, music and...” More...