Product Listing

The ASUS Eee PC 900 Reviewed

By Aloysius Low - 30 Apr 2008

Conclusion

Keeping it Safe by Playing it Safe

Sometimes, keeping the same formula can be a good thing, and in this case ASUS has taken an already popular product and given it an update that puts it in good stead against its current crop of competitors. The updated screen of the ASUS Eee PC 900 puts it squarely against HP's Mini-Note, and its more affordable price point, better processor and lighter weight does give it an edge when you stop to think about it. Also, the battery life of the Eee PC 900 is something to take note of, outlasting HP's Mini-Note with just a high capacity 4-cell battery (as compared to the 6-cell battery on the reviewed Mini-Note); it's also one of the most portable devices we've had the chance to review in recent times.

As such, the portability of the Eee PC 900 is a big plus factor in their favor. It's not only light, it's also lasts for a quite a while more than usually expected. However, its limited storage capacity works against it here, though there's always portable flash drives to supplant this need somewhat. Other plus factors of the Eee PC 900 include the newer features like the 1.3-megapixel webcam and the multi-touch trackpad (which probably needs more tweaking of the software to get the kinks out).

Fans of the ASUS Eee PC series however, will find that there's really nothing new about the Eee PC 900. Sure, there are some changes to the device, such as the noticeably larger 8.9-inch LCD screen, or the not-so-noticeable increased length of the Eee PC 900. These cosmetic changes however, do not hide the fact that the Eee PC 900 essentially retains the look and feel of the original series, to the point of keeping the same cramped keyboard design that we weren't too fond off. ASUS is definitely sticking to the safe but uninspiring side of things where design is concerned.

Even the hardware of the Eee PC 900 suffers from the same concerns as there's nothing really new but minor numerical updates to the previous series. Sure, the RAM and storage capacity is at least doubled, but underneath it all, powering all your applications is still the same old Celeron processor that was used in the previous models as well as the platform. You'll probably be thinking by now that we're obviously writing off the Eee PC 900, but in fact, we're not. We're just iterating the fact that fact that there's nothing really more to expect out of the Eee PC 900 than what you're already aware of since it's just a minor update to the original.

Sleek and light, the ASUS Eee PC 900 does have it strengths and weaknesses, but it really is a shining example of a very portable netbook.

ASUS has always been very receptive of their customer feedback, and the Eee PC 900 reflects this business philosophy well. Things like moving the ugly front panel speakers to the bottom (for a bigger screen while keeping to the same overall physical form factor) and the improved battery adapter only proves that ASUS does take its feedback seriously when it comes to the details. In taking into consideration such feedback, ASUS has definitely improved upon an already winning formula of the previous Eee PC series and will possibly attract a new batch of consumers to their doorsteps. How it will hold up to HP's Mini-Note or the upcoming MSI's Wind and Dell netbooks for consumer dollars remains to be seen as it is still early days with several new players yet to enter the scene. Plus this is an actively developing space for the current period, so we expect several updates and announcements for this segment throughout the year. No doubt we'll be keeping a keen eye on these exciting developments, so do watch this space.


Note: The ASUS Eee PC 900 will be retailing for S$798 locally and customers who have already bought a unit should check to see if they have been given the older 4400mAH battery, as ASUS is offering a replacement program for an improved higher capacity 5800mAH battery for longer battery life. Eligible users can contact ASUS (Sonia Siow) at 6622 8883 SINGAPORE ONLY during working hours to register for the replacement program. For other regions, please check with your respective local distributors.

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