ASUS Eee PC 901

We just put the finishing touches on our full review of the Eee PC 901 12G XP, so we called ASUS to ask for final U.S. pricing. Our rep at ASUS was kind enough not only to give us an MSRP for the 901, but also pricing for the 1000 and 1000H series. However, he was careful to note that the prices for the 1000 series are “estimated and subject to change,” meaning that ASUS may adjust the amounts before release, but that this is their current plan.

• Eee PC 901 (both Linux and Windows versions): $599
• Eee PC 1000 (both Linux and Windows versions): $699
• Eee PC 1000H (Windows version only): $649

While our rep told us U.S. specs are not 100% final for the 1000 series, we know from ASUS’ release at Computex that the 1000 series will sport a 10″ screen, the same CPU, and probably 40GB of SSD storage (as opposed to 20GB on the 901 and 900). The 1000H will be similar to the Eee PC 1000, except it will carry an 80GB hard drive instead of an SSD.

To be fair, ASUS is not alone in its pricing as one of its main competitors, the HP Mini-Note starts at $499, but goes above $700 if you add the good stuff like a 6 cell battery and a 7,200 rpm drive. But as more mini-notebooks creep above the $599 mark, we have to ask: at what point do they become too expensive?

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After unboxing the Eee PC 901, I finally sat down with it and put it through the paces. Granted the Windows XP OS is in Chinese, but I was still able to get a good feel for the performance of the Intel Atom powered netbook. Check out the video hands-on and read through my mini-review to find out what I think of the system and if I think it can rival the MSI Wind.

Updated: Read our full review of the Eee PC 901.

Impressive Hardware Redesign

I never had any complaints about the original design of the ASUS Eee PC, but I gladly welcome the redesign. The matte coating on the lid has been replaced with one that has a glossy shine to it. It actually doesn’t seem to be getting too smeared in finger prints, but it has already gotten a small scratch. I am pretty pissed about that since I have been keeping it in the included felt case at most times. (The case isn’t that swim suit lycra anymore).

I am impressed with the new circular, silver hinge. The system has also been rebranded; you won’t find any ASUS logos just the Eee script logo on the right hand corner of the lid and under the screen.

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It takes a savvy tech journalist to secure a product that hasn’t completely made it off the manufacturing lines, or just one willing to venture into the computer markets of Taipei. This morning I set out to buy an Eee PC 901 - the ASUS mini-notebook wonder sporting the latest Intel Atom chip. Off to the Kauanghua Plaza district I went with a few fellow tech journo commrades (Kevin of NotebookReview.com and Sascha of EeePCNews.de).

Update: Read our Full Review of the Eee PC 901 >>

The district’s streets should be paved in silicon with the amount of laptops and desktops on sale. Shop after shop has the latest laptops on display along with a ton of software and other computer parts. Struggling with the fact that we didn’t speak Chinese, we wrote down “ASUS Eee PC 901″ on a piece of paper and went around showing it to as many vendors as we could find.

After close to 10 failed attempts, one nice man took us into a back room and pulled out a lime green Eee PC box. A simple check of the specs printed on the side showed that we had struck gold. 17,300 NTS (around $573 USD) later I was walking down the street with the newest mini-notebook on the market.

So what do I think of my new baby Eee PC 901 running Windows XP? I like it. The white lid is glossy and smooth and its got a bit larger footprint than the Eee PC 900. It seems to get its chunk from the thicker screen and bezel.

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