Asus EEE PC 901 Reviews
The Asus EEE PC 901 is the larger screened version of the groundbreaking 701. Released in the summer of 2008, it has a larger 8.9″ screen, and upgraded specs.
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I’ve owned my Asus 901 for around 6 months now, and I’ve not yet seen anything else that beats it, despite keeping an eye on the competition.
I love the design, particularly the chrome highlights, around the hinge.
I bought the Windows XP version, but replaced the OS with linux (currently CrunchBang). I imagine most prospective buyers would probably want to do their own thing regarding software, so I’ll just write about the hardware.
First, the keyboard. I don’t have any problems using it. It feels sturdy, and I don’t seem to have any problem with keyboard flex. A lot of people don’t seem to like the position of the right shift key, but this hasn’t bothered me.
Screen - this is fine, with plenty of brightness levels to choose from. At the highest setting it is bright enough for outdoor use, although you may struggle in direct sunlight. I only wish the screen resolution was higher - 1280×1024 would have been perfect.
build quality and finish - I’m not a massive fan of the gloss finish, and despite treating my eee with kid gloves, I do have a couple of nasty scratches on top. Much preferred the finish on my old 701.
Features. Has almost everything I want, but to make it perfect, it would have a built in 3G modem. Oh, and keyboard lights would be handy too!
Would I recommend it? Yes, unreservedly. It is a bit more expensive than some of the competition, but I think it’s better too.
Having owned the Eee702(8G), and 900 prior to getting the 901, I was immediately impressed with how much better it was than its predecessors.
The built-in bluetooth does away with the need for annoying dongles or warranty-voiding modifications, and the battery life is truly amazing. While the Atom in the 901 performs about the same as the Celeron in the 900, there is some improvement in multitasking.
The storage subsystem is the same as in the 900, consisting of a moderately fast 4GB primary SLC SSD, and a much slower secondary MLC SSD (8GB for Windows, 16GB for Linux). This is a very well-thought-out system allowing for decent performance at the lowest possible cost. By installing the OS on the SLC SSD and using the MLC SSD for program files, documents, and other write-seldom, read-often files it bis possible to install a large operating system like WindowsXPpro and dozens of applications with lots of room to spare. An internal cardreader can be used for bulk storage of multimedia files, ISOs, and other large data files. Lack of a fragile mechanical HDD adds ruggedness to the Eee901 and ensures longevity.
Like all EeePCs, the 901 lacks an optical drive, but there are three USB2 ports for attaching one. There are also built-in LAN, 802.11n, bluetooth and a VGA connector to add a second monitor. The webcam was upgraded to 1.3 megapixels and multiscrolling functions were added to the touchpad.
Physically, the 901 is just slightly larger than the 900 which is a little larger than the 701, but still small enough. The keyboard is the same on all three models and while some touch-typists with large hands may find it cramped or complain about the right-shift key, this is not an issue with me. Far better a cramped keyboard than added size or weight.
My biggest complaints are the glossy finish of the case and an overly sensitive touchpad which is much to easy to brush with the thumbs while typing, leading to the cursor jumping across the screen. At least they had the decency to use an anti-glare coating to avoid eye-straining glossiness on the LCD. More than 1024×600 pxels would have been nice though.
I would have liked an HDMI port and an eSATA port, but there’s only so much you can cram into 9″. Larger, faster SSDs would be nice, but when the 901 was released SSD prices were still quite high and after months of using the 701 and 900 I’d realized 12GB was more than enough internal storage. Better graphics than the Intel GMA950 would have been nice, but not at the cost of reduced battery time or increased size and weight. I would love to get rid of the only moving part, the fan and replace it with heatpipes or passive external radiators.
All things considered, I think the 901 is the pinnacle of the EeePC line. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for an ultraminiature laptop. The marginally higher price is a bargain for what you get.