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

I wont duplicate all the previous reviews. I want to add that this little unit is great for traveling with on a motorcycle. I have had it for nearly a year, and its nowhere near as finicky about rough handling as a full size (and expensive) laptop. Once it's slipped into the DVD player case I bought for it, along with the charger, USB retractable travel mouse, and a little laptop light, its ready for the rough and tumble world of riding around tucked into a saddlebag.

Full size laptops are cumbersome to carry on a bike, but this thing is quite happy, with no worries because of the Solid State Drive. Plus this PC works great for checking email, surfing and playing media. Lots of places now have free or low-cost wifi, and this little unit finds them and connects easily. I can take digital pics and movies with my camera, plug the SD card into the slot, and easily share pics and videos with friends along the way.

The screen is small, and the tiny keys arent really 'biker friendly', but I dont use it to write the Great American Novel anyway. I do have a cheap $80 desktop monitor that I can plug into, and that makes doing things much easier when I bring it home.

Two other previous laptops I have owned were huge disappointments in terms of usability and durability, but this little 701 is 'just right'.

I knew the company made too much profit one it, but still could not help buy got one at $390 at this beginning of the year after reading all the positive reviews.
1. Bad technical support. Emailed two questions, no answer.
2. Card reader constantly has error when it is hot in summer.
3. Less powerful cpu (actual speed 600MHz). I added 2G memory. They are useless with such cpu. Cannot properly play the popular MKV format movie.
4. It is small, but it does not fit my pocket. I don't see much difference with a normal laptop when carrying it for travel.
5. The key board is too small. Those who has a PDA with mini key board knows it.
6. I am wondering whether all those positive reviews are from the true users.

Wish I had bought a much powerful laptop at the same price I paid for this one.

It doesn't always connect to WiFi signals reliably... and doesn't support WPA2 encryption. As others have said, the space bar doesn't always work unless you press it right in the middle.

However, you can't beat it for convenience and price. I carry it everywhere I go because it fits in my coat pocket... it's amazing how much more work I get done as a result.

Reviews of this laptop have been popping up all over the Internet for the past year now, and although they were generally favorable, I could never find a valid excuse to buy yet another computer. I'm somewhat of an amateur technology enthusiast, so I just couldn't hold out any longer. I picked up a pearl white model Eee.

After showing it off to a few friends, I got an idea. The Eee may be a neat novelty due to its size, but just how practical is it? What if I were to quit using all other laptops/computers and only use my Asus Eee PC?

To help chronical my experiment, I set up a blog where I post my daily pitfalls and triumphs with this little machine.[...]

I purchased this product because I saw a couple that had one on a recent trip to Eastern Europe. So far, I am very impressed with the unit. It is simple to use and a great size for travel. I purchased it primarily for e-mail & skype while traveling. I think it will be perfect. Can't wait to take my first trip!

everything else pretty good but for so small laptop battery is number one priority that's why my low ratings. It's no way to get more then 40 minutes on full charge, not to mention it takes same discharge when on standby which is ridiculous.

I used to be a pc girl all the way--until I got my 17" MacBook Pro.

Size (size itself, RAM HD, etc), price, the easy take-away ability and the features were my main thoughts when I started hunting for a laptop that wasn't so awkward to haul around. I don't have internet at my house, so I go to places that have wi-fi. As you can imagine, the Mac is not an easy burden. I read how great this product was, got it, tested it out, and for a while, I thought it had it all---or so I thought.

But don't get me wrong, the reviews are correct. For the most part.

The 7" screen is manageable but if you're one of those people who like to see more than just the top quarter of your document, it could be a slight annoyance. For me, going from large screen to small was a hard transition, but one that can be solved over time. The two built-in speakers on either side could have easily been next the touchpad, though I'm not sure the widening of the screen itself would be any better.

The touchpad is ultra sensitive with a left/right clicker. It's easy to get used to.

Software...that was pretty great all around. It had stuff I wouldn't think about and for students, a stellar feature. Since I was mainly using it as a writing utensil, while nifty, it's not something I'd rarely use on a regular basis. Internet and wi-fi interface was great and easy to manage.

Keypad. This was an issue for me. I have small hands, so you'd think...no problem, right? That it ought to work to my advantage. Unfortunately, while the key size themselves were okay, the board is spread out the whole width of the laptop so things are stretched out. It also doesn't have all the functions keyboard functions on a regular laptop or desktop, which wasn't a big deal but tended to place numbers/letter/function keys that forced my pinky fingers to stretch awkwardly, shift my whole hand to get to it, or, like I was doing most times, continuously hitting the wrong key. This is about habit, so if you think practice makes perfect, then work on it--a lot.

Sometimes the word doc program would not type a certain letter or grammar functions, which was frustrating since I bought it mainly for writing purposes. Nothing would right it.

All in all. While I was mostly satisfied, a few things just couldn't get me to keep it. The keyboard was an issue for me, a lot of programs installed were ones I'd never use, and a few of the key programs were not entirely fully functioning. All very minor issues and, I'm sure, eventually fixable. For basic needs, this little gem is perfect and a good starter for younger children who are just learning and need a (fairly light) and tough little notebook. Despite that, I knew right away, it just wasn't for me. For those of you with no trouble, and there were a lot of you, it's a steal of a find, and for the small percentage like me, ah well, such as life.

NOTE: make sure you check out the RETURNS Policy with Amazon. Within 30 days or less you will only receive 80% of what you paid for it. You'll actually LOSE about 60 for your trouble. $11 for the postal cost and a $50 re-stocking fee. But if it's not for you, while that sucks, it's better than keeping a $275 toy.

I love this little laptop! I took it with me to Japan and enjoyed free wireless in my hotel room and it worked like a charm...how great to be able to read and write e-mail and to connect with my company's website from anywhere...and it weighs so little...heck, I can throw it in my purse and it's good to go...for what it can do...it's a heck of a bargain and a great alternative to a conventional laptop for an airline crew member like me...highly recommended. Initially I was thinking about using the provided CD to load it up with Windows...but why bother...it works great with Linux (and is very user friendly)so I see no reason to make the change.

I just received this Netbook today. I have worked with many PC's and every Windows Program out there. Linux is a dream. Turn the PC on and the screen is up in less than five seconds. If you do need Windows, install it, but this is great the way it is. It will not replace my Desktop or bigger Laptop but I can say that it will get used more than the others.
Mine came with a case.

They say " big things come in small packages ", this is the proof !!

Exactly what I was looking for. After carrying a heavy laptop that hardly fits under the plane seat, I was thrilled to get this unit to travel with. When on the road, we use it to catch up on email and browse the web.

I 'pimped' it to use the normal Linux front end, much nicer than the dumbed down front end.

The web cam was an extra perk I paid for, but it only works with Skype, and not the usual IM suspects supported under pidgin. I tried to download the Yahoo IM for Linux software, but th were too many dependencies for things not availalble on the debian OS provided.

I bought this pretty mini laptop a couple of week ago, I just can said that I really love this notebook, the size is perfect to go anywhere with it, the weight is around 1 Kg that is unbelievable light, I put in my backpack I can felt the difference between a real notebook. The linux software for me is better than windows I never have problem to run my application. I good point to buy this pretty mini notebook is the super fast boot up and shut down. The programs open so quickly and I never find a virus in my eeepc 4G. I love go to my class with this laptop the keyboard are little but if you now to type you don't have a problem with this. The wireless card are so good, Its catch all the signals of my university. The webcam is a extra value is not the best resolution I saw in a webcam but is similar to competitor. I really recommend this computer for anyone that like an extreme mobility and amazing partner in studies.

I spend a lot of time traveling to and waiting in doctors offices. In the past, that time was lost but since I received my Eee PC, waiting time is now productive time. The little computer boots up quickly and it's battery lasts for a couple hours without needing a charge. So now, if I'm told that I'll be waiting for hours for a scheduled appointment, I just pull out my Eee PC and start working. I quickly adjusted to the small keyboard and find I'm able to work on it almost as quickly as my regular computer. However, I have small hands and I think that helps. The keyboard would be awkward for someone with large hands.

Laptop works well but I can't get wifi on WPA encryption with Linux. It will connect to wifi but on a lower encryption mode like WEP. Laptop boots up fast and has never crashed. Stable operating system and good to surf the web when on travel. Great as a word processor too. There is no CD drive however. Super light weight and decent battery life. I gave it 5 stars because the laptop did what I intended to use it for. Obviously, if you try to use this as your primary laptop, then that's not a good idea. Makes a great backup laptop when you need to travel light on quick trips. Thanks.

If you need a computer that is easy on your shoulders (and wallet) to check email, surf the web and do some light work with an Microsoft Office equivalent, this is the laptop for you. I upgraded the on board RAM to 2 Gb and added a 16 Gb SD card for extra storage, thus the 4Gb SSD is not a limiting factor. The battery could last a bit longer (about 2 hours with WiFi on and not too heavy web surfing). Windows user will not have any trouble adapting to the Easy Mode of the particular Linux distribution that comes with it, and it is fully functional out of the box, as all basic software comes pre-installed. The only problems are the small form factor, so if one plan to use it for extended period of times or as primary computer one would probably want to hook it to external monitor, mouse and keyboard, and the recovery DVD disk (included). It could not generate a functional bootable USB disk to restore factory installed software after a botched operational system upgrade. I could only make my Eee-PC work again after hooking an external USB DVD drive and booting directly from the recovery DVD.

It gets hot in a few minutes, and sometimes have problem with the internal card reader. Emailed tech support twice. No response. The company can fire the tech support and reduce the price of the pc. For the same price, I'd buy a normal laptop which is much more powerful.

I now have had this pc for a month now and I am really enjoying. I was able to do quite a bit of research before my purchase, so I knew going in what to expect. It is really fast. Connecting to the internet and surfing is very good. I have gotten used to the typing and can now touch type. I will be doing a lot of traveling and the size of it (or lack thereof) is incredible. Until you get your hands on one, it is hard to describe how small it really is. One word of caution is that some USB connection appliances may not work/connect. I was not able to connect my Sony camera. But, I have connected mouse, flash drives, usb drives and they all are picked up quickly by the pc. Overall, a great mini-computer for those who will not rely on it too heavily...internet, email, documents...and for a traveler is perfect.

For years I have looked for a really lightweight notebook that I could carry with me. The Eee PC really fits the bill. I have minimal Unix experience but I am surprised how easy it was to use. The preloaded Google Docs allow me to do Word compatible Word Processing and Excel Spreadsheets. There is more but I don't need the other apps. The networking apps allowed me to easily share a wireless network at home and to find one to use on the road. The Eee PC may not be for everybody but it is just what I was looking for.

I wanted this for travel and at work to keep beside my work computer for personal use. My techno geek husband so wanted me to get a laptop, that when I finally ordered it, that nite as I fell off to sleep I heard him say..."it's not too late, you can cancel that order and get a laptop.." whispered in my ear!!!!

For those of you, (perhaps mostly women, I'm not sure) who have always wondered at the amazing number of programs on your computer that bog it down and don't get used, this has just the right programs.

I highly recommend it :-)

Tiny computer is great for travel for simple things like email, IMs and general internet use, but some sites like facebook.com take forever to come in, and some won't come in at all(myspace.com). Blogs say you can buy more gigabites/memory, but nothing in the manual tells you how, and nobody in big stores (Circuit City, Best Buy, etc.) will do it for you or even touch them. Frustrating.

Does everything claimed for it everything that an i-phone can do, and with no service contract.

I don't really understand why people buy most laptops. At 5 pounds or more, they are not easy to carry, and they are too big to fit anywhere. Do you really need a dvdr/w with you at all times?

What I want is a truly portable machine, one so small you never debate bringing it along with you. This fills the bill.

I got the 701 instead of the 900 since reviews said the wifi range was better and the battery life is better, and of course the price is better. With the 901 coming out, the price of the 900 is coming down, but still I think the 701 was the better deal. I upped the ram to 1g (cheap), and added an 8g sd card, and the machine handles all my needs. I am a linux user in general, so the operating system was familiar to me, but these machines also run windows if you prefer.

My previous very-portable computer was a Zaurus 3100, which is more pda than computer, but has a keyboard. The difference in usability is huge; you can comfortably use the eee for word processing, spreadsheets, as well as the internet applications it is known for. The Zaurus was a pain to use, this is a pleasure, and it is still small enough to go everywhere with me.

I can't comment on the stock software, since I put debian on it as soon as I got it. But everything works properly with debian.

It does run a bit warm on the lap, since the fan is small, and the keyboard is also small and has a couple quirks in terms of key placement, but you get used to it. The touchpad works better than I expected, though I prefer to plug in a mouse. Wifi works exceptionally well, even with my university's peap authorization. It's faster than it has any right to be.

The disk space is small, but the sd card helps. My biggest problem was that I could not configure the machine to automatically mount the sd card where I wanted it in the filesystem; I had to allow it to mount the drive as /media/sdb1 and link from there. Suspend works, but still drains battery power to keep the ram alive; for overnight or longer off power you should shut it down instead. Hibernation does not work for me, since it would take up too much room to save the ram to swap space.

This is a great gadget! I highly recommend it! I use it to hop onto wireless networks when I'm out and about, check e-mail, write documents and surf the web.

PROS: Ultra-portable (unbelievably small!), finds wireless networks easily, easy to use/ navigate, great for writing on the go, Open Office is compatible with both Mac and PC (I have both). External memory easily added via USB.

CONS: Battery life is a bit short (about 2 hours). Although Open Office is PC/Mac compatible for moving text easily, don't plan on using it for documents where the formatting is important (i.e resumes or newsletters). Operating system doesn't allow for changes in programs easily. Not meant for photos or memory-intensive tasks

DEPENDS: The keyboard is small, but I haven't had problems using it. Larger fingers, or people that type quickly might have a problem with it.

As long as you don't expect the same memory as a $2000 laptop, and accept the few limitations the design and operating system present, IT ROCKS!

This little laptop is great! The reason I bought it was for the size and portability of it. I would have given it a 5 star rating but there may be a couple of shortcomings that after a month of owning still haven't found to dissipate. First thing would be getting the Linux version of Adobe to download, second and really the most burdening of the two would be the battery life. I've had a 15" Toshiba Satellite that ran on its own battery supply for 2 hours and the Eee pc does the same. Being more than half size smaller than the Toshiba I would expect this little puppy to @ least give me 3 hours, but it doesn't, even when I dim the back light and mute the volume.

But even with the minor gripes of this superb ultra portable its still worth buying in place of something like an iphone or Kindle. Even the higher end models like the 900 and 1000 series which go on in to(I have the 701 with the camera/4GB) the $500-600 price range is a steal considering other brands are going to cost you up into the $1000s.

I'll continue to update as I either further praise this product or find something to change my positive thoughts about it(which I doubt). And also I'm typing this review with my Eee pc.

About 3 weeks after purchasing this brick, it started rebooting itself. As time went on, it learned to enjoy the boot sequence and revisited it often -- every time it was turned on. I've been unable to locate my warranty registration card, so I can't even find out where to send it to get it fixed. The associated website is useless. There are quite a few places on the Web where discussions indicate that this rebooting problem is not unique to my machine.

If someone knows how to get this piece of granite fixed, please share!

I bought the 4G about 4 months ago and have loved the change from hauling around a full-sized notebook. I and my family do a fair bit of international flying and you really notice it on 20 hour plus traveling marathons. I changed over to XP and used a free program called Nlite to get the install down to 1 GB. I have two small kids and I loaded up an 8 GB SD card with Pixar movies that I ripped from DVDs to mpeg 4 at about 300 to 500 MB each. It works very well as a portable DVD replacement using VLC media player (free). A video-out port instead of the D-sub would have been nice. My wife, who did not initially undersand why we needed a fifth computer, is now a believer after one trip. The low price point also helped.

The other thing I have noticed is how much I'm enjoying the form-factor when I'm not traveling. Because it is the size of a medium hardback book , I can keep it on my bedside table plugged in. The cord is long and since the power brick is at the plug you don't really notice the cord. I just prop it on my upper chest and surf away. (not a position for typing). Other times I use it on the couch or in a chair and I can get into far more comfortable positions with it than a full 6lb notebook. Basically I would rather surf with this device than any other computer. Still for serious typing, you can't beat a full sized notebook or desktop.

The 4G does not replace any of my other computers, but it is a welcome addition that has made surfing more like reading a book than sitting at a full-sized computer. I know there will be other sub-notebooks from other companies that will have bigger screens and hard drives for the same price, but this does what I want now so I'm not worried about what's down the road. Bravo ASUS!

Wow!! I cannot believe I was afraid of Linux. The computer is so simple to use, easy to carry and so convenient. My 7 year old figured it out in about 10 minutes. I am amazed at the size and haven't had any probelems with the size of the keyboard or mouse. Sometimes the size of the screen gets to me, I have to scroll around to see the full program, and then I realize that I can carry this in my purse and have it with me everywhere. I can live with a quick scroll.

Asus Eee PC 4G Surf (7" Screen, 800 MHz Intel Celeron Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, Linux Preloaded) Galaxy Black]]


Have a simple password, no characters, spaces, etc.

Even older PC'c run great on this net, confused. Any suggestions, tried every permutation.

This is not the pc if you want a standalone do everything PC. It is a PC that is built for the mobile traveler or business person. To get on the net fast and to maintain your personal or business contacts. My Asus PC has no problem accessing the free Wi-fi in my area. The Linux system is clean and very fast with very few crashes. Linux automatically recognizes sll of the USB add-ons that I have thrown at it and it boots up very fast. I am pleased with this lightweight and durable PC (Yes, I have dropped it a few times in its neoprene case and it still works!) I would recommend the Asus EEE PC at it's $399 price.

This is a very cool backup laptop. This is my first experience with Linux and OpenOffice and I am very impressed. I have been able to open all types of MS files and I have been able to create all types of files on this machine I can open on my Windows machines. I am sure Microsoft hopes very few people learn the truth about the ease of use and compatability of the Linux-OpenOffice combination verses Windows-MS Office. The truth is that you can function nicely in a Windows world without MS products.

The only thing that would make this machine perfect is if I could figure out how to make my AT&T internet card work. This machine works great in hot spots, but I like the freedom of using the card from anywhere my phone works. I am sure there is an answer to this. I just need to work on it a little more. This machine works great with e-mail and surfing the web.

It is really cool to take this 1.2 pound machine on the road to do PowerPoint presentations. It helps cut the hassle of carrying the computer and projector down considerably.

Everytime I open this machine up folks start asking me questions. This is a true break-through in computing technology. I love it.

this little computer is so much fun to mess around on and for the price you can not beat it. I use it mainly to surf the web from the couch and on the road so the size of this thing is just right. I suggest getting one of these things as a secondary computer for anyone that just wants a small little computer to mess around on. One of the best purchases I have ever made on Amazon!

I already own a full-size laptop and was tired of lugging it around everywhere for business and personal use. I was looking for something on a smaller scale that could still perform the basic tasks that I required. Well, the Asus Eee PC fits the bill perfectly! It's compact, lightweight, but is still capable of meeting all of my requirements while on the road. It has built-in wireless-- which is a must-- and a video output so that I could still show power-point presentations. It also comes with a nifty built-in camera and the battery life, at 2.5 hours, is outstanding. The keyboard, obviously, is quite small-- you won't be writing any theses on it but, then again, that's not what the system is designed for. It's basically your PC on-the-go without the heavy baggage. It's available with either a scaled-down Windows system or, as I chose, the Linux system, complete with Open Office to run all of my word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation needs. It comes with 512 MB Ram standard, but I ordered a 2 GIG memory chip to go with it that was simple to install. I now find myself taking my Eee PC with me everywhere-- on the road, in the office, at home relaxing. It's great!

I concur that this is a great little machine; however, I have been unable to get the Eee to recognize my printer which is connected to a Linkys router via a Buffalo LPV3 print server. I have called both ASUS and Buffalo and both have been absolutely no help. I have also looked at many "help" sites on the WWW, including the ASUS help site and have found nothing that even begins to address this issue. The machine may go back as I really have no desire to attach a printer or use a printer through my "main" computer.

I've been using the 4G Black eee PC for about a month now. Initially, I had a lot of concerns about the size of the monitor and the keyboard, but I'm glad to say that all of these concerns have been relieved! If you have large hands, please don't get this laptop; the keys are small, but for average sized hands, you will probably get used to the size rather quickly. Furthermore, the keyboard has a nice amount of spring to it.

I've been very pleased with this purchase. The laptop is extremely small and is about the size of a thick planner. Bootup takes only a few seconds. Furthermore, the eee is extremely functional. I haven't had any problems or felt any limitations with web-browsing, using openoffice programs, running email client, using Skype; there are a good set of programs already on the machine, but with the eee forums available, you can pretty much install whatever you may need. One feature that I've been particularly taking advantage of is the ability to resize the windows of programs to exceed the area bound by the monitor and then to move the window around by holding alt and dragging the window with the mouse. The speakers on the eee are surprisingly good.

I have noticed some minor things that I wish would be remedied. First, charging the battery is extremely slow. Second, placing the computer on standby is completely not worth the power trade-off; the machine consumes too much of the battery during standby (although with the fast bootup, this really isn't a big deal). Third, the touchpad can be unresponsive at times. Also, it can be too small at times. But this can be easily fixed with a separate mouse.

A wonderful little computer. I use it all the time for email. Buy an SDHC card for it to put your music on. Asus now has one with a bigger screen 8.9 inch. I would recommend that.

Out of the box, Skype and the camera worked allowing for smooth video calls. In addition, thanks to the excellent support community around the Eee PC, I was able to customize it so that multible people can share the laptop with their own SD cards. The SD card is then acting as repository for personal files and programs. In addition, the on board flash drive is left in read-only mode increasing its longevity. I highly recommend this laptop.

I thought the basic functionality was great and very stable, but two things caused me to return this unit. I tried to connect to my secured wifi at home. I entered the encryption key (26 characters) and connected just fine. Next day I tried to log in and it again asked for the the key. According to some forum discussions, this problem is a known issue. It also would not recognize my digital camera on usb connection when I never had a problem with my desktop using XP. Once these bugs have been worked out, I would consider buying again.

This is a great ultraportable laptop. Very useful on the road or at home.

Like:
- Very light at 2 lbs, even lighter than the mac air. Even the power adaptor is light. It can fit almost anywhere in your travel bag.
- Power is adequate for what it does. Boot up time is fast, if you stick to Linux it comes with, browsing internet is fast, and good for editing your Office documents with the included Open Office. Open Office by the way can open your Word, Excel, and power point files but if they have some special features in those files, they could look kind of funny when you open them up.
- Flexible with OS. You could install Windows XP in it. Asus provides the needed drivers if you decide to do this.
- 3 USB ports. That is great. I always found less than that to be inadequate. It quicly recognize anything I connect: Portable hard drives, keyboards, mouses.
- VGA connector for external monitor or projector. This is great. You can open your power point presenstation with Open office and do your presentation on the road. You may need to edit your Power Point presentation though as Open office is not 100% compatible.
- Default easy mode Linux it comes with is great for people that are intimidated by the technology and for kids


Don't Like:
- It does get warm
- Battery life could be longer for a laptop that does not use a disk hard drive. I get around 70 minutes of web surfing. There are optional batteries that will extend the life though.
- the 4GB hardrive is adequate for saving some regular stuff, but if you want to take your music collection, you will need to buy an SD memmory card and put it permanently on the card reader. That is what I did and it works fine.
- As expected the keyboard is crammed and only useful for short inputs or quick editing. If you are going to do heavy word processing, then you will need a USB keyboard
- The default easy mode Linux the unit comes with is great for begginners and kids like I said above but it is unflexible to do change to your preference like: do your want smaller icons, change the background, etc. I always like changing the background on my computers. I get bored of looking at the same color set up for too long. There are ways to change the background but now you need to change to a different linux flavor and some familiarity with Linux which I think most people dont have.

Even though I try to be fair by listing the likes and donts, I still think when you put them all in balance, the positives are too great and that is why I give this product four stars.

It is as advertised. Perfect for travel when one wants to check email, use internet for checking flights, restaurants, etc. The word processing program is fine for short notes and keeping a log. Keyboard is tiny, but I have small fingers, so it works for me -- an external mouse adds to ease of use and convenience. And it is so cute! Everyone who sees it comments on it. I also purchased the Continental adapters, which makes it great for international travel when one is not doing heavy work requiring lots of computing power. A great value and just fun to use.

This unit has a very sensitive wireless adaptor. When laptop computers in the area were showing three out of five bars of service, this unit shows 100 percent service. So far it has done everything I expected. It has replaced my laptop when traveling.

For starters, it took me a long time to figure out which EeePc I wanted. My main goal was to create a portable computer art studio so that I could take my art projects with me wherever I went. In the end, I went for the (then) top of the line 4G (non-Surf) model. I knew it's limitations before buying the machine; small keyboard, 512mb RAM, and 4G hard drive, 2 hour battery life. I also knew that I was interested in learning about Linux and that the possibility was there to install Windows XP if I wanted.

Amazingly, the EeePc functioned so well out of the box that I was immediately enamoured with it. My first two impressions were that it was smaller than I anticipated (good) and it was heavier than I expected (bad). However, you soon get used to the EeePc's 2 pound weight and realize that it is extremely lightweight for what it is.

The installed apps on the Linux build were all wonderful but I really wanted to install graphics programs that I use daily, specifically GIMP (2D graphics app much like Photoshop) and Blender (a 3D graphics program). Thanks to the eeeuser.com website, I found out how installing software is done in the Linux world, and unfortunately it isn't all that easy. However, I was eventually able to install the apps I wanted and was VERY happy.

The final component to my portable art studio was to purchase a graphics tablet. I purchased a Wacom Bamboo tablet but found that the EeePc would not recognise this device at all. At the very least, I anticipated that I could use it as a mouse replacement but this was not to be the case. Back to the internet to track down the problem but it was hopeless. I tried my Wacom tablet from work, which did indeed work as a mouse would, but had none of the pressure-sensitive functionality that I was hoping for.

So, I made the decision to switch from Linux to XP, which was pretty painless except for the fact that I needed to purchase an external DVD drive to do it. There are plenty of tutorials to install Windows off a pen drive but I've never had much success with these kinds of mods. Also, I didn't try to create a smaller version of XP with NLite but chose to install the full XP and then prune it down afterwards. Again, the internet was exceptionally helpful as the basic Windows install takes up close to half of the 4G's drive space.

Following some guides I found at eeeuser.com, I was able to prune down my XP install to about 1.3 gigs. This left me room to install Photoshop 7, GIMP, Illustrator 8, Blender, Firefox, an anti-virus program, plus a word processing app as well with a little over a gig of drive space left over. I also purchased a pen drive and installed an SD card for extra storage.

So, I'm now the proud owner of a portable, computer-based art studio that I can carry around in a small carrying case, that weighs next to nothing. Sure I could have purchased a larger laptop for nearly the same price I paid for the EeePc and all the extra stuff I needed to make it function but its size was a main contributing force in my decision to go with this computer. It's not the fastest system in the world but I can take it anywhere I want and know that all my tools are right there when I want them. All in all, I'm extremely happy with my purchase.

I bought this black PC because it was small, great for surfing the Internet, and alot of fun- comes with a protective sleeve and fits in my purse. A couple of suggestions- buy it with Windows XP installed, and get a least 1 Gig of Ram. I am not a computer Geek, and found that Linux was too foreign to me. I ended up having to buy the external hard drive and the Windows 2 XP package. But now I'm in Heaven! It has 3 usb ports and I use the Verizon USB720 to connect to the Internet. More people come up to me and ask where they can get one.

I tried to like it. I really did. I tried to enjoy how small it was. I tried to appreciate how light it was. I adored the fact that it had an SD Card slot built right in.
All those things are great, but I had just come off a 6.4year love affair with a 600MHz G3 iBook. That machine was my baby and it died. I'm poor and can't really afford much, so I tried to tell myself that it doesn't matter what tools you use, it's more of what you're using those tools for. Not the case. The standard OS that the Eee comes with can get annoying fast. The Advanced Desktop is slightly less annoying than the Easy Mode, and Ubunto was more attractive, but more buggy than Xandros.

To put it in simple terms. This is not a computer I would recommend to my mother, or anyone else.

I'm seriously, and not lying, going to buy a macbook after finishing this review. They're only $1024 right here on Amazon.

If you're an artist, buy the correct tools. Follow your heart, not your wallet.


What's that? You want some more specifics? The battery in Sleep mode stinks. After Sleeping or rebooting you have to always manually reconnect to the wifi (As in ever single time). Linux just seems like a complicated way of doing easy things.

Did not want to haul my Dell D620ATG laptop on a 9 day vacation. What I needed was small,light, wireless, Internet access with the ability to e-mail, USB ports for 80 Gig external HD, CAT5 port for wired networks, Card Slot for SD. Saw this computer at the retail store and bought it. Did not look back. With the addition of a 4GB Kingston SDHC card I now had 8GB. Tip: Go to your System Environment Variables and make your .TEMP and .TMP files to point to your SD card...just create a temp folder on the SD card. I gained a considerable amount of on board drive space doing this. If you have temp files in the c:\windows\temp folder move them over also. Ok, I added 8GB Thumdrive for extra storage. This is cool for pictures, MP3's, etc.. Love the machine, gets the job done.

This little thing is a gem. People who see me with it can not take their eyes off of it. I have encouraged several people to look into it and my Neice even bought one within two days. It is light weight and convenient and the wireless function seems only to be limited by the lack of public WiFi. There should be a network that connects the highway system to a continuous WiFi network. I love this little PC and don't know what I did before.

This is a great price for a laptop. Being only 7inches wide it is great for portablility. The ketboard might take a little time getting used to, bieng so small. But you will get used to it. Great processor, just add a 2 gig ram stick for $30 and a 4 gig sd card and your set.

I just received my Asus Eee Pc 7" computer a few days ago.
I was worried that it might be too small or too complicated
to use since I'm not computer saavy. Have no fear! This computer
is very easy to use. I have small hands and the keyboard fits my
hands very well. I don't think a man or woman with large hands would
feel comfortable with it. Mine came preloaded with Linux and I haven't
had any problems learning it. This computer truly does what it says in
the description and is easy to learn, easy to use and at 7" and 2lbs,
easy to carry in your purse or pocket. I wish I had bought this computer
a long time ago.

I'm a CS student in college and I've found that this is an excellent little notebook to tote around and work with between classes. It also serves the dual purpose of being wonderful for note taking. The small keyboard was of concern to me when I first ordered it, but I quickly found myself adjusting to it and now it is hardly noticeable, although it is difficult to type on without light.

As said in my title this product is not for everyone. Don't expect to get a full fledge computer that will replace your current desktop or even normal laptop. That being said I love mine and it works perfectly in the role that I got it for.

I've had my Asus Eee 4G 701 for a couple months. The first thing I did with it is install Windows XP - since that is what I need to use. The Eee is a great travel PC, the tiny size and weight are amazing. For the price of this unit, it's limitations are very acceptable. You want to know what you are getting going in, so let me make one thing clear. The screen is small. My eyesight is 20/20, so this doesn't bother me. Other people have asked me how could I read the stuff on the screen. If you're eyesight isn't good - pass this up. Also, you can't just endlessly load stuff on the Eee, storage is a bit tighter than the average PC. With a 4GB solid state drive, I have Win XP, slimmed down with nLite, and Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint from Office 2000 taking up half of the 4GB space. I also installed a 2GB RAM upgrade and a 16GB SDHC card in the unit's card reader. The SDHC card fits in flush, not sticking out - so leaving it in place as an additional storage drive is a no brainer. There is a wealth of info available at www.eeeuser.com

The Eee is now getting some competition. The Everex Cloudbook is a far inferior unit, but the new HP 2133 looks like it might be quite good. Others are supposed to release this year too.

This is a purchase you'll love as long as you get by a few glitches. First, make SURE you buy on amazon, not a VAR. A few reviewers are complaining that they can't upgrade the RAM with the "better together" 2 gig card Amazon is offering. Here's how it's done: unscrew the two screws on the back of the ASUS (small panel). Older editions have a sticky tab you have to take off to expose the second screw: this was before ASUS recent decision to allow upgrades. Find the identical 512K RAM card you are replacing (some reviewers incorrectly said there was "no port" --all the units from Amazon have the 512, and the SODIMM is an UPGRADE, NOT an add! THERE IS NO SECOND PORT in this unit, you just unplug the 512 and plug in the 2 gig. Pull the two little white arms holding the original card to each side (right to right, left to left) and the original card will POP UP when freed. DO NOT try to unplug the old card with the arms holding it in, you'll break the little spring tensioned arms. It is very SIMPLE to unplug the 512, and plug in the 2 gig. On next boot, you'll see the system immediately recognized the new card (click the system icon). THESE INSTRUCTIONS DO NOT come with either the card OR the ASUS, so copy and paste them into a word document.
Second bitch/glitch: some reviewers are saying the can't access the web over a router. They are partly right. The built in wireless receiver requires reinitialization with each power up for some routers, like LinkSys. This is easy, just click the wireless icon, highlight, and click connect, and you're ready to go. WINDOWS IS A WASTE on this machine, as the Linux interface takes 4 minutes for a high school kid to learn, 10 minutes for an over 60 like me, but it is incredibly INTUITIVE AND EASY. Just click and go!
Everything else is AWESOME, and once you tire of the ooohs and aaahs, you can even check out the stars in your neighborhood with the built in planetarium. YES it does take broadband Verizon cards, and YES you need to use the USB, as there is no PC port. Just make sure Verizon is available in your area before committing to 60 bucks a month. It is also seamless with WIFI and every other protocol, and instantly presents a list of everything it's seeing.
IF YOUVE MESSED WITH POCKET PC'S BEFORE AND BEEN UNPLEASED, YOU WON'T BE WITH THIS LITTLE MONSTER. I play a lot of chess, and it crushes even the toughest algorithms. You will say "what?" on first boot, because the flash disk is so fast, it's ready before you put your coffee cup down.
AGAIN: BE SURE TO BUY ON AMAZON. Amazon won't like this but: this is a great little competitor for the Kindle, as it's got Wiki links on it, and with Sony's book software makes a great little reader, surfer, emailer... you name it...

I really loved this computer! Everything I have always wanted. Keyboard was to small
to type on. If it had a standard keyboard, I would have kept it. Loaded with nice software,
automatically updated, wifi, no bluetooth, camera; etc, and good value. I just couldn't live
with the keyboard. If they ever do come out with a good keyboard, I will buy it again and
this time, keep it. Hated to send it back.