It seems that Asus has finally decided to spice things up lately. Traditionally Asus would release a certain ‘chassis’ and then build out model after model changing the internals slightly here and there. Now it seems that Asus is transitioning and trying to play with new models and designs. Trying to find the medium between subnotebook and the netbook craze that we are all so familiar with here at eeeNetbook.com.

Our Asus N10E Specifications:

• 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor
• 1 GB DDR2 Ram
• Microsoft Windows XP Home
• 10.2” LED backlit display, 1024×600
• 160 GBB HDD
• 6-cell, 4800mAh
• 3xUSB 2.0, 1 VGA, Kensington lock

Initial Impressions

We are extremely happy with Asus willingness to adapt and evolve with the times. This will keep Asus in a powerful position over the rest of the netbooks on the market.  In fact, we believe that Asus name has be redesigned altogether via this new netbook craze.

At first glance of the Asus N10E it’s pretty amazing, it looks like a higher end laptop but shrunk down by the Honey I Shrunk the Kids machine. It looks polished, clean and like a truly well designed netbook. This looks strangely similar to the HP 2133 that we are going to review next week (have the netbook, just the lack of time for a review before next week). Asus stuck with the traditional ‘chrome’ accents that we’ve been so familiar with.

All of Asus line, up until recently, were made of plastic. Some complained about this over the internet, but once you’ve really seen the quality of Asus plastic casings it is hard to complain. They really are top notch and we’ve never seen any imperfections, or weak spots that concerned us.  You can tell that Asus used high quality parts in this design, as with previous  generations.

Coming in at a little over 2 lbs this netbook is ultra portable, and ultra sleek. Sure it’s not the brushed aluminum that we loved with the Asus 1002HA, but its sure sleek and lightweight. Keep in mindn that it’s really one of the heaviest netbooks in the market. Although with a 6-cell battery, 10.2” screen, and a HDD over a SSD it really is no surprise. I will tell you though that those are nearly all necessary.

Input Devices

Asus has created a new little keyboard for the N series, in fact we were actually extremely impressed by the new design. You can tell that they listened to the previous users complaints over the flex found in the 700,900, and 1000 series.

Asus designed a very user friendly keyboard, allowing the ability to fit a larger keyboard in a smaller netbook is what sets apart this one from the rest.  The learning curve is practically non-existent and everything ‘flows’ right. A very pleasing design that we don’t often see with the smaller netbooks.

Asus also implemented a larger touchpad into the Asus N10E. In fact we firmly believe that it is one of the best, if not the best, touchpad found on any netbook. It’s really that good, extremely precise, and glides wonderfully. Fantastic upgrade over the Asus 1000 series and previous touchpads.

Display

Asus has continued to use the same LED driven display, although this time they chose a glossy finish over the matte finishes as well as a 10.2” WSVGA display that allows for  1024×600. The screens have literally never been a complaint with us, up until now. We much prefer the matte finish found on all the previous Asus netbooks. It allows for optimal viewing in direct sunlight, which is crucially important. We here at eeeNetbook love to enjoy the wonderful weather we have year round and use the balcony as often as possible. Within a matter of 5 minutes we were back inside since it was practically impossible to see the screen on a sunny  day. For us that would automatically remove us from ever purchasing the Asus N10E. However, once inside we were happy with the screen overall. The brightness was wonderful, the colors were vibrant, and clear images were always displayed.

Performance

The Intel Atom N270 processor has been used throughout the Netbooks for some time now. The Asus N10E comes without exception, and thus means that performance is very similar within the Asus lineup.  Since the Asus uses the N270 processor on the Intel Atom platform it comes equipped with the 945GSE Express chipset which includes the integrated graphics chip.

Emissions

Asus does a wonderful job at keeping their netbooks well circulated, efficiently without alot of noise.  The only true noise that is audible to us was the hard drive while it was in use. Under a certain amount of load, and demanding applications, the harddrive can become audible. Keep in mind though that it isn’t incredibly loud and annoying.

The temperature of the Asus was reasonable and never got too hot. The maximum tested temperature was a 37.5 Celsius. Nothing out of the ordinary and on the moderate side of things.

Sound

Asus stuck with their traditional design of speakers facing the bottom rather than on the sides in order to conserve space. This is great, but can cause a little trouble if you have the computer on your lap or have it on a soft spot rather than a desk.

The speakers themselves are made by Altec Lansing, and provide a wonderful sound quality not often found in a netbook or mini laptop.

Battery

The Asus N10E is known to have a good battery runtime, this is all due in part by Asus deciding to use a 6-cell over a 3-cell battery. This was good on Asus part as the 3-cell netbooks are going to be a thing of the past. With a 53Wh the Asus N10E is capable of 5 hours of battery life off of a single charge. Not the best we’ve seen but understandable considering the specs that this netbook comes with.

Under full load you can experience a little over 4 1/2 hours, while your general web surfing, with WiFi on brings in a steady 5 hour experience.

Conclusion

Most people would confuse what the Asus N10E really is intended to be on first glance. It’s really the hybrid between a mini-laptop and the netbook series. Based upon it’s Intel Atom processor it can be limited in functionality for those truly demanding applications. While on the other hand, we love everything else about this netbook. From the extensive connectivity, to the large and capable hard disk, and it’s ‘just right’ feel via it’s newly designed keyboard and touchpad.

Asus is known for making quality netbooks, and the Asus N10E doesn’t jeopordize that previous reputation. In fact, we are happy to see that Asus is taking their quality netbooks and taking them to the next level. Granted that the Asus N10E is one of the heaviest netbooks in circulation, it doesn’t come without good reason. A larger screen, keyboard, touchpad, and hard disc space allows for those of you questioning the smaller netbooks.

Hands down the Asus N10E is a wonderful netbook and won’t disappoint those users who purchase a netbook with the understanding that its a netbook, and not a desktop.

Things are getting downright confusing about the EEE lineup, in fact when we first heard about the new S101 we were confused why it was labeled with an S rather than a number, like the previous 1000, 900, or 700 series. We must say though that we are incredibly happy with our initial observation of this netbook.

Our Asus S101 Specifications:

• 1.6 GHz Intel Atom
• 1 GB DDR2 Ram
• Windows XP Home
• 10.2” screen, 1024×600, LED backlit
• 16 GB/32 GB/64 GB Solid State Disc
• 802.11n Wireless Adapter
• 3x USB 2.0, 1xVGA,1xLAN,2xaudio jacks

It’s apparent with the new releases, matched with the wonderful numbers, that Asus is truly living the wave of success with the netbooks. And it doesn’t come without blame either, Asus deserves it all as they are the only ones that have truly captured the netbook market and gone with it.

We are happy to say that it seems that Asus has finally created a netbook that can appeal to the ‘executive’ corporate types. The type of netbook that isn’t just targeted towards everyone such as students, and people on the move. They decided to ramp up the design, and make a sleek yet beautiful netbook computer. This can be apparent through the way they packaged the computers. All previous Asus netbooks were packaged in a white glossy packaging, that looked like it was packaged straight from Japan and not really targeted towards the U.S. market. The new packaging is great though, coming in a matte black cardboard box that is fully embossed with silver text. It seems like something that Apple would have packaged.

Executive is one word that can properly describe the Asus S101. From opening the box you are greeted with pristine packaging, and an even better looking netbook. Asus has always excelled at understanding what exactly the netbook market has been looking for.  Creating lightweight, small, and capable laptops that are available for the most competitive prices available.

One of our favorite things about Asus is how they identify what the consumer wants, and is asking for and then creates that product. The Asus S101 feels like a tremendous improvement over the previous Asus EEE series. It feels lighter, looks sharper, and has a sense of professionalism that the rest of the line up has seemed to miss.

One of the problems we had with the previous Asus netbooks (without recognizing it until now) is the feature creep that existed. With the ports running rampant on the sides of the computer, things got a little intense. Asus managed to clean up their act, and provide a universal experience of ports, what we mean by that is that they are found on the back, and sides now rather than loaded up on the left and right sides as before.

For example the SD card reader was moved from the very front, as found in the previous 1000 and 900 series to the very back of the unit. This may seem like a stupid transition, but it is extremely intelligent as most users do not need to see and have access to the SD card all the time.  The same can be said for the Ethernet port as well. Previously this was found on the back right side of the netbook. Now Asus has transitioned it to the back of the netbook, thus removing that bulky cord for those of you that need to plug an Ethernet cord in.

In congruency of ‘cleaning up their act’, Asus has now shaved that bulky battery down. Before the battery was slightly awkward, bulking out of the bottom of the computer. They managed to shave it down to create a sleek, and balanced look to the netbook. This allowed the new netbook to be thinner than any previous generation!

Keep in mind though that the shaving down of the battery doesn’t come without cost. The newer batteries don’t last nearly as long as the previous Asus 1000H which provided over 7 hours of operation, in fact we were only able to manage 4 hours of battery life with the newer smaller battery.

The keyboard and touchpad have been improved as well. The feel of the previous generations of the Asus netbooks led us to believe that there may have been a trampoline underneath the keyboards due to the flex and bounce that we frequently experienced. Matched with the location of the trackpad created a headache at times as we’d mistype and then send the mouse flying across the screen.  Thankfully the compact frame has eliminated any flex, and allows for a crisp and smooth typing experience.

Asus also spent time renovating the touchpad, making a congruent single click that allows for both right and left click without the previous split associated with it. It’s most likely the largest trackpad we’ve seen to date on a netbook. We really love the new trackpad and feel that its one of the best upgrades we’ve seen yet.

Unfortunately though we didn’t see much of an upgrade with the monitor. Coming in at 10.2 we thought that we’d see a slight upgrade in the resolution, although it is still only capable of 1024×600. Granted this is fine for most functions, although we’d really like to see a higher resolution!  One on hand though we are glad that they kept the matte finish and LED backlit displays that have been so great to us in the past. We are literally able to use the Asus netbooks in the brightest of So Cal days in direct sunlight! That can’t be said for many other netbooks.

Performance is more or less similar to the previous Asus series, keeping in mind the true origin of the netbooks to be a low cost, internet capable laptop. We have never really complained about the capabilities of the netbooks as they are able to complete 90% of the applications needed on a daily basis. Those that don’t work we have a desktop computer for.

Verdict

If you couldn’t tell by now, we highly recommend the Asus S101 as it is the best looking netbook we have seen Asus produce yet. We are glad that Asus has finally decided to take the right steps towards producing better looking netbooks. We know that the hardware will come to be what we need it to be, although the biggest flaw of the previous netbooks was the ‘netbook’ feel. Thankfully Asus has gone away from that and has started developing better looking netbooks. This netbook is sleek, stylish, and just downright done right. The executive feel, for a manual labor price. The battery life is good, but for those of you needing the best battery life possible should shy away from this netbook. It’s really the only downside, seven hours on Asus 1000H vs ‘maybe’ four solid hours on the S101.

Our Asus EEE 904HA Specifications:

• 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Processor
• 1 GB DDR2 RAM
• Windows XP Home
• 8.9” screen, 1024×600, LED backlit
• 160 GB HDD 2.5” 5400 RPM
• 802.11 B/G Wireless Networking
• 6-cell 6600 mAh battery
• 3x USB 2.0 ports, MMC/SD/SDHC Card Reader, Audio Jack in/out, VGA out

Those are some killer specs for a netbook, especially one that comes in as small as this one does. This netbook is a polar opposite from the Asus EEE 900 we recently reviewed. It seems that they heard the complaints of the 900 (small disk space specifically) and made some really crucial upgrades to make this one of the best 8.9” netbooks on the market.

ASUS Eee PC 904HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony

Build and Design

We have to say that we are extremely impressed by Asus, constantly upgrading their models and listening to the feedback from users and websites alike. It’s things like these that will help make Asus an ever growing company focused on long term business growth rather than short term crappy products. Thankfully they recently came out with this latest netbook that was produced nearly like the rest of the models. Understandably they had less room to work with as it is a smaller chassis than the 1000 series, but that doesn’t show upon initial inspections of the netbook. In fact, the really only noticeable feature that looks different is the size of the screen.

Asus used many of the similar features found on the 1000 series, such as the trackpad, casing material, matte monitor and chrome ‘trimmings’. Honestly a beautiful little machine and can go without many complaints from the eeeNetbook team.

Screen

The Netbook 904HA comes equipped with an 8.9” matte display boasting a decent resolution of 1024×600 (native resolution). Keep in mind it is possible for it to go up to 1024 x 768 although it requires screen panning from side to side to get the full width. Not really my cup of tea as it pretty much defeats the point of having a monitor at that resolution. As with the rest of the Asus netbooks the displays are LED backlit and have a wonderful matte finish. What most people don’t realize is the brightness capabilities of the screens as well as how nice the matte finish is. This allows for the screens to be used in the brightest of Southern California days. On every netbook we test we like to take the netbooks outside to see if we are able to see/use the netbooks (weather permitting). The Asus never have a problem with this and truly enjoy this ability, what’s a netbook without the ability to use them outside?

ASUS Eee PC 904HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony

Operating System and Software

We’ve noticed that the phasing out of Linux as an operating system on the latest Asus netbooks. We aren’t surprised although we’ve heard some pretty upset people that Asus isn’t really providing much Linux support anymore. Personally we’re Windows XP people and don’t mind that nearly every new model has Windows XP as the default operating system. We’ve heard reports as well of people even upgrading to Vista (why would you do this?) on the netbooks and not having much trouble with the transition. If you are considering this then we’d highly recommend upgrading your RAM to 2 GB.  We were able to boot the netbook up in a little over 30 seconds which was slightly slower than the Asus 900 we reviewed a few weeks ago. Not bad considering it’s a HDD vs the SSD on the 900.

Speakers

All of the latest Asus netbooks boast decent computers for a laptop, and great speakers for a netbook. Unlike the predecessor design in which had bulky landing strips of speakers on the sides of the keyboard the newer models feature the face down speaker design. This allows for optimal sound when the netbook is on a flat, hard surface, although creates a problem when the netbook is on your lap. Quality as stated above is great for a netbook but distortion can be heard at maximum volume.

ASUS Eee PC 904HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard is probably the best keyboard we’ve tried on 8.9” or smaller netbooks. Coming in at a mere 90% of laptop keyboards and boasting all the similar keys including F1-F12 (unlike the Dell Mini 9). The keys have a wonderful, light response and makes it feel like you are typing on air. Some people have complained of flex, although in every single netbook that we have reviewed we never have experienced this sensation. Asus adds the ability to use the function key as well, which will control things such as sleep, wireless on/off, adjusting brightness levels, and much more. These are extremely handy and we are glad that Asus has continued this support on the 904HA.

Asus trackpads are excellent and provide the gestures movement for various controlling aspects for heightened user experience. Gestures include zoom in/out, scrolling horizontally/vertically, and many more useful gestures. The only problem we encountered was the ’smoothness’ of the scroll in Firefox, and especially Google Chrome. There is a Firefox extension though that will help solve this problem though and we highly recommend it. Otherwise we cannot complain about the trackpad, it really is one of the best we’ve seen on a netbook yet (besides the rest of the Asus 900+ series).

Performance

For a non dual core machine, this netbook can sure do just about anything. The Intel Atom N270 Hyper Threaded processor comes in at 1.6GHz and has the ability to change speeds on the fly (more on that in a minute). Taking a look at the task manager some people might confuse this for a dual core processor. Don’t though, because this is a hyper threaded processor XP recognizes it as a dual processor in the task manager. It does ‘act’ similarly to a dual core, but is more of a virtual representation of one.

As stated above you are able to change the processing speeds on the fly via Asus Super Hybrid Engine. Being able to control this aspect on the fly is GREAT! That means that you really can get the best bang for your buck battery wise by being able to justify the processing power that’s needed for certain applications. Matched with the brilliant adjustable function keyboard option for brightness you can double your remaining battery life in a matter of seconds and no mouse clicks.

Battery

Utilizing the battery is what makes Asus stand out from the rest. Unlike other netbooks that don’t have the hybrid processing change on the fly, Asus built it in to allow the user to designate how long they need to use their computers for. For example, changing the brightness to 50% and the hybrid speed to the lowest processing setting we were able to pull out 6 hours on the 6-cell 6600 mAh battery! That’s absolutely stunning for a netbook.

Turning brightness to 100% and turning the processing speed to 1.6 GHz allowed for 3 hours and 45 minutes of battery time. That’s just about the norm for most netbooks so we aren’t displeased with this figure considering this was under extreme load, such as processing extensive programs, wifi, and even video play.

ASUS Eee PC 904HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony

Conclusion

This netbook is fantastic and just the fixes we needed form the 901, such as the hard drive space. For those of you that are looking for a larger netbook then we’d suggest the Asus 1000 series, specifically the Asus 1000H. Although those of you that are students, or want an ultra portable capable netbook then the Asus 904HA was made for you. It’s fully capable of lasting up to 6 hours on it’s 6-cell battery and can be used in the brightest of days outside. Light, portable and capable is what we think of when we hear of the Asus 904HA.

ASUS Eee PC 901 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 12 GB Solid State Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony

Our Asus EEE 901 Specifications:

• 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Processor
• 1GB DDR2 RAM (667MHz)
• Windows XP Home
• 8.9” LED screen, 1024 x 600 res.
• 12 GB SSD (4 GB onboard and 8GB PCI-E minicard SSD)
• 6-cell 6600 mAh battery

Build and Design

Asus’ task is never an easy one, to develop a small laptop that not only looks good but comes in at cheap reasonable prices. Asus had some criticism in their previous netbooks, criticizing the size of the monitors, and the operating system. They were quick to learn their mistakes and did what they could to fix it this round. The chassis seems to have the build quality of the previous versions, which is a good thing. No loose moving parts and everything felt sturdy. The plastics are of good quality and there were no visible cracks or problems that we could see. Taking a ‘quick’ look at the unit you may mistake it for a previous EEE netbook, although upon closer inspection it is noticeable that the unit has a larger screen, keyboard and touchpad.

Most people are skeptical of netbooks due to the low prices, fearing that build quality has been sacrificed. Thankfully Asus made sure that their design was not only built well but was also aesthetically pleasing. The EEE Netbook series is truly something unique and special in the computer market. Coming in at only two pounds and enough power to compare to a budget laptop the Asus truly is an amazing little laptop.

Screen

The EEE PC 901 comes equipped with an 8.9-inch display boasting a resolution of 1024 x 600. While the resolution may not be that impressive, the LED backlit display is. Of course we’d love to squeeze in a little more real estate as far as resolution, it simply isn’t possible at the time. Asus fixes that by the beautiful matte screen they used in the 900 series netbooks. Allowing for optimal viewing range as well as being able to be used in direct sunlight, this little netbook has quite a powerful monitor. We really can’t emphasize that enough, this computer can be viewed in direct sunlight due to its strong LED backlighting and matte finish. A blessing in disguise as we love to utilize our balcony here at eeeNetbook.com.

Operating System and Software

Thankfully Asus listened to the people and provided Windows XP as the operating system for the Asus EEE 901 Netbook. Surely Windows XP might not be the latest Windows O.S. but it sure does beat out Vista in our opinion. Considering that it is one of the most stable and robust of Windows OS in the last decade. The operating system boots from zero to go in a little under 30 seconds, making this a very fast booting computer. The linux variations on the older Asus netbooks booted up only four seconds faster than these new Windows loaded versions.

Speakers

When we first tried out the Asus 701 Netbook computer we were very unimpressed by the quality of the speakers. It was downright annoying how muffled and underpowered they sounded, not to mention the fact that they looked like landing strips surrounding the keyboard. Asus heard the complaints and not only beefed up the speakers, but put the facing the bottom of the computer. Allowing for a larger keyboard, although creating a problem if you use the netbook on your lap. If you use this on a hard surface though, we really cannot complain or expect much more out of a netbook.
ASUS Eee PC 901 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 12 GB Solid State Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony

Keyboard and Touchpad

Most low priced mini laptops that are on the market usually have horrible keyboards and significantly worse touchpads. Asus used to have this problem back with the 700 series, now though it seems that they finally corrected the issue. The Asus 901 keyboard is fantastic for a 9” netbook, it is roomy, and firm without the flex that other keyboards have.

In order to create such a small netbook the keyboard is not a full sized laptop keyboard, rather its a smaller equivelant (probably 90% of a normal laptop keyboard). It does take some getting used to in order to type at near optimal speeds. Those of you with rather large hands will simply give up most likely as the keys are rather small and compressed together which can cause error after error.

Performance

The Asus EEE 901 is a quick little netbook, with it’s Intel Atom 1.6 GHz processor and 1 GB DDR2 RAM. Understanding that netbooks are meant to be cheap, little laptop alternatives, you won’t find a dual core processor in these (just yet). This means that resource hog applications are simply out of the question, but just about 70% of the applications that you will need to run will operate just fine. Load time of applications is lightning fast due to the SSD, which provides virtually instant data access times.

Battery

The battery is great, especially matched with Asus ’smart selection’ processor options and the SSD vs a HDD. Under the Super Performance option, and ‘normal use’, using 100% brightness and wireless on we were able to pull out 4 hours and 30 minutes of use via the standard 6-cell battery. By lowering the brightness and turning the processor speed back to normal we were able to achieve 5 hours of use! That’s fantastic and means that most of us are able to have a full days work on a single charge. Thankfully the 901 comes with the 6-cell battery, which is an improvement over the 4-cell variations we’ve seen in other Asus netbooks.

Conclusion

We HIGHLY recommend this netbook for students, due to the SSD drive and the 6-cell battery and the outstanding 5 hours of battery life we achieved with ‘normal’ operating conditions. Coming in at 9” the netbook is just the perfect size to use at a desk, while still having room for a book as well. Other laptops and netbooks simply take up too much room and really can cause a pain. Although this light and portable 2lb netbook is just the solution for any student.

ASUS Eee PC 901 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 12 GB Solid State Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony

For those of you that require a larger disk space, and want a larger monitor and keyboard then we will have to suggest the Asus 1000 series over the 901. We had mixed reviews in the office of the 901 due to the smaller keyboard and lack of storage space. If neither of those are a problem, then absolutely get the Asus 901 Netbook.

ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Black

Our Asus EEE 900HA Specifications:

• 1.6 GHz Intel Atom
• 1 GB DDR2
• Windows XP Home
• 8.9” Screen, 1024×600 resolution
• 160 GB hard disk drive
• 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), 10/100 Fast Ethernet
• 4-cell battery

As stated above, this netbook was designed with alot of similarities of the 900 solid state versions. The width and dimensions has remained the same, although the width is larger due to the the screen and HDD versus the SSD. Keep in mind that its only slightly thicker, and really is worth the added HDD space. It’s evident how far Asus has come since the older 700 series with this model. The fact that they are able to squeeze in a larger screen, harddrive, and processing power while increasing the keyboard size and adding functionality is amazing! Way to go Asus!

Asus didn’t sacrifice build quality the slightest, the Asus 900HA is exceptionally built. Coming in a glossy black casing with chrome accents you get the feeling of a nice quality netbook. The hinge is chrome and very substantial while the screen doesn’t flex or wiggle like some laptops/netbooks do. As the models have progressed Asus has kept in mind the need for easy access upgradability so that their netbooks can shift with the times.

ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Black

The user upgradable components of the 900HA are easily accessible via the panel on the bottom of the netbook. Allowing for access to the hard drive and socketed RAM, which means EASY upgrades without getting frustrated or giving up before you start. This is one of our favorite features about this netbook, the fact that you can upgrade hardware easily without voiding your warranty. Upgrading to a 2GB of RAM and a 7,200 RPM 320 GB HDD has never been easier.

Display

We are so happy with Asus’ newer LED displayed monitors, matched with the matte finish you really can’t go wrong. We use our Asus netbooks on the balcony in direct sunlight days without a problem seeing the monitor, how is that for usability in nearly any lighting condition? The saturation of colors is superb and the monitor provides wonderful contrast. It’s alot of monitor for such a cheap netbook. Asus’ build quality is also reflected in the sealing and lack of backlight bleed. We’ve seen netbooks in which the backlight bleed is HORRIBLE and down right unacceptable. Not with the Asus though, our test model had no bleed through what so ever. Due to the wonderful monitor the viewing angles are excellent, you can literally view horizontally and still see the image. You don’t experience any washout or inverted colors when viewing at an angle.

Keyboard and Touchpad

In the older Asus netbooks, such as the 701, the keyboards were extremely prone to ‘flex’ which made the typing experience odd at times. Thankfully Asus must have heard the cries and complaints and the 900HA has little to no flex at all. The keyboard is solid, and we’ve heard that it’s 93% of a normal sized laptop keyboard. We would have to agree as it’s fairly sufficient for just about anyone after a little getting used to. Our one complaint of the keyboard is our typical complaint on the newer Asus netbook keyboards. The location of the right shift and the up arrow. Naturally you’d expect the right shift to be in the location fo the up arrow and it can get extremely frustrating. After a few minutes we gave up and installed a keyboard management software that allowed us to switch the up arrow and the right shift, easy and painless fix.

Elantech is the supplier of the touchpads on the newer Asus and we absolutely love them. It’s roomy, allows for touch gestures that are similar to the iPod Touchs/iPhone functionality. The drivers that the netbook come with are decent but upgrading them opens up even more possibilities. So update the drivers after getting this netbook and you’ll be thoroughly pleased. The mouse gestures include: finger tapping, scrolling, zoom and a few others which we never used that often.

ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Black

Performance and Operating System

The Asus 900HA Netbook comes preinstalled with Windows XP Home Edition (SP3). Not skipping a beat once the operating system works well with this setup. From stopped to boot the computer starts up in about 30 seconds, impressive for a HDD and Windows. We didn’t have many complaints regarding the stock setup of the Asus as it wasn’t overloaded with garbageware that some of the netbooks come standard with.

System performance is great for a netbook, coming with the Intel Atom processor means that it’s one of the faster netbook processors allowing for medium application usage. This netbook is a great solution for college students and those requiring mid range resource applications. Photoshop works fine, as well as the whole Microsoft Office fleet. Although if your looking to run Mathematica or other similar resource intensive applications then a netbook simply isn’t for you.

Ports, Speakers and Audio

The speakers on the Asus 900HA are great for a netbook. These are the best speakers we’ve come across yet in a netbook. Without opening the case completely we believe that Asus opted for a larger speaker in the additonal roomy case. Keep in mind though that these are netbook speakers and you will experience slight distortion at the loudest level. But again, these were the best netbook speakers we’ve come across. Our one complaint is the speaker location, which are faced toward the bottom of the netbook. Therefore they are optimal on hard surfaces, but on your lap it can muffle the sound.

The 900HA is equipped with three USB 2.0 ports, a single VGA monitor output, a headphone jack/microphone input, and an SD card reader, a Kensington lock slot and an Ethernet 10/100.

Battery Life

The battery life on the Asus 900HA is good to say the least, but it could be better. At 100% and hard usage we received a little under 4 hours of operating time. Although I’m sure that with brightness as 50% under the same conditions we could get 4 1/2 to maybe 5 hours out of the netbook. Equipped with a 4-cell 5200mAh battery it is comparable to most netbooks. We’d love a 6-cell though as found in the Asus 1000H to get that extra power that is missing. Keep in mind that battery lifespan versus the SSD models of other netbooks. Sure you may get some extra juice as a result of SSD but can you sacrifice the disk space? We couldn’t…

ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Black

Conclusion

The Asus EEE 900HA netbook is a wonderful netbook, solving all the problems and complaints we heard about previous models. Such as larger disk space, screen size, and operating system. Being that it is 8.9” allows for ultimate portability for any student or geek alike. Our larger laptops have simply become doorstops since we have purchased our netbooks unless of course we need that extra processing power. Although that’s only once in a blue moon that we need the extra processing power on the fly, we have desktops to do that. The harddrive space is wonderful, allowing to bring along a full library of movies, music and other entertainment to play on the fly if needed. We would suggest this netbook to anyone that is looking for a smaller netbook, with a larger disk space and that doesn’t need Wireless N or Bluetooth.

ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Black

Our Asus EEE 900 Specifications:

• 900 MHz Intel Celeron M 353
• 1 GB DDR2 RAM
• Windows XP
• 8.9” screen, 1024×600, LED backlit
• 16+4 GB SSD
• Wireless 802.11b/g
• 3X USB, VGA, SD card reader

The Asus 900 isn’t a revolutionary new netbook, but rather an upgrade over it’s sister the Asus 701 netbook. They learned and heard the complaints from the previous versions and decided carefully on how and what to upgrade in this newer model. The main upgrades came in the size of the monitor, from a 7” to an 8.9” screen and upgrading the previously painful 800×480 resolution to the new 1024×600 resolution screen. Finally the this netbook has begun to feel a little more complete, allowing for easier internet navigation and application usage. The problem was that most websites are designed for screens 1024, not 800. This creates a better and friendlier environment as a result of the larger screen.

ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Black

With the upgraded monitor came an upgraded lighting source. This time Asus decided to use an LED backlit display, in hopes of better power consumption and use in bright areas. In our netbook evaluations we like to work outside for a period of time in strong sunlight to determine if the netbook’s can truly be utilized in all fashions. The Asus EE PC 900 Netbook is no problem in these conditions, granted we needed to play around with the brightness but that wasn’t a big problem. Also the matte finish makes it a nice monitor for really any work light conditions.

As stated above, the Asus 900 wasn’t a whole new computer. Just minor upgrades to the monitor size, resolution and other little things. The basic components didn’t see much of an upgrade. The netbook utilizes the same motherboard with the old Intel 910GML chipset and the integrated GMA 900 graphics card. The processor is also the same Intel Celeron M ULV 353 we saw used in the Asus 701. Although this time it’s been bumped to 900MHz rather than the 630 MHz. The system though feels much more responsive thanks to the upgraded RAM. The upgraded RAM was an absolute necessity, allowing for more applications to work at the same time and being able to handle more demanding software.

We do have a complaint about the size of the disk space. We assumed that Asus was most likely going to use SSD as the disk space source but wish that SSD wasn’t as expensive as a traditional HDD. Coming in at 20 GB of space over two separate SSD’s, an 16 GB and a 4 GB. The smaller 4 GB SSD is used for the systems file storage and is protected, while the 16 GB is available for personal usage but the stats of the 16 GB SSD aren’t as impressive as the 4 GB.

Upgraded Touchpad?

Yes, Asus finally upgraded their touchpad and we are very happy with the new predecessor. With notably larger dimensions you can easily spot the difference. Not only did they upgrade the touchpad but they also implemented the ability to use gestures for various applications. Below are some pictures of the different types of gestures. By moving your fingers in different directions you can activate the Zoom tool, while bringing the fingers together will have the opposite effect. Moving your fingers together in the same direction will let you scroll either vertically or horizontally.

Tuning the Asus Beast

Since the Asus 900 can be considered a upgraded 701 we noticed the addition of the webcam to the top of the monitor rather than its older position on the hinge. The small webcam comes in a 1.3 MP versus the 0.3 MP found in the older versions. This was actually a very significant increase in the webcam ability, in the previous versions it was pretty much impossible to use it successfully due to its poor resolution and capabilities. While on the other hand this new 1.3 MP provides a good quality camera and gets things done well.

ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Black

Our Decision..

Coming in at around $400 and in two various operating systems, Linux and Windows the Asus 900 is something to be noticed. The main question is though can you justify the extra $100 price tag? Personally we say yes, with the increased screen resolution and size it is almost worth it all together. Add on the extra RAM and larger disk size and we have to say yes. If you considered the 701, then the 900 is right for you. Save the cash and get this one. We highly recommend it.

Asus Eee PC 2G HDD Blue Portable Celeron Laptop Computer

The Asus Netbooks series was first created to appeal to children, older users, and cheap computing solutions for less fortunate countries. The netbook craze made its way to main stream media, and here we are today with netbooks coming out almost daily. These lightweight budget laptops are great for students, teachers, and everyone alike. Making the ability to connect to the internet from anywhere and anyhow easy and convenient.

Our Asus EEE PC 701 Specifications:

• 900 MHz Intel Celeron Processor
• 512 MB DDR2 RAM
• Linux
• 7” screen, 800 x 480, LED backlit
• 4GB Solid State Disk Drive
• 802.11 b/g
• Connection Ports: Ethernet, Headphone/Microphone/Modem 3 USB, MMC, SD memory reader

This netbook was created with ease of use in mind, hence why it was equipped with Linux rather than Windows XP and the solid state drive over your typical hard drive. This was meant for ultimate portabilty, and long term battery life off of a battery charge.

Asus Eee PC 2G HDD Blue Portable Celeron Laptop Computer

The seven inch, 800 x 480 pixel screen is fairly easy on the eyes. Although any smaller than 7” and it’d be pushing it. In fact at times this can be pushing it depending on your age, and eyesite. The younger crowd won’t have a problem with this computer. Although those of us that are older could run into some trouble with it.

Overall the Asus 701 Netbook is a solid netbook and incredibly travel ready due to price, size, and lack of moving parts found in traditional laptops. Our white test model that was provided came with features an SD card reader, three usb ports, and a VGA external port on the right. The ethernet and modem connections, as well as the mic jack can be found on the left side. Due to the overall small nature of the netbook, the keyboard can feel cramped. We’ve heard that the keyboard comes in at about 90% of the actual size of a normal laptop keyboard. Although it really feels like 75% if you ask us. It takes some serious getting used to, and if you have the right hand size to operate it at that point.

Asus Eee PC 2G HDD Blue Portable Celeron Laptop Computer

Do we suggest the Asus 701 Netbook for you?

There are now many other variations of the Asus available on the market. If you can pick up the Asus 701 Netbook used for a discount and really need a netbook that can do the web-basics, and wouldn’t kill you if it was broken/dropped/or killed then I’d suggest this netbook. The real problem with this netbook is the lack of Windows XP, which in my eyes is a real deal breaker. Not to mention the lack of upgradability of ram, and the SSD due to them being soldered onto the motherboard.

ASUS Eee PC 4G (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Pearl White

We got our hands on the new Asus 4G Windows XP equipped netbook, which is currently available for $399, and thankfully this unit allows for a perfect transition to Windows without much performance loss or compromising the price point that we had become accustomed to. Although with most of our previous complaints we wished that they provided a little more storage space.

Our Asus 4G XP Netbook Specifications:

• 900 MHz Intel Celeron Processor
• 512 MB DDR2 RAM
• Windows XP Home
• 7” screen, 800 x 480,  LED backlit
• 4GB Solid State Hard Drive
• 802.11b/g wireless card
• 2 cell (4200 mAh), up to 3 hours
• 2 lbs

The EEE Netbook PC 4G XP uses the same exact ‘chassis’ of the previous Linux versions an dis offered in the same five different color schemes found in those versions. Offering the Galaxy Black, Pure White, Sky Blue, Lush Green, Blush Pink, so that regardless of your color preference you can find the one right for you. The system comes in at a small size of 8.9 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches, allowing the system to fit nicely in just about any carrying bag. It feelis like a small book, and coming in at 2 lbs it is hard to notice the difference.

The keyboard is small, due to the small 7” screen and dimensions, unlike the newer Asus models that have a 95% keyboard these are smaller at 90%. This takes a little getting used to, and those that have larger hands simply won’t be able to get away with constantly using this netbook. The mousepad was great allowing for smooth control and operation.

ASUS Eee PC 4G (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Pearl White

The 7 inch display comes in at a resolution of 800 x 480. and is extremely easy on the eyes due to the larger resolution. Although keep in mind that most newer PDA cell phones are coming out in the same resolution now and even coming close to the same processing power. The images were bright and colored well due to the LED backlit display and matte finish LCD screen. Although keep in mind that the lower resolution can create some problems when surfing larger websites/documents/applications. Asus attempted to combat this by offering an option to make the screen larger to 800 x 600 although that you will need to actually ’scroll’ across to see the remaining pixels. It’s kinda just an added feature that could work, but I didn’t find it at all helpful. The unit comes with a 0.3 megapixel built in webcam that allows for seamless use with any messaging program that allows video communication. But keep in mind that it does work, but will be extremely grainy and not of the best quality due to its 0.3 megapixel camera.

ASUS Eee PC 4G (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Pearl White

The Asus 4G Windows XP version comes with the Intel Celeron processor at 900 MHz. This is the same processor that you find in the other 4G Linux models. Offering 512 MB and a 4G SSD hard drive (soldered on) is nice, but sucks if you ever want to upgrade either (which is nearly inevitable). I wish they offered socketed RAM and SSD for future usability of upgrading like they do on the newer units. Remember that this is the Windows version so your free space is cut tremendously versus the Linux version. This means that you can’t install larger programs without having additional storage capacity by SDHC cards. It’s a shame that there wasn’t 8G of SSD to begin with, especially with Windows XP.

The Asus offers the following connectivity ports; headphone and microphone jacks, an Ethernet connection, an SD/MMC card reader, and three USB ports. It also offers an VGA port for external displays.

The Asus takes a longer time to boot then the Linux sister, although we weren’t surprised by that. The Windows XP version boots in about 40 seconds while the Linux version booted up in 23 seconds. The netbook had no problem of multitasking several programs, but remember that the lower resolution can make for an unpleasant web browsing experience. We were able to listen to music via Itunes, and do a little video messaging without much of a hang up. Unfortunately the wireless card produced some poor results during testing and we couldn’t figure out why. Also the battery life was less than we expected, coming in at a little less than 3 hours of battery life. We are used to the 6-cell versions that offer longer battery life, which this one doesn’t come close to with its 2-cell battery.

ASUS Eee PC 4G (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Pearl White

In conclusion we’d say stick with the newer and better Asus netbooks. This was great for its time but we’ve moved on now and the newer netbooks are just that much better. With larger harddrives, better wireless cards, higher processor speeds and better resolution. It’s hard to recommend this older version to anyone really.

Our Asus EEE 4G Specifications:

• 800 MHz Intel Mobile CPU
• 512 MB DDR2
• Xandros Linux
• 7” Screen, 800 x 480 resolution
• 4G Solid Disk Drive
• 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), 10/100 Fast Ethernet
• 4-cell 5200 mAh
• 2 pounds

Size was the most important factor in the creation of the 4G, it was meant to be small. Thankfully it’s small, but no too small coming in at a friendly 8.9 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches and weighing only 2 pounds. The Asus 4G Surf comes in a variety of colors as well, allowing anyone to make any color statement that they would like. Including Pure White, Blush Pink, Sky Blue, Lush Green, and Galaxy Black, not leaving many other colors to be desired for. The 7-inch screen comes in at a very small resolution of 800 x 480 pixel display, this is about as small of a screen that I could recommend though.

ASUS Eee PC 4G (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Pearl White

This netbook will allow you to surf the basics, email, news, blogs and what not. Video play did alright, but HD Youtube is out of the question. The real other problem though is the resolution and screen size, it’s very very small. I personally suggest no smaller than 9 inches.

As a result of cutting size, the keyboard size had to be cut as well. Someone that wants to really get some work done on this will get irritated. You will find your typist getting cramped within no time really. The netbook should be fine for short stints, but anything longer and you can see yourself getting frustrated.

Asus did well disguising the Xandros Linux by using their own User Interface with six easy to understand tabs (internet, work, learn, play, settings, and favorites) which offer access to the rich applications, such as openoffice, Pidgin, Skype, Thunderbird, and Wikipedia, and quick links to the most popular Web-based e-mail services.

ASUS Eee PC 4G (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Pearl White

The Asus includes a 4G solid state hard drive, hence the 4G model type. This leaves alot of room wanted, but not enough to use. Keep that in mind! You will need to find another solution most likely for storage space. Remember this is a very portable netbook.

Crazy Wifi? We had some problems with the Wifi when trying to connect to secure networks. Out of the three networks we tried to connect to we only connected to one of them. Not good if you ask us. Battery life is nice though and we got a solid 4 hours out of use. Keep in mind that this is good for the older netbooks, the newer netbooks are faster and last longer.

ASUS Eee PC 4G (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Pearl White

In conclusion, the 4G Surf is nice but in all honesty it just doesn’t cut it overall. It was great when it first came out, but with all the newer netbooks I just couldn’t suggest it. Stick with something that is newer, an Intel Atom based processor and a larger screen.

ASUS Eee PC 2G Surf (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 2 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Galaxy Black

While the altruistic approach was great, allowing for people that have never had the ability to use a computer now have the ability, people of developed countries were seeing the benefit of these small and portable computers for low prices. Welcome to the idea of the netbook and Asus’ 2G Surf.

Our Asus EEE PC 2G Surf Specifications:

• 800 MHz Intel Celeron ULV Processor
• 512 MB DDR2 RAM (soldered to motherboard)
• 2 GB SSD (soldered to motherboard)
• 7” 800 x 480 LCD monitor
• Linux
• 802.11b/g wireless, 10/100 ethernet
• VGA Port, SD Card Slot
• 4400 mAh Battery (4 cell)

Asus’ EEE was created for a new computing philosophy, easy to use, work and play on. Asus doesn’t make it easy to choose which netbook to buy, as they alone have 40 different variations that we are currently aware of. Varying in sizes, shapes, colors and specifications that make your head spin when trying to keep up with everything.

If you happen to come across an Asus in the store, you don’t really believe that the netbook can actually fit inside the box that it comes in. It looks like your typical hardware piece for a desktop, about the size of a video card or motherboard box, it is really that small. The packaging is very user friendly, allowing it to easily be taken out of the box and set up in no time.

First impressions of the Asus 2G aren’t negative, but don’t be expecting the latest Mac laptop or Sony Vaio. Although it was built with quality, parts are indeed ‘cheaper, but keep in mind what this netbook was created for. A cheap solution to a portable computer! Everything has a clean feel, as well as the bottom since it has zero removable access panels for future upgrades (thats why I mentioned that RAM and SDD is soldered to the mother board). It allows for zero access for future upgrades! Not something that we like at all.

ASUS Eee PC 2G Surf (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 2 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Galaxy Black

The Asus 2G surf is the best configuration of the 2G series, allowing for the best specs at the lowest cost available. The CPU inside the 2G surf is the downgraded Celeron-M 800MHz operating system operating at 571 MHz. Other than the small drop of CPU speed the biggest difference between the larger 4G and 8G models is the lack of the level 2 cache. Without jumping into tech talk that you may not be really interested in, the lack of level 2 cache inhibits the ‘brain’ of the computer from caching important instructions that the more robust previously mentioned siblings have to offer. Performance in many applications can suffer as a result of this.  Our usability tests proved that the lack of level 2 cache makes the systems performance poor. This can be seen in launching new applications, switching between tabs in browsers and the jerky playback we see in movies and videos.

We will be honest, the 2G Surf is very disappointing. Obviously we weren’t expecting the fastest netbook on earth, but we were expecting something that could function. The testing of this system was simply brutal, testing our patience and willingness to continue our tests. If we can’t get past the simpe basics, then what is the point of continuing for more extensive tests, right?

Heat and temperature of the Asus 2G surf were what we expected from the unit. The fan noise was tolerable, although it was slightly high pitched at certain times of our test. The temperature seemed to be ‘balanced’ around the system well and no one area seemed to scream heat. This was what we expected though from this low netbook.

ASUS Eee PC 2G Surf (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 2 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Galaxy Black

Memory in the EEE PC 2G, both the RAM and SSD, are not upgraded as we have previously mentioned. Going for cost efficiency they opted to solder these units onto the mother board. If you are looking to eventually upgrade your unit then look at the 4G and 8G alternatives (or the newer 1000 models). I understand that the reasons behind initially setting up the unit this way. But I think that this was an oversight that Asus should have thought of prior. If the 2G offered socketed RAM and SSD slots then we may have thought a little higher of this unit.

The touchpad was made well although it requires some serious messing with before it was set up the way that I like. Although we were missing one thing on the mouse buttons, another button! It only includes a single button. Clicks also were less than reliable at times. It seems that it only registered our clicks about 70% of the time. This makes for a frustrating testing session.

In conclusion, avoid this netbook. I could go into more and more details but really I’d be wasting both of our times. I’m not gonna suggest purchasing this netbook unless you really don’t care about what you are getting and what you can do with it. Save up and buy a netbook that you will be able to use. You can’t upgrade it, the processor is horrible, and I could go on and on. The only advantage is the nice battery life, and fast boot up and shut down. That’s really just about it.