Windows XP SP3 now available... just kidding

Attention XP'ers -- your wildest fantasies are coming to fruition. Word on the street is that Service Pack 3 is now available for download all over the World Wide Web. When we say "all over" what we really mean is via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center, though we doubt it will stay in one place for too long. Apparently, the new pack offers 1,100 hotfixes and patches, so maybe your obscure, cheapo soundcard will now function in stereo.

Update: Apparently due to a "glitch" in the latest SP, Microsoft has delayed the release of the update, now aiming for a May 2nd street date. Thanks commenters and tipsters, and no thanks to you, Microsoft.

Dell's XPS M1530 and M1330 now pink like flowers and pigs

Ugh, it's springtime again. So in addition to the pools of human secretions warming into an olfactory howdy-do on city sidewalks, we get these, the pink laptops. The pink XPS M1530 and M1330 now official. Check the late-nite Dell Infomercial after the break; Ron Popeil Productions must be so proud.

OQO hacked to run Leopard, now world's smallest Mac

While greeted with heaps of initial skepticism, forum jockeys over at OQO Talk now seem convinced that a junior member by the name of TRF has successfully hacked the OQO to run OS X Leopard. Adding a video filmed by Mr. Blurry Cam didn't hurt the cause. TRF's OQO is setup in a dual-boot Vista / OS X mode which boots Leopard in about 2 minutes and 30 seconds. WiFi, sound, power management and Bluetooth... it's all there with applications popping with serious snap. The only thing missing at the moment is WWAN access which TRF is now testing. While not yet a "plug and play" hack, it's "definitely doable," he says. Perhaps, but we'll need more details to say the least. Video excerpt posted after the break.

Read -- Forum post
Read -- Full Video

Microsoft says XP is definitely dead in June, Dell says it'll keep installing it

Steve Ballmer kicked up a little dirt last week when he said that Microsoft could "wake up smarter" and keep selling XP after the June 30 cutoff date if customer feedback demanded it, but as you'd expect, the company is busily trying to "clarify" that statement by saying that while it always listens to customers, XP is definitely going to die on the 30th. Well, apart from the ultraportable exception that'll last until 2012 or so. And the backlog of licenses still in reseller's hands. Oh, and a little company called Dell, which, as rumored, is going to take advantage of a Vista licensing loophole that allows it to sell a copy of Vista but preload XP instead. Yep, that's the plan -- Dell's going to report a Vista sale to Microsoft, but deliver an XP box with Vista upgrade DVD to customers. (That sound you just heard was a million accountants sighing in appreciation.) The program will be available for Latitude, OptiPlex, Precision, Vostro, and XPS systems (some with a minor fee), and Dell says it'll keep going as long as Microsoft supports the "downgrade" license option, which could be forever. Looks like June 30 just got a lot less scary for XP fans, no?

Read - Microsoft clarification of Ballmer's comments
Read - Dell to keep selling XP

Asus rumored to be spinning off Eee brand, 11-inch Eee PC coming too

Information doesn't get much more twisted that this so you'd best tread lightly with it. We've got a DigiTimes rumor whose message appears modified in translation. Engadget Chinese tells us that the original DigiTimes article (in Chinese) states that Asus is planning an Eee PC "sub-corporation." In other words, an ASUS spin-off that would include more than just low-cost ultra-portables. The rumor is attributed to DigiTimes' proven ASUS sources. However, DigiTimes' own English translation simply calls the move an Eee "sub-brand" which was already obvious with ASUS' announced plans for additional Eee branded products including the E-DT desktop, E-TV television, and 19- to 21-inch E-Monitor all-in-one said to be due in Q3. DigiTimes' sources also claim that ASUS will slap a 1001 model number on its 10.6-inch Eee PC and then -- perhaps supporting the spin-off claim -- says that there will be a premium 11-inch Eee PC before the end of the year as well. Originally, Jerry Shen, ASUS CEO, said the Eee PC would never exceed 10-inches so that it wouldn't cut into ASUS' laptop offerings. A spinoff would presumably give the Eee brand more freedom to compete.

Read -- DigiTimes (Chinese)
Read -- DigiTimes (English)

Lenovo's IdeaPad U110 showcased on video, available in US on April 29

We already knew Lenovo's 11-inch darling was shipping to eager US-based consumers "soon," but now we've got a definitive date for you to circle on that jam-packed calendar: April 29th. The IdeaPad U110 will indeed be available for order on Tuesday, and it'll be starting a full Benjamin less than we previously heard (down to $1,899, to be exact) directly from Lenovo. We're still waiting on the full list of specifications as well as the slate of retailers that will likely be selling it, but if you're anxious for more right this very moment, you can check out a promotional video of the unit in black and red right after the break.

MSI Wind Notebook : Photo Gallery

MSI Wind Notebook
Processor: Intel Atom 1,6 GHz
Memory: 1GB
Storage: 80GB
Resolution: 1024x600

MSI Wind Notebook : Photo Gallery

Wacom reveals svelte RRFC capacitive touchscreen technology

Hold on to your touch panels, folks, as Wacom has just made known its plans to reveal "a major innovation in capacitive touchscreen technology" at next month's International Society for Information Display Exhibition. The tech, dubbed Reversing Ramped Field Capacitive (RRFC) touch, relies on "reversing ramped electro-static fields" to bring unprecedented precision and "drift-free performance" to touchscreen users. Reportedly, it can be integrated into dual-input applications with the firm's EMR pen-input solution or can operate on its lonesome on devices that require just a finger touch interface. Of course, there's way more pizazz to the whole thing than we can cover in this space, but feel free to don your nerd suit and hit the read link if you're thirsty for more.

Low-cost laptop overload arranged in digestible list

In case you've been camped out under a nearby boulder for the past six months or so, you'd realize that low-cost laptops have swarmed the market. Granted, only a handful are actually available for purchase today, but just in case you're trying to arrange your options in order to make the best purchasing decision in the future, Liliputing has assembled a stunningly comprehensive list of everything that's out there. From now shipping to darn-near-vaporware, all the details you need to know are lined up perfectly in the read link. Wipe that sweat from your brow, vaquero -- the hard work's been done for ya.

Windows XP SP3 final trudges into the torrent

You know the drill. Days before the official consumer release on the 29th, out pops the final version of Windows XP SP3 on torrents, usenet, and warez sites. We haven't confirmed it for ourselves but we've received multiple reports that this final, unmodified version features a legit Volume Licensed Key which handles that pesky WGA check without breaking a sweat. Should you be brave enough to install it then by all means drop us a line in the comments about your experience. Then again, why rush? You'll likely have until 2012 to perform the update.

Dell rumored to be selling XP until 2012, Ballmer says MS can "wake up smarter"

Windows XP has a date with destiny scheduled for June 30, but it looks like the plucky OS just isn't ready to go: Ultraportable OEMs will be able to preload XP until "one year after the general availability of Windows 7," whenever that is, and now we're hearing reports that Dell's telling customers it'll sell XP on professional systems until 2012. The Dell thing is just a rumor for now, but what's Steve Ballmer doing telling reporters that although XP is EOL, "if customer feedback varies, we can always wake up smarter" and extend XP sales? Um, Steve? Customers have been feeding back like crazy and Microsoft has kind of ignored them, remember? Maybe it's time for a quick nap.

Update: That was pretty funny for a totally unintentional typo, wasn't it?

Read - CNET article quoting Ballmer
Read - Dell rumors

MSI Wind gets Turkish video hands-on

Curious enough about the MSI Wind to sit through a video of a couple of nerds talking about it endlessly in Turkish? Check it out after the break -- and we don't want to hear a word about how you want those three and a half minutes of your life back.

[Via Mike Cane 2008]

Asustek to Launch Eee PC With 10-inch Screen

Asustek plans to launch a new version of the Eee PC with a 10-inch screen, a top executive said Monday.

The company's CEO made the statement at the launch of the new Eee PC 900 with an 8.9-inch screen, in Taiwan. The original Eee PC 701 carries a 7-inch screen.

"The feedback we've received from users has been great. Many have asked us for bigger screens and better usability. That's what made us start developing the Eee PC 900," said Jerry Shen, CEO of Asustek, during a news conference in Taipei. People are asking for bigger keypads and more software as well, issues the company continues to work on.

An Eee PC with a 10-inch screen could be out later this year, and it will be the biggest screen an Eee PC will ever get, Shen said. The company defines anything with a 12-inch screen or larger a classic notebook PC, not an Eee PC.

Asustek believes that screen size makes a difference in sales.

The new Eee PC 900 with the 8.9-inch screen will likely account for 50 percent of overall Eee PC shipments by June, and 60 percent or more of shipments sometime in the second half of the year, said Shen.

He declined to set a firm date for release of a new Eee PC with a 10-inch screen, and would not talk about possible prices. But a 10-inch screen could make a new Eee PC model much more expensive than the 8.9-inch model. Once screen sizes reach 12-inches, they are nearing mainstream sizes, where mass production reduces the price-per-unit. But a 10-inch screen is still a specialty, and therefore more expensive screen size.

The Eee PC 900 went on sale Monday in Taiwan for NT$15,988 (US$528).

ASUS replacing Eee PC 900 batteries with longer lasting versions

Attaboy, ASUS. Not even 24-hours after reports starting flooding in over end users receiving less capacious Eee PC batteries in Hong Kong than expected, the firm is stepping up and doing the right thing. According to an admittedly rough translation of a statement on its website, ASUS is openly thanking its supporters for their business, and while it seems as though it's still chalking the whole mishap up as a simple mistake, every single Hong Kong-based customer will be receiving a free (5800mAh) replacement. 'Tis a shame we'll likely still be griping over the battery life.

[Via jkkmobile]

Thieves use Eee PC in Brazilian ATM scam

Man, that tiny Eee PC can be used for just about anything: surfing the web, blogging, surreptitiously hiding inside an ATM machine and stealing your identity. You know, the usual stuff. Yeah, so three creative Brazilian thieves were recently caught stuffing a black Eee into an ATM, where it replaced the ordinary magical-money-making workings and instead stole unwitting customers' card numbers and PINs. The thieves didn't stop there, however -- they purposefully damaged all the other nearby ATMs so that theirs would be the only one in service. Clever! Of course, that doesn't explain why it was so easy to crack open the target ATM in the first place -- we'd pretty much consider our cash flow problems solved if we could pull that trick. Check out the Brazilian TV report after the break -- any Portuguese speakers care to translate?

Dell unveils tiny bamboo-cased eco-computer concept

Michael Dell spoke at Fortune's Brainstorm:Green conference today, and he took the wraps off this funky bamboo-encased eco-PC concept. Said to be Dell's smallest-ever computer, the machine is 81 percent smaller than a standard desktop and uses 70 percent less power. There's no word on what's inside yet, but Dell says the machine is due to be released later this year, and should cost between $500 and $700. Hit the read link for a couple more shots, and check out a render after the break.

Keepin' it real fake, part CXVII: Kira 100 rides the Eee PC wave (a bit too closely)

It's one thing to bust out your own Eee PC wannabe knowing full well it isn't apt to catch on, but the Airis Kira 100 isn't even different enough to warrant such a label. No, this copycat smells, looks and likely feels just like Asus' darling, packing a 7-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, a 1GHz Via C7 processor, gigabit Ethernet / modem jacks, integrated multicard reader, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, 802.11b/g WiFi, built-in webcam and a battery good for "four hours." Oh please, don't tell us you're seriously considering this €299 ($476) imposter just because of the loud paint jobs. Wait, are you?

[Via GadgetoBlog]

3K Longitude 400 Mini-Notebook -- you'll never guess what this reminds us of

Alright peoples, how many Eee PC knockoffs do we really need? Is 10 enough? How about 100? There seems to be no end in sight, and here comes the relatively unknown 3K Computers to give it a whirl. We'd say the first mistake is the 7-inch screen, gotsa stay ahead of the curve. Pair that with the 400MHz processor and a $400 pricetag and we haven't the slightest idea why we'd go in for this little Linux-based boringbook. Oh, wait... nope, we got nothing.

Dell gets official with Dell 500 laptop for emerging countries

Usually, when a product is officially announced, the veil of mystery surrounding it is lifted, but that's not the case with Dell's new Dell 500 laptop, which the company announced in India today in conjunction with the opening of a new factory in the country. As you may recall, we previously heard that Dell was all but set to introduce a new budget-priced 8.9-inch laptop, and it seems like this could well be it, although we don't have so much as a screen size on this new model to confirm that possibility just yet. Still, the Rs 24,500 price tag (just over $600) is at least in the same ballpark, and the choice of Windows XP Home or Ubuntu Linux only would seem to suggest some Atom-level hardware. Apart from that, the only details the company seems to have deemed fit to announce are an 8-in-1 card reader, some direct media playback buttons, and a "host of wireless access options." Leading us to suspect that it might not be the same 8.9-inch laptop, however, is the fact that this one is apparently intended specifically for emerging countries like India and China, which doesn't exactly match up with Michael Dell's comment that the company was readying an answer to HP's Mini-Note, though we suppose we'll just have to wait and see how things shake out.

Dell's XPS M1530 might be pretty in pink

Dell is busting out a "Flamingo Pink" version of its much-loved XPS M1530 laptop, but unfortunately for any prospective buyers there aren't any pictures of the thing yet. We're sure it's magical. Just like Midnight Blue, pink will cost you $25 extra.

Gold-plated MacBook Air breaks Steve Jobs' heart

We've already seen the MacBook Air bathed in gold and crystals, but it seems that people just can't leave well enough alone, with the folks at Computer Choppers (no strangers to gilded Macs) only the latest to spare no expense in taking the laptop to heights of tackiness that no one from Cupertino would ever dare dream of. That includes 24kt gold plating over the entire laptop and, in a final stake through El Jobso's heart, an Apple logo ensconced in multi-colored sapphires -- not to mention a polished gold SuperDrive to go along with it. If your eyes can take it, you can find a few more pics in the gallery below.

Eee PC 900 owners find weaker batteries than those used by reviewers

This isn't going to end well for Asus. Early adopters of the Eee PC 900 in Hong Kong are in a spat with Asus over batteries. Seems the Eee PC 900 ships with a standard 4-cell, 4400mAh battery whereas the battery shipped to the Hong Kong media (and presumably others) was a 4-cell, 5800mAh; the latter Asus is calling a mistake. That would certainly account for the wide ranging Eee PC 900's battery life reviews which have varied from a very disappointing 1.5 hours to a decent 2.5-hours. Of course testing methods will also contribute to lifespan. Regardless, ASUS is now considering giving 900 buyers a free upgrade. Our suggestion? Just do it Asus, and pronto. Else the Eee PC brand you've become so dependent upon is going to take a serious beating.

OLPC head of software and content resigns, possibly over transition to XP

The recent shakeups at the top of the OLPC hierarchy have apparently claimed another victim, as OLPC News is reporting that Software and Content chief Walter Bender has just left the project. Rumor is that Nicholas Negroponte is going to transition the OLPC XO entirely to Windows XP to spur sales soon, and Bender is reportedly unhappy about that. What makes this all the more interesting is that when security director Ivan Krstić left the OLPC project last month, he specifically said he was unhappy that the restructuring no longer required him to work with Bender, and said that he could no longer "subscribe to the organization's new aims or structure in good faith." Looks like something's afoot at OLPC, and the old guard isn't happy about it. What say you, NickNeg?

Windows XP SP3 goes to manufacturing, will be released April 29th

It's not nearly as big a deal as Vista SP1, but it looks like Windows XP SP3 will be out in just eight short days -- Microsoft just confirmed that it's been released to manufacturing, and that it'll be in Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center on April 29th. No word on if OEMs and devs got access today like we'd heard, but it shouldn't be long now -- here's hoping that rumored 10 percent speed boost is for real.

ASUS: 10-inch Eee PC coming this year, Atom in June

Jerry Shen, ASUS CEO, is casually twisting Eee PC fans into a tizzy this morning. At the launch of the 8.9-inch Eee PC 900 in Taiwan, he uttered the magical phrase "10-inch Eee PC" for the first time. Expected sometime later this year, Shen said that the 10-inch screen will be the biggest allowed on the Eee PC. Good for you Jerry, but we've got the feeling that you've completely forgotten about the original promise of a $200, 7-inch laptop. Surely we're due for a price drop now that the 900 is out, right?

Update: Asus also confirmed that an Atom-based Eee PC will launch at the Computex show just like we heard. No details about the screen size or any other specs were provided.

MSI outs official Wind specs, mum on price and dates

MSI just got right with the gadget lorf by going official with its Wind Notebook. Launched anonymously at Intel's IDF, the Wind is pretty much everything we've heard: about 1-kg weight; XP-only (at the moment); LED-backlit, 8.9- and 10-inch 1,024 x 600 displays; and traditional 80GB, 2.5-inch hard disk. MSI also claims to have a superior keyboard and battery life compared to the competition. Yup, they're looking right at you Eee PC. No word on price or delivery date though we previously heard Juneish (with Atom CPU launch) for between $470 to $1,099.

[Via DigiTimes]

Are OLPC XO keyboards having widespread problems?

The OLPC XO -- it's all rainbows, hugging, and laser beams of learning, right? Maybe not, kind reader. Apparently, users of the the diminutive, educationally themed laptop are experiencing a rash of "stuck key" issues which are causing tons of headaches (and possibly some heartbreak as well). It seems that keys are becoming stuck in activated positions, and / or are being triggered by key presses nearby. The company is aware of the problem, but can't pinpoint a single cause, as the components are made by a variety of manufacturers. For now OLPC is asking customers to RMA the laptops so they can get the repairs they so desperately need, though we're not sure how this is going to play out in the developing areas where the XOs are being rolled out. Well, they can probably just take them to the hospital.

Eee PC 900 gets dissected, looks about the same as the Eee PC 700

Oh, poor Eee PC 900. You haven't even made it into most people's hands, and already you're getting dissected and inappropriately inspected. Honestly, we didn't mean for that to rhyme. Regardless, the folks over at bit-tech have gone to all the hassle of cracking the little dude open, though what they find inside is apparently more of the same. No new modules, no fancy layout changes, no tiny army of artificially intelligent lifeforms. Still, it's nice to look at. Take peek and see for yourself!

[bit-tech.net]

Asus Eee PC 900 hits the US on May 12th

Asus Eee PC 900 hits the US on May 12th

BenQ's Atom-based MID gets detailed

BenQ has been showing off its first stab at an MID since the Intel Developer Forum last fall, but it hasn't exactly been all that forthcoming about the full specs of the device. That situation seems to have changed at the more recent IDF in Shanghai, however, although those details seem to just now be making their way across the Internet. As we knew before, the device will pack an Intel Atom processor (the base 800MHz model), which will apparently be backed up by 512MB of RAM, a 4GB SSD hard drive, and HSPDA support in addition to some integrated WiFi and Bluetooth. The device will also apparently pack a so-called "G-Senser" for "direct touch and free movement to surf on internet," along with voice activation, and optional GPS. Still no word on the all important pricing or release details, unfortunately, although we hope BenQ will save itself some embarrassment but getting the thing out the door before the next Intel Developer Forum.

[Via Slash Gear]

Preliminary benchmarks have VIA's Isaiah besting Intel's Atom

You knew this day would come: Intel positioned Atom perfectly to compete with VIA's low-power offerings, and VIA is trying to stay one step ahead in the low power game with its Isaiah processor. Who will be the winner? Well, we'd say it's still a little early to call it, but German site Eee PC News did some quick and dirty benchmarks that show Isaiah on top by a decent margin. At this point the numbers are just in "ALU" and "FPU," but hopefully some real world benchmarks from some retail products can clear this up before long.

Eee PC-like Deep Blue H1 mini laptop hits the Philippines

There's certainly no shortage of Eee PC competitors these days, and it looks like another one recently snuck its way into the Philippines, where Blue Digital's diminutive Deep Blue H1 is apparently now on sale. Unlike the Eee PC, this one packs a 1.0GHz VIA Esther processor, though it boasts a similar 7-inch 800 x 480 display, along with 1GB of RAM, a 40GB hard drive, and the LinPus Linux distro as the standard OS, with Windows XP available as an option. Our tipster in Manilla also informs us that while it's only available in basic black at the moment, you'll apparently soon be able to get your choice of white or sky blue models as well. No word on a release anywhere else, unfortunately, but those in the Philippines can snag one for Php 16,995, or just over $400.

Atom-based Eee PC in June? Sure.

Everyone loves the Eee PC, especially now that Asus has increased the display from 7- to 8.9-inches, bumped the webcam to 1.3 megapixels, and widened the track-pad while adding in some nifty multi-touch capabilities. Unfortunately, we're still looking at a rated 1.5-hours of battery life since the new 900 uses the same power hungry CPU found in the original Eee PC. So where's Atom and its promise of "significant power savings?" Well, according to Techradar, they've been in touch with Taiwan-based ASUS' UK reps who believe that the Atom-based Eee PC will debut at Computex in early June and then launch globally shortly thereafter. Makes sense as June is the confirmed time frame for the Atom CPU launch. If true -- and we believe it is as it syncs up precisely with DigiTimes' sources -- then the only remaining mystery is whether the June model will also feature an 8.9-inch touchscreen (and possibly GPS) as promised by Asus. Let's hope so.

Asus Eee PC 900 Review - trustedreviews.com

Reviewed by Riyad Emeran

Few could argue that Asus created something special when it launched the Eee PC last year. The idea of making a truly mobile, yet very affordable mobile computer was welcomed by the Press and consumers in equal measure. Although the Eee PC 4G 701 that Andy reviewed back in October 2007 was a great machine, there were a couple of issues that took away some of the shine. Now however, I have the Eee PC 900 to play with, and it looks as though Asus may have got everything just about perfect this time.



Anyone who's got a few years under their belt, like myself, will be well aware that the concept of a basic, portable computer with solid state storage and no moving parts is nothing new. About ten years ago I did a significant amount of my writing on a Psion Series 5, which was laughably referred to as a PDA. In the Series 5, Psion created a device so usable, that I was able to write entire features on it while sitting on the train. The company then pushed the boundaries even further when it launched the Series 7 and eventually the NetBook.

What Psion got right with its machines was a balance of essential functionality, small form factor and great battery life. As time moved on, though, fully fledged notebooks became smaller and lighter and end users wanted to run feature rich (read bloated) operating systems on their mobile computers. All this spelled the end for Psion hardware (although it did spin off its EPOC OS as Symbian), and for a long time we simply didn't see machines like the Series 7 and NetBook. Thankfully Asus realised that there was room in the market for a basic, affordable machine that didn't need to run the latest version of Windows - thus the Eee PC was born.



For anyone who hasn't heard of the Eee PC before (where have you been hiding?), let me give you the low down. The Eee PC is a very small machine measuring 225 x 165 x 35mm (WxDxH) and weighing around 1kg. that puts it well and truly into the ultra-portable sector, being lighter than even a Sony TZ31MN, and smaller too. This is a machine built to be used on the move, without the need to make much space for it in your bag. The Eee PC comes in two colours, pearlescent white, like the one I'm reviewing here and black - yes, that does sound very similar to Apple's MacBook range, but that's most definitely where the similarities end.

Although the chassis that houses the Eee PC 900 is pretty much identical to the 701 that Andy reviewed last year, you only have to open the lid to see the first major difference between the two. The screen on the 900 is a huge improvement and one that makes this new Eee PC even more attractive than its predecessor. The 7in screen on the original Eee PC was hampered by the 800 pixel wide resolution, which meant that you had to scroll sideways on the vast majority of web pages. The 8.9in screen on the new model rectifies this issue by sporting a 1,024 pixel wide resolution, which allows it to display the vast majority of web pages perfectly, without the need for sideways scrolling.



The full screen resolution is 1,024 x 600, which means you've got a widescreen aspect ratio, just like the majority of fully featured notebooks on the market. It should also be said that the quality of the screen in the Eee PC 900 is superb. OK, so it's not gloriously bright and vivid like the screen in a Sony TZ, but it is evenly lit, has a wide viewing angle and this sample at least, suffered from no dead pixels. The 8.9in screen actually fills the lid properly too, whereas the 7in display in the 701 just looked tiny, flanked as it was by speakers and surrounded by a large black bezel. As well as offering much improved functionality, the new screen also improves the Eee PC aesthetically.



Considering the overall size of the Eee PC, it comes as no surprise that the keyboard is quite small. Anyone who struggles with a reduced size keyboard on a traditional ultra-portable notebook isn't going to have much joy with an Eee PC, it really is that simple. However, if your hands aren't too big, you shouldn't have any problem typing - I'm currently writing this review on the Eee PC 900 and I can't say that I'm typing much slower than if I was using a full size keyboard on a notebook or desktop.



Also surprising is the amount of travel that each key has, and the fact that there's a solid break at the end of each keystroke, ensuring that your finger bounces back up ready for the next attack. If there's one small annoyance, it's the reduced size Return key, which resembles the flat Enter style key seen on US keyboards. This isn't anything that you won't get used to after a short time, but I'd still rather have seen a larger Return.

Below the SpaceBar is the touchpad, which represents another major change from the older Eee PC 701. Not only is the touchpad far wider than that on the previous model, but it's also multi-touch enabled. OK, so maybe I was premature when I said that the similarities with Apple would end with the colours, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise! Just like on the MacBook Air, you can zoom in and out of images by pinching your fingers together, or pulling them apart. Of course, as with the MacBook Air, I'm not convinced that multi-touch is the killer feature that it is on the iPhone or iPod touch, but it's great to see Asus squeezing such cutting edge technology into such an affordable machine.



If you're the kind of notebook user that has got used to using the right hand edge of the touchpad to scroll through documents, you'll probably be disappointed to hear that the touchpad on the Eee PC 900 doesn't support this feature. But don't despair, because Asus has come up with a far better method. Instead of having to place your finger right at the edge of the touchpad to scroll, the Eee PC 900 will let you scroll from anywhere in the touchpad, as long as you use two fingers. The fact that you're using two fingers tells the touchpad that you're not just trying to move the pointer, and will consequently scroll through your document or webpage instead. The two finger scrolling method can be used for both vertical and horizontal scrolling.



There are some big changes inside too, although the CPU isn't one of them. Despite the fact that many of us were hoping that the Eee PC 900 would be sporting Intel's new Atom chip, unfortunately it's not. In fact the basic platform is unchanged from the original model, with a 900MHz Intel Celeron processor residing in a 915GM based motherboard - hardly cutting edge, but more than capable of the job at hand. The first component improvement over the old 701 is the memory complement, with the new 900 sporting 1GB of RAM as standard, as opposed to the 512MB seen previously. The webcam has also been upgraded from a 0.3-megapixel unit to a 1.3-megapixel model - ideal for anyone who needs their friends to see them in even more detail while chatting on Skype.

The other major component upgrade is the amount of storage on offer. The original 701 had only 4GB of storage, while the 900 comes in two configurations - one with 12GB of storage and the other with 20GB. There's no difference in price between these two versions because the 12GB model comes preloaded with Windows XP, while the 20GB version is running Linux. Basically Asus has used the money saved by installing an open source operating system to increase the storage. Of course if you really are set on Windows XP, the obvious suggestion would be to buy the Linux machine, then just install XP yourself - assuming that you have a spare copy of XP knocking about that is.



It's the 20GB Linux version that I've got in front of me right now, and I have to say that I'm simply not convinced that I would ever need Windows XP on a machine like this. The beauty of the Eee PC is its simplicity, so filling it up with a heavy duty OS, when you simply don't need the majority of the features it offers seems pointless. Unless you absolutely, positively have to run Windows applications like Microsoft Office, when you're out and about, there's pretty much nothing that you can't do with the Linux version.

Performance wise, the Eee PC 900 zips along, without any of the tedious grinding that Windows Vista users will be used to. Unlike with Vista, 1GB of RAM is more than enough for a well configured Linux build, while the fast solid state storage also helps to ensure that the Eee PC 900 responds instantaneously to your commands.



Navigation on the Linux install is unbelievably simple. You're basically presented with a tabbed desktop, and clicking each tab will change the icons on offer to you on your desktop. The first tab is labelled Internet and unsurprisingly, all the icons are linked to Internet access in some way. Highlights include a Webmail button, which opens a page with various Webmail client icons such as Gmail and Hotmail. The Web icon will open the pre-installed Firefox browser, while the Skype and Google Docs icons will do exactly what it says on the tin. The Messenger button will launch Pidgin, which is a multi-protocol instant messenger client, that works very well. I especially like the fact that all your conversations happen in one window, with tabs for each person you're talking to - this is very useful when desktop real estate is at a premium.

The Work tab gives you access to OpenOffice, for all your word processing, spreadsheet and presentation needs - and yes you can save in Microsoft Office format. Here you'll also find a PDF reader, a simple notes program and a shortcut to Thunderbird for all your email needs. This is also where File manager lives, which basically equates to Windows Explorer and lets you search through all your folders.



The Learn tab is clearly aimed at the education sector, which is a big part of the Eee PC market. Here you'll find games and applications to help improve your vocabulary, spelling and even maths ability. There's also a basic Paint program here, which is similar to the identically named application found in Windows, while the Science icon will give you access to a periodic table and a planetarium.



The Play tab brings up all the fun stuff like the Media Player, Music Manager and Webcam utility. There's also a Sound Recorder and a Games icon, which gives you access to a handful of pre-loaded games, including the obligatory Solitaire.



The Settings tab gives you access to all the system utilities and configuration applications. Here you can configure the touchpad, change the date and time, monitor disk usage and implement a virus scan of the system. The Add/Remove programs button also lives here, which not only lets you install or uninstall applications, but also checks for updates on all your installed programs. Finally the Favourites tab is just that, a place where you can store all your favourite links and shortcuts.

Despite the very small chassis, Asus has managed to squeeze in a surprising amount of connectivity. On the right you'll find a D-SUB port for hooking the Eee PC 900 up to an external monitor. Next to this are two USB 2.0 ports, along with an SD card slot. Considering how cheap flash memory is these days, the SD card slot means that even if you do run low on internal storage, augmentation won't be expensive.



On the left there's a third USB 2.0 port, which is one more than you'll find on most fully featured ultra-portable notebooks. Here you'll also find headphone and mic sockets - so you've got a choice of using a traditional or USB headset while taking advantage of that webcam and pre-installed Skype. Of course there is a microphone built into the lid of the machine, but you're always better off using a proper headset.



The final connection on the left is an Ethernet port for the 10/100 network adapter. It's worth noting that the Apple MacBook air doesn't have an Ethernet port, despite being considerably larger and heavier than the Eee PC 900, making Apple's machine look like a lightweight in metaphorical rather than literal terms. Of course you also get 802.11b/g wireless built-in - Draft-N would have been nice, but let's hope that when the Atom version arrives it wll be Draft-N compliant.

If there's one area where the new Eee PC 900 doesn't really improve on its predecessor, it's battery life, and that's a real shame. With the improvements that Asus has made in this new Eee PC model, battery life is about the only chink in its armour worth mentioning, but it's still a significant chink. Asus quotes 2.5-hours battery life for this machine, but I barely got two hours out of it, although to be fair I had the screen on full brightness and wireless running. Perhaps with a bit of a tweak to the brightness and more frugal use of wireless I could have matched Asus' estimate, but even then, two and a half hours isn't much by today's standards.


Ideally I'd like to see at least four hours battery life out of an Eee PC, especially since full fat ultra-portable machines like the Sony TZ can last well over six hours. Of course you can buy a larger battery for the Eee PC, but that will push both the price and the weight up. On the plus side, the power brick is tiny, so it wouldn't be too much of a chore to carry around with you, but that's not going to help you if you want to work out in the garden, or perhaps in a park where there are no plug sockets.


Battery life aside, Asus has thrown enough enhancements into the Eee PC 900 to make it a very attractive proposition for anyone who's thinking of buying a small, thin and light notebook. Of course those enhancements have also pushed the price up, with the Eee PC 900 costing £329 instead of £219. Even so, I can't see too many people being put off by the higher price point. In fact some of the guys in the office have already said that they'll be buying one of these little notebooks as soon as they get paid.


Verdict

Asus has done a brilliant job of updating an already great product. The engineers have clearly listened to all the comments regarding the original Eee PC and attempted to put them right. The 1,024 wide screen makes the Eee PC 900 a joy to use, especially if you spend a lot of your time in a browser window. The extra memory and storage are also very welcome additions, and help make this version of the Eee PC a real alternative to a fully featured notebook.

Yes the price is higher than the previous model, but I personally believe that the Eee PC 900 still represents staggering value for money. Ultimately, if you want a notebook that's small, light and still very affordable, the Eee PC 900 should be top of your list.

Asus Eee PC 900 Review - cnet.co.uk

Reviewed by Rory Reid

The Asus Eee PC 701 has earned a permanent place in history. It almost single-handedly defined the sub-notebook -- a genre of PC that made slow, inexpensive laptops the hottest properties in the computing world. Many have tried to emulate its success, and most have failed miserably, so it's left to Asus to push the envelope with a new version its product.

Step forward the Eee PC 900. This brings with it several improvements including a high-resolution 8.9-inch screen, more storage, more memory, a multi-touch mouse trackpad and an improved webcam. In other words, it's a far more attractive proposition even than the original. But is it enough of an evolution to stave off competition from its rivals? Let us know what you think in our Asus Eee PC 900 forum.

The Asus Eee PC 900 will be available on 1 May for around £329.

Design
The Eee PC 900 isn't too different to its predecessor, at least aesthetically. In comparison to the Eee PC 701, it's still ivory white and is still the size of a hardback book. It is, however, 6mm longer than its predecessor and approximately 100g heavier. The speakers that sat on either side of the screen have been removed to accommodate the larger panel -- an arrangement that immediately makes the laptop more attractive.

The speakers now live at the bottom of the laptop below the wrist rest -- an arrangement that adversely affects sound quality, particularly if you're using the Eee PC 900 on your lap. We'll forgive it this oversight, however, because the quality of the speakers on the original Eee PC 701 was rubbish in the first place.

We rather hoped the Eee PC 900 would have a larger keyboard than that of the 701, but that isn't the case. We still had the same trouble typing on it as we did before and had to adopt a four-finger -- index and middle finger -- approach to typing instead of our standard all-action, all-digit touch typing. It slows you down, but you'll get used to it after extended use.

The mouse trackpad has been improved, and notably so. It now has a wide aspect ratio to match that of the screen, meaning your finger inputs will more closely mirror what's possible with the on-screen cursor. The left and right selector buttons have also been improved. They now sport a silver finish and are easier to press.

Best of all, though, is the addition of multi-finger input, often referred to as multi-touch. The trackpad now lets you scroll horizontally and vertically through documents by swiping two fingers up or down across the surface of the trackpad. You can also zoom in or zoom out of pictures by making pinching or stretching movement with your fingers -- just like on a MacBook Air.

The selection of input-output ports on the Eee PC 900 is identical to that of the 701. The left side consists of an Ethernet port, a single USB port, and mic and headphone jacks. The right is home to a D-Sub VGA video output, two additional USB ports and an SD card reader. The latter can accommodate third-party SDHC cards for up to 32GB of additional storage. Larger cards are expected to emerge in due course.

Features
The aforementioned 8.9-inch display isn't simply for making the laptop look nicer. It's also of a very good standard. It runs at a native resolution of 1,024x600 pixels, which is significantly higher than the 800x480-pixel screen on the old 7-inch model. The quality of the display is also commendable, especially given the price of the laptop. The vertical viewing angle is a little limited, so you'll need to adjust the horizontal tilt to get the picture just right. Still, the horizontal viewing angle is wide enough to allow two users to watch a DivX movie side by side in relative comfort.

Anyone expecting the new Intel Atom CPUs in the Eee PC 900 will be sorely disappointed. This iteration uses the same Intel Celeron 900MHz CPU as the old 701, but it now has the backing of 1GB of DDR 400 RAM -- twice as much as you got in its predecessor. The geek inside us yearns for an Atom -- or similar -- CPU, but we'll have to wait until at least the summer before Asus updates the Eee again. In the meantime, we'll thank our lucky stars Asus didn't opt for a VIA C7-M CPU as seen in the Packard Bell EasyNote XS.

The amount of storage you get in your Eee PC 900 depends on whether you opt for the version containing Linux or Windows XP as an operating system. The Linux model comes with a fairly capacious 20GB of storage, while the Windows XP model has just 12GB. The reason for this discrepancy isn't as sinister as some fanboys might imagine.

Asus wants to keep the price of both models identical. Had the Windows model shipped with a 20GB drive, the price of that model would have jumped significantly due to the cost associated with the Windows user licence. Asus has been able to supply more storage in the Linux edition as a result of Linux costing approximately zero pounds. Sterling.

Both versions of the Eee PC 900 use Samsung flash memory chips rather than an actual off-the-shelf hard disk drive. The only drawback here is that it's not as large as the 32GB or 64GB SSDs in fully-grown laptops like the MacBook Air, but that's not a massive issue. The Eee PC 900's storage is still of the solid-state variety, so you can hurl the machine to the ground in frustration, safe in the knowledge that your data won't be lost. The screen and the keyboard will likely shatter into a million tiny pieces -- the machine is actually quite sturdy, don't worry -- but your data will be safe.

Those who opt for the Linux version of the Eee PC 900 won't be disappointed. It uses the same Linux-based OS as the Eee PC 701, and comes with some 40 applications pre-installed. You can add your own applications as you might expect, but we found pretty much everything we needed was already on the system, including the OpenOffice productivity suite, Firefox browser, a media player and more. Applications are logically arranged in tab groups labeled "Internet", "work", "learn", "play", "settings" and "favourites", so everything is easy to find.

The Eee PC 900 isn't designed to replace your primary PC -- despite what fanboys say otherwise. It's at its best when used as second PC or a Web access tool, and is well-equipped for doing just that. It has an Ethernet port, plus an 802.11b/g Wi-Fi adaptor so you can jump online regardless of whether you're in your lounge, your garden or a local Starbucks. Unfortunately, there's still no support for 802.11n high-speed wireless, but we can't say we really miss this feature.

Performance
The Eee PC 900 feels swifter in everyday use than the previous model -- something we put down to it having twice the memory. The 1GB of DDR 400 RAM also helped the system cope better with running multiple applications simultaneously. We were able to, for example, browse the Internet while watching a movie in a window without it dropping frames. It must be noted that this capability is only possible now that the Eee PC has a larger screen size and higher resolution resolution.

The Eee PC 900 still isn't the ideal candidate for playing games. Yes, there are some titles with modest enough system requirements to be compatible, but these are few and far between. It's also important to note that you'll need to install Windows XP in order to run the vast majority of these, and even then you'll only have a limited amount of space to install your favourite games.

Asus claims the Eee PC 900 will last approximately three hours on its standard battery -- half an hour less than its predictions for the Eee PC 701. In our own DivX movie playback test, it ran for 1 hour 29 minutes, which was just about long enough for us to enjoy a feature-length movie or a couple episodes of our favourite TV show. Your own mileage will vary, but expect it to last slightly longer if you run applications that are not CPU-intensive and with the wireless adaptor switched off.

Conclusion
The Eee PC 900 is a likeable update to the Eee PC 701. We're disappointed its keyboard is still so difficult to use, but the addition of a larger, high-resolution screen, multi-touch mouse trackpad and better storage gives it the edge over just about all of its rivals. It falls slightly short of a wholehearted recommendation due to the mooted touchscreen version and the huge likelihood that Asus will begin using newer Intel Atom CPUs, but for those who can't wait, it's a fantastic purchase.

HP 2133 Mini-Note getting XP install option in mid-May

While there's of course nothing to stop you from doing a fresh install of Windows XP on your brand new HP 2133 Mini-Note yourself (assuming you're actually able to get your hands on one), those looking for a simpler solution will apparently be able to get their fix in mid-May, which is when the company will reportedly start to offer XP pre-installed on the ultraportable. What's more, according to Laptop Magazine, there could also be a fully configurable version available "in the coming weeks or months," although exact details on that possibility apparently haven't quite firmed up yet.

Eee PC 900 details, launch dates come trickling out

We've already gotten the disappointing word that the Eee PC 900's processor is the same 900MHz Celeron M found in the 701, but perhaps our hearts can be warmed by all the new details that came flooding out today. First, we've got word that the 900 will actually carry two different flash storage units, with 4GB soldered onto the motherboard and an 8GB SSD in the PCIe slot for XP versions and a 16GB unit for Linux models. The dual-storage system means you should be able to upgrade easily, but we're still wondering why the lighterweight OS gets more storage -- we've got a feeling that since both models will be priced at the same $500 - $650 price point depending on territory, Windows license fees have something to do with it. Speaking of territories, we've also learned some international ship dates: Hong Kong and UK customers should be seeing this pop up as of today, while France should join the fun on the 17th, Taiwan and Singapore later this month, and Australia, Germany and Italy will all have to wait until May. Sadly, we're still in the dark on Stateside release dates, but you'll know as soon as we do.

Update: Asus just made the final specs official.

[Thanks, Bob]

Read - International launch dates
Read - Dual flash storage
Read - Eee PC 900 specs

Windows XP SP3 release just around the bend?

Though we originally expected (read: hoped) that Microsoft would dish out Service Pack 3 for Windows XP late last month, it seems the deed may actually get done before May dawns. According to an "internal schedule" fetched over at Neowin, OEMs, volume license, Connect, MSDN and TechNet subscribers will have access to the update on April 21st, while most average joes / janes won't notice it until April 29th when it hits the Microsoft / Windows Update download center. For folks too busy carrying on to worry over which SP their XP is running, they could very well overlook the automatic update scheduled to land on June 10th. (Re)mark your calendars, won't you?

[Via InformationWeek]

Lenovo's Ideapad U110 "coming soon" to the US

We got our hands on one of Lenovo's very slim and very shiny Ideapad U110 laptops way back at CES earlier this year, but it looks like the ultraportable is now finally nearing a release in the US, with at least one online retailer listing it as "coming soon." According to JR.com, the laptop will be available in both black and red versions (model numbers U110B and U110R, respectively), with each setting you back a hefty $1,999. That'll buy you a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo L7500 processor, a generous 3GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, and an 11.1-inch WXGA display. Unlike Lenovo's similarly slim X300, however, this one unsurprisingly doesn't come with a built-in optical drive of any sort, but we're guessing the 2.3-pound weight and 0.7-inch thickness will be enough for most to forgive that shortcoming.

[Via Laptoping]

HCL and Microsoft team up for "world's cheapest Windows laptop"

India's HCL is certainly no stranger to low-cost laptops, and the company is now apparently looking to expand its budget-priced empire even further, with it recently announcing that it's teamed up with Microsoft to roll out what it claims to be the "world's cheapest Windows laptop." While the company isn't exactly saying as much, the new laptop, dubbed the MiLeap H, appears to be a revamped version of the company's MiLeap Y unit, with it boasting the same swiveling 7-inch touchscreen, an unspecified Intel processor and Intel 945 GU Express chipset, 1GB of RAM, a 30GB hard drive, an integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam, built-in WiFi and, of course, Windows XP Home for the OS. No word on a release date just yet, but those in India can expect to pay 17,000 Indian rupees (or about $425) for the laptop.

[Via TechWeb/Yahoo! News]

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC misses ship date for pre-orderers

Say it ain't so! Just a week after HP's totally adorable 2133 Mini-Note PC popped online for purchase, we've received word that pre-orderers aren't going to be seeing their new machine quite as soon as originally expected. Reportedly, HP has sent out notifications to customers who pre-ordered to let them know that their lappies won't be shipping today as promised, but there's no word on how long the delay will last. Hang in there, subnote lovers -- a tracking number is bound to come soon (er, we hope).

Update: Some commenters are claiming that their unit did in fact ship today -- just keep those fingers crossed that you get lucky.

Video: Eee PC 900 processor is NOT Atom, multi-touch trackpad demonstrated

Oh man, the rumors were true. Asus' EeePC 900 -- the 8.9-inch model -- is still plodding along on that same 900MHz Celeron M processor as the original Eee PC 701. Good news: it does run at the full 900MHz without the 630MHz cap of its predecessor (pre-overclocking, that is). Bad News: it's not the Intel Atom proc promised at CeBIT. A potential bottleneck when loaded with the relatively CPU heavy XP instead of the Linux-based OS. Still, we're hoping this is a limitation in the early-launch, Hong Kong / Taiwan models only, and things will get corrected when Atom launches in June. The video after the break clearly demonstrates the multi-touch trackpad (3:50 in) which Engadget was first to discover in the FCC filing.

Panasonic launches 64GB P2 card, AJ-PCD35 ExpressCard adapter

Now that you're already penning a purchase requisition for one of those fancy new P2 HD camcorders, you might as well toss a couple of Panny's new 64GB P2 cards (model AJ-P2C064) and its AJ-PCD35 ExpressCard adapter on there, too. Yep, Panasonic has chosen NAB Show 2008 to double up on its current 32GB P2 card and to introduce a five-slot P2 memory drive with an ExpressCard interface. Put simply, the latter can hold all five cards from a fully-loaded VariCam 2700 / 3700 camcorder (or any other P2 rig) and give users the ability to upload content on the go with their ExpressCard-equipped laptop. Regrettably, the company didn't bother doling out dollar figures just yet, but we'd go ahead and file 'em both under "expensive."

[Via I4U News]

Samsung set to release Aura R410 14-inch laptop

Samsung hasn't exactly been flooding the market with its Aura laptops since it kicked off the line last year, but the few models it has released so far have certainly been decent enough, and its just-announced R410 model looks to be no exception. This one squeezes right into the middle of the pack with a 14.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 display, which gets backed up by "Intel's latest 45nm Penryn CPUs," ATI Radeon Xpress 1250M graphics, a DVD burner, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, and a welcome ExpressCard slot. All of that comes in an expectedly glossy package that weighs in at just over five pounds, and boasts a starting price of £499 (or about $1,000). Look for it to hit Europe in May, with no word of a release 'round these parts just yet.

Dell to launch low-cost subnotebook in June

According to the Wall Street Journal, Dell is planning to launch a low-cost 8.9-inch mini-notebook this June. It will be an Asus Eee PC, Everex CloudBook and HP Mini-Note competitor. It will be produced by Compal Electronics and carry a starting price tag of $399.

Full Story (WSJ.com)
Via (Laptoping.com)

Toshiba Portege R500-12Q surfaces with 128GB SSD

Well, would you cast a keen eye on this? Over on Toshiba's European website (among other regions), an atypical Portégé R500 (the R500-12Q, to be precise) has made an appearance, and while most everything looks to be the standard fare, the included hard drive certainly isn't. Looking past the 12.1-inch LED-backlit display, Core 2 Duo ULV U7700 processor, 2GB of DDR2 RAM and dual-layer DVD writer lies a drool-worthy 128GB SSD, sure to send the flash faithful into a tizzy. There's no pricing information to be immediately found, but those scouting an ultraportable with a solid state disc have likely already come to grips with the lofty premium sure to be attached.

MSI's 8.9- to 10-inch Wind breaks in Q2 for less than $500

Good news: the price of those 7- to 9-inch ultra-portables are in free-fall as Dell, ASUS, HP, Everex and others race to the bottom. Bad news: your $500ish wad currently takes home a thick, boxy slab. Fortunately, MSI is looking to change all that when it ships the sleek Wind laptop in Q2. In other words, June when Intel ships the Atom processor. Prices are expected to range from $470 to $1,099 for your choice of 8.9-inch and 10-inch panels with 1,024 x 768 pixel resolutions, 2.5-inch hard disk or SSD drive, processors ranging from 1GHz to 1.6GHz, and 1GB of memory. At least that's the last we heard. Word to the wise: wait until summer for your ultra-portable purchase -- competition will be fierce and the waves will be tasty.

Fukato's Eee-ish Datacask enters your life in May

Like the Eee? If you're enthusiastically shaking your head in the affirmative, perhaps you'll want to check out Fukato's low-cost Datacask (cheery, right?). Like the Jisus before it, the computer-maker hopes to garner some of that cheapo laptop market with this black and white number, which sports an 8-inch, 800 x 480 display, a 500MHz AMD Geode CPU, a 20GB 60GB hard drive, 512MB of RAM, and a (surprise!) Linux-based OS. The little dude will be hitting European shelves sometime in May for €279 (or about $440).

[Via Liliputing]

Mandriva Linux 2008 Spring Released

Mandriva Linux 2008 Spring has been released. This new release brings features like full support for the Asus Eee, easy synchronization with Windows Mobile 5 and later, Blackberry, and Nokia devices, a new parental control utility, the Elisa multimedia centrer, Codeina for easy installation of necessary media codecs, and PulseAudio by default. Software updates include KDE 3.5.9 (with 4.0.2 available from the official repositories), GNOME 2.22, OpenOffice.org 2.4, Linux kernel 2.6.24.4, X.org 7.3, and Compiz 0.7. You can download the One (live/install CD) or Free (traditional installer, 100% free/open source software) editions of Mandriva Linux 2008 Spring right here. BitTorrent download links can be found here. The main 2008 Spring page on the Mandriva Wiki has more information.

ASUS Eee PC 900 gets unboxed

Yeah, you already knew what this 9-incher looked like from our time spent with it over in Germany, but there's just nothing like seeing a spotless machine escape from its factory packaging and delight its new owner for the first time. Hit the read link below for more shots, and do your best to withhold that growing pang of jealously, will ya?

[Via jkkmobile]

ASUS Eee PC overclocking looks surprisingly easy

Have an Eee PC? Did your friend's overclocked OLPC get you thinking about just how much more horsepower you can eke out of that little beast? Say no more -- with a little hackery you too can join the 900MHz+ Eeelite with your ASUS cheaptop. Looks like there are apps for both Windows and Linux to get the job done, just don't come crying to us about melted legs or -- worse still -- a busted computer.

[Via Liliputing]

Asus Eee PC Windows Review - notebookreview.com

by JerryJ

The Asus Eee PC quickly became an overnight success after its release last year. Consumers looking for a low-cost ultraportable laptop began buying the Linux-based Eee PC in record numbers. After months of customer feedback, Asus has decided to offer the Eee PC with Windows XP and a couple of extras ... all for close to the same amazing price. Let's take a look.

A Little History Of A Little Laptop

As the editor for a technology website and as a consumer constantly looking for cheap deals on electronics, I was genuinely impressed with the Asus Eee PC 4G. This little low-cost laptop comes dangerously close to being a "disposable notebook" at its current price of $399. Sure, if you spend your time shopping for deals you can find new laptops from other companies that rival this price ... but none are as convenient to carry as the tiny Eee PC.

The editorial staff of NotebookReview.com chose to award the Eee PC 4G with the Editors Choice Award in October of 2007 and I even wrote a follow-up article proclaiming the "perfection" of the Eee PC. Despite all there is to love about these pint-sized subnotebooks, I would be lying if I said the Eee PC is without its flaws. In order to give consumers a mobile laptop at a rediculously low price Asus had to use a small, low-resolution LCD. This 7-inch display isn't great for long-term use, but then again the Eee PC was designed for short-term use such as a short business trip or casual web browsing anywhere you go.

The Eee PC also uses a 900MHz Intel processor that's a little slower than most consumers expect in today's market. In fact, the processor actually runs at a slower clock speed straight out of the box and it's up to the user to set the processor to run at a full 900MHz in the BIOS. That's a little complicated for most consumers ... but again, we're talking about a low-cost travel laptop that's almost disposable yet still manages to rival ultraportable notebooks costing much more.

Still, the biggest criticism from consumers was the use of Asus' customized Xandros Linux as an operating system. The "Eee" in Eee PC stands for "Easy to Learn, easy to work, easy to play." Unfortunately, although the point-and-click Linux interface was indeed simple, most customers didn't find it "easy." In fact, the single most common modification that customers made to their Eee PCs was the installation of Windows XP.

Well, Asus was paying attention, and the Eee PC with Windows XP is here.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

This review of the new Asus Eee PC with Windows XP doesn't follow our typical review format because, to be perfectly honest, little has changed with this release of the Eee PC. Basically, the Eee PC 4G with Windows XP is the same notebook as the Eee PC 4G with Linux. The only difference is the operating system and couple of extra accessories (a 4GB SDHC card from A-DATA, and a small wired USB optical mouse).

Why is this attractive to consumers? Well, you get an extra $30-$40 worth of accessories and a $100 operating system for little or no increase over the low price of the original Eee PC 4G: retail prices range from $399 to $469 at the time of this writing.

Performance and Benchmarks

The Eee PC isn't designed for HD video encoding or playing Crysis, but it is designed to be a mobile companion that's perfect for web browsing, working in Microsoft Office, or some light gaming while on the road.

For our standard performance benchmarks we decided to test the Eee PC with Windows XP in both the stock configuration (with the processor running at 630MHz) and using one of the Asus BIOS to set the processor at its full clock speed of 900MHz.

The bottom line is the Eee PC performs well with the Intel processor ... but it performs better when it's running at full speed. The other item of note in these benchmarks is the incredibly poor performance of the VIA processor despite a significantly faster clock speed. This suggests VIA processors may in fact be a poor choice for this form factor. It also means the competition needs to think seriously about alternative processors choices from Intel.

Conclusion

The Eee PC with Windows solves two of the key complaints about the original Eee PC 4G. Adding Windows XP and an extra 4GB SDHC card make this notebook much more attractive to most consumers who need a low-priced notebook that can go everywhere with them.

Although I understand the realities dictating retail price, the Eee PC is already dangerously close to being too expensive for what you get. The original $399 price point is great, but some retailers are selling the new Eee PC with Windows XP for $469. Once we get to $500 most consumers would be better off buying a budget 15-inch notebook and living with the inconvenience of the larger size. The Eee PC is still a great choice for people who want a low-cost travel companion, but the key element to the Eee PC's success has been the low price. The Eee PC concept likely won't succeed if Asus or retailers keep increasing the price.

Overall, the Eee PC 4G with Windows is a great deal for anyone who was considering the purchase of the original Eee PC and buying Windows separately. If you're the type of person who wants a low-cost ultraportable notebook the Eee PC is still the king of the hill.

Pros
• Still a great subnotebook at a great price
• Windows XP is a better fit for this machine
• Extra 4G SDHC card and mouse are nice

Cons
• Still a tiny display
• Still a cramped keyboard
• The processor should be clocked at 900MHz by default

Imation wants you to lose its Atom flash drives too

Another day, another ridiculously tiny USB flash drive. This one comes to us from the folks at Imation, and while it's a few millimeters shy of Super Talent's supposed record-holder, the company's Atom drive is still plenty easy to lose (despite the best efforts of the attached keychain). If you aren't swayed away by that prospect, you can look for the drive to be available in capacities from 1GB to 8GB, with it boasting the usual Windows Ready Boost feature and some basic security measures -- no word on pricing just yet though.

Super-Talent Pico USB drives: lose 'em even faster

Score, another "world's smallest" USB drive. Never seen one of those before. Super-Talent's latest Pico drives are mighty small though, and if one of you is somehow running the Tiny USB Hall of Records, it measures just 1.5 by .5 inches and holds 8GB in swivel, retractable, and waterproof versions. $35, should be out now.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Compal: 8.9-inch Dell laptop coming in June for less than $499

Hear that? That's the sound of pitter-pattering little hearts bursting within the executive board rooms of FIC, ASUS, Acer, and HP among others. This after a Compal Electronics official said that Dell plans to launch an 8.9-inch wide-screen laptop for under $499. Taiwan's Compal would of course assemble the goods. The new ultra-portable is expected "as early as June" -- the same time that Intel's Atom processors will launch, coincidentally. Hmm.

Update: The whole thing is now seemingly confirmed by Michael Dell himself. When asked yesterday about the new HP Mini-Note, Dell responded, "We will introduce a similar laptop." He then teased with, "Stay tuned, we will have some interesting products coming in that space over the next two quarters."

Kohjinsha's SR8KPO6S UMPC makes room for optical drive

Kohjinsha's UMPCs have remained largely unchanged over the years -- an SSD here, Intel CPU boost here -- but the firm's latest has managed to accomplish something few UMPCs would even dream of. That's right, this 7-incher includes a full-fledged dual-layer DVD writer, which tags along nicely with the 1,024 x 600 resolution LED-backlit panel, 1.3-megapixel camera, 60GB hard drive, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth and 800MHz A110 processor. It's also filled with 1GB of DDR2 RAM, Ethernet, a duo of USB 2.0 ports, VGA output, audio in / out, 3-in-1 multicard reader and a pair of battery options promising 3.5 / 7.2 hours of life. The 2.4-pound machine looks to be available at the end of this month (albeit rebadged as a Vye Mini-V S37) for around $1,500.

[Via Ubergizmo]

Modder swaps touchscreen into Everex Cloudbook

by Darren Murph

Not content with just ordering a touchscreen-packin' Cloudbook from Japan, Azazel decided to take matters into his own wonder-working hands and hack up his vanilla unit to include the oh-so-coveted touch support. Based on his reports, disassembling the rig and stuffing the new panel in was a lesson in simplicity (save for one quick round with a soldering iron), but actual usability proved to be somewhat of a letdown. It was noted that using the small screen with just a fingertip was challenging, and while relying on a pen did make things marginally easier, we'd think long and hard about your needs / wishes before taking the plunge.

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC on sale now

by Darren Murph

Just in case you've been burying your face in those glowing reviews of HP's latest UMPC, here's a quick heads-up to inform you that the 2133 Mini-Note PC is actually available to order. As of this very moment, prospective buyers can select a unit of their own at HP's website, and with five models ranging from $499 to $849, we're sure there's a Mini-Note for you in there somewhere.

8.9-inch Eee PC to launch early, without Intel's Atom?

by Thomas Ricker

It's just a rumor, though it's likely spot-on given DigiTimes by launching its second generation 8.9-inch Eee PC early. As such, they'll have to forgo Intel's new Atom processor (shipping in ' past success with its well placed ASUS source(s). Remember, they nailed the 9-inch touchscreen (rumor, announcement) as well as the 2nd generation ship date (rumor, announcement) among other notable successes. Apparently, ASUS is looking to get a jump on HP's new Mini-Note and that upcoming ultra-portable from AcerJune) and slap in an older-generation dual-core ULV instead. Sources claim that ASUS still plans to go Atom in "later versions of its Eee PCs." What's unclear is whether this would be an AsiaPac move only, or if ASUS' entire global rollout strategy has changed. We'll update you as soon as we know more.

HP 2133 shows up on Amazon as the Mini-Note PC

by Nilay Patel

It looks like the rumors of HP launching the sexy 2133 UMPC today were off the mark, but it certainly does seem like the diminutive laptop is coming soon -- placeholder pages for an "HP 2133 Mini-Note PC" have popped up at Amazon and other retailers. That's the first we've heard of the Mini-Note name, which is interesting in terribly uncreative way, but we're slightly more intrigued by the addition of a 1.0GHz SuSE model with 4GB of flash instead of a hard drive -- we'd originally heard that the 2133 would come in such a configuration, but none of the specs we'd seen so far had mentioned it. Of course, an empty Amazon product page with no pricing information doesn't make the 2133 any more official, but we've got a feeling it's pretty close -- come on HP, we know you're confident, let's see what you're hiding back there.

Read - Amazon product page for the 1.2GHz / 120GB config
Read - Amazon product page for the 1.0GHz / 4GB flash config
Read - Product listing on compsource.com

More details on Acer's Eee PC-competing laptops trickle out

by Donald Melanson

processor. That model will also apparently be available with your choice of Linux or Windows XP, and your choice of SSD or regular hard drives (no word on capacities), with it setting you back between $300 and $450 depending on the configuration (that's a slight change from the $350 to $400 we heard earlier). Details on the 12.1-inch model are considerably lighter, unfortunately, although DigiTimes says that Acer ordered a million of the 12.1-inch panels in March, and that they cost between $40 to $50 less than other "high-end" panels of the same size. It also looks like Acer is trying to match Asus in the We'd already heard a few tantalizing details about Acer's forthcoming Eee PC competitors, but now thanks to some unspecified "sources at notebook ODMs" speaking to DigiTimes we have a few more tidbits on the low-cost laptops. If this latest report is to be believed, Acer will be shipping both the 8.9-inch Aspire and 12.1-inch Slim Gemstone Aspire in the second half of 2008, with at least the 8.9-incher unsurprisingly based on Intel's budget-friendly Atomboasting department, with it reportedly declaring that it'll ship a hefty 5 to 5.5 million of the 8.9-inch models in the second half of 2008 alone.

Ultrathin Netbook showcased at Intel Developer Forum

by Darren Murph

From what we've seen thus far, Intel's Netbook isn't exactly the prettiest piece of kit. But apparently, the unit we've been shown looks nothing like the Netbooks of the future. At the Intel Developer Forum in Shanghai, the company was showing off an upcoming design that looked awfully thin (and awfully attractive). As it stands, all we truly know about the lappie was that Linux was under the hood and the Atom will likely power things whenever it escapes the trade show floor and ships en masse. Still, if the price is right, we can certainly see this slab being desired by more than just schoolkids in various corners of the world.

ASUS' 7-inch Eee PC now available at Best Buy in XP flavor

by Joshua Topolsky

Sure, the picture on the purchase page shows the little guy running Xandros -- but read the fine print ya'll. That's right, the moment some of you have been waiting for has finally descended upon us like the enraged, ancient dragons of yore. The Windows XP equipped ASUS Eee PC is now available at Best Buy. For just $399.99, you can experience the totally okay performance that is this 7-inch master of destruction. Enjoy it now, but remember, those 9-inch models are just around the corner.

Windows XP to live until 2010... on the Eee

by Nilay Patel

We puzzled over Microsoft's cryptic statements at CeBIT that the Eee's "other requirements" would lead to an adjustment of the Windows 7 timeline, and it looks like our first guess was spot-on: Microsoft will be making Windows XP available for Eee-class ultraportables until 2010, and possibly later. Demand for XP on devices like the Eee and Intel's Classmate machines has prompted MS to reconsider axing XP entirely this June: the company will now sell XP Home through at least June 2010, and for one year after the release of Windows 7 -- which means sales of XP could stretch into 2012. There's no word on if the build of XP Home targeted at the ultraportable laptop set will be different from regular XP builds, but we doubt there'll be many changes -- it'll be awfully sad if people are still clamoring for XP more than a decade after its initial release, though.

CTL's 2go PC Netbook variant gets official, headed for Amazon

by Donald Melanson

Intel's just gotten official about its new Netbook platform (a.k.a. Classmate 2), and CTL has now followed suit with official word on the first Netbook that'll actually be available: the 2go PC. While there's no surprises with the specs, CTL did drop word that the education-minded laptop will be available for sale to the general public from Amazon (though not just yet) with prices ranging from $300 to $500 (as opposed to the firm $400 price tag we heard earlier). Coinciding with the official launch, the folks at Laptop Magazine have also let loose both a brief hands-on and a full review of the device, both of which find the laptop to be an improvement over the original Classmate PC, with its rugged design, long battery life and lightweight chassis in particular earning it high marks. The keyboard, however, is apparently even more cramped than the one on the Eee PC, so anyone outside of the intended kid market will likely want to look elsewhere. Be sure to hit up the appropriate link below for a video of the laptop as well.

Read - CTL Press Release (PDF link)
Read - Laptop Magazine, "Hands-on with CTL's 2go PC"

[Via Eee Site, thanks David]

Intel launches second generation Classmate PCs for current generation of kids

by Thomas Ricker

Here we go, the official launch of Intel's second generation Classmate PC. After watching it trickle out in Malaysia, there's not much left to say about the rugged, Internet-centric platform of portables Intel is now calling "netbooks." However, if you're in the 95% of the world's children said to be without PCs or Internet, you're surely stoked at the prospect of your government handing you a 7- to 9-inch laptop with 6-cell battery, 512MB of memory, 30GB disk loaded with XP or Linux riding a Celeron M processor -- not Intel's newest Atom (though that's coming in future Classmates according to Intel). Then you can get started tweeting like your "more civilized" netizens.

Rock's new Pegasus 210 12-inch ultraportable

by Paul Miller

It's no secret that 2008 is shaping up as a stellar year for ultraportables, and now even perennial clunker manufacturer Rock is getting in on the action. The new Pegasus 210 is built on Intel's UMPC internals, with a 800MHz A110 processor doing the "heavy" lifting. The laptop sports 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth and optional HSDPA connectivity, along with a 80GB 1.8-inch HDD, 1GB of RAM, a 4-in-1 card reader and a PCMCIA slot. There's no disc drive, but there is a full complement of ports on the 2.2 pound laptop. You can pick one up for a rather palatable £799 in the UK (about $1,582 US).

[Via BIOS]

Everex Cloudbook MAX hands-on

Damn, Everex clearly stepped up their game with the Cloudbook MAX. Not that we want to harsh on the original Cloudbook or anything, but this thing is definitely in a different class -- and the integrated XOHM WiMAX doesn't hurt, either. Check out some hands-on shots taken at CTIA below.

Intel reveals June launch date for first Atom processor

by Donald Melanson

We've already heard about some of Intel's future Atom plans, and heard just how little it'll apparently cost the company to produce 'em, but now thanks to a PDF kindly let loose by the chipmaker, we finally have some official word as to when we can actually expect to see 'em. As UMPC Portal reports, the PDF released in conjunction with the currently-happening Intel Developer Forums indicates that the processor will get a worldwide launch this June, which is a tad later than some had expected. In related news, the PDF also mentions two Celeron processors intended for use with the same Diamondville platform that Atom uses, including the Celeron 220 and Celeron 440 (both Intel Core processors), though we somehow suspect those won't generate quite the level of interest as the bargain basement Atom.

Everex Cloudbook MAX plays on Sprint's XOHM WiMAX network

by Darren Murph

Not too long ago, we gave you loyal Cloudbook owners a chance to voice your opinion on how you'd change things. Fast forward a few weeks, and take a gander at what Everex has put together. Debuting today at CTIA 2008, the Cloudbook MAX not only boasts an 8.9-inch WVGA (1,024 x 600) display, Windows Vista, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated GPS receiver, 2-megapixel webcam and a battery good for four hours, but it also features an 80GB HDD, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, audio in / out and an S-Video output. Beyond all that, this thing gets energized by a 1.6GHz VIA C7-M ULV processor coupled with the VX800 digital media IGP chipset, which touts full DirectX 9 support and video acceleration for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, VC1 and DivX video formats (plus a VMR-capable HD video processor, among other things). Lastly, the unit includes built-in support for Sprint's XOHM WiMAX network. Brimming with excitement yet? Start stocking that piggy bank -- this currently unpriced rig will be available in the latter half of this year across North America.

Read - VIA and Everex demonstrate Cloudbook MAX at CTIA
Read - VIA VX800 Series Chipset

Update: Looks like availability is now set for Q1 - Q2 2009. Thanks, Taylor!

Intel breaks Wind with first Atom-based ultra-portables in the wild

by Thomas Ricker

There you have it, the first laptop we've seen running Intel's long awaited Atom processors. We're pretty sure that's MSI's Wind PC on display in Shanghai for Intel's Developer Forum. Of course, we've already seen Atom listed as the CPU in the G10IL and new 8.9-inch Eee PC among others. But there's nothing like seeing the genuine article running on Intel's newest silicon. If you're a fan of the Eee PC form factor then you'll be stoked by what looks like a truck-load of 7- to 9-inch ultra-portables on way. Click the read link to see a few more.

Windows XP-powered Eee PC laptop: $400, April 9th

by Ryan Block

Sounds like we've finally got a price and a date for the XP powered Eee PC: $400, and April 9th. The hardware's identical to current-gen Eee PCs, though, so if you're happy with your little white lappy and are itching for XP you might try to pick up a license on eBay. Still, if all goes well for ASUS, they'll be selling 4x what they did the first time around, innit?

P.S. -If you are, for whatever reason, itching to read more about current hardware running the 7 year old OS, Laptop's got a hands-on. Nothing that wasn't already out there though.

Atom processor to cost Intel just $6 to $8?

by Darren Murph

Ever since Intel compared the criticality of its (still) forthcoming Silverthorne (which now goes by Atom, if you couldn't guess) processor to the original Pentium last June, we've all wondered just how fantasmical our worlds would become when this thing finally dropped. Now, however, Tom's Hardware has discovered that the release may actually do more for Intel than we geeks. After consulting a source it believes to be quite credible, it found that the CPU -- which will likely sell for upwards of $30 at the low-end -- will cost Intel just "$6 to $8, including production, packaging and shipping." Without busting out the abacus, it's still fairly easy to see how profitable said chips could be if Intel can move these at even a snail's pace, but of course, we'd take the dollars and cents estimates with a grain of salt until they actually hit the market.

[Engadget]

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC Review - laptopmag.com

by John R. Delaney

HP enters the suddenly very crowded low-cost mini notebook space with its HP 2133 Mini-Note PC, and it trumps the competition in a few key areas.

First, despite its compact dimensions, this 3.2-pound laptop sports a full-size keyboard, which makes it easy to take notes and compose e-mails on the go. You also get a sturdy and stylish aluminum chassis that makes this system look like a premium ultraportable, as well as a relatively large and crisp 8.9-inch display. And unlike competing machines, such as the Asus Eee PC and Everex Cloudbook, you can configure the Mini-Note with your choice of processors, RAM, and hard drives. Plus, you can plug in a ExpressCard mobile broadband modem so you don’t have to rely on Wi-Fi hotspots.

The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC (starting at $599 for Windows Vista Basic, $499 for SuSE Linux, and $749 as configured) is a bit more expensive and weighs more than the competition, but the system’s unique strengths make it a good investment for students, mobile professionals, and anyone else looking for an affordable, highly portable computer.

Large for a Mini

Like other mini-notebooks, the 2133 Mini-Note is aimed at the education market, though you wouldn’t know it from the design. Measuring 10.0 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches and weighing just under 4 pounds, the Mini-Note is a tad bulkier than the ASUS, CTL, and Everex models. A brushed silver aluminum case over a magnesium-alloy chassis gives the system a durable foundation, which is augmented by a hard drive accelerometer and a spill-resistant, wear-resistant keyboard. Even the display features a glossy no-scratch coating.

Beneath the lid is a bright 8.9-inch display framed by a shiny black bezel. We didn’t experience any window-sizing problems like we did with the other small notebooks, thanks to the screen’s 1280 x 768-pixel resolution. Overall, color quality and viewing angles were quite good, but users with weak eyes may find text and icons too small. A camera and microphone are embedded in the upper bezel, but the system doesn’t come with a webcam utility. However, Windows Live Messenger immediately recognized the camera, which provided adequate image quality for video chatting. The built-in stereo speakers were loud and packed a punch.

The Mini-Note features a 92 percent—size keyboard treated with a special coating that HP claims makes the keys 50 times more resistant to visible wear than a standard keyboard, and it’s spill-resistant as well. The keyboard deck was comfortable, and the large keys were responsive, as was the wide-aspect touchpad. Unfortunately, the mouse buttons are positioned to the left and right of the touchpad and are oriented vertically, which we found to be awkward. We found ourselves double-tapping the touchpad more often than we did left-clicking.

A power switch, drive indicator, and Wi-Fi switch are located along the lower edge of the keyboard deck, and a VGA port, headphone and microphone jacks, and a USB port are on the left side. ExpressCard/54 and SD Card slots are mounted on the right, along with a second USB port and an Ethernet port.

HP Mini-Note Features and Performance

Our Mini-Note came with Windows Vista Business installed on a 120GB (7,200-rpm) hard drive, but you can configure the system with Vista Home Edition, FreeDOS, or the SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 operating system. HP offers several drive choices as well, including a solid state 4GB drive for the Linux version (starting at $499), a 160GB 7,200-rpm drive, and 120GB and 160GB drives that spin at 5,400 rpm. These latter configurations start at $599.

The system is powered by a 1.6-GHz VIA C7-M processor, VIA Chrome 9 graphics chip, and 2GB of DDR2 memory, which produced a 3DMark03 score of 380; that’s 135 points below average for a UMPC, but the Mini-Note had no trouble handling Vista and ran multiple applications without a hiccup. It did take 1 minute and 18 seconds for the system to complete the Windows boot sequence, though.

Wireless performance was respectable, coming in at 14.3 Mbps at a distance of 15 feet from our access point. From 50 feet away, the 802.11a/b/g radio managed speeds of 13.2 Mbps. The system also came with a Bluetooth option and a six-cell extended-life battery that gave us 3 hours and 20 minutes of power with the power plan set to high performance. That runtime is on a par with other mini notebooks we've tested but it's not as much endurance as we would have liked.

Verdict

While it's somewhat bigger and pricier than other mini-notebooks, the HP 2133 Mini-Note offers a few features that the others don’t, including an adult-size keyboard and a design more suited to business users. If all you need is a low-cost laptop that can run Windows, you may want to wait for the 9-inch version of the Eee PC. But if you require more from your mini-notebook and don’t mind paying for it, the HP 2133 Mini-Note delivers the goods.

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC Review - jkontherun.com

by James Kendrick

The Asus EEE PC woke people up to the benefits that a sub-notebook device brings to consumers, especially if it's priced attractively. HP is releasing their hotly awaited sub-notebook and the Mini is a solid first effort in this small notebook category. I know, we have heard this device called the 2133 or the Mini-Note but HP told me they are going to release it as simply the Mini. I have been using the HP Mini for a week now thanks to the good folks at HP and this hands-on review of the device should answer all of your questions about it. There is an interesting story behind the Mini as I discovered by spending an hour with the folks at HP behind the device. The Mini is the brain child of the group at HP that produces products for the education sector and not the main consumer group. HP found that in discussions with educators that they needed a notebook computer that was small enough for students to easily handle and yet sturdy enough to survive the knocks that they dish out to the gear they use. HP went to work and the Mini emerged to fit those needs and they've done it so well that I'm pretty sure it will appeal far beyond the education sector, especially given the attractive pricing.

Overview

The Mini is a small notebook computer designed to be highly mobile and yet fully functional. The first thing that strikes those who see the Mini for the first time is how sturdily built the device is. The casing is brushed metal in an attractive gray finish reminiscent of the MacBook Pro from Apple. All of the corners are rounded and the attention to detail is evident from the get-go. The Mini is designed to be a highly mobile notebook computer that can be easily carried and opened at a moment's notice to get stuff done. There are several basic configurations that can be ordered from HP and having spent time with the device I am impressed with the attractive pricing that HP is offering. All of the models run the Via C7 processor running at 1.6 GHz, a definite compromise to keep the price low. The basic model will start at $499, a price higher than the EEE PC but the Mini comes with far better hardware components than the EEE and it's hard to make a strict comparison for that reason. This $499 model will sport 1 GB of memory and run SuSE Linux installed on a 120 GB hard drive. I played with this model for an hour at the HP offices and it is extremely snappy and well worth the low price in my opinion. The Mini is also available with Windows, Vista Home or Business initially and XP eventually given Microsoft's easing of the restrictions on OEMs to provide XP going forward. The impressive model is the one I am reviewing here, the top of the line Mini with 2 GB of memory, a 120GB fast hard drive (7,200 rpm), Bluetooth, WiFi, 8.9" screen (1280x768), web cam, trackpad, SDHC slot, ExpressCard slot, 2 USB ports (1 is powered for running peripherals that require power), Ethernet and a 6-cell battery. The price is equally impressive with $749 getting you the whole enchilada which is a great deal in my opinion.

Hardware

The unit I am reviewing has the following configuration: Via C7-M 1.6 GHz processor, Via Chrome9 UMA graphics, 2 GB of memory, 1.3 MP web cam, an 8.9-inch screen running at 1280x768, wide trackpad with two large mouse buttons on either side, 92% scaled keyboard with the HP DuraKey finish for durability, 120 GB 7,200 rpm HDD, a VGA-out port, two USB ports (1 powered), audio in/out jacks, stereo speakers, dual integrated microphones, radio off slider, ExpressCard slot, SD slot, and an Ethernet jack. The two USB ports are split on the left and right side of the unit for ease of use and this is indicative of the thought that HP has put into the entire design of the Mini to make it easy for mobile usage. The system feels very solid in the hands and is one of the best constructed mobile PCs I have used.

Software

The unit I am evaluating is a pre-production prototype so it might not reflect what software might be installed on shipping units but I am happy to report this one was totally free of junkware. Vista Business is installed along with a Microsoft Office 2007 trial but that's about it. The system is relatively free for the user to begin building his dream mobile PC from the outset.
Real world usage usage

Here's the topic that most are probably interested in, how does the HP Mini perform in the real world? Very well, I'm happy to report. The high resolution display coupled with an absolutely awesome keyboard make the Mini a real trooper for field work. This review has been written on the Mini if that helps clarify it a bit. The Mini is about the same size as the Fujitsu P1620 although a tad heavier. I found through usage that since the Mini is not used in the hands like the Fujitsu that the extra weight did not matter to me at all. I find that I am able to open the screen of the mini, hit the power slider and be up and running in a couple of seconds from sleep mode. The screen is very nice and clear and the trackpad is one of the best I have used. That's important as I don't like trackpads as a rule but I am using this one exclusively while mobile. The screen hinges are unique and by design when the screen is opened it actually sits behind the Mini body and not on top like those on most all notebooks. This is because the teachers that HP interviewed found that regular notebook PCs used in the classroom resulted in them becoming barriers between the teacher and the students. The Mini screen thus sits flush with the table or desk and much lower than traditional screens.

Working with the keyboard is reminiscent of working with the 2710p. This is a good thing as I find that keyboard to be a great one and the Mini is more of the same. Going with a 92% scaled keyboard was a good design choice by HP as it allows the Mini to be as small as possible yet without compromising the keyboard for touch typing. I am able to touch type at full speed as fast as on any keyboard I've used and it doesn't feel like it's been scaled down at all. The keyboard stretches all the way to both sides of the device with no wasted space at all. The keys are full-sized and relatively flat on the top with good feedback and the HP DuraKey surface means they will not wear like normal notebook keys. The trackpad is about 1.5 inches wide and feels very natural and "slidy" to use as it’s the same surface as the case surrounding the keyboard. The mouse buttons are on either side of the trackpad rather than above or below it and that took a bit to get used to. It didn't take long before I was clicking with abandon though and of course you can perform a left mouse click by tapping the trackpad anyway. This attention to detail with the screen and keyboard make the Mini a writer's dream machine. It's as small as possible with no compromises in the usage department and anyone who works with documents a lot like professionals will find this a very powerful portable notebook.

The decision of HP to go with the VIa C7-M processor was one I faced with trepidation when I started using the Mini. I am not a big fan of the Via processor especially running Vista but since the unit I have has 2 GB of RAM this has not been an issue. Vista is running nicely and I have experienced no issues with performance due to the processor. I doubt I'd feel the same way with just 1 GB of RAM though so I wouldn't recommend a Vista configuration of the Mini with only the basic 1 GB of memory. The only area the Mini has failed due to the Via is in the area of video Skype calls. Audio calls work fine but once I fire up video using the integrated web cam the system gets very sluggish and both the audio and video get very choppy. It's not usable this way so I've just been sticking to audio Skype calls as a result. It's too bad because the integrated web cam works nicely otherwise, but I've seen Skype video give other systems fits too so this didn't surprise me.

The weakest category unsurprisingly is the Via processor which only clocks in with a value of 2.0. The rest of the categories all have surprisingly high values, especially the graphics. While the prototype I am evaluating had Aero Glass turned off in Vista I turned it on and it runs fine as the above figures would indicate it should. I see no performance hit having Aero enabled.

The Mini can get pretty warm when it’s running plugged into the adapter but not dangerously so. The extended battery helps deal with that by functioning as a tilted stand when it’s installed which raises the Mini up a bit. This actually lets air flow better under the device so it runs cooler with the 6-cell battery than the 3-cell as the Mini sits almost flush on the table when the smaller battery is installed.

The stereo speakers on each side of the screen make playing music and podcasts a real joy. The volume level produced by the Mini is easily the loudest I’ve heard on any notebook and the audio quality is quite good. Listening to podcasts is a real joy on the Mini but I find I have to make sure the volume level is turned way down or it blasts everybody.

I have been able to use a 16 GB SD card in the Mini with ReadyBoost enabled and it works fine. I haven’t had the Mini long enough to tell if the ReadyBoost is making a big difference in the performance though I’m sure it’s working as well in this device as in any other. I have also used the Verizon v740 ExpressCard EVDO modem in the Mini and when I first used it I had trouble maintaining a connection for longer than a few minutes. It looked like the Mini was shutting the modem down so I went into the Device Manager and shut off the ability for the modem to be powered down by the Vista power management and that rectified that problem. It’s pretty cool that the Mini has the ExpressCard slot and users of 3G like me will find this important for mobile usage. This is another area that the Mini is improved over other mini-notebooks on the market and it’s cool that HP was able to fit the slot in the small form.

Battery life

Aside from performance and mobility battery life is probably the next important criteria for mobile workers. HP provided me with both a 3-cell battery and the extended 6-cell battery so I've been able to use both in my evaluation. Battery life has been pretty much what I expected with the 3-cell battery giving me about 2.5 hours under power saving settings and the 6-cell about 4.5 - 5 hours. This is comparable to most portable computers and I found no surprise there. HP put an LED battery strength indicator on the extended battery which is helpful as you can check the charge before swapping the battery which is nice. I found the battery life to be as expected as I said and I have no problems with it on the Mini.

Conclusion

I think HP has a real winner on their hands with the Mini. I find it to be a capable notebook computer that is highly portable and the build quality is outstanding. I also find it impressive that the total price swing from entry level (with Linux) to fully loaded is only $250 and there is no question in my mind that the Mini is the best built UMPC at this price level. I wish HP had put an Intel processor instead of the Via but that is probably my long-time prejudice against the Via rather than any actual observed issue. I find it delightful that HP will allow consumers to configure a Mini exactly as desired on their online store which is unusual for such a low-cost device. I would have no problem recommending the Mini to anyone looking for a highly mobile notebook with few compromises.

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC Review - notebookreview.com

by Jerry Jackson and Tiffany Boggs

ust when you thought you'd never find the perfect small form factor notebook for less than $1,000, HP comes to the table with the all new 2133 Mini-Note. This ultra mobile subnotebook features an impressive 8.9-inch screen, a remarkably large keyboard, a full-sized notebook hard drive, and plenty of impressive specs. Is this the perfect road warrior machine? Let's take a closer look and find out.

Our pre-production HP 2133 Mini-Note features the following specifications:

• Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista Business, Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic 32, FreeDOS, or SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10
• Processor: VIA C7-M ULV Processor (up to 1.6 GHz, 128 KB L2 cache)
• Chipset: VIA CN896NB and 8237S SB
• Memory: DDR2 SDRAM, 667MHz, one SODIMM memory slot, supports up to 2048MB
• Internal Storage: 120GB/160GB 5400 rpm SATA, 120GB/160GB 7200 rpm SATA with HP 3D DriveGuard; or 64GB Solid State Drive; optional 4GB PATA Flash Module with SuSE Linux
• Display: 8.9-inch diagonal WXGA (1280 x 768)
• Graphics: VIA Chrome 9
• Audio: High Definition Audio, stereos speakers, integrated stereo microphones, stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in
• Wireless support: Broadcom 802.11a/b/g, b/g, optional Bluetooth 2.0, HP Wireless Assistant
Communications Broadcom Ethernet Integrated Controller (10/100/1000)
• Expansion slots: (1) ExpressCard/54 slot, Secure Digital (SD) slot
• Ports and connectors: (2) USB 2.0 ports, VGA, power connector, RJ-45/Ethernet, stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in, optional VGA webcam
• Input device: 92% full-sized keyboard, touchpad with scroll zone
• Software: HP Backup and Recovery Manager, Roxio Creator 9, Microsoft Office Ready 20078
Security Kensington lock, Symantec Norton Internet Security
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 1.05 (at front) x 10.04 x 6.5 inches
• Weight: 2.63 lb (with 3-cell battery and 4 GB Solid State Drive, 3.23 lb with 6-cell battery and 160GB hard drive, 2.86 lb with 3-cell battery and 160GB hard drive.
• Power: 6-cell (55 WHr) or 3-cell (28 WHr) Lithium-Ion battery, 65W HP Smart AC Adapter with HP Fast Charge
• Warranty: Limited 1-year and 90-day warranty options available, depending on country, 1-year limited warranty on primary battery

Pricing for the HP 2133 Mini-Note range from as little as $499 for the 1.0GHz VIA processor, 512MB of RAM and a 4GB PATA Flash module with Linux, to $749 for the 1.6GHz VIA processor, 2GB of RAM and a 120GB 5400 rpm hard drive running Windows Vista Business.

HP will also be offering a version of the Mini-Note with a 160GB 7200 rpm hard drive (which is the configuration we received for review) but that pricing was unavailable at the time of this writing. Still, it's safe to assume the price for this configuration will be more than $750.

Build and Design

The HP 2133 Mini-Note has a great design. Everyone in our office agreed that it has a solid chassis and attractive look. The brushed aluminum and plastic casing is durable and hides fingerprints well. It also keeps the Mini-Note lightweight, only weighing in around 2.86 lbs as configured. It has that sleek business appeal, but is targeted toward students as well. One look at the Mini-Note and I can see why. I mean who wouldn't want an inexpensive subnotebook to tote back and forth to class, especially one that pretty much has a full-size keyboard.

HP didn't go wrong with the design. The 8.9" WXGA display is beautiful and easy to read. It puts off a glare though because of the protective coating. Nothing about the Mini-Note feels cheap. I didn't notice any signs of flex and enjoyed its good variety of ports and features. The Mini-Note also comes with different hard drive options, so hopefully this might help in the performance section considering the Mini-Note sports a VIA C7-M ULV processor.

As I mentioned above, the keyboard is almost full size. It is 92% of a full sized keyboard, which is quite impressive for such a small form factor. It is much more comfortable to type on compared to the Asus Eee PC. The touchpad can be awkward though, especially the placement of the right and left click buttons. As you can see from the pictures below it does have a neat power and Wi-Fi switch that lights up and changes from blue when on to orange when off.

While some consumers might be upset at the absence of a DVD drive in the Mini-Note, that's just one trade-off you have to make for such a compact design. In truth, there simply isn't any room left inside the Mini-Note after everything is said and done. The photo below shows that the only empty spaces inside the chassis are where the hard drive and ExpressCard slot are located.

Screen

Compared to the screens on other subnotebooks priced below $1,000, the screen on the HP 2133 Mini-Note is beyond beautiful. Most notebooks that we review (regardless of size or price) would be lucky to have a screen like this. Contrast is excellent, backlighting is even across the surface without any bleeding around the edges, colors are saturated and crisp, and viewing angles are relatively nice.

The 1280 x 768 resolution is likewise exceptional given the small size of this notebook. Text is a little smaller than what most consumers would prefer, but this is a minor inconvenience considering the fact that you can display a complete webpage on the LCD exactly as it was meant to be displayed.

The only issue that caused concern with the screen on the Mini-Note was the use of an additional protective layer of glossy plastic over the screen. While this extra layer of plastic helps protect the display, the unfortunate side effect is significant reflection. We're not talking about a typical glossy screen. We're talking about a screen with a completely separate glossy layer applied over it.

When viewing the display your eyes naturally shift focus between what is being displayed on the screen and what is being reflected in the glossy surface of the second layer over the screen. Since these images are on a slightly different focal plane you can easily develop eye strain and headaches from looking at this screen. I actually developed a mild headache after less than two hours of using this notebook.

The reflections on the screen aren't noticeable at all in a dark room, but most people don't use their notebooks in the dark unless they're just watching movies. If you aren't sensitive to reflections then the screen is beautiful when viewed from straight ahead.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard on the 2133 Mini-Note is great. To put it plainly, this is the best keyboard we've seen on a notebook this small. The keys have a silver finish and are smooth to the touch. There isn't a textured feel to the keyboard. The best thing though is how big it is. I mean, it almost is a full-sized keyboard, so writing papers on this thing is a breeze. No spelling errors due to hitting the wrong keys. I didn't notice any signs of flex and really liked that most of the keys were full sized except a few. The tilde key and the number one key are smaller than the rest of the numbers, which was quite odd. The space bar was relatively small too.

The touchpad was awkward. Response time was a little slow sometimes, but it is easy to navigate with. The right and left click buttons are what get you. The buttons are located on the sides of the touchpad, which take some time to get used too. I forgot what I am clicking on sometimes. I would have liked the palm rest area to be a little bigger, so the buttons could have been relocated below the touchpad like on standard notebooks or the Eee PC. The button above the touchpad is a convenient feature that turns the touchpad off and makes it inactive when you are typing.

Input and Output Ports

Of course, one minor compromise you have to make with the ultra-mobile form factor of the Mini-Note is that the laptop cannot accommodate the standard array of ports you'll find on other notebooks. HP did manage to include a reasonable number of ports. The complete list of ports includes:

• 1x ExpressCard/54 slot
• Secure Digital (SD) card reader
• 2x USB 2.0 ports
• VGA out
• Power connector
• RJ-45/Ethernet
• Stereo headphone/line out
• Stereo microphone/line in

Performance and Benchmarks

After the impressive build and design of the HP 2133 Mini-Note we expected to see a likewise impressive level of performance coming out of this tiny titan. Unfortunately, performance is one area where the Mini-Note falls short.

On paper the 1.6GHz VIA C7-M processor should provide excellent speed for general computing tasks. In reality, web pages rendered slower than expected, multi-tasking was painfully slow, and most processor-hungry applications like Photoshop or video encoding software just didn't like the VIA processor.

Our standard range of synthetic benchmark tests likewise didn't play very nice with the VIA processor and VIA Chrome 9 integrated graphics. While synthetic benchmarks don't always give you an accurate measure of a system's real-world performance, these benchmarks do give you a good idea of how the HP Mini-Note performs compared to other laptops currently on the market.

While the benchmark numbers certainly aren't "bad" it's hard to get excited about these numbers when you factor in that this configuration of the HP Mini-Note costs more than $750.

Another factor to keep in mind when judging the overall system performance is the operating system being used. Our pre-production review unit was using Windows Vista Business and, like most notebooks using Windows Vista, performance likely suffers as a result.

While you may argue our justification for comparing a notebook with Vista against a notebook with XP, this is a valid comparison because it demonstrates what consumers will experience "out of the box" with two notebooks targeted at similar customers.

Audio

The built-in speaker performance on the Mini-Note was quite superior compared to other notebooks in this class. The audio is excellent for watching short video clips or web conferencing, but it's also loud enough to enjoy music or full-length movies with distortion-free sound using the built-in speakers.

Of course, for the best possible audio performance you'll want to use external speakers or headphones. The audio output via the headphone jack is quite good and provides excellent, distortion-free sound for headphones or external speakers.

Heat and Noise

The ultra low voltage VIA processor in the HP 2133 Mini-Note generated far more heat than we typically expect from ultra low voltage processors. Temperature readings taken from the outside of the aluminum and plastic chassis spiked above 110 degrees Fahrenheit in multiple locations and the Mini-Note actually became uncomfortable to hold after 30-45 minutes of serious use.

The cooling fan ran at full speed most of the time and clearly struggled to keep temperatures under control. Most of the time the fan is only loud enough to hear in a perfectly quiet environment, but if you work in a relatively quiet office or classroom setting you should be prepared for coworkers and students to complain about the noise coming from the cooling fan.

Below are images indicating the temperature readings from the HP 2133 Mini-Note (listed in degrees Fahrenheit) taken inside our office where the ambient temperature was 75 degrees Fahrenheit:

Battery

Overall, the HP 2133 Mini-Note did a reasonable job in terms of power management. With the Mini-Note connected to a Wi-Fi network and browsing the web on the "balanced" power setting with the display at about 50 percent brightness, we obtained 2 hours and 15 minutes of battery life with the standard 3-cell battery. Using the same settings we obtained 4 hours and 11 minutes of battery life with the 6-cell extended life battery.

Bottom line, the Mini-Note makes an excellent mobile companion with the extended life battery. The only possible negative to using the extended life battery is that the larger 6-cell battery sticks out from the bottom of the notebook adding both size and weight. However, this also provides an advantage since it provides a more ergonomic angle to the keyboard for typing.

Conclusion

The HP 2133 Mini-Note is one of the most impressive subnotebooks we've ever seen. Unfortunately, the amazing design and solid range of features are diminished by a sub-par processor and a price tag that places this notebook dangerously close to far superior 12-inch notebooks such as the HP tx2000.

HP managed to create the single most impressive ultraportable notebook on the market ... and then decided to put a lackluster processor inside.

Despite the poor processor performance, the HP 2133 Mini-Note is a remarkably solid machine that could be a perfect fit for students, teachers, or mobile business professionals. If HP decides to replace the VIA processors with the new Intel Atom processors or alternative processors from Intel, the Mini-Note would become the undisputed champion of the subnotebook market.

Pros • The most attractive 8.9-inch notebook we've ever seen
• Excellent build quality
• Great keyboard
• ExpressCard slot offers fantastic expansion possibilities
• Multiple configuration options

Cons
• VIA processor just doesn't perform well
• Windows Vista might be too much for the VIA processor and graphics
• Strange location for touchpad buttons
• Screen is too reflective due to second glossy protective layer
• Aluminum and plastic casing gets a little too hot
• Price is a little too much for what you get

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC Review - notebooks.com

by Xavier

The HP 2133 Mini-Note is getting official today and I’m really excited to say that real mobile computing is coming to the masses. This tiny notebook can easily slip into a purse, but is easy on the wallet with a starting price of just $499. Its good looks, professional-grade finishes and respectable specs make it a notebook that you’ll want to show off.

I got the chance to sit down with a few of HP’s product managers for a demo and I’ve been using a pre-production HP 2133 for the past week. The HP 2133 blew away my expectations and I’d be comfortable relying on the HP 2133 while on short business trips or on vacation.

Until the HP 2133 there have been two kinds of notebooks in this size range. At the low end is the sub $400 Asus Eee PC, which has a display and keyboard that are too small for adults and an anemic 4GB of flash storage. On the other end of the spectrum is the uber-exclusive Sony VAIO TZ series that can cost upwards of $3,400.
Users who wanted something ultraportable, but were on a modest budget were effectively frozen out of the market. The HP 2133 Mini-Note changes that. There is finally a subcompact notebook that nearly every computer shopper can afford.

Built for Schools, Great for Almost Anyone

The HP 2133 was designed specifically for the education market, but it will also serve nicely as a secondary computer for both families and business people. A lot of the features, including the spill-resistant keyboard, aluminum case, magnesium components and scratch-resistant display, will help the HP 2133 stand up to both rowdy school children and clumsy adults.

I say great for ‘almost anyone’ because it does not have the horsepower to satisfy people who are looking to create multimedia on the go or enjoy even modestly graphically intensive video games. For the average user, who just wants to get online and edit documents the HP 2133 is just fine.

Check out the videos above and below if you’re interested in hearing more about the process of designing the HP 2133 Mini-Note for the classroom.

Specs and Pricing

The HP 2133 Mini-Note comes in four configurations, which range from $499 to $750. An external DVD burner is optional and extra batteries will be well under $100. A 2.5-inch notebook drive and user-accessible RAM means you can buy a mid-level 2133 and upgrade it yourself.

For $499 you get a Linux (Novell Suse) operating system, 512MB of memory, 4GB of flash storage and a 1.0GHz VIA processor. It comes with a 3-cell battery which is rated to last about two hours.

An extra $50 will get you a much more respectable 120GB (5400 RPM) hard drive, 1GB of memory and a 1.2GHz VIA processor. This $549 machine is much more substantial than its cheaper cousin.
Windows users will have to pay $599 to get the same hardware with a copy of Windows Vista Home Basic (1GB/120GB/1.2GHz).

The top of the line HP 2133 costs $749 and comes with a 1.6GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 120GB hard drive that spins at 7200RPM. It also comes with a 6-cell battery that is rated to last for four hours. Paying the extra bucks gets you a Bluetooth adapter, webcam and Vista Business.

Any of the Vista HP 2133 Mini-Notes can be downgraded to Windows XP at no charge. A license for Windows Vista is included if you chose XP so you can upgrade when you’re ready.

The HP 2133 Mini-Note comes standard with an Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports, a headphone jack, microphone jack, VGA output, ExpressCard slot, SD card slot and a Kensington security lock. Of course the HP 2133 comes with a WiFi adapter.

Performance/Real World Usage

HP sent me a 2133 with the $749 configuration, except it had a 160GB 7200RPM hard drive. I used a HP 2133 for blogging and ‘developing’ about 100 photos from my digital camera over the past few days. Internet surfing was speedy, but I had to increase the font size to make reading more comfortable.

Microsoft Office 2007 performed well on the HP 2133 in general, but it did hang from time to time. I installed Google’s Picasa to edit some photos and it did a fine job of importing and editing my photos. This would be a great computer to bring on vacation in order to relay photos back home or stay in touch with work.

The HP 2133 Mini-Note has a relatively slow processor, but it doesn’t feel slow when it’s outfitted with 2GB of RAM and a 7200RPM hard drive.

The 8.9-inch WXGA screen is a bit small for everyday use in my opinion, but my cousin who’s in the 6th grade strongly disagreed. When I showed him the HP 2133 his face as if it was Christmas morning. The 1280×768 resolution helps make the screen seem not so tiny.

Watching web videos was a little choppy until I let Windows run an update.

One of my favorite things about the HP 2133 is its keyboard, which is 92% of the size of a standard keyboard. I have big hands, but found the keyboard comfortable to type on for a couple of hours at a time. I prefer full-sized keyboards, but the HP 2133’s keyboard is the best keyboard I’ve used in a notebook this small.

One HUGE surprise was the HP 2133 Mini-Note’s speakers, which are located in the display’s bezel. They are extraordinarily loud for such a tiny little notebook. This helps compensate for the small screen when you’re watching movies on the road.

The trackpad is flanked by the mouse buttons, which is an unusual configuration. I got used to it after a while, but this layout is not intuitive when you first pick up the 2133. My 6th-grader cousin had no trouble at all using the trackpad and buttons, which is probably much more comfortable with smaller hands.

With the 6-cell battery installed I was able to write and browse the web for just under four and a half hours. The extended battery juts out of the bottom of the notebook and rakes the keyboard forward for a more comfortable typing position, but it’s not as sleek as using the form-fitting 3-cell battery. If you’re going to be on the road I strongly recommend getting a 6-cell battery.

Cons

Like all notebooks, the HP 2133 has its weaknesses.

The HP 2133 runs hotter than I’d like, which means the fans are constantly spinning. HP really needs to address this because while I can deal with a single 2133, it will be a serious distraction in a classroom full of a couple dozen students and whirring notebooks.

I wish the hinges allowed me to tilt the display further back. A lot of notebooks don’t allow you to bend their displays all the way back, but it’s particularly annoying on this notebook because it’s so small. When using it on my lap I can’t get a straight line of site without slouching or tilting the notebook backwards. The problem is worsened because of the extended battery. This wouldn’t bea problem if I was a few inches shorter or I had really buff quadriceps to boost the HP 2133 up higher.

The keyboard is excellent, but to make it 92% of full size there are a few sacrifices. The ‘1′ key is about 30% smaller than the rest of the number keys, which is a problem because my big fat fingers occasionally hit the ‘2′ button.

Of course the ultra-low voltage VIA processor isn’t as snappy as I’d like, but sacrifices had to be made to keep the cost down. I asked one of the HP 2133 Mini-Note’s product managers about using Intel Atom processors and he said they’d consider it in the near future, but the VIA processor helped keep costs down.

Another thing that bothers me is that its SD card slot isn’t deep enough, which means the card sticks out just a little bit when inserted. Because of the positioning of the SD card slot, I’m worried kids will break or dislodge SD cards inserted in the 2133. This is of particular concern on the entry level HP 2133 because users are more likely to use SD cards since it only comes with 4GB of internal flash memory.

Why I’m Excited

I’m really excited about the HP 2133 because consumers will finally have an affordable option in the ultraportable space. More people will get a chance to experience truly anywhere/anytime computing without a backache.

If this product takes off you can expect other major manufacturers to follow suit. In February Mike Abary, told me that if HP introduced such a product it would hurt the PC industry and there’d be a “race to the bottom.” You can check out my post about my lunch with Mike here.

I understand Mike’s concerns because it’ll be much more difficult to justify a $3,400 computer when there’s a $749 alternative, but the HP 2133 is not about high performance and will be relegated to second-computer status for most users.

As with all notebooks, you can expect prices to drop over time, and HP’s sure to have seasonal sales. By Christmas I predict the top of the line 2133 will be available for about $600.

Best Value for a Compact Notebook

The HP 2133 Mini-Note is not the cheapest compact notebook you can buy, but it is the best value hands down. While other notebooks in this category look and feel like they should be sold at Toys R Us, the 2133 comes across as a serious business computer at a price that’s unbelievable.

Yes, the HP 2133 is more expensive than an Eee PC, but you get a true companion notebook that has a lot of features you won’t find on many notebooks that are triple the price.

The HP 2133 Mini-Note looks at home next to my MacBook Pro, which I may soon be leaving behind more often if I get a 2133 of my own. The HP 2133 Mini-Note is a great option for when you need a computer, but don’t want a computer to get in the way of the rest of your life.

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC Review - pcmag.com

by Cisco Cheng

It didn't take long for PC makers to realize the gold mine ASUS struck with its Eee PC 4G. The Eee PC is a sleek, 2.2-pound ultraportable that costs less than $400—something the UMPC platform had promised but failed to deliver. Now, manufacturers are mobilizing to create an Eee PC "killer," so to speak. The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC ($749 direct) has the potential to be just that. It sports a sexy, 3-pound design, has features similar to the Eee PC, and offers a variety of operating systems to choose from. Even more compelling, however, is that this miniature device can be used by kindergarteners or top-level executives alike, and is affordable to most families with schoolchildren. My configuration was relatively expensive; others start as low as $499—a price that HP had to nail down in order for the Mini-Note to fly.

The Mini-Note is designed to look like a $2,000 machine. The anodized aluminum that HP draped all over the exterior is absolutely gorgeous. It makes this tiny laptop look like a darker, miniature Apple MacBook Pro. The Mini-Note is about as well made as the HTC Shift but costs only half as much. Not as light as the 2.2-pound ASUS Eee PC 4G, it weighs 2.8 pounds with the three-cell battery and 3.2 pounds with the six-cell battery that my test unit came with. Although the Mini-Note isn't pocketable like the Fujitsu LifeBook U810, carrying it around the country or the city is still an absolute joy.

The masterful design is carried over to the interior, where a frameless screen and a wonderful keyboard reside. The 8.9-inch screen is bigger and brighter than the Eee PC's 7-inch display. "Frameless" refers to the glossy coating on the screen that extends to the screen's borders, making it look like a miniature HDTV, complete with a pair of speakers along the sides. Further, the size of the screen keeps text or images at its native 1,280-by-768 resolution from looking unbearably tiny. By contrast, the HTC Shift sports an 800-by-480 resolution, but because of the Shift's smaller screen size, HTC had to put in a resolution toggle switch (to 1,024-by-600), allowing users to fit more content on the screen.

HP did a nice job of masking the fact that the keyboard scale is 92 percent, not full size. There's barely any spacing between each key, giving the illusion of a bigger keyboard. Typing up this review on the Mini-Note was almost as comfortable as it would have been on a mainstream laptop with a full-size keyboard and is hands-down better than the Eee PC's keyboard. The placement of the mouse buttons, however, is questionable because they are adjacent to the touchpad. In other words, when navigating with two fingers (with the index finger on the touchpad and your thumb on the left-click button), you have to use a third finger to click on the right mouse button. The other way would be to use two hands to surf (one to left-click, the other for the touchpad and right-click button), which is awkward. I'm surprised HP didn't use a pointing stick as it did on its Compaq 2710p, in which the mouse buttons are properly placed—below the pointing device. HP has informed me that the touchpad was used because the Mini-Note's intended audience—K-12 students—prefer it over a pointing stick.

The two USB ports are one shy of matching the Eee PC's three, but the MiniNote has an ExpressCard slot for devices like a 3G ExpressCard for cellular broadband. Like the Eee PC, it comes with an SD slot for those who will be carrying around their digital cameras. The Wi-Fi on/off switch located on the bezel controls both Bluetooth and 802.11a/b/g (that is, if you put the switch to "off," it turns off both Bluetooth and 802.11 functions). The built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam is a necessary add-on given the prevalence of video chat clients like AOL and Skype. The lack of an optical drive is understandable given the Mini-Note's tiny size, but because of the storage options, most users can easily live without one. For instance, you can rip or download DVD movies onto your hard drive instead of carrying a USB optical drive.

For local storage, you have several options. You can choose 5,400- and 7,200-rpm drives with either 120GB or 160GB capacities. Other options are 4GB (solely for Linux-based configs) and 64GB SSDs. As they are much more rugged, the solid-state flash drives can give you some peace of mind. The 7,200-rpm spinning hard drive on the Mini-Note configuration I tested gives you bigger capacity, but heat issues are an uncomfortable side effect. Temperatures, as measured by my Fluke infrared thermometer, went up as high as 103° F at the bottom of the system.

HP opted out of using Intel technology, which is surprising considering Intel's recent announcement of the Atom Centrino platform (available as of April 2)—the next-generation (and supposedly affordable solution) for UMPCs and ultra mobile platforms. Instead, the Mini-Note runs a VIA C7-M 1.6-GHz processor, accompanied by VIA integrated graphics. Similar to the components found on the OQO model 02, they do a decent job with general-purpose computing tasks. Yet they're not as energy efficient as Intel processors, and there are heat issues.

My configuration runs Windows Vista Business—not the best choice in operating systems, but it ran smoothly—to a point. If you keep workloads light and steer clear of heavy-duty security and graphics applications, it will be fine. It also helped that this configuration loaded 2GB of RAM, which unfortunately is the maximum amount the Mini-Note will take. Still, an operating system like Windows XP Professional would bring a better and smoother user experience.

BAPCo's SYSmark 2007 Preview raw performance tests and the MobileMark 2007 battery test failed to run, not because of processing power but rather due to the limitations of the benchmark tests. (HP is reporting 4 hours for the six-cell 55-Wh battery and 2 hours for the three-cell, which looks about right based on my experience.) The Mini-Note did complete the video encoding test, although its scores lagged behind those of the HTC Shift by more than 10 percent and behind those of the Samsung Q1 Ultra by more than 15 percent. The latter two systems have Intel processors. We didn't try it on the CineBench R10 tests, which we use for dual-core processors, because the Mini-Note has on a single-core processor. Its performance test scores, in my opinion, are comparable with those of the ASUS Eee PC 4G, which has a Celeron M processor. Although the Adobe Photoshop CS3 test installed successfully, the Mini-Note's score (4 minutes 6 seconds) was not flattering.

HP considers my $749 configuration an ideal one for students and business travelers who want to get the most out of the Mini-Note. For K-12 students, the beauty is that HP offers the model at a more affordable $499 with SuSE Linux, a VIA C7-M 1-GHz processor, and 512MB of RAM—very similar to the specs of the Eee PC 4G. A $599 configuration comes with a 1.2-GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and a Windows operating system (either Vista Basic or XP).

There are a wealth of options available for the Mini-Note. You can configure it as you would any HP business laptop, which is not the case with the ASUS Eee PC, the HTC Shift, and the Samsung Q1 Ultra. That's the advantage of being the number one PC distributor in the world. Keep in mind, too, that the price on this system can climb to around $1,000 or more if you tack on features such as a 64GB SSD drive, additional batteries, and other accessories. But at least HP offers them.

Although the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC is not quite the ASUS Eee PC killer, it's still a force to be reckoned with in the ultra-mobile space. It blows past the HTC Shift, the Fujitsu LifeBook U810, and the Samsung Q1 Ultra, with a superior design that's both functional and alluring. Though performance could use a boost, the Mini-Note is perfectly capable of handling various workloads as long as you load the right operating system. This device's most compelling aspect, however, is that you can actually go out and buy it for about $500. Until now, that was a price point only ASUS could pull off.

Everex CloudBook Review - notebookreview.com

by Jerry Jackson

Starting at a mere $399, the Everex CloudBook marks the latest entry to the expanding world of UMPC-type subnotebooks at affordable prices. With a 7-inch display, 1.2GHz processor, and 30GB hard drive, the CloudBook certainly doesn't make a very good desktop replacement computer, but it does look like one impressive little road warrior. Does the CloudBook perform better than the competition? Is it the best $400 purchase you can make? We answer these questions and more.

The Everex CloudBook (starting at $399) is available in just one configuration at the time of this writing. Our CloudBook has the following specifications:

• gOS Rocket operating system (Linux variant)
• 1.2GHz, VIA C7-M Processor (ULV)
• 512MB DDR2 533MHz, SDRAM
• 30GB Hard Disk Drive (3600rpm parallel ATA)
• 7" WVGA TFT Display (800 x 480)
• VIA UniChrome Pro IGP Graphics
• VIA High-Definition Audio
• 802.11b/g WiFi
• 10/100 Ethernet Port
• DVI Port
• Two USB 2.0 Ports
• 4-in-1 Media Card Reader
• 0.3MP Webcam
• Headphone/Line-Out Port
• Microphone/Line-In Port
• 4-cell Lithium-Ion Battery

Preface (Some Background Information)

As both an editor for a laptop review website and as an average consumer I am in love with the low-priced UMPC-type subnotebook market. Laptops like the Everex CloudBook, the Asus Eee PC, and soon-to-be released subnotebooks from other manufacturers represent something truly innovative. In short, these affordable ultraportables are virtually "disposable" travel laptops. Granted, anyone would be upset if something happened to a $400 computer, but it's much more convenient to lose a $400 laptop than a laptop that costs $700 or more. The other factor that makes these subnotebooks convenient is that they are much easier to carry for travel. Sure, they lack the power to serve as a primary workhorse for video or photo editing, but these laptops are designed to serve as temporary travel computers.

With that being said, last year I purchased an Asus Eee PC 4G for personal use and business travel. While I think the Eee PC is great, I'm quick to realize its shortcomings and limitations. When Everex announced the release of the CloudBook I was excited that this might be a perfect replacement for my Eee PC. The CloudBook offers more storage (30GB vs 4GB) and DVI out (rather than simple VGA) for better external monitor connections. Before our CloudBook review unit arrived I was planning to replace my Asus Eee PC with the CloudBook. Did this happen? Continue reading and you'll see.

Build and Design

The Everex CloudBook is an impressive little machine at first glance. The innovative grip-through LCD hinge design and compact form factor come together with smooth matte black plastics and a hint of metal reinforcement in just the right places. Weighing in at just two pounds the CloudBook was built around the VIA Nanobook reference design ... a subnotebook prototype developed by VIA as a platform for their new mobile technologies.

Despite the impressive compactness of the design, the CloudBook is reasonably solid and durable thanks to the fact so much was packed into such a tiny space. We don't recommend dropping the CloudBook but it should survive the average use and abuse that any other $400 notebook can handle.

The CloudBook does not have a latch to hold it closed, and while the hinge mechanism generally works well at holding the lid in place it is very easy to move the lid by slightly shaking the notebook. On the bright side, there is almost no flex to the screen or chassis. While we're on the topic of the screen lid, the hinge was designed so that you can reach under the CloudBook and grasp the back of the notebook with one hand (wrapping your fingers under the display) and type with your free hand. While this is a nice idea, it's hardly practical since the CloudBook uses a non-standard touchpad interface which requires two hands to use (more on that later in this review).

Operating System (Or Lack Thereof)

Everex decided to use the relatively new "gOS Rocket" operating system which is a Linux variant using an attractive graphical user interface (gui) to make it easy for Windows users or Mac OS X users to understand. The first thing most people think when they see the gOS desktop for the first time is that it's Mac OS X.

Unfortunately, surface appearance is where the similarity ends. While gOS isn't a bad operating system, it's clear that Everex did nothing to customize this operating system installation for use on the CloudBook. For starters, the first time you turn on the CloudBook you are prompted to select your time zone and other settings on a number of dialog windows. Unfortunately, because the dialog windows aren't designed to fit on the 800 x 480 resolution display on the CloudBook, you cannot read the entire text. What's worse is that you cannot select the settings and click on the "OK" or "Next" buttons required to move forward with the setup process.

Of course, since gOS is a Linux-based operating system you can press and hold the "Alt" key while clicking on the dialog window to move the window so you can press the required buttons. Let's pause for a moment and let reality sink in here. The Everex CloudBook is a $400 laptop being sold at Wal-Mart. How many average Wal-Mart shoppers do you think know the "hold down Alt" trick for moving windows in Linux? It's safe to say most consumers will be calling Everex customer support after 5 minutes to figure out how to start using the CloudBook.

To test this, I called Everex tech support using the toll-free number located on the bottom of the CloudBook. I told them I just turned on my CloudBook and was stuck on the startup window and couldn't figure out what to do next (a little lie for the sake of a review isn't horrible). Rather than tell me to hold down the Alt key and drag the window I was put on hold for 15 minutes. When tech support finally returned they told me I could get a RMA (return merchandise authorization) to return my CloudBook for a replacement unit.

I guess when I called there was no one working at Everex technical support who knew about Linux. If that's the case, maybe gOS was the wrong choice of operating system for the CloudBook. Although Windows has many faults I suspect fewer consumers would need to contact tech support just to turn on their laptops for the first time.

Performance and Benchmarks

The CloudBook has generally acceptable performance based on the 1.2GHz VIA C7-M ultra low voltage processor. That said, our benchmarking suggests the performance on this processor is comparable to much slower 700MHz Intel processors. In fact, the wPrime processor benchmark indicates the 1.2GHz VIA processor is slower than the 900MHz Intel processor in the Asus Eee PC. In a nutshell, Everex had to sacrifice some performance in order to bring this ultra-mobile laptop to consumers for only $400.

Granted, the CloudBook only includes 512MB of RAM, so we also tested the system with a 1GB module of RAM from Crucial. The problem with doing that is there is no easy-access RAM door on the bottom of the CloudBook. You must completely disassemble the CloudBook in order to replace the RAM. Another problem is that Everex uses non-standard sized screws to hold the chassis together ... so most small screwdrivers are too large to remove the screws. What's worse is that opening the chassis voids the manufacturer's warranty ... making upgrades ill-advised for average consumers.

Adding 1GB of DDR2 533MHz SDRAM from Crucial did improve the PCMark05 score by almost 60 points (671 PCMarks after upgrade). However, given the difficulty involved with the upgrade and the lack of warranty after the upgrade, I can't say adding more RAM to the CloudBook is worth the trouble.

The VIA UniChrome Pro integrated graphics processor should provide adequate performance for some games with minimal system requirements. That said, don't expect this notebook to play the latest graphics-intense games ... we're not dealing with a dedicated graphics card here and in some cases the UniChrome Pro is less powerful than Intel integrated graphics.

The 30GB hard drive in the CloudBook provides a reasonable amount of storage but isn't anywhere near the amount of storage that most consumers are likely to want in a modern laptop. Sure, you've got enough storage for travel needs, but if you download tons of music, movies, and TV shows from iTunes and store them on the CloudBook's hard drive then you'll quickly run out of space. Additionally, the slow 3600rpm speed of the 30GB hard disk means the CloudBook wastes a large amount of time trying to access data.

Both the average data transfer speed (read/write speed) and the average data access time (how long it takes the drive to locate data) for the 30GB hard drive where slower than either the internal 4GB SSD inside the Asus Eee PC or a 16GB SDHC card used as a second storage drive inside the Eee PC. Of course, you can use a SDHC card inside the card reader on the Everex CloudBook, but unlike most notebooks the card reader on the CloudBook doesn't allow SDHC cards to set flush against the edge of the notebook. Since SDHC cards stick out of the side of the CloudBook and can be accidentally removed with a simple bump it isn't a good idea to use an SDHC card as a second storage drive in CloudBook.

Gaming

The CloudBook certainly isn't designed to play the latest graphics-intense video games like BioShock or Crysis, but it does meet the minimum requirements for many older games. During the review period I tested a number of older games like Freelancer and Freedom Fighters on the CloudBook.

The CloudBook was able to play these older games at acceptable frame rates, but level load times and cinematic cutscenes took much longer than they should have. In some cases the CloudBook took 15 seconds or more to load a new level compared to less than 5 seconds on typical notebooks or the Asus Eee PC.

In addition, I decided to test a freeware gaming application called 3DAnalyze on the CloudBook. 3DAnalyze is an application that makes modern games playable on computers with modest integrated graphics by forcing the game to run without certain settings required for highly detailed 3D graphics. I've used 3DAnalyze on a number of laptops with integrated graphics (including the Asus Eee PC) to play games such as Halo and Shattered Union at 800 x 480 resolution.

While the Asus Eee PC is able to play Halo and Shattered Union with acceptable frame rates thanks to 3DAnalyze, the Everex CloudBook was not able to accomplish this ... most likely due to an incompatibility with the integrated VIA graphics.

Screen

The 7" WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) matte screen on the CloudBook isn't ideal for extended use and certainly isn't designed for HD video, but it does offer sharp contrast, excellent color, and reasonably even backlighting. Horizontal viewing angles were excellent although vertical viewing angles were only average. The screen itself didn't suffer from ripples or stuck pixels, but we did notice some minor light leakage from the top edge of our display at maximum brightness.

One of the most impressive features about the screen on the CloudBook (and the video drivers that VIA uses) is that users can "scale" higher resolutions on the screen. In other words, you can fit 1000 x 600 pixels worth of resolution on the 800 x 480 screen. Scaling the display does cause some loss of fine details and text can be more difficult to read, but it's much nicer to view websites at 1000 x 600 than it is using the default resolution.

Another interesting problem we encountered during our first day with the CloudBook involved connecting an external monitor to the built-in DVI port on the side of the notebook. After connecting an external display and changing the settings in the default gOS operating system the CloudBook responded with an error message and refused to display anything on the external monitor, after we disconnected the external monitor the built-in LCD could not be reset to the native 800 x 480 resolution and would only work in 640 x 480 mode ... not acceptable for much of anything.

After several hours of work we were forced to format the hard drive and install Microsoft Windows in order to restore the display to the correct default resolution. Again, that's just not something you expect from a brand new notebook.

After we installed Windows on the CloudBook and connected the external display to the DVI port we discovered that the CloudBook only supports one widescreen resolution (1000 x 600) so if you use a large widescreen external display you will not be able to set the correct resolution or aspect ratio on the CloudBook. For comparison purposes, we tested the Asus Eee PC with the same widescreen external monitor and the Eee PC supported all the correct resolutions and aspect ratios.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard on the CloudBook is cramped to say the least. It will take most users several hours or more to get used to typing on such a small area. The keyboard is virtually identical to the keyboard used on the Asus Eee PC and is probably the same part provided by the same OEM. However, unlike the keyboard on the Asus Eee PC the keyboard on the CloudBook has significant flex that makes typing somewhat like pressing down on a plastic trampoline.

As mentioned previously, the touchpad interface on the CloudBook is quite unique compared to other notebooks currently on the market. The actual touchpad is located above the keyboard on the right side of the notebook and is a small area about the size of a US postage stamp. There is no dedicated area for scrolling (thank goodness) and the touchpad is so small that precise control is extremely difficult.

The left and right touchpad buttons are located above the keyboard on the left side of the notebook and are likewise much smaller than typical touchpad buttons. Both buttons have deep feedback and well-cushioned clicks, but they are so small that it's easy to press the wrong button or both buttons at the same time.

Gaming is perhaps the single most difficult thing to do with the touchpad interface on the CloudBook. Most games require use of the touchpad, touchpad buttons, and multiple keyboard keys (such as W, A, S, and D). Trying to control a game while using the touchpad with your right hand and press the touchpad buttons with your left hand while pressing keyboard keys at the same time is next to impossible. If the CloudBook used a standard touchpad interface you could control the touchpad and touchpad buttons with one hand ... and I just can't understand why VIA and Everex engineers didn't do this.

Bottom line, buy an external mouse if you're going to use the CloudBook.

Input and Output Ports

Although the ultra-mobile form factor of the CloudBook cannot accommodate the standard array of ports you'll find on other notebooks. Everex did manage to include a reasonable number of ports. The complete list of ports includes:

• DVI out
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• Audio out
• Microphone in
• 4-in-1 card reader
• 10/100 Ethernet

Although VIA and Everex engineers deserve serious credit for developing the CloudBook it's safe to say that most consumers would have rather taken a third USB port or FireWire port instead of the DVI out ... particularly since the VIA integrated graphics aren't particularly powerful.

Audio

The built-in stereo speakers located beneath the display hinge are the very definition of bad notebook speakers. Most budget laptops have terrible speakers that sound like someone speaking through a tin can, and indeed so does the CloudBook. The difference here is that the speakers on the CloudBook sound like someone speaking through extremely tiny tin cans.

The good news is that the audio out port (headphone minijack) provides excellent audio output. There's little or no distortion or static and the sound on my earbuds was quite enjoyable.

Battery

The CloudBook uses a four-cell lithium-ion battery rated at 2200mAh and 14.4V. Everex claims five hours of battery life on the CloudBook, but our tests under gOS, Windows XP Pro, and Windows Vista Home Premium suggest the battery life is closer to three hours on average. With the screen set to the lowest brightness setting and WiFi off while typing Word documents and watching movie files I was able to get the CloudBook to last just more than three and a half hours.

Heat and Noise

Considering the small form factor of the CloudBook and the ultra low voltage VIA processor I expected the CloudBook to produce little in the way of heat and noise. Unfortunately, after only a few minutes of use I discovered the CloudBook generates both heat and noise in abundance. The processor cooling fan is always running on the low, medium or high setting when the CloudBook is plugged in. I was able to tell the fan has three settings because I could easily hear the change in pitch as the fan throttled up and down. Imagine the sound of a muffled hair dryer running inside your notebook and you'll have some idea what the CloudBook sounds like when it' plugged in.

On the bright side, the fan typically stays at the lowest setting or off while the CloudBook is running on battery. The down side of this is that the VIA processor runs at a slower clock cycle most of the time while on battery power (regardless of the Windows power management settings) which means slower performance on battery power.

Despite the issue of fan noise, the most troublesome issue we encountered during the test period was heat. While plugged in the bottom of the CloudBook reached temperatures of 126 degrees Fahrenheit (too hot for direct skin contact over an extended period). HDTune reported hard drive temperatures as hot as 56 degrees Celsius (133 degrees Fahrenheit). During our benchmarking tests (which stressed the system and generated more heat) the WiFi card inside the CloudBook would stop working after 30-45 minutes of use. The only way to get the WiFi card to start working again was to turn off the CloudBook and let it cool down for at least 10 minutes before restarting the system and connecting to the Internet again.

When a notebook overheats to the point that it stops working every 30-45 minutes you know there's a serious problem.

Conclusion

At first glance the CloudBook is an impressive design with some innovative features and some reasonably impressive specs for the $400 price tag. However, upon closer examination it's clear that VIA and Everex had to make a number of sacrifices to bring this ultra-mobile notebook to the market for such a low price.

The low-capacity slow hard drive, and slow overall performance make the CloudBook a less than compelling purchase compared to the current generation Asus Eee PC 4G ... despite the much smaller storage space. The fact that the CloudBook cannot support the correct resolutions for widescreen external monitors is another problem for anyone who wants to connect this laptop to a larger screen. The issue of excessive heat build up inside the CloudBook is perhaps the most obvious "deal killer." Who wants to own a laptop that you can only use for 30-45 minutes when connected to the internet before you have to turn it off and let it cool down?

I do have to say the high-resolution scaling on the tiny screen and 30GB of storage space are very nice features, but these benefits pale in comparison to the other problems and limitations the CloudBook brings to the table. In short, I have a hard time recommending the current generation of the Everex CloudBook for any consumer. Given the strength of the Asus Eee PC and upcoming budget subnotebooks from other manufacturers, there simply isn't a compelling reason to purchase the CloudBook.

Pros
• Excellent high-resolution scaling on the tiny screen
• Innovative design

Cons
• Very low performance
• Included gOS operating system is a joke (a bad joke at that)
• Horrible touchpad interface
• No easy upgrades, opening chassis voids warranty
• System gets too hot ... overheats and stops working
• Loud cooling fan that is constantly on when plugged in

Everex CloudBook Review - laptopmag.com

by John R. Delane

At first glance, the $399 Everex CloudBook CE1200V looks like it could go toe-to-toe with the similarly sized (and priced) Asus Eee PC. However, a closer look reveals several shortcomings, including a poorly placed touchpad, inconsistent wireless performance, and woefully long boot times. Everex promises this system will get better with upcoming software updates, but for now we’d pass.
Everex CloudBook Design

Weighing just 2 pounds and measuring 9.1 x 6.7 x 1.1 inches, the CloudBook is housed in a plain-looking, matte-black casing emblazoned with the Everex logo. Beneath a sturdy dual-hinged lid is a relatively bright, 7-inch, 800 x 480-pixel resolution widescreen display with an integrated webcam to the right side of the screen. Color quality was quite good on the tiny panel, and images appeared sharp.

The two small speakers mounted above the keyboard deck were predictably tinny but surprisingly loud. As is the case with any scaled-down notebook, the mini keyboard takes some getting used to but is responsive and firm. The smallish touchpad—only 0.8 x 0.6 inches—is located above the keyboard to the right, and its buttons are on the left, making it impossible to use without moving your hands away from the keyboard—an awkward design at best. An On/Off switch for Wi-Fi and a power button are illuminated by amber backlighting, as are the drive activity and Caps Lock indicators.

The CloudBook also has a 4-in-1 card slot, two USB ports, a 10/100 Ethernet connection, and two audio jacks, all of which are side-mounted. We love that the CloudBook has a DVI port for connecting to an external display, although you have to turn the notebook off first to hook it up.
Mixed Software Experience

Fortunately, the user interface for the Linux-based gOS V2 Rocket operating system is fairly straightforward, easy to navigate, and contains colorful desktop icons.The CloudBook also comes with a handful of open-source applications, including Firefox, OpenOffice 2.3, and RhythmBox Music Player. There are also several icons embedded in the dock that link to Web-based apps such as Google Mail, Calendar, and Reader.

However, certain program windows were too big for the small screen. For example, the bottom portion of the dialer in the Ekiga Softphone application was cut off, requiring us to drag the window up to access the lower half of the page; this problem also cropped up with the Eee PC 701.

Also familiar to our Eee PC experience was our difficulty in getting the 0.3-megapixel webcam to work. We were unable to get it to operate with the included Ekiga software. We called Everex tech support, which also failed to resolve the problem; the technician did mention that some users were having success using Skype and even suggested checking out the CloudBook forums for more detailed information. Some desperate digging in the box uncovered a slip of paper telling us to change the video plug-in setting. Once we got it working, the quality is what you’d expect from a 0.3-MP camera: grainy and sluggish as far as movement goes, but fine for quick video chats.
CloudBook Performance

The system, powered by a VIA 1.2-GHz C7-M processor and 512MB of DDR2 memory, required an excruciatingly long 2 minutes and 45 seconds to fully complete the boot sequence and load the main gOS menu screen. We also experienced long wait times while loading certain apps, particularly the Add/Remove program, which needed 1 minute and 40 seconds to load. We suspect the combination of a slow (4,200-rpm) hard drive and too little memory is to blame.

On the upside, the drive gives you 30GB of storage, which is much larger than most notebooks this size. And we had no problems running Firefox, a text doc, an Ekiga webcam session, and Blackjack at the same time.

We were disappointed with the CloudBook’s wireless performance. While we were able to connect to a WEP-secured network (it’s also capable of WPA encryption), we had to be within five feet of the access point to do so. Moving just 25 feet away resulted in intermittent disconnects and very slow Web page loading. Everex boasts a battery life of 5 hours, but—running no programs on it—we managed to squeeze only 3 hours out of it (with Wi-Fi enabled) before needing a recharge.
Support

We were surprised by the complete lack of documentation when we opened the CloudBook box. Granted, you can download an 87-page user guide from the Everex Web site, but a quick-start guide would have been nice, especially when trying to configure the webcam and an external monitor. The warranty card states a one-year warranty with one year of tech support, toll-free, 24/7. But our experience calling the help line, and the fact that Everex’s forums are loaded with fixes and workarounds, tells us that the CloudBook is a work in progress.
CloudBook Verdict

For what it’s worth, Everex claims to be working on some of the issues we encountered, including window sizing, power settings, and wireless configuration. Everex also says that all users will be offered the new operating system free of charge when it is released.

If you’re the type of user that loves a challenge and doesn’t mind spending lots of time downloading and tweaking Linux apps, the CloudBook won’t disappoint. However, if you’re looking for a UMPC that’s ready to use out of the box, you’re better off waiting for Everex to resolve these issues or looking toward the popular Eee PC line, which is less buggy and generally more polished.

Asus Eee PC Review - notebookreview.com

by Jerry Jackson

The Asus Eee PC 701 4G is the new affordable ultraportable notebook that's bound to be on many consumers' Christmas wish lists this year. Retailing for $399 or less, the Eee PC isn't exactly a workhorse, but it will do just about every basic task you'd need from a laptop. Our initial hands-on actually proved it does more than we expected, but the more detailed review below helps explain exactly why we’re so excited about a $400 notebook.

First, the specs for the review unit we have on hand, which is the Eee PC 701 4G:

• Processor: Intel Celeron M ULV 900MHz
• Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 900 GPU
• Storage: 4GB of Flash-based storage (SSD)
• Memory: 512MB of DDR2 RAM (667MHz)
• OS: Xandros Linux (Asus customized)
• Screen: 7-inch screen with 800 x 480 resolution
• Ports: 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA monitor out, headphone jack, microphone input, SD card reader (SDHC compatible), Kensington lock slot, Ethernet 10/100
• Webcam (0.3 MP)
* Battery: 4-cell 5200 mAh 7.4V Li-Ion (rated at 3.5 hours)
* Wireless: 802.11b/g Atheros
* Input: Keyboard and Touchpad
* Weight: approximately 2 lbs with battery, 2.5 lbs travel weight with AC adapter.
* Two-year warranty

Build and Design

The designers at Asus had no easy task creating an attractive ultraportable notebook while also making it cheap to produce. The case seams match up with reasonably tight tolerances, plastics feel thick (though the pearl-like white plastics look cheap) and the display hinges are molded into body with the battery. Lifting the display cover you find the amazingly small keyboard surface and even smaller touchpad resting below the recessed display and speakers. In short, the build quality is quite high despite the low cost.

The design of the Eee PC is something truly unique in the market. Weighing in at just two pounds and delivering a performance level similar to a full-featured budget notebook, the only notebook that comes close to “directly” competing with the Eee PC is the Fujitsu LifeBook U810 tablet PC … which retails for more than $1,000 at the time of this writing. The next closest competitor to the Eee PC would be traditional ultraportables like the Toshiba Portege R500 ($2,000) and the Sony VAIO TZ ($3,000).

True, the more expensive rivals come preloaded with Microsoft Windows XP or Vista and feature a range of superior technical specs … but our review of the Asus Eee PC shows this tiny white titan packs an impressive punch.

Screen

The screen is 7-inches diagonally with LED back lighting and has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. For the sake of a reference, below is what you can see when you pull up the homepage of the site you are on right now:

The Eee PC might not have a glossy, high contrast display like most notebooks made in the last year, but the bright and even backlight helps make for an enjoyable reading experience. We even found the quality of the colors more than sufficient for viewing movies or You Tube videos.

Operating System and Software

Asus teamed up with Xandros to develop a customized version of the Linux operating system for the new Eee PC. Microsoft Windows requires a significant amount of storage space on the tiny 4GB SSD, and the added cost from installing genuine Windows would have added to the final retail price of the Eee PC. Despite the lack of Microsoft software the Eee PC is remarkably easy to use. Xandros developed a point-and-click user interface that looks and acts similar to Windows … but easier.

The Asus Eee PC comes preloaded with more than 40 applications for everything from work and email to listening to music and watching movies. Unlike the many free applications that come preinstalled on Windows-based computers, almost none of the applications on the Eee PC can be considered “bloatware.” In fact, almost every application on this notebook is both useful and easy to use.

Click on the “Web” icon and the Firefox web browser opens. Click on the “Documents,” “Spreadsheets,” or “Presentations” icons and the Open Office application (compatible with Microsoft Office) opens so you don’t have to purchase additional office software. Click on any standard movie file and the video plays in either the Media Player application or inside Firefox … you don’t need to spend hours searching for video plugins and codecs, the movies just play. Don’t waste time downloading iTunes. Just plug in your iPod and the Music Manager detects the music player and begins importing the songs.

The point is that the Eee PC just works. We only wish we could say the same thing about the many Windows-based notebooks we review.

In fact, the only minor issue we had where something didn’t work on the Eee PC right out of the box was the built-in 0.3 megapixel webcam. For whatever reason the camera was by default turned off in the BIOS and we had to go in and enable it for the camera to work. For something that dubs itself as "Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play" that's not exactly “easy.” We don't think grandma will figure out how to enable the webcam on her own. However, this issue is easily correctable by a BIOS update from Asus … so if Asus fixes the problem all you have to do is click on the “Add/Remove Software” icon and click the “install” button when a new BIOS is available. On that note, Asus already made several updates available at the time of this review.

If the fact that Asus uses Linux is a concern for you, then don’t worry. Asus recently announced that they are teaming up with Microsoft to release a version of the Eee PC that will come preloaded with Windows in 2008. Neither company specified which version of Windows will find its way onto the Eee PC, but given the 4GB SSD and low voltage processor Windows XP is the obvious choice. Whether or not Windows will help or hurt the performance of the Eee PC remains to be seen. In any case, you can expect the cost of a Windows-based Eee PC to be higher.

Speakers

The speakers on the Eee PC are hard to miss. They are located to the left and right of the screen and, thanks to their black speaker grills, stand out in comparison to the rest of the all white notebook. The location might appear odd, but it provides a clear path to your head for maximum listening pleasure. Despite the diminutive size of the built-in speakers they worked quite well for watching movies, playing games, or listening to some music while moving from room to room in my house. With the volume set to max, the decibel meter registered ~75dB at one foot. The audio was only slightly distorting on high notes, but stayed mostly clear.

As is common with small built-in speakers, the high and upper midrange came through well, but bass didn’t sound nearly as impressive. Thankfully, Asus included a standard headphone jack on the Eee PC so it is quite simple to connect headphones or an external speaker system if you want a superior listening experience.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Most low-priced notebooks currently on the market feature poorly built keyboards that show significant flex/bounce when typing pressure is applied. Much to our surprise, the keyboard on the Eee PC is remarkably firm, though the keys are small and have a large degree of “wiggle” when pressed.

The keyboard on the Eee PC is very, very compact. The first two days I spent typing on the Eee PC were quite frustrating as the small footprint and tiny keys require you to use a “hunt and peck” style of typing rather than traditional touch typing methods. This means that passwords get mangled, emails look like gibberish, and playing games that require keyboard commands becomes quite aggravating.

Of course, once I got used to typing on the tiny keyboard the keys felt just fine … but this keyboard isn’t designed to be used as a primary/main computer. For users who would buy this notebook as their “main computer” in their home or office, a full-size keyboard and external mouse are recommended.

The touchpad and single button (with left and right “rocker” buttons underneath) are easy to use and responsive. The only issue we encountered with the touchpad was that the small size made it a little difficult to use when moving across the screen and it was easy to press the wrong side of the single touchpad button (so sometimes a right click turned into a left click).

Performance

Our regular selection of performance benchmarks can’t be used with the Eee PC given the fact that it is a Linux-based notebook. However, we can measure the time it take to perform a number of simple procedures in order to give you an idea of how the Eee PC performs. Please keep in mind that the speeds listed below will vary depending on the number of applications you have open at any given time (multitasking always slows things down).

• Startup: ~12 seconds
• Opening and loading the NotebookReview.com website in Firefox: ~3 seconds
• Starting playback on a 700MB AVI video file: ~3 seconds
• Starting the Open Office application: ~6 seconds
• Opening a 3.64MB PDF document: ~3 seconds
• Opening a 2.35MB PowerPoint presentation: ~10 seconds

For those interested in the speed of the 4GB SSD, hdparm benchmarks the SSD buffered read speed at 21.78 MB/sec. For comparison, a Lenovo ThinkPad T60 with a fast 7200rpm Seagate hard drive has a buffered read speed of 54.62 MB/sec and a Toshiba Tecra A9 with standard 5400rpm hard drive has a buffered read speed of 44.87 MB/sec.

While the Eee PC won’t win any awards for performance within applications, startup is remarkably fast and overall performance is fast enough to keep most users happy.

If you open the bottom panel on the Eee PC (which may void the two-year warranty) you'll find a standard DDR2 RAM slot and a PCI-E mini card slot for possible future expansion. We tested the Eee PC with both the standard 512MB memory and a 1GB memory module. Theoretically, a 2GB module of RAM should fit in the slot just as easily as a 1GB module did ... but we didn't have a 2GB module available in the office.

Heat and Noise

Even with the low voltage processor and SSD drive, the Asus Eee PC produced as much heat as any other notebook in the same price range. The keyboard and bottom of the notebook got quite hot even under normal use, and the fan was always running in an attempt to keep the system cool. Fan noise was among the quietest we’ve heard. The only way to tell the fan is blowing is to put your hand next to the air vent to feel the warm air blow past.

Below are heat overlay images showing where the Eee PC warmed up (in degrees Fahrenheit) during normal extended use. You'll notice that we only listed one temperature for each side ... that's because the Eee PC is so small that they're basically only one temperature for the top and one temperature for the bottom.

Wireless

The Eee PC uses an Atheros AR5BXB63 wireless module for 802.11b/g wireless Internet access. Reception is quite good for a budget notebook. The Eee PC maintained a connection to my home router from anywhere inside my three-level home and from anywhere in my front or back yard. At the editorial offices for NotebookReview.com the Eee PC managed to stay connected to the office router even after I left the building and walked across the parking lot. The wireless connection only dropped to 75 percent signal strength after I walked more than 50 yards away from the building. Being able to travel a distance equivalent to half the length of a football field means you won't have trouble browsing the web with the Eee PC.

Battery

Under normal use, backlight at 100 percent and using wireless for web browsing and watching a DivX movie at 75 percent volume, the Eee PC managed to deliver three hours and 23 minutes of battery life. We were hoping for more given the low voltage processor and flash-based storage, but for a $400 notebook the battery life is still very good. Lowering the screen brightness and turning off the wireless card should provide enough battery life for prolonged use.

While the battery life was reasonable, we did experience some minor problems with the on-screen battery meter. After two hours and 8 minutes of browsing the web wirelessly and watching a DivX movie the low battery warning popped up on screen and reported that the Eee PC would shut down in 3 minutes unless it was plugged into a power source. The Eee PC then kept working for another one hour and 15 minutes before the notebook shutdown. Bottom line, the on-screen battery indicator cannot be trusted.

Conclusion

In the end, the Eee PC is the single most impressive notebook we've seen priced below $400. The technical specs might look sub par, but the usability and overall performance of the Eee PC rivals notebooks costing several thousand dollars more. Granted, you can't install Photoshop on this little notebook and you can forget about playing Bioshock on this thing, but the Eee PC can do just about everything you “need” to do with a notebook while on the go.

The only features missing from the Eee PC that really stand out are the lack of Bluetooth 2.0 and the lack of a Verizon or Sprint wireless card option. If Asus can find a way to add these features to the Eee PC we will go as far as to say, “No home should be without an Eee PC.” As it stands now, the Eee PC is a truly impressive ultraportable with a value much higher than the sale price suggests. The Eee PC can't replace a full-featured desktop or notebook, but it makes the perfect choice if you are in the market for an ultraportable notebook for school, work, or vacation.

The Eee PC might have a weird name, but it's one of the few products that lives up to the marketing hype. This notebook truly is “easy to learn, easy to work, and easy to play.”

Asus Eee PC Review - trustedreviews.com

by Andy Vandervell

When you review over a hundred products a year, it's a rare thing to become truly excited about something. Yet, when Asus' Eee PC landed in our office recently it garnered genuine excitement. Indeed, when we first heard about the Eee PC it immediately drew comparisons to the burgeoning and frankly imperfect UMPC sector. However, as we learned more about the device, it generated more interesting comparisons to such yesteryear classics as the Psion Series 5 and the legendary netBook. Is the Eee PC the natural successor to such devices?

Possibly, maybe: in truth I'm in a playful mood right now, so you'll have to follow the trail of crumbs instead. First things first though, what is it? Fundamentally, the Eee PC is a compact and low power sub-notebook. It is based on the Intel 915GM chipset and is powered by a 900MHz Intel Celeron processor. Weighing a mere 920g and with dimensions of 225 × 165 × 21~35mm, it's the perfect size for carrying around in a small bag or simply by hand. It's small enough too that it can be used in more or less any environment, be it plane, train or cardboard box - so long as you can sit down, you can comfortably use the Eee PC.

For example, right now I'm writing these words while sitting in Heathrow Terminal 1 waiting for a colleague to finally emerge from the Arrivals lounge. Surrounded as I am by hoards of taxi drivers and screaming children it isn't the most comfortable place in which to work, but with the Eee PC rested on my lap it's a good deal easier. Even compared to the smallest and lightest ultra-portables its size is appreciably advantageous, with me now comfortably working away in bed, burning the midnight oil.

These are the sort of environments in which the Eee PC excels and it's being marketed as ideal for those who want something small and Wi-Fi enabled, particularly for children but it's also quite compelling for adults. To help keep costs down the system ships with a custom version of Linux, with its own intuitive tabbed interface that's split into Internet, Work, Learn, Play, Settings and Favourites categories. Each tab is populated by a large array of shortcuts to pre-installed software and Internet services/utilities, with practically every need catered for. Before I delve deeper into the software though, let's take a closer look at the hardware behind the Eee PC.

There are several models available, but the one we're reviewing and which Asus considers the most desirable model is the Eee PC 4G 701. Aside from the processor, which is the same across the range, the 4G 701 features 512MB DDR2 RAM and a 4GB SSD (Solid State Drive). There's also a 0.3-megapixel webcam and integrated microphone, with network connectivity provided by 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and 10/100 Ethernet. All models ship with a 7in 800 x 600 display, while this and the more expensive 8G 701, which ships with an 8GB SSD and 1GB DRR2 RAM, utilise a four-cell 5200mAh battery.

Two other models exist, including the 4G Surf and 2G Surf. Each have 4GB and 2GB SSDs respectively, while the 4G Surf features 512MB of RAM compared to the 256MB found in the 2G Surf. Each also lacks the webcam, while using a slightly smaller 4400mAh battery. In addition, in a deal with RM, the 2G Surf will be sold to schools as the RM Asus Minibook.

Given its dimensions, the Eee PC is surprisingly well endowed with connectivity. On the left edge there's an Ethernet port, one USB port and headphone and external microphone jacks. You'll certainly be in need of these, especially since the integrated microphone isn't the strongest, though the speakers either side of the screen proved far better sound than one would reasonably expect.

Other connections on the right include a D-SUB port for hooking up an external monitor, along with two further USB ports and a memory card reader that supports MMC and SD card formats. Given that there's only 1.3GB of space after the OS and applications, external storage through USB keys and hard drives will be essential. As such, it's pleasing that Asus has managed to squeeze as many as three USB ports into the diminutive chassis.

When you consider that this model costs a mere £219, it's hard not to be impressed with the package on offer. If all you want is something that you can surf the Internet with and write the occasional document, on paper it's everything you'd probably want at a price that's too good to turn down. Of course, on paper all sorts of things can appear better than they are, so the real test is in how easy it is to use the Eee PC.

It's fortunate then that Asus has done an excellent job with the design, producing a simple, unfussy but nonetheless attractive machine. Finished in classy looking pearlescent white, it looks and feels like a product that ought to cost a lot more. Unlike other super-light notebooks like Toshiba's Portégé R500, it feels sturdy and well put together thanks to some chunky screen hinges and a general feeling of density and compactness. Importantly, the outer casing is well protected and should make sure the screen won't crack under the merest amount of pressure.

Even better, the keyboard for a machine of this size is a work of pure brilliance. For sure, it's small and does take some getting used to, but given a short amount of time it's perfectly possible to maintain a brisk and consistent typing speed. Keys have just the right amount of travel and provide a crisp and even response, while the layout is surprisingly decent given the size. If any further proof were needed, this entire review was written on the Eee PC and it didn't take any more time than it would normally.

This is also helped by the software provided, with the generally excellent Open Office on hand for all your office productivity needs. Along with a word processor there's Presentation and Spreadsheet applications, while under the Work tab you can also access Adobe Reader, as well as Thunderbird for email and a Dictionary.

Moving to the Internet tab there's plenty to see, including shortcuts to popular mail services such as Gmail and Hotmail, as well as links to Wikipedia, Google Documents and Internet Radio. Skype comes pre-loaded, along with the excellent multi-platform instant messenger, Pidgen. Internet browsing is supplied by Firefox, though of all things the browsing experience on the Eee PC isn't as seamless as it could be.

Why? To begin with the screen resolution isn't ideal. Since a great majority of websites default to 1024 pixels wide, the 800 pixel width means many websites can't fit into the screen. There's also little in the way of scaling of web pages as found in Mobile Safari on the iPhone, which makes browsing on the lower resolution screen awkward at times. These aren't insurmountable problems, but it may make some people think twice and as a result one has to wonder whether Opera might have been a better option as the default browser

It's known to be quicker and less resource intensive than Firefox, while it's also better optimised for mobile devices with low resolution screens. Of course, the Linux proficient among you could happily install Opera yourselves, though the command line jiggery-pokery involved is hardly end user friendly.

In favour of Linux though, it does mean that the Eee PC boots up impressively quickly, in the region of 15 seconds. Moreover, the standby mode provides a near instant restart, just like other mobile devices. It also means that, despite the relatively slow components, the Eee PC doesn't grind to a complete halt. It still isn't fast mind you, but it's perfectly useable for the usage required.

If you really can't deal with Linux, Asus has made all the Windows XP component drivers available. Thus, you can install Windows XP if you like, or even wait for the Windows version that Asus has already announced. Whatever you decide to do, one can't help but feel that given the price and functionality, the Eee PC could easily generate a great community that might churn out applications designed specifically for the device. In fact, EeeUser.com shows there's already a grassroots community that could and should blossom.

Having touched upon the Internet and office functionality, one of the surprisingly good aspects of the Eee PC is its media ability, especially in regards to video. An open source media player is installed, which can play more or less anything you throw at it, including Xvid. For standard definition video, the screen is also quite capable. It's not the most colourful or the sharpest by any means and has a slightly mottled look to it, but black levels are surprisingly good and it deals with motion well enough.

Returning to an earlier theme then, is the Eee PC the natural successor to likes of the Psion Series 5 and netBook? Yes, it is. It isn't the same as them by any means, but it's a modern take on a similar theme. Yes it's small and has a great, small keyboard, but technology has moved on enough that you can now comfortably use it to surf the Internet, listen to music and watch video too. It also has a wider appeal, being great for introducing computing to children and for adults who want something simple and portable.

As such, one can only recommend the Eee PC. It does have its issues, but it's difficult to deny both the value and sheer usefulness of the device as an auxiliary notebook or general portable companion. Moreover, Asus must be applauded for being gutsy enough to introduce such a device at the bargainacious price it has. Now, one can only hope it is encouraged by this response and goes away to improve on what it has done. Were it, for example, to make a version with a 9in screen with 1024 pixel width, then the Eee PC could become something even more special.

Verdict

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 Review - pcmag.com

by Cisco Cheng

You've probably heard of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) initiative, which is intended to provide cheap laptops (called XOs) to underprivileged children around the world. What you might have missed is that ASUS , a company known for making laptops and laptop parts, recently launched its own answer to the XO laptop, the Eee PC , a 2-pound ultraportable that's well worth its $400 price, even though it has only 4GB of storage and a Linux operating system.

The three E's in Eee PC stand for easy to learn, play, and work; excellent mobile experience; and excellent Internet experience. The ASUS Eee PC, however, is not solely for children—it's meant for anyone who hasn't been able to afford a first laptop. The version that I reviewed (the Eee PC 4G) sells for $400 (street), with other configurations available for as low as $300 (the Eee PC 2G Surf) by the end of November. To achieve this price point, ASUS had to forgo a Windows operating system in favor of Linux (although ASUS has announced that it will be offering Microsoft Windows on the laptop by the end of the year), load relatively slow processing parts, and bundle only 4GB of internal storage space. Despite all that, this ultraportable can do just as much as a Windows laptop. ASUS makes sure of this by providing ample software and a substantial feature set that's well worth the money. And unlike the XO, the Eee PC is actually available for purchase now.

It's refreshing to see that the Eee PC is as sleek as it is light. Laptops in this price range tend to be bulky, unattractive, and not worth my time. (I still can't believe I went through the trouble of reviewing the GQ MX-3203.) This 2-pound ultraportable does a good job of mimicking some of its (up to five times) more-expensive siblings, like the ASUS S6F. With the Eee PC, you can choose from an array of colors, including blue, green, black, pink, or the white in which my test configuration came.

The Eee PC resembles an oversize UMPC, or a larger version of the Fujitsu LifeBook U810, albeit currently without Windows and tablet capabilities. But you can't find a UMPC that costs $400. By contrast, though, the same price gets you two of OLPC's XO laptop—one goes to you, the other to a needy child.

When you first flip the Eee PC 4G's lid open, you may be surprised at how small the screen is. The laptop looks as if it could fit an 11-inch widescreen, similar to the Sony VAIO VGN-TZ150N. ASUS opted to put a pair of speakers around the 7-inch screen instead. The 800-by-480 resolution isn't great, and it doesn't have the glossy coating found in many media laptops. Still, it's big and bright enough to handle any multimedia task thrown at it. Its form factor allows for a keyboard just 83 percent the size of a standard keyboard. It's cramped, but if you spend enough time on it, it gets easier to use with practice. I was able to type most of this review on the ultraportable in a reasonable amount of time. The only thing I found annoying was the difficulty of pressing mouse buttons.

The Eee PC 4G's features are, for the most part, similar to those of other laptops. Its three USB ports are quite generous for a 2-pound system. It doesn't have a FireWire port because this is not a video-editing laptop, and the lack of an optical drive is justified because of its size. (It would have been amazing if ASUS managed to include one.) A 100-megabit-per-second Ethernet port, a modem, and built-in Wi-Fi (802.11g) take care of all your network connections. A VGA port is also available for external monitor hookups. Even more impressive are the addition of SecureDigital and Memory Stick card readers on the right-hand side of the system and a webcam above the screen. The hard drive is not a typical rotational hard drive but a 4GB solid-state drive (SSD). It's essentially an internal flash drive acting as a primary storage medium. ASUS did this mostly to minimize costs.

For the Eee PC, ASUS developed its own full-blown operating system based on Xandros Linux. The user interface is easy to understand and navigate. It's similar to a Web page with multiple tabs. In this case, there are four main tabs representing Internet, Work, Learn, and Play. Each of these tabs contains a mix of icons that represent an application, setting, or Web site link.

The Internet tab has some interesting icons, including Skype, an e-book reader, a wireless utility, and site links to Wikipedia, Google Docs, and Internet Radio. The Skype application works just as it does in Windows, and the webcam lets you video-chat. You can connect to the Internet via 802.11g Wi-Fi; doing so generates a list of available hot spots within range. The Eee PC connected to my Netgear WNR834B router, with WPA enabled, right away, although a D-Link DIR-635 router and my home router (Linksys WRT54G) required some tinkering (and patience) before they were able to connect. The Eee PC's Web browser is Mozilla's Firefox 2.0.0.7. I had no problems playing back videos from YouTube, running remote access through a site called LogMeIn, accessing my Microsoft Outlook webmail, and uploading photos to a photo-sharing site (Flickr).

The Work tab has everything you need to run mainstream office applications. ASUS loads OpenOffice 2.0, a Linux suite that can read and write most of the file formats found in Microsoft Office as well as other applications. Most of my MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files took a while to load and weren't as fluid as when run in Office, but they eventually opened fine in OpenOffice. The only exception was that this version of OpenOffice doesn't recognize the .docx format (the open XML format used in MS Office 2007). The Eee PC has a built-in Acrobat reader for PDF files. It also includes Mozilla's Thunderbird Web client, which doesn't even come close to MS Outlook but does a decent job collecting e-mail from popular sites like Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo! Mail.

Xandros Linux supports a slew of printer models. I connected both my HP Photosmart 7550 and an Epson Stylus C62 photo printer with no hassles. The File Manager icon is almost like Windows Explorer's. The system recognized both my simultaneously connected USB flash drives and various document folders. If you hook the Eee PC into a Windows network, the File Manager's Windows-like directory structure also displays your network. You can see other computers in your network and share files between them, as long as you have all the necessary sharing functions enabled in your other computers.

The Learn tab is populated with science and math applications for up to a high-school level, nothing worth talking about in depth. The apps get interesting with the Play tab, where you find a bunch of icons that play back your multimedia files. For example, plugging in an SD card from my digital camera automatically brought a selection menu that let me choose between Photo Manager, File Manager, or Music Manager. The photos on my SD card populated as thumbnails swiftly into the Photo Manager. Editing photos, however, is limited to a severely crippled Paint application. You can attempt to install a program like GIMP to get Photoshop-like functionality. Bear in mind, though, that you have 4GB of storage to work with, 2.5GB of which is used by the operating system. Audio files are managed through the Music Manager, which recognizes various file formats, including MP3, AAC, and WAV. The Music Manager's Media play does a good job of playing back WMV, H.264, and MPEG video files. However, playing back a DVD movie through an external USB optical drive produced all sort of artifacts and distortions. Even streaming an audio CD through an external optical drive produced an annoying delay. The machine simply isn't powerful enough to run these tasks.

You don't need fast parts to run components other than an external optical drive—it's Linux, after all. That's why an Intel Celeron M processor and 512MB of RAM are more than sufficient. Still, you can upgrade to 1GB of RAM on your own by screwing open the bottom panel in the laptop base and popping in a 1GB stick in place of the 512MB one. Interestingly, next to the memory slot is a mini-PCI Express slot that will let you upgrade your internal flash storage. ASUS will start selling storage upgrades later on this year. For now, however, you'll void the warranty if you attempt any of these upgrades.

The system booted up in just 21 seconds, much quicker than a similar Windows machine would take. It goes without saying, though, that any form of gaming should be Web-based, as most of the 3D-intensive ones will not be supported by this operating system. I couldn't perform any of my performance tests because they don't run on Linux. ASUS is claiming that the Eee PC will get you in the range of 3 to 4 hours of battery life, which sounds about right based on my experience in playing with the machine until the battery was drained.

The ASUS Eee PC 4G is a tremendous bargain for people with general-purpose computing needs who don't plan on running any sophisticated software. It's intuitive enough that even a little child can learn to use it, and it loads everything you need for performing basic office and multimedia tasks. Best of all, as of November 1, you can get a beautiful-looking 2-pound ultraportable for $400 at J&R Music World and through a wealth of online e-tailers. There are some oddities, like the 4GB storage capacity and DVD decoding issues, but you can count on improvements to both the hardware and software load as time goes by. For now, this is still a great bargain.

Asus Eee PC Review - cnet.com

by Dan Ackerman

The bottom line:
For less than $400, the Asus Eee PC 4G offers an impressive package for portable Web surfing and basic productivity, as long as you keep expectations tempered. The incredibly approachable price outweighs any shortcomings; it's a near perfect choice for a highly portable second or backup laptop.

For several months before its release, the Asus Eee PC was one of a handful of small, inexpensive PCs that had tech types buzzing with anticipation. While the other systems, the Intel Classmate and the One Laptop Per Child XO, are aimed at the educational needs of children around the globe and not generally available to consumers, the Eee holds no such highbrow pedigree--it's for sale directly from Asus to the laptop-buying public.

The initial buzz on the Asus Eee had the 7-inch, Linux-based laptop coming in as low at $199. In the end, the price is a more realistic $399, which includes a low-end Intel Mobile CPU, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB solid-state flash hard drive (versions with 2GB and 8GB hard drives will also be available). The obvious limitations of the tiny hard drive, low-power CPU, and lack of the Windows operating system may be enough to scare away many potential users, but despite the system's budget origins, we found it hard to dislike when viewed as a highly portable Web surfing and office productivity machine.

The Asus Eee is certainly worth a look as a second laptop for travelers, or perhaps a first laptop for kids--one you won't be afraid to leave in accident-prone hands. It's certainly a more attractive option than any of the UMPCs (which have screens of 5 inches or less) we've seen this year, which we generally found to be high in price and low on usability, and much less expensive than recent ultraportable laptops (which generally have 11- or 12-inch screens).

The Asus Eee looks like a fairly conventional ultraportable laptop, shrunk down by about a third. With a small 7-inch screen, the laptop weighs 2 pounds and measures 8.8 inches wide by 6.5 inches deep by a little less than an inch thick. In all, the Eee PC is about the size of a trade paperback book; it can fit in a large jacket pocket without too much trouble. The pearlized white look is attractive, if generic, and the typically understated Asus design keeps the system from looking too cheap.

Cramming all the things one expects from a laptop into a package this small presents some difficult design questions, and the Asus Eee answers most of them about as well as can be expected. The biggest challenge is the keyboard. Tiny keyboards, as on ultraportable systems such as the Toshiba R500 or Sony VAIO TZ150, are hampered by both Chiclet-size keys and unfortunate compromises in key placement and double-mapped keys. The Eee takes it a step further, with some of the tiniest keys we've ever had to deal with. At least most of the space is saved for making sure the actual letter keys are a usable size, which makes typing at least possible, if not entirely easy. Other keys, including the backspace, tab, and control keys, are smaller--mere slivers of their usual selves, and especially hard to hit. The tiny touchpad measures 1.75 inches by 1.25 inches and works well on the whole, but there's only a single mouse button--click on the left side for the left mouse button, and the right for the right mouse button. We'd prefer two separate buttons. Overall, the keyboard is easier to use than any UMPC we've seen, but far more cramped than any other ultraportable PC.

The 7-inch screen looks even smaller than it is thanks to the large black screen bezel that frames it. At least the extra space around the screen serves a purpose: a Webcam sits above the screen and tiny speakers reside on the left and right sides of the display, emitting tinny but passable sound for things like YouTube videos. With a resolution of 800x480, there's not a lot of screen real estate to spare, but the combination of low resolution and a tiny screen make for letters that don't (usually) require squinting. One niggling annoyance: at 800 pixels wide, many Web pages are too wide for the screen and require horizontal scrolling. We'd happily trade the thick screen bezel for an extra inch or so of screen real estate and a 1024x768 resolution, even if it meant we'd lose the Webcam and would have to get along with even smaller speakers.

The biggest adjustment most users will encounter with the Asus Eee is trading Windows for the Linux operating system. While this machine is technically capable of supporting Windows, and Asus plans to sell a version with the Microsoft OS in the near future, right now, Linux is the only option. While the scant 4GB hard drive and unfamiliar (to many) operating system might make it hard to get the software you need, the Eee actually sports a very user-friendly custom Linux installation, and many of the apps you'll want are preloaded and easy to access through a series of tabbed desktop pages.

Firefox is there for Web surfing and OpenOffice 2.0 for working with word-processing documents and spreadsheets. Both should already be familiar to Windows users (and OpenOffice is an especially appealing solution, as it reads and writes the popular Microsoft Office formats, and is worth checking out even for dedicated Windows users). There's also a generic media player, an instant messaging client that works with AOL, Yahoo, and other popular IM systems, and a handful of preinstalled casual games. Under the settings tab, you can check system information, add and remove programs, and perform diagnostic tests. It's a reasonably useful selection of software, and for Web surfing and working with documents, perfectly acceptable. You may, however, miss some popular software that won't run on Linux, such as iTunes or Photoshop.

With three USB ports, a VGA out, and standard headphone and mic jacks, the Asus Eee offers decent connectivity. FireWire is the one missing standard element, aside from the obvious absence of an optical drive. The SD card slot offers a good opportunity to boost the hard drive space, allowing you to pop in your own flash memory, easily doubling the system's 4GB drive (only about 1.3GB of which is actually free), with your own 4GB SD card, which you can get for around $50.

Without the common frame of reference we get from our standard benchmark tests, including iTunes and Photoshop, it's difficult to judge the Eee's performance, especially as it comes with its own set of preinstalled software, doubtlessly tuned to the limitations of the hardware. We can't imagine 512MB of RAM or a 900MHz Intel Mobile processor would results in a pleasant Windows Vista experience (maybe the stripped down Vista Basic version in a pinch), but these meager specs suffice for lean Linux. We were able to surf the Web and work on some office documents with absolutely no stuttering or slowdown, which was a pleasant surprise. Gaming is a no-go, beyond the strictly casual variety (our favorite preinstalled game: Crack Attack). For its intended purpose of getting online while on the road, we found the Eee PC to be more than up to the challenge.

We were not able to run our normal DVD playback battery test, but in anecdotal testing, we were able to use the Eee for a little under 3 hours while running a mix of Web browsers, OpenOffice documents, and playing MP3 files. Asus says the 4-cell battery is rated for 3.5 hours, which is decent for an ultraportable laptop, especially one this inexpensive.

Asus covers its laptops with a standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty, and it offers online Web-based help and a toll-free phone number. The company's support Web site includes the expected driver downloads and a brief FAQ but lacks useful features such as user forums or the chance to chat in real time with a technician.

The good:
Small, light, and inexpensive; solid-state hard drive is fast and efficient; well-thought-out preinstalled software package.

The bad:
Cramped keyboard; very little hard drive space; low screen resolution.

Asus Eee PC Review - laptopmag.com

by Mark Spoonauer

This past weekend a circular advertised a Vista-powered laptop equipped with a Celeron processor, 14.1-inch display, an 80GB hard drive, and a DVD drive for only $399. For the same price, the Asus Eee PC offers the same amount of RAM and Celeron processor but a smaller seven-inch display, a measly 4GB of storage space, and no DVD drive. And yet there's no way we would give up this two-pound wonder for a "regular" notebook.

The Eee PC may be designed to appeal to children and older customers, but it should also tempt anyone looking for a lightweight budget PC that weighs next to nothing and connects to the Internet easily. It's ten times simpler to use than any Windows machine, starts up twice as fast (no crapware!), and is only about a fifth of the cost of other systems in its weight class. It's a little rough around the edges, but the Eee PC is a remarkably versatile machine for the price. (For a look at the latest Eee PC model, see our review of the Eee PC 4G Surf).
Refreshing Interface

The reason why the Eee PC should appeal to kids and grandparents alike is the streamlined, tab-based interface that offers only six easy-to-understand options: Internet, Work, Learn, Play, Settings, and Favorites. In some cases the Asus-designed menu (which runs on top of Linux) merely offers links to sites that Web-savvy users have already bookmarked, like Yahoo e-mail or Google Docs, but these choices are welcome for a target audience that may not be able to find these resources easily. We also appreciated the option of using these quick shortcuts, as opposed to opening the browser first. Users will love having a clutter-free desktop for day-to-day use and will likely find navigating the various options refreshingly simple compared with XP or Vista, as well as with Mac OS X.

Users who don't like the simplified Asus menu, can use this tip to switch to a regular KDE desktop, which looks just like Windows XP.

Small, But Not Too Small

We found the small seven-inch, 800 x 480-pixel display pretty easy on the eyes, especially when compared with Ultra-Mobile PCs like the OQO model 02 (5 inches) and FlipStart 1.0 (5.6 inches), but most users don't have that point of reference. A three-year-old accustomed to a 14-inch LCD didn't mind the screen while she was having fun with Mickey and friends on Playhousedisney.com. On the other hand, we don't see many people above the age of 50 using this device as their primary computer unless they hook it up to a bigger external LCD, which start at about $170.

Overall, the Eee PC's design is fairly solid and incredibly travel-friendly for the price. Our white model (black and other colors will come later) features an SD Card slot, two USB ports, and a VGA port on the right. An extra USB port, Ethernet and modem connections, and headphone and mic jacks line the left side. The keyboard is cramped but is just big enough to touch-type on; the biggest annoyance is the proximity of the Up arrow key and right Shift key; we accidentally moved up a line on several occasions while trying to capitalize a letter. And although we didn't mind the unified, slightly chintzy-feeling touchpad button that you can left- or right-click on, our kid tester found it confusing at first.

Chock-full of Useful Apps

So what can you do with this mini notebook? Practically anything you would do with a Windows-powered one. Teens and adults will likely spend the most time in the Internet area, where you can launch the Firefox browser, Wikipedia, Skype (for making cheap calls), and the instant messaging program (which includes clients for AOL, Google Talk, MSN, and Yahoo).

In fact, the Eee PC is the perfect device for households that fight over the primary PC (and its Internet connection). Why waste money on a two-trick pony like the ZipIt 2 Communicator (which offers only IMing and MP3 playback) when you can get a featherlight PC that does those things and surfs the whole Web, too? And that's not all the Eee PC can do. Under Learn, for example, you can launch word games like Hangman and math games like Tux of Math Command (starring the Linux penguin), which gives flash-card-style math questions the space-shooter treatment.

Under the Work menu you'll find quick links to OpenOffice.org 2.0's various Microsoft Office-compatible apps, including Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations. These programs took more than ten seconds to load the first time but only eight seconds after that, and we had no problem composing a Word document on the Eee PC, saving our work to a memory key and then continuing to work on that file on a Windows laptop. Asus also includes a file-manager utility, a PDF reader, the Thunderbird e-mail client, and a Notes app.

No, the Eee PC doesn't do iTunes, but the preloaded Media Player and decent-sounding speakers get the job done. The device played MP3s and WMAs stored on a memory card while we surfed the Web, and the built-in mic performed admirably when making Skype calls. The Eee PC also did a nice job handling MPEG-4 videos captured by a 720p Sanyo Xacti camcorder and stored on an SD Card; the video looked surprisingly smooth on the seven-inch display. The Photo Manager took its sweet time loading large image files, however. Overall, the Media Player app looks positively crude compared to Windows Media Center and Apple's Front Row, so a makeover is certainly in order.

Good Performance and Peripheral Support

Getting online with the Eee PC 701 via Wi-Fi was pretty painless; once you set up a profile and enter the encryption key, the notebook will automatically connect to that network the next time you boot up. Although surfing wasn't quite as zippy as it is on our ThinkPad, it was still plenty fast. The device had no problems handling Web 2.0 sites powered by Ajax technology (like Netvibes) or Flash (YouTube). We encountered a screen-resolution issue with the new Yahoo Mail, but we still got it to work.

Overall performance was pretty snappy, even though this machine uses a Celeron processor. Most apps loaded quickly, and the 512MB of RAM is more than sufficient for an operating system with such little overhead. A mere 4GB of storage space tells you that the Eee PC isn't going to be your primary digital media vault out of the box, but you can easily augment that capacity with an external drive. Plus, that 4GB solid state drive can withstand being dropped by Junior.

Speaking of external devices, the Eee PC did an excellent job recognizing all sorts of peripherals, from a Kingston USB drive to a USB dongle for a Logitech wireless mouse. When we plugged in a Casio Exilim camera, the Eee PC asked us if we wanted to open the images in the File Manager or Photo Manager. Not surprisingly, the device wouldn't load music from our iPhone, but the Eee PC did charge it.

Eee PC owners will be pleasantly surprised with how well this tiny machine can double as a desktop replacement. We connected the device to a 20-inch ViewSonic monitor and used the built-in utility to scale the resolution up to 1024 x 768 pixels, and the resulting picture was nice and sharp. The Eee PC also instantly recognized a full-sized Dell USB keyboard and a wired Logitech USB mouse.

LAPTOP writer Jeffrey Wilson used the 4G Surf edition as his primary computer for five days and wrote about it in his Eee PC product diary. "As I deleve deeper into the Eee PC and learn of of its flexibility, I realize it’s going to be hard to give this beaut back," he said.

This notebook lasted the rated 3.5 hours of battery life on our tests. That's not nearly as good as the five-plus hours of endurance offered by the best ultraportable notebooks. Those machines tend to cost $2,000, however. Bonus: The Eee PC's power adapter is even smaller than what most notebooks in this weight class ship with; it's not much bigger than a cell phone charger.

Room for Improvement

Although there's a lot to like about the Eee PC, there are some telltale signs here that the device may have been rushed to market. Take the webcam, which is launched under the Play menu. We were able to record footage from within the webcam app, but couldn't get it to work with either the preloaded Skype program or Pidgin instant messaging program, and with good reason: Asus is still working on drivers for the webcam, which it says will be released early next year.

Finding and adding applications could also be more intuitive. When we attempted to update Skype after being asked if we wanted to do just that from within the app, the Skype icon ceased to work from the main menu. Turns out you're supposed to update software from within the dedicated Add/Remove Software utility, located under Settings. Also, we didn't see any new applications we could add, although Asus promises to certify applications as they become available and make them available to users via software updates. The intrepid can install applications themselves, but you'll have to dig into the File Manager and launch them manually each time.

We have one other major complaint. Menu screens dipped below the taskbar occasionally, making it difficult to click Next or OK. This happened when we were attempting to set up an e-mail account from within the PIM application. We couldn't move the window in question up high enough or shrink it down enough to move to the next screen, which was quite frustrating. You're supposed to click the Alt button while moving the window with the mouse.

We'd also like to see Asus make the Eee PC mobile-broadband friendly--so you can surf beyond hotspot range--either by adding Bluetooth support (using a 3G cell phone as a modem) or by adding support for USB-powered modems.

Is the Eee PC for You?

Asus is forging a new class of device with the Eee PC. Yes, you can get a laptop with a bigger screen and better specs for the same amount of money, but this machine wasn't designed to go toe-to-toe with bargain-basement Windows laptops. It's an excellent secondary computer for households with children, and it's a very good primary computer for novice PC users who never had the time or patience to master an operating system.

In many ways, too, the Eee PC is a new-and-improved version of the Internet appliance concept, as its easy-to-tote, easy-to-use design makes it simple for anyone to get online.

When it comes to road warriors, the Eee PC runs circles around UMPCs powered by Vista and XP in terms of performance, price, and ease of use, but not application support. Despite a few issues, such as a webcam not yet optimized for online video chats, the Eee PC is also a worthy alternative to devices like the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet. The Nokia is more pocket-friendly, is Bluetooth-enabled for using a cell phone as a modem, and has a built-in GPS receiver, but the Asus sports a better keyboard, can be connected to a big-screen monitor, and is $80 cheaper.

As for that other famous low-cost notebook: The $188 OLPC XO laptop is a far more ambitious product in that its purpose is to educate children in developing nations. But that doesn't mean the Eee PC isn't a breakthrough in its own right. It brings affordable computing to everyone else, and without a learning curve.

Pros
• Easy-to-use interface
• Full Web 2.0 experience
• Lightweight design
• Useful education programs
• Works well with external peripherals
• Very good performance for the price

Cons
• Webcam can't yet be used for video chats
• Not easy to find and load new applications
• No mobile broadband support