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

Pros: Small, portable, fast boot-up, comes with great programs

Cons: Keys are smaller than normal

This is a great computer. It is small and portable. I was skeptical at first because I thought that the screen would be too small to read. I was wrong. Sure it is smaller but still can be read easily at arms length away (just as if you were typing on a regular laptop) I am actually writing this review on it right now. The keyboard does take some getting used too. The keys are smaller but I am sure after a few weeks, everything will be ok. I am a student and this is great to take to class because it boots up fast and is very light weight and portable. It is half the size of a manila file folder.

This computer is great for internet usage and writing papers. It is not a computer for playing a bunch of games or if you need to install major programs.

Openoffice program is great for writing papers. You can also save as a .doc file so it will not affect the file if you need to transfer a file to Microsoft word. I bought the white surf version without the webcam or the extended battery. To me, the webcam and an extra half-hour of battery life is not with an extra $50.00. Just get the surf model.

In conclusion if you want something lightweight, portable, and will be mostly using it for word processing and internet, this is the computer for you!

The Eee is not a full lap top. It has no drives and I wouldn't want to subject it to much abuse. IT DOES excell at what it is; a small light travel companion for getting on the WEB, wireless ready right from the box, and doing light tasks. The Linux based system, which has yet to crash, is not compatable with Windows or Apple, keeping us from networking with our computers at work. Since the system is so stable we are apprehensive about installing the Windows XP disk that came with the Eee, and are becoming converts to Linux. I have bullet pointed features we discovered after two "vacations" and an extended stay in the hospital, unrelated, totaling I guess well over 100 hours of use.
- VERY Light weight and compact - size of most portable DVD players
- Keyboard layout and touch pad functions diffrent from PCs or Apples
- Keys are light weight almost "toy like", so no pounding
- Battery life short lived, will need two for a transcontiental flight,
recharges quickly though
- Screen is clear and crisp
- WEB pages load quickly
- The amount of preinstalled software is amazing
- Ready to go right out of the box, on line in less then 10 minutes,
mostly spent typing in my codes.
We, the whole family, highly prize our Eee and show it off when ever possible. And will buy others in the future. Sorry, but I have not tried using external drives, loading software nor using external keyboards/monitors, as we have yet found the need to do so.

If you understand what the eee pc is then you (SHOULD) love it!! In my opinion its the perfect secondary, take it anywhere computer. The pre-installed Linux is great for beginners and hobbyist. I found out Linux is nothing to be intimidated by. The word processor, data base, slide show presentation(Power Point like) ect. is all compatible with MicroSoft Office. It even looks and feels like Microsoft Office. It's basically the same thing but its free! I feel almost guilty using it, its crazy!!

I know its a Microsoft world but if you keep an open mind you MAY see that the Version of Linux that comes with the EEE pc is just as easy as Windows but without all the 100,000 plus viruses to worry about. Oh yea and it hardly ever locks up.

The only complaint that I have is that I wish the battery would last a little longer but for $350 I can live with it.....

Be very careful when ordering one of these; Asus has been changing the spec on the 4G without notifying vendors such as Amazon. I ordered and returned two units to Amazon that were missing the mini-pcie expansion connector in the expansion bay, and a third unit that I inspected at a local store was missing the expansion bay entirely, so I couldn't even upgrade the memory. The units that are shipping, unlike the units that have been reviewed all over the web, are NOT EXPANDABLE.

I purchased this machine as a travel pc and have to admit that it's a fun little pc to use. The start up is quick - really quick. We needed quick directions. Got them in less than 3 minutes. The other laptop and desktop were still booting up. I was wary of Linux operating system having never used it, but it is so user friendly. It's just like windows - only different icons. I connected it to my home and office network in a snap. In less than 10 minutes I was browsing the web. I thought the small 7" screen would not allow full screen view and scrolling, but it does. I have only had a few sites where I have to horizontal scroll but i can live with that.

The pc comes preloaded with very usable applications. I love OpenOffice. I can work on WORD and Excel docs. on the fly. and i dont have to carry the heavier laptop as much. It fits in my travel bag. I am typing this review on it. The keyboard is a little small and takes a little getting use to. But having used small notebooks before it is very workable. It may be a problem for men with large fingers.

I let a 7 and 12 year old use it and they love it. The small keys are perfect for them and it is very durable. It has been knocked around a few times and is solid. They love carrying it around because of the wireless. They have gone to all their favorite sites and I have yet to hear of audio or video not playing.

All in all this is a great little lap top. Ideal for kids, travel, fun. Great to have in car with kids. It's light, durable and a great addition to home or office. It even allows for you to convert to Windows operating system. But why would you? It even looks cool. People ask all the time is it a real laptop? Get one, you wont regret it.