Home > Consumer Reviews > ASUS Eee PC 4G (7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Pearl White

First, here's what was done right.

I can put the power cord in my pocket. No laptop carrying case necessary. This is brilliant.

Ctrl+Alt+T pops up console, and KDE's "konsole" program is just one command away. 80% of my time on this machine is spent using this one program. It works perfectly out of the box.

Firefox (including all of the plugins I usually have to install manually) Just Works.

Wireless comes very close to "Just Works". The simple connection software doesn't track wep keys per connection (that I've been able to figure out), and there are a few UI issues. But "/etc/init.d/network restart" works as well as it always did.

The screen? It's small. It doesn't work well for google maps. It works fine for everything else.

In short, this is a really, really impressive laptop. And it has a bash shell. That's about all I need.

Now let's talk about the keyboard.

It's small. That's fine, I have small fingers. Evidently, my typing style is such that I never use the right shift key, so that hasn't bothered me either. The frustration comes from being able to hit a key (the worst offender is 'n'), feel it go all the way down, and not have anything happen. This only happens when coming in from the corner instead of directly on the middle of the key, and doesn't happen all of the time. But it happens often enough to really slow me down as a typist.


All of this may seem a little unfair -- this machine wasn't designed for 10-hour coding sessions, but that's what I use it for. My error rate is (slowly) going down, and perhaps after a few iterations there will be a model with the smaller equivalent of the Dell QuietKey. Until then, I'm keeping this one and (mostly) loving it, but I'm very reluctant to recommend it to anyone else who would be doing any serious typing on it.

If you're looking for a computer to do mostly quick web browsing and email, this is just about perfect.

I purchased the Asus Eee laptop from amazon about two weeks ago and have been using it on a daily basis. Now understand that I am not an expert in computers and have never used Linux before. After powering up this little thing, I was able to be on the web and use many of its programs in no time. I have played some of the games that are included and created documents with Open Office. I have both a PC and a Mac, and this is just as good in my opinion. It is very user friendly and very intuitive. I have not yet loaded Windows XP and am not sure if I ever will becasue it is such a great computer with what it has. I will be using the Eee mostly to go on the web and do email, as well as traveling with it since it such a small and light laptop. I have also downloaded some pictures and music and found that it was quite simple to do. The built-in camera is a great added feature too. The only thing that has taken a little getting used to is the key board since it is so small, but just after using it for a couple of days, it is now second nature for me...in fact I am typing on it from a Wifi hotspot in Miami Shores, Florida. I have also received lots of positive feedback from friends and total strangers alike. Everyone is amazed how well it works, and not to mention its size! Overall, I really think this is probably one of the best purchases I have made on Amazon. The price cannot be beat, the size and weight of the Eee is something to marvel at, and it actually works as well as advertised. This is a fun and great little machine! Asus hit a homerun with this one.

I've had this for a bit over a month and love it. Super deal if you want something small. You usually pay a several hundred dollar premium for similarly-sized small laptops.

Super small and light. Can be a bit challenging to type on, but not insurmountable.

I upgraded to 2GB RAM, WinXP, and a 4GB SDHC card. I'm using it as a primary laptop.

I got a shopworn 8GB version with 1 GB RAM for $375 or about $125 off normal retail.


Pros:
*Boots in 10 to 15 seconds, or about 1 1/2 minutes quicker than XP
*No bloatware from the factory. You get applications with no nag ads for AOL or some credit card you didn't ask for.
*Except for touchpad, well built
*Recognizes printers, cameras, etc and will even download drivers if necessary, all w/o your interference. Try that with XP (has the driver "find" system ever worked on XP?)
*About 2 pounds
*2 year warranty
*Uses a cell phone style charger instead of the heavy brick
*Voice commands easy to turn on. My IBM Thinkpad doesn't offer that. Talk and activate programs.
*Better speakers than 99% of the laptops, which isn't saying much. Won't outplay your Pioneer stereo, but it will sound better than most MP3 players out there
*Finds network signals I didn't know exist
*Disturbingly quiet. After years of listening to grinding hard drives and fans, it's somewhat disconcerting to hear nothing (and I do mean nothing!).
*Don't let Linux scare you, it's a generic version of Windows and the included O/S is designed for the techologically limited.

Cons:
*2 1/2 hour battery? Ever hear of lithium?
*Runs hot, typical Celeron. Doesn't bog down, though
*Touchpad is useless, fortunately mine came with a mouse
*If the webcam works, it's hiding
*Keypad takes time to get used to. Helps to have paperclip thin fingers. Get a wireless keyboard unless you enjoy cramping.
*Nice that it comes with a neoprene carrying bag, but they forget an area for the charger. Relatively worthless
*Downloading new applications can be a bear if you don't understand Linux. Fortunately, I do.

Overall? You really can't lose. My guess is the HDDs will get larger as time goes on and MS is offering Windows XP as an option in 2008. As long as Vista doesn't creep in there, it's a good deal for those on the go!

As a backpacker, I normally wouldn't carry a laptop with me on the road.
When you're jumping from planes to trains/buses and lugging your entire life in a pack, the last thing you want is a heavy, expensive piece of equipment to slow you down and give you another thing to worry about.

However, I changed my mind when I saw the Asus Eee PC. I bought the 4Gb model and have yet to be disappointed after a month of carrying it around Thailand. At only 2 lbs. and with a power brick the size of a cell phone charger, it barely takes up any room with the rest of my gear. Combine it with a 8Gb SD Card as a secondary Hard Drive and it's perfect for working on documents and photos while travelling. A lot of people have complained about the small screen and keyboard but I've gotten quite used to it.

I take loads of pictures and maintain a travel website. The Eee PC let's me do my work in my hostel room (when there's a free WiFi signal) or transfer it onto a USB key for quick download at an internet cafe (which saves you a lot of cash when using expensive services in Europe and the US).

If you want to travel light and absolutely need access to a computer, the Eee PC might be for you.