The EeePC 901 is here. Its mission: to re-establish the Eee brand as the number one in the netbook space. It's based largely on the hugely successful EeePC 900, but has several improvements, including a more stylish chassis, a better mouse, better battery life and more powerful components.
Asus says it'll go on sale late June. Windows XP and Linux versions will be available for the same price — AU$649 — although the specs will vary slightly. As a consequence, previous models will be dropping in price — the original 701 will be sold for AU$479, and the 900 for AU$549, the previous Windows/Linux price discrepancy gone.
Design
The 901 is approximately the same size as the 900. It's 100g heavier, thanks to some new additions like a 6600mAh battery, but the 1.1kg chassis is still barely noticeable in your bag.
The new shortcut buttons live at the left side of the keyboard, opposite the blue, LED-backlit power button
Overall, it has a very contemporary aesthetic — all its edges are now noticeably more curved, making the 900 look toy-like in comparison. Black and white versions are available, both of which have a glossy, pearlescent lid and wrist rest, which is a nice alternative to the matte white plastic used on its predecessor. On our white review sample, however, the keyboard, underside, battery and screen bezel are all slightly off-white — and that clashes with the glossy bits.
Asus has removed all 'Asus' branding on the EeePC 901. Instead, the branding reads simply "Eee" at the top left of the lid and on the lowermost part of the screen bezel. We're presume this is because Asus wants to completely separate its high-end laptop portolio from its super-cheap netbook line-up.
The EeePC 901 also sports a new hinge. This one seems fatter than before and has large silver-edged rings at each end. The lower section of the laptop has also changed slightly — as you'll see from our pictures, it now has a larger vent designed to expel more hot air generated from its internal components. The more eagle-eyed among you will also notice twin microphones, or array mics, which helps the 901 better understand voice commands.
The 901's keyboard is exactly the same model as used on the 900. This isn't great news since the keys are small and fiddly, but it's possible to get used to them over time. Just above the keyboard, the 901 has a range of shortcut keys that weren't seen on its predecessor.
One lets you deactivate the screen backlight instantly — perhaps to help you improve battery life when you've stepped away from the machine. Another changes the on-screen resolution — like a makeshift zoom function — and another cycles through pre-set performance modes — super performance, high performance, auto high performance and power saving.
Features
While the two use the same 8.9-inch, 1,024x600-pixel display, there are many notable differences between the features on the EeePC 900 and 901. The most important change is the move to an Intel N270 Atom CPU, clocked at 1.6GHz — an improvement over the 900MHz Intel Pentium M on the 900.
The Atom logo, in all its finery. Notice, also, the mouse trackpad is now framed in shiny silver bezel
Atom chips promise improved performance as well as better energy efficiency and longer battery life, but you can find out exactly how it compares later in this review. Both versions of the machine use 1GB of RAM, but since there's one DIMM slot, this can only be upgraded by switching to a 2GB DIMM.
The EeePC 901 will be sold in two varieties. The Windows XP model gets 12GB of storage, while the Linux model gets 20GB of storage. We'd recommend buying the Linux model, and if you already have a valid licence installing a copy of Windows XP. The Linux operating system used on the Eee is fine for most purposes and there are even more pre-installed applications than on the 900, but it still lacks the flexibility of Windows XP. There are no parental controls on the Linux model, for example; you should be aware of this if you're letting young kids use the machine.
Wireless 802.11b/g is standard, as you might expect, but the EeePC 901 now sports 802.11n Wi-Fi. For those of you who have an 802.11n router, this means data transfer speeds that are up to 70 times faster than traditional 802.11g. We've yet to test this particular implementation, but we'd estimate approximately 150Mbps in real-world scenarios.
Bluetooth is included this time round, which is good news for anyone wanting to establish wireless links between their mobile phone and the 901.
Performance
As mentioned, the 901 uses an Intel Atom N270 CPU, a chip designed specifically for machines of this ilk. Overall, we're very pleased with the performance. Switching between application tabs in the Linux OS is quicker than before, as is the speed at which applications launch. Even multi-tasking isn't a problem — the EeePC 901 is perfectly happy playing movies or music while running other apps in the background or foreground.
Left to right: SD card reader, USB ports, D-Sub video output, and a nice, chunky, metallic hinge
One of the Atom CPU's biggest selling points is its energy efficiency. With the addition of the large 6-cell battery, it helped the EeePC 901 rack up an impressive battery life. In our movie playback test, it lasted approximately 4.5 hours with the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adaptors enabled and brightness set at near maximum. That's a definite improvement on the EeePC 900, which lasts anywhere between 1.5-3.5 hours depending on what you're doing. We estimate battery life could stretch close to the 6-hour mark for those willing to deactivate wireless features and reduce screen brightness.
Conclusion
The EeePC 901 is better than the 900. It looks nicer, has a faster, more efficient CPU and better battery life. It's 100g heavier, and larger, but it's the better machine, for sure. Its keyboard is still too small for our liking, but currently it's the pick of the netbook litter.
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mysarawilson
18/08/2008, 02:29 AM
rating
9/10
For a girl, Eee pc 901 is a dream come true. Lucky me, having small fingers, i have absolutely no problem with the keyboard.I've transfered all the temporary internet files to drive d so my drive c rarely gets jammed with them. i've watched movies and anime without any problem, did hours of online search, it's amazing what the small machine can do! i have absolutely no problem with the limited storage that comes with my window xp version. everyone has some form of external storage...by the way, what's not to love to a notebook that can fit into your handbag? i couldn't have asked for anything more.
Pros: Guess what, my old diary/organizer was bulkier than my new Eee Pc. i like the pearly finish. the keyboard compliments my small hand very well. plus, i do like the attention everytime i "have" to pull it out of my handbag.
Cons: well, i did say that i could't have asked for anything else, but i do hope that i can activate my YoStore account. then i'll get an extra 20 GB online storage for free...will call the distributor for this..
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Swen
12/08/2008, 03:07 AM
rating
10/10
Been reading Eee reviews 'till my eyes fall out. Too many people can't grasp that the Eee is MENT to be ultra portable, this is why it is SMALL. Today's laptops aren't, cost a bomb, and are too easily stolen or broken. The Eee slips away so neatly and easily it's hard to steal and it's sheer lack of size means it will avoid getting hurt. The Eee NOT ment to game on, do photoshop on, watch steaming-video on etc., though it will actually do this. It is ment to write on, keep memo's on, or files for your day-to-day business, and to be a diary/ addressbook, and, when needed, check your emails etc. And, to remind you, for kids at school in poorer countries to do their lessons on. The advantage over a handheld or a cellphone is that it's size is more practical. Not too big, not too small. I solved the short battery-life on my 900 by buying a spare battery. I write a lot, like to have something REALLY portable to have with me all over the place, the Eee replaced my old Amstrad A4 Notebook. And it was a good replacement. (Except the Amstrad ran on AA batteries, available everywhere, anytime).
Pros: Truely portable.
Powerful applications when needed.
Microsoft free! Hail Linux!
Cons: Battery-life. Why did the Yanks get a bigger battery? But 2/3 spare batteries cure that. Why isn't there a separate docking-station to charge batteries? ASUS, please do something about that, make it much more practical to charge multiple batteries.
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DangerPrune
08/08/2008, 08:16 PM
rating
9/10
This is perfect for what it is. Amazingly convenient (have had one for a week now, and I can't believe that I ever lived without one) it definitely garners attention. The Eee is remarkably capable, especially for my needs which include word processing, a little desktop publishing (very minimal) and some light flash programming (it runs flash 8 quite well. I wouldn't try CS3 on it though) along with the odd game of battle realms. Overall a very nice machine. Considering the competition here in Australia, I think that it is very competitively priced, as the RRP for the Acer aspire one is only 50 dollars less, and the wind is fifty dollars more. Considering that this is the only option currently packing a six cell battery, you'll find that you really get your money's worth. The C drive partition is only 4gb, which is fairly restrictive, but manageable, and the gripes with the keyboard seem to dissipate after a couple of sessions with the tightly spaced keys (I have fairly standard man hands, perhaps a bit bigger than normal, and I am a semi-touch typist). The multi-touch track pad is a dream, as the various gestures make laptop computing so much easier. Perhaps the most annoying thing about the Eee is it's appeal. At first it is flattering for people to be drooling over it, and humorous when some turn up their noses in envy disguised as doubt about the small size, but after the 30th time that you have to recite the location and price of purchase, you get rather frustrated with pulling it out in public. Overall, it is a superb little machine that can meet the needs of the average computer user desiring true portability
Pros: Small form factor
Multi touch trackpad
Battery life (I get roughly 6 hours)
Cons: C drive partition is restrictive
Attention is flattering at first but soon gets tedious
Glossy finish attracts fingerprints (that's just me being finicky)
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New EEEPC 901 Owner
21/07/2008, 11:19 AM
rating
8/10
What virus and firewall software has anyone installed? I assume like any PC this is still needed.
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fubar22
18/07/2008, 02:24 AM
rating
9/10
Its more of a question than just a comment. I would like to know if I buy the linux version of this, then I'll just install winxp myself, will i be able to have a lil more disk space rather than buying the model with pre-installed XP? And is it possible to use an external optical drive in the process? Thanks
Pros: All is fair enough, considering its design and purpose if one's looking for an everyday-pc with great portability.. Nice processor to start with plus great battery life. Very helpful when flight skeds are always delayed. *Lolz*
Cons: hope they included a firewire port.. makes it easy to transfer videos from my mini dv without installing additional software. :)
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James
07/07/2008, 03:04 PM
rating
8/10
Love the 901 - fantastic. Just needs more memory! Does anyone know how to re-partition the 4gb c drive to give it more room??? Thanks
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Jake
28/06/2008, 07:35 PM
rating
9/10
Just wondering if the 901 has windows XP built in? Or is there an XP version?
Im not big on Linux, not much compaibitly. gardy94(at)hotmail(dot)com
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watto star
26/06/2008, 06:04 PM
rating
8/10
The perfect laptop. great for every thing that varies from internet, learning and educational games, music and movie player, viewing photos, slideshow presentations, word documents, excel sheets and lots more, at a cheap price and with wireless internet, and decent batterylife.
Pros: nearly everything, small is size, good!
Cons: Due to it being so small, hdd space is a pain but hey, its a worthy sacrifice!
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svnagappa
23/06/2008, 06:21 PM
rating
9/10
Thanks for the reviews. Even on 700 I did not find the keyboard bad and I can type fast. One gets used to it. This needs to be a travel laptop not a full version laptop for movie editing. I am happy with the reviews Thaks.
Pros: dont know yet
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Dave
23/06/2008, 05:58 PM
rating
8/10
If you don't appreciate the EeePC's design concept, and asking for bigger keyboard, more storage space, bigger screen, faster processor.......... YOU DON'T NEED A EEEPC. enough said.
Pros: Everything I need in a notebook.
Cons: Short of internal Hdsp for my data card. For a mobile device, EEEPC should come with internal hdsp. With that this design will be perfect for mobility
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