ASUS Eee PC Review

The ASUS Eee PC challenges many preconceptions about mobile computing. It's small form factor (it nearly fits into the palm of your hand), light weight (just under 2 lbs), durability, functionality, and low cost (starts under $400) make it the perfect travel companion. The Eee PC is impressive right out of the box. Setup is a breeze and we were up and surfing the net via the built in Wireless G card within minutes.

The Eee PC comes with one of two operating systems, a customized version of Linux or Microsoft's Windows XP. Since we perceive most of our users wanting a Windows OS, we tested the XP version.

You might expect the performance of this system to suffer under Windows XP, but that's not the case. Because this laptop uses a solid state drive, XP loads in just under 30 seconds. Since solid state drives have no moving parts they offer higher reliability than traditional laptop hard drives. If it gets banged around you won't have to worry about losing any valuable data.

The screen is a small 7 inches, but supports a deep color depth and resolutions of 800 x 480 or 800 x 600. The model we tested included a built in .3 mega pixel digital camera that is perfect for video chat.

The Eee PC's ease of use and reliability make it perfect for a child's first computer. It's also available in five colors which make it both functional and stylish.

The Eee PC is not all play. The system we tested came with Microsoft Works installed. Users needing MS Office functionality can also download a free copy of Open Office for Windows which includes MS Office compatible versions of a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation applications.

There are three USB 2.0 slots built into the Eee PC that make it easy to add extra drive space, dvd drives, or connect your digital camera. There is also a a built-in SDHC card reader which can be used for even more storage space.

The system we tested came with 512MB of memory, but this is easily expandable up to 2 GB with DDR2 533 memory sticks.

If you're looking for a desktop replacement, the Eee PC is probably not it. But if you want a really small and usable laptop that you can travel with, then look no further.

KCnet currently has a limited supply of this system in stock at shop.kcnet.com. If you'd like to see the Eee PC in action, feel free to stop by our office and take a look at our demo model.