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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 901
UK Price: £269 for Linux | £266 for Windows XP
US Price: $440 for Linux | $440 for Windows XP
Brief Description:
As the first Intel Atom based Eee PC the 901 had a lot to live up to and it delivered. Originally sold for around £320, it can now be found for £250 depending on where you look. Among other things it introduced a revised chassis, a high capacity battery and Draft-N Wi-Fi. There were also some new colours to join the white and black versions, but they were really very ugly.
Vital Statistics:
- CPU: Intel Atom N270 1.6Ghz
- Memory: 1GB DDR2
- Storage: 20GB SSD (Linux); 12GB SSD (Windows)
- Display: 8.9in, 1,024 x 600
- Ports: 3xUSB 2.0; VGA; Headphone & Microphone; Ethernet; Memory Card Reader
- Internet: 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N Wi-Fi, 10/100 Ethernet
- Bluetooth: Yes
- WebCam: 1.3 MegaPixel
- Operating System:: Xandros Linux & Windows XP
- Dimensions: 225 x 126 cm x 30.9 mm
- Weight: 1.1kg
- Colours: Black, White, Cherry Red, Purple, Pink
- Battery Life: 6-8 hours
The Good:
- Intel Atom processor
- Epic battery life
- Still highly portable
- Draft-N Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- Excellent value
- Dolby Home Theatre (Windows only)
- Surprisingly good speakers
The Bad:
- Cramped keyboard
- Battery makes it look bulkier
- SSD capacity might be an issue
The Ugly:
- Not a great deal apart from the other colours - yuck!
What We Said
"Brimming with features and with a new CPU and better battery, the Eee PC 901 personifies exactly the spirit in which the original was created. It may be a bit more expensive than the original and lack a more comfortable keyboard, but for a balance of features, size, usability and value, the 901 has once again set the standard. For the moment, at least, the (new) original is still the best."
- Asus Eee PC 901 Full Review | Watch Video Review
What We Think Now
It might not have the best keyboard, but everything else about the Eee PC 901 is still very good. Among 8.9in netbooks it's one of the few to sport a six-cell battery and longevity is truly outstanding; with frugal use you could squeeze close to eight hours of use out it. It still weighs just over 1kg, too, so remains very portable and though hard drives aren't capacious, SDHC card support means you can expand that easily.
The Bottom Line
If you want a netbook primarily for web browsing, watching videos and listening to music and not for productivity, then the Eee PC 901 still represents terrific value and its size means it can be used more or less anywhere.
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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