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The Ultimate Netbook Buyer's Guide
| Author | Andy Vandervell |
| Published | 20th Nov 2008 |
19 comments
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TrustedReviews NewslettersAsus Eee PC 701
UK Price: £160 for 4G | £179 for 8G
US Price: $279 for 4G
Brief Description:
A seven inch machine and the one that started it all at launch, the Eee PC 701s retailed for around £220 and were sold to children and schools, but also generated interest from adults that ultimately fuelled the desire for other more advanced netbooks.
Vital Statistics:
- CPU: Intel Celeron M 900 MHz
- Memory: 512MB DDR2
- Storage: 4GB or 8GB SSD
- Display: 7in, 800 x 480
- Ports: 3xUSB 2.0; VGA; Headphone & Microphone; Ethernet; Memory Card Reader
- Internet: 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi; 10/100 Ethernet
- Bluetooth: No
- WebCam: 0.3 Megapixel
- Operating System:: Linux Xandros
- Dimensions: 225 × 165 × 21~35mm
- Weight: 920 grams
- Colours: Black & White
- Battery Life: 2h 30mins to 3h 30mins
The Good:
- Cheap
- Very portable
- Durable
- Reasonable battery life
- Child friendly
- Linux OS and pre-installed applications are numerous
The Bad:
- Slow and outdated
- Small keyboard
- Small touchpad
- Toy-like
The Ugly:
- Tiny screen can't handle web pages
- Newer netbooks are just as cheap and better in most ways
What We Said
"Refreshingly innovative and scandalously cheap, Asus' Eee PC is a great little device for those with basic needs. A great keyboard makes working on it surprisingly easy, while media playback adds a little extra to the package. Internet browsing is also a key component and though the low resolution screen lets it down somewhat, at this price it would be churlish to penalise it too greatly."
- Asus Eee PC 701 Full Review
What We Think Now
Much as we'd like to revere it with nostalgia, the original Eee PC shows its age. It does have a few things going for it, like decent battery life, a durable chassis and simple portability, but other more modern netbooks have all these things, are easier to use and cost more or less the same.
The Bottom Line
Worth considering for young children if you can find a cheap one, but otherwise is best avoided.
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pw said on 9th December 2008
Prospero said on 22nd December 2008
Very useful review - one question please: Can I replace the custom o/s with Ubuntu without losing any functionality?
Chupakun said on 11th May 2009
Loved the feature. I really wish a company would come out with true netbook customisation options--so all we'd have do was pick 'n' mix as opposed to making it a gam... more
modus said on 13th July 2009
The Asus EEE PC 1000HE (http://www.trustedreviews.com/laptops/review/2009/02/12/Asus-Eee-PC-1000HE/p1) has a few significant improvements over its predecessor, the EEE PC 1000H -- ... more
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I'm a bit new to netbooks. I've got an old laptop and am about to upgrade and so after a few clarifications.
I mostly just use the laptop for browsing int... more