ASUS Eee PC

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Eee PC
Manufacturer ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
Type Subnotebook
Connectivity 10/100 Mbit Ethernet
Atheros AR5007EG 802.11b/g wireless LAN
3 USB 2.0 ports
MMC/SD card reader
Media 2/4/8 GB flash memory
Operating system Linux-based OS or Windows XP
Input Keyboard
Touchpad
Camera (Optional)
Microphone
Camera built-in 300K pixel video camera (4G and 8G models)
Power 4 cell 4400 or 5200 mAH battery
CPU 900MHz Intel Celeron-M ULV 353, fan
Memory 256MB DDR2-400 or 512MB/1GB DDR2-667 RAM
Display 7 in TFT LCD with LED backlight @ 800×480; although the unit is slightly larger than the screen to accommodate the speakers and other components

The Eee PC is an ultra-portable laptop designed by Intel and ASUS, aimed at the consumer market. According to ASUS, the name Eee (pronounced as the letter E, IPA /iː/) derives from "the three Es"; their advertising slogan is "Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play."[1]

Contents

[edit] Overview

Two models were announced at COMPUTEX Taipei 2007, the Eee PC 701 and the Eee PC 1001.[2] The 701 based model Eee PC 4G was released on October 16, 2007 in Taiwan.[3] The remaining three models will be available by the end of November. The originally announced second model 1001 will most likely be released soon.[4] ASUS expects to sell about 200,000 units in 2007,[5] 300,000 to 500,000 by March 2008 and 3–5 million by 2009.[4] Intel has described the Eee PC as in line with its "World Ahead" marketing drive – which aims to provide anyone around the world a chance to own a PC.[6]

Both the price and the size of the devices are relatively small in comparison to similar devices, such as Ultra-Mobile PCs. The Eee series is viewed partly as a response to the XO-1 notebook from the One Laptop per Child initiative.

ASUS plans to introduce second-generation Eee PCs in April 2008 which are meant to feature Intel's Merom processors. The power consumption of the next-generation notebooks will reduce to 7W TDP, down from 11W TDP, and the fan might be removed to save more power and reduce noise.[7]

At the Intel Developer Forum 2007, Intel demonstrated its Classmate PC and the Eee PC, and also had specifications listing four models of the Eee PC. ASUS at the time claimed that models may start at the promised US$199 price point and transition up in price and feature to US$399.[8]

The price and specifications for the Eee PC, officially announced in September 2007, changed from those first announced by ASUS. The price rose from US$199 to US$245, while the base model went from a 4 to a 2 GB solid state drive, the VGA camera was dropped and the RAM was decreased from 512 MB to 256 MB. As of October 25, 2007, the price range is now expected to be US$299-399.[9]

Since October 13, 2007 the ASUS website shows revised specifications. The products now have the marketing names EeePC 8G, 4G, 4G Surf, 2G Surf instead of the model numbers 700 and 701 shown in pre-release information and on the Eee PC label and on the packaging.[10] There is no indication that the model numbers are not still present for the Eee PC, but they might not be used in advertising for the systems.

ASUS has announced a desktop version of the Eee PC, without an integrated display, to be released in 2008.[11]

ASUS has announced a Windows version of the Eee PC by the end of the year 2007.[12]

[edit] Details

[edit] Mobility

The Eee PC is a subnotebook, about the size of a hardback book when closed.[13] It can be configured to either display a simple user interface for first-time PC users, or full desktop mode for greater functionality with a few simple downloads and changes via the Command Line Interface.[13]

[edit] Display

The 7" (178 mm) model has a resolution of 800×480 pixels.[14] The screen does not cover the whole interior space, as is common with other laptops, but rather is flanked on the sides by stereo speakers and the (optional) camera in the trim at the top in the otherwise unused space.[15]

[edit] Software

OpenOffice.org "Writer" running on the Eee PC
OpenOffice.org "Writer" running on the Eee PC

On top of the base Linux system, which is said to require under fifteen seconds to boot,[6] the Eee PC runs a custom tab-based interface. The quick start time brings the operation of the device closer to that of small electronic devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. Bundled software includes OpenOffice.org, Mozilla Firefox, Skype,[16] Tux Paint and other educational entertainment software, E-mail and Internet radio applications, Google Docs and Wikipedia look-up tool.[17] Apt-get can be used to install additional software, simply by using Debian repositories. Asus does not include Windows XP, but the drivers and instructions necessary to install a separately-purchased copy of Windows XP are included in the package.

It was announced on October 16, 2007, that a version of the Eee will be sold with Windows XP.[3] Microsoft agreed to lower the price of Windows for Eee PC users to under US$40.[18]

[edit] Storage

The Eee PC uses a solid-state drive for storage (instead of a hard drive) which consumes less power, allows the device to boot quickly and makes it less susceptible to shock damage. The SSD disk is permanently soldered to the board, to save space by reducing the wiring needed. The RAM in the 4G and 8G Eee PC models are replaceable with one slot for a maximum of 2GB memory, however the upgrade would also effectively void the warranty.[19]

Storage can be expanded by using the Secure Digital Card compliant memory card slot located on the right side. SD and SDHC memory cards mount virtually flush into the spring-loaded slot. Removal of the memory card is done by pushing in the card until it clicks and ejects.

[edit] Marketing

The Eee PC is not seen as a competitor to the OLPC XO-1, another inexpensive laptop computer. Whereas the XO-1 is targeted solely towards the education market in developing countries and is largely unavailable to individual consumers, the Eee PC is publicly available, marketed to the personal user who desires a portable, cheap, WiFi-capable platform. However, ASUS does feature a lot of children in its EEE campaign.[20]

[edit] Criticism

The unreleased OS install leaves 1.4 GB available (on the 4 GB model) to the user for personal files on the internal SSD.[21] By using small capacity storage a user may be expected to purchase extra storage peripherals which brings the total cost of ownership for the system up, negating some of the low price advantage. The price and specifications for the Eee PC have reportedly changed from those first announced by ASUS and prices are yet to be confirmed officially. The price of the low-end model rose from US$199 to US$245 (reportedly at least partly due to rise in prices of 7" (178 mm) LCD displays[22]), while the solid state drive went from 4 to 2 GB, the VGA camera was dropped and the RAM dropped from 512 MB to 256 MB. Also, upgrading RAM in upgradeable models would void the unit's warranty, since one would need to open the access panel which has a warranty sticker sealing either one side or one screw of the panel. The only way to have more RAM and keep the warranty is to buy the most expensive model, which is currently (October 29, 2007) not planned for release on the US market. The LCD screen size and resolution, 7" (178 mm) at 800×480, may be too small for some applications. Asus has stated there are no plans to release an Eee PC model with a larger screen.[23]

[edit] Configurations

The new marketing naming convention seems to link the size of installed SSD, presence of webcam, and battery type into a name that indicates the Eee PC configuration.[24] The Eee PC Surf models include the 4400 mAH battery pack and no webcam, while the non-Surf models have the 5200 mAH battery pack and a webcam installed. The model numbers (700, 701) may still be the same as has been seen on pre-production samples, differing on if the RAM is soldered on or has a slot and if the Mini PCIe slot is present. ASUS may offer upgrades for the SSD storage via the empty Mini PCIe slot, which has been shown to be labelled FLASH_CON in take apart photos of the 4G.[25] It may also be that the 8G Eee PC will simply be a 4G with an additional 4GB SSD Mini PCIe card and a 1GB SO-DIMM pre-installed.[18]

[edit] Specifications

 This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can (November 2007).
Component Eee PC 2G Surf (700) 1 Eee PC 4G Surf (701) Eee PC 4G (701)1 Eee PC 8G (701)2
Display 7 in (17.8 cm) 800×480 TFT LCD with LED backlight[26]
Graphics Integrated Intel GMA 900 graphics processor (shared memory), additional VGA port (up to 1600×1280 pixels)[14]
Storage 2GB Solid state drive (SSD) flash 4GB SSD 8GB SSD
Processor 900 MHz Intel Celeron-M ULV 353[27] which has 512KB L2 cache RAM,[28][17] cooled by a fan
Memory 256MB DDR2-400 RAM 512MB DDR2-400 RAM 512 MB DDR2-667[19][21] 1GB RAM DDR2-667
soldered socketed RAM, upgradeable to 2 GB, Shared Memory Architecture
Battery 4-cell, Li-Ion, 4400 mAh: ~ 2.8 hrs (2h 45min) Battery life 4-cell, Li-Ion, 5200 mAh, 7.4 Volts: ~ 3.5 hrs (3h 30min) Battery life
Camera N/A 0.3 megapixel; up to 640×480, up to 30 fps[14]
Pricing NT$7,999[29] (around 245 US$), US$299 in USA NT$9,990[29] (around 307 US$), US$349.99 in USA NT$11,655 including 5% tax[29] (around 357 US$). US$399.99 in USA NT$13,800[29] (around 425 US$) $499.99 US according to eeeuser[30]
Other
  • OS: Xandros[31] (Linux based distribution) running KDE. Capable of running any other off-the-shelf Linux distribution.[32] Hardware compatible with Windows XP.
  • Communication: 10/100 Mbit Ethernet, 802.11b/g wireless LAN mini PCI-E card (Atheros-based)
  • Audio: Realtek ALC6628 Hi-Definition Audio 5.1 CODEC;[14] built-in stereo speaker; built-in microphone
  • Connectors: 3 USB 2.0 ports, MMC/SD card reader, Ethernet port, Modem port (non-functional, empty), Microphone input, Headphone jack, AC power jack, VGA out, Kensington lock slot
  • Dimensions: 225 × 165 × 21~35 mm (8.9 × 6.5 × 0.9~1.4 in)[33]
  • Weight: 920 g (2.03 lbs)
  • Colors: Pure White, Lush Green, Sky Blue, Blush Pink, or Galaxy Black[34] (spring 2008)
  • Chipset: Intel 910GML series[14]
  • Expansion: two PCI Express Mini Card connectors (one internally, occupied by wireless network card, another empty, accessible from opening on back of unit)[35]
1 In the UK it is also available under different branding (RM Asus Minibook[36])
2 This version will not be available in the USA until at least Q1 of 2008.[citation needed]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ ASUS Eee PC. ASUS (2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
  2. ^ "Asus unveils ultra-low-cost Linux laptop", LinuxDevices.com, 2007-06-06. Retrieved on 2007-07-11. 
  3. ^ a b Nystedt, Dan. "Low-Cost Eee PC Laptop to Run Windows XP", PC World, 2007-10-16. Retrieved on 2007-10-16. 
  4. ^ a b "Some unconfirmed information about pricing, availability and more", EeeUser.com Forum, 2007-08-13. Retrieved on 2007-08-16. 
  5. ^ Chen, Shu-Ching Jean. "$199 Laptop Is No Child's Play", Forbes, 2007-06-07. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. 
  6. ^ a b ASUS (2007-06-08). Enter the 'E' Era with ASUS Eee PC. Press release. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
  7. ^ Ting Chen, Yen. "Asustek aiming for strong brand notebook business; to launch second-generation Eee PC in April 2008" (fee required), DigiTimes, 2007-09-05. Retrieved on 2007-09-12. 
  8. ^ "Asustek's EEE now expected in October", The Inquirer, 2007-09-23. Retrieved on 2007-09-23. 
  9. ^ Jackson, Jerry; O'Brien, Kevin; Baxter, Andrew. "Asus Eee PC Initial Hands On and Video Review", NotebookReview, 2007-10-25. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  10. ^ "ASUS EeePC", PCDVD, 2007-10-16. Retrieved on 2007-11-16. (Chinese) 
  11. ^ Smith, Tony. "Asus to launch desktop Eee PC next year", The Register, 2007-11-09. Retrieved on 2007-11-16. 
  12. ^ ASUS (2007-10-19). ASUS Unites the Breakthrough Eee PC with Microsoft Windows. Press release. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
  13. ^ a b Linder, Brad. "Eee PC Tips: A crash course in Linux", Weblogs, 2007-11-06. Retrieved on 2007-11-09. 
  14. ^ a b c d e Freeman, John. "ASUS Eee PC: Exclusive Inside Look!", TweakTown, 2007-10-31. Retrieved on 2007-11-05. 
  15. ^ Asus Eee PC specs. Citrus Micro. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
  16. ^ Jastrzebski, Paul. "ASUS Eee PC Hand's On Preview", HotHardware, 2007-06-11. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. 
  17. ^ a b Smith, Tony. "Asus launches tiny PC", The Register, 2007-10-16. Retrieved on 2007-11-16. 
  18. ^ a b Nam, Suzanne. "The Jonney Machine", Forbes, 2007-11-12. Retrieved on 2007-11-16. 
  19. ^ a b "Confirmed by ASUS: Eee PC RAM will be Replaceable", EeeUser.com, 2007-09-11. Retrieved on 2007-09-12. 
  20. ^ Eee PC — download — wallpaper. ASUS (2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
  21. ^ a b Unicap and UCView on the Asus EeePC. Unicap (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-13.
  22. ^ "Glass BOM blamed for Asustek price hike", The Inquirer, 2007-10-22. Retrieved on 2007-10-22. 
  23. ^ "News Bits: Asus 10-inch Eee PC Rumors are False, SanDisk Vaulter Disk", NotebookReview, 2007-11-14. Retrieved on 2007-11-15. 
  24. ^ ASUS Eee PC. ASUS (2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-16.
  25. ^ O'Brien, Kevin. "Asus Eee PC Tweak Guide", NotebookReview, 2007-11-01. Retrieved on 2007-11-08. 
  26. ^ "Rise in quotes for 7-inch LCD panels raised Asustek Eee PC price", DigiTimes, 2007-10-22. Retrieved on 2007-10-22. 
  27. ^ "EP EeePC", Mobile01, 2007-10-18. Retrieved on 2007-11-16. (Chinese) 
  28. ^ Intel Celeron M 353. Intel. Retrieved on 2007-11-16.
  29. ^ a b c d "Asustek EEE prices leak out", The Inquirer, 2007-10-16. Retrieved on 2007-10-16. 
  30. ^ "Rumors About 10″ Eee PC 8G Are False", EeeUser.com, 2007-11-14. Retrieved on 2007-11-17. 
  31. ^ Lemon, Sumner. "First Look: Asustek's $199 PC", PC World, 2007-06-06. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. 
  32. ^ Goodwins, Rupert. "Ubuntu 7.10 Gibbon swings on the Asus Eee", ZDNet, 2007-10-26. Retrieved on 2007-11-16. 
  33. ^ "Hands on with Asustek's $199 Eee PC", Infoworld, 2007-06-06. Retrieved on 2007-07-02. 
  34. ^ "Asus Eee PC news photos", XFastest, 2007-10-16. Retrieved on 2007-10-16. (Chinese) 
  35. ^ O'Brien, Kevin. "Asus Eee PC Tweak Guide", NotebookReview, 2007-11-01. Retrieved on 2007-11-16. 
  36. ^ RM Asus miniBook. Research Machines. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Low-cost ultra-portable personal computers
Initiatives: ASUS Eee PC · Classmate PC · Digital Textbook · InkMedia · Longmeng · OLPC XO-1 · PIC · Simputer · Tianhua GX-1C
v • d • e
Linux mini computers
Boxes: Koolu · Zonbu · Linutop · Longmeng

Laptops: ASUS Eee PC · OLPC XO-1 · Classmate PC

Handhelds: Nokia 770, N800, N810 · GP2X · Tianhua GX-1C
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC"
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