Engadget Chinese gets its hands on Asus' Eee PC 701
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jun 6th 2007 3:59PM
posted Jun 6th 2007 3:59PM
Those as intrigued as we were with Asus' newly-announced Eee PC 701 ultralight will likely want to take the short hop over to Engadget Chinese, which has managed to gets its hands on the device and dig up a few more details on it. Perhaps most interestingly, Asus' product manger told them that while Windows XP has been successfully tested with the device, the final product will likely come with only Linux pre-installed, with XP driver support thrown in for good measure. What's more, Asus also said that the mini-laptop could eventually pack as much as 32GB of SSD storage, and even hinted at the possibility of either an optional built-in 3G module or a separate dongle. Asus also reiterated that seemingly too good to be true $200 starting price, adding that a version for "English speaking countries" could be available "as early as August this year."
haha awesome, $200, I think i want one.
start selling those palm shares now folks!
foooooolioooooooooo
That's real purdy.
I was thinking I would get a Chumby, now I think I'm sorely mistaken.
The people at Palm must see this laptop priced $300 less than the Foolio and continue to realize that they created one of worst gadgets of all time (unless of course the time was 1985-1996, then they would be ok)... ouch!
Yessir I'm with you here. If it has bluetooth or supports it via a dongle, I'd even get one of these things on general principle...assuming it isn't vaporous :)
for a bit over twice as much with the Foleo you get 200% the screen realestate, instant on, one button sync with your smartphone OUT OF THE BOX and 200% the battery life.
Add these to this Eee (larger screen, sycing software & button, and extra capacity battery) and you end up with the same price as the Foleo.
:-p
yes, yes, yes throw in that 3G! YES!
This is my new favorite piece of technology so far this year. I'll be getting one, if not two - but would really like to see 3G or something similar integrated. Obviously, for $200-300 I can't complain, but if it had 3G I wouldn't even need apps on the disk - I could just use online applications like Google docs, etc. This thing is amazing, and looks to be well under way for a timely release.
My only concern on this thing is the screen. The whole point would be to up the size of the screen I'm browsing with from 320x240 to something more desktop like. I'm disappointed that in the gallery, it looks like the actual screen does not fill the top of the computer. I hate seeing such a big dead space. I would happily pay a little more to see the whole top be screen space with something along the lines of 1024x600 or even 1280x800.
Hmmm, one track pad button? Or is that a magnetic latch to hold the lid shut?
Either way, I'd liking the looks.
I actually think this validates many of Palm's decisions in making the Foleo.
300 dollars more for roughly twice the screen, twice the battery life, and instant on? Yeah, I'm OK with that.
Asus were very clever to put that massive black border there... giving an illusion that the screen is bigger than it actually was! Sure the Foleo may be overpriced but at least you knew what you are getting. I was excited about this as a living room internet notebook, but now even for $200-300 I have lost interest.
Linux only, huh? Better remove that "Windows" key, then...
If the fans on this device aren't too loud, and the keyboard is silent then this would be the perfect device for students to take to lectures to take notes on.
I love it. Esp at that price point. Even if we don't get much above, what, 800x 480, it's still a good offering.
Why?
Because each and every such device that comes out will only add more fuel to the fire that's building under Apple to release something in size between the iPhone and the 13.3" MacBook.
Gimme a 10" Appletop (where oh where is the successor to my beloved eMate?) and I'll be one happy boy.
And if Apple doesn't step in? ONE of the myriad such devices that's cropping up will do, esp if Linux runs smoothly atop 'em.
@ Jon... I would definitely agree... I would be very willing to pay maybe even $100 more to get a full screen, er, screen. As it is now the screen reminds me of some laptop-esque learning thing for kids, leapfrog or something... A little like the OLPC, too...
Actually, the EEEpc 1001 (Not the 701 from the article) costs only $100 more, has a 10" screen, and 8GB SSD Memory.
I found a computer for my five year old son.
@Jon--Yeah from yesterday's story, I thought the Eee was a 7"-sized UMPC device similar to a larger Sharp Zaurus C1000.
This thing--a small screen in a laptop body--is a nonstarter for me. If it sounds too good to be true...
I swear great piece of tech and i hope this hits it big cause this will be perfect for kids students and adults specialy with its built in wireless and superiour flash harddrive no more waiting for your OS to boot up this will do it in seconds.
Search google news they have reported that next year they will come out with the 1001 model, in otherwords the 10" screen! Sweet!
For you lazy people...
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/06/06/Asustek-$199-Eee-PC_1.html
perfect for paper work and outdoor office work i assume :D...
I really like this laptop, even the spec isn't that nice, but enough for basic functions.
Also with a fantastic price..200$!!
The best thing I like is the build-in 3G and SSD!
There's no way that my parent is going to break this one.
Did they say that for $200 (TARGET) you only get a barebone system with everything being optional?! Screen is option, CPU, RAM, storage?! I bet it HAS to be so to reach the $200 TARGET price.
lol
The fact that you had to list a sync button and a 14-second gain in start-up time as features just adds to the cloud of doom floating over Palm. ;-)
The market potential for a low cost laptop is huge. There are so many market segments that could be interested in this product. I'm excited to see the $189 laptop launch. Even if it only offers minimal functionality like Internet access and email, I think the marketing opportunity is wide open. I talk about this more at www.MarketingBlurb.com:
http://www.marketingblurb.com/2007/06/is_a_189_laptop_on_the_way.html
If manufacturers are listening, you could build a sweet mobile system for a half-decent price. Just combine the components from:
a) 8" swivel screen portable DVD player
b) set-top DVD recorder (even a DVDRW for a laptop is < $100)
c) wireless pda
What you would end up with is an 8" mini-laptop, convertible into a tablet, that can record onto the built-in dvd drive. It could have your wireless tech like WiFi, bluetooth, GPS, DVB, etc. Throw in a built-in keyboard, SD card slot, remote, and you'd be made. You could probably even throw in a small 4 or 8GB SSD (enough for an OS) without too much extra cost.
I have to admit that these new little gadgets are starting to head in the right direction...
they are going to sell millions. I hope I can get ahold of one in the first 6 months. And we thought it was hard to get an Xbox 360 or PS3.
This isn't going to have the production issues that the PS3, XBOX 360 or even the Wii face. It uses off the shelf components that have become cheap as a direct result of massive production. Even at 200 dollars they will still see a decent profit. There is nothing that this laptop uses that is cost prohibitive. The screen(portable DVD players), RAM(DDR2 from PCs), flash(DMPs), and chipset(I'm guessing a trimmed down version of what's in the Apple TV) are all items that have already shifted into mass production as a result of different segments. They just have to engineer the enclosure (they're already arguably the best at that) and put all the pieces together. They can produce as much of these as the market demands - and the price will probably even drop.
You know, I didn't expect more than that from you!!
:-P
Well, glad I didn't disappoint then!
:-)
$200?? how much is just a notebook battery these days?? The average price is around $150 and they want us to believe they can sell you a whole computer for just a bit over the price of a battery??!!!!!
Hope makes the fools go merry!!!! lol
Does it have any sort of cd drive? If not, how would you load apps onto it?
Previous reply concerning this ended up at the bottom of the pile, Harry.
It runs linux dude, totally different system. They install software from giant servers called repositories, no need to even go to a web site to get software.
Why would I use a laptop with a 7" screen?
Wake me up if next year's Eee PC 1001 (10" screen) is the same size and weight as the Eee PC 701.
I want. Hard.
For 200 bucks I'd buy one just for shits and giggles.
Does this have an optical drive?
This is really what I hoped Nokia would come out with. Their little internet tablets are great, but the keyboard gives it a whole new level of use. And $200?!!? I'll buy it just to encourage Asus to continue.
I was looking for a very small(not that small,though) and cheap portable pc, to work with microsoft office, code some webpages and do some little work with photoshop. You guys,think this is a good option?
No. Not for Photoshop, unless you will be using an older version, say, 7.0 without all the frills, or 6.0.
If you have an external cd-rom, you can burn software via the usb, or if you have a flash drive, use your desktop to copy the install files off the cd into your flash, then hook up the flash to the laptop via usb and install your software.
based on this pic http://www.asusreviews.com/forum/images/assets/img_2224.jpg and the Taiwanese ASUS site I would say the resolution is 800x480 which is a common res for 7" screens. other pics look like it has a SD memory card slot so you can expand the flash storage for a small price.
I just saw some specs on 1 of the links someone post here. a guy that had one in his hands, it looks it will be Xandros boots in 15 sec and will include openOffice, Firefox, Skype, and I expect a Gnome based system (even though Xandros uses KDE) for the EEE of use, play, and work or something like that.
You will have at your disposition all the deb packages you may ever need, and of course, you may be able to install Ubuntu or maybe Damn Small Linux (if there aren't any fancy drivers to get) and you'll be flying like an eagle. If ur a developer, you don't need more than 7'' 800x480 screen and a wi-fi. I'll glad pay 200 for a system to play on like this one :D code on the go.
Looks awesome! More info here: http://www.asusreviews.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=44&page=1
I think the Eee and the the Foleo are both going to be a success. They seem to be going after different markets. The Foleo is for the professional carrying a laptop and a smartphone. My wife, for example, works from home and has to carry her laptop and cell phone everywhere. She's always complaining that she wants a lighter laptop, but laughed at the idea of the Asus Eee PC with only a 7" screen. The Foleo with the larger screen suits her better. I, on the other hand, carry a Sony PDA and a cell phone. I would like something a little bigger that displays web pages better, that's also cheap. My phone isn't lonely and it doesn't need a companion. Eee = me happy! Not to mention I have two boys that will be starting High School soon. For $200 I can get them both a Eee.
Palm has never brought mainstream tech to the public, but they have always been fairly successful with their products. And if the Eee and the Folio do well, it will be interesting to see how many other companies join the bandwagon. I guess in 20 years or so we'll be buying computers out of vending machines for a couple of bucks.
Look at the big picture... At $200, each school kids can have one. School lectures can be sent directly to the laptop. This is actually more cost effective than heavy textbooks. This could be the start of the paperless era. Isn't that what the "poorer" countries are doing?
Looks like the price went up guys. The $199 model will not be sold in the US. The cheapest one will be sold at around $250 and prices go all the way up to about $400. Here are some of the specs and prices: http://www.asusreviews.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=44&pid=1240#pid1240
That price is an estimated list. It is almost certain to go cheaper.
This is the unit I have been waiting for. I am so tired of huge programs running slowly, massive battery demands, and generally being held hostage by Gates, Intel, and others.
Thank you, ASUS, for offering something that many of us have wanted for years.
My review about ASUS EEE PC: ( I really own one.)
:D
I became one of very few privileged consumers in Canada to own the Asus EEE PC model 701 version with 4 GB drive. This is a *** pre-production *** model and I bought it from a company that did an online review for Asus. I LOVE THIS MACHINE. Overall look - it looks sexy, tiny, light, plesant to hold.
SYSTEM INFO:
Bios version 0155
Bios date: 09/10/2007 (this is after I flashed Bios today. Flashing Bios on EEE Pc is easy).
Software version: EEE PC 1.0
Build info: 2007-09-20 06:00. That means this EEE PC was built like 8 days ago.
CPU Type: Intel Mobile
Memory: 512 MB
Mother Board verion x.xx
Screnn - it is matt and looks and feels like a laptop screen when you bought a laptop 3 years ago.
Wherever I go peoples eyes are glaring. I better watch or it gets lost;-)
It boots fast. YES. The boot time when I received it new was something like 20 seconds. The EEE has special verison of Linux (made by Xandros).
.. You might remember Xandros signed a strategic aggreement with Windows. So no wonder that this laptop can run Windows as well as Linux.
The desktop (GUI) linux comes in two flavors. One is simplified (with big icons for email, gmail, gaim, firefox, Open office, player etc... It is very easy to understand. This desktop is for kids, and new computer users. The other flavor is Normal (full) desktop mode. This mode is like any other Windows mode or KDE. It is actually based on KDE and looks like any other Linux.
Switching between both modes is easy. But it requires restart (20 seconds ordeal).
I didn't test the battery yet (I just got the PC today). It is little bit warm. Not hot, but the tiny fan is running. The screen resolution is OK, the colors are OK. Don't expect high definition. This is a small device and a relatively low priced subnotebook. OK, what else, camera is so-so. The sound is perhaps some complain. Even using Headphones, the sound level is low. But this might be application dependend. So for example listening to anything in Firefox - the sound level was too low. Playing some games installed - the sound was OK.
A bug:
I discovered already a bug in EEE. If I wan to use external mouse (USB) and plug in and then plug out at some point, the touch pad and keyboard stops working. If I plug in the mouse again, it works, but the touchpad and keyboard don't. To get both working again, I have to shut down the EEE, take out the battery for a few seconds and then restart (to be honest, this is not a nightmare, it only takes like 20 seconds ;-)
Not sure why this behavior.
The EEE color (white) is nice.
Another thing - If you shut down the eee into stand-by mode, the laptop will still remain hot. Not quite sure why. I thought the system sleeps. But this laptop keeps relatively warm in stand by mode. Which is OK in winter, when it's freezing.
The screen doesn't tilt to 180 degrees (flat). Why? Because it is heavier than the keyboard. So limiting the tilt angle you prevent it from flipping over;-)
The button (which is actually a double button) on the touchpad is little bit tricky. Not easy to handle. Also, it is pretty loud. Oh my... It pretty much sucks... It is noisy. Click Click Click....
The touchpad itself is great.
EEE has 3 USB ports. Not 4. I don't know who saw EEE with 4 ports but this one has 3.
Multicard reader is great. I plugged in my SD card from my Nokia phone. EEE didn't recognize it however. I guess because it is not formatted properly. More testing needed for this.
Microphone is underneath the touchpad from the bottom. There might be another one besides the camera. I am not sure about this.
The hinge - perfect. Perfectly tight. Closes good and easy. Good job ASUS.
Bottom - there is a cover. Under the cover there is 1 DDR II 512 MB memory. This seems to be a standard laptop memory that you can replace. (Correct me if I am wrong) .. I believe Max is 1 GB. Besides memory there is Express card slot. This could be used for anything, like a GSM or 3G card or even a memory module. I read a post that said there are already 32 GB express cards coming on the market.
By the way, it is very easy to set up a 3G or HSDPA connection when you have the card. This can be setup in control panel.
The keyboard. The keyboard looks like a sugar candy. I'd like to eat it. Not that I would have masochistic desires, but the keboard really look like made out of sugar. Typing - well - some nightmare. But probably I need to get used to this. My fingers are like XXXL size, so you might find typing OK. One very negative thing about this keyboard is that is relatively noisy. So if you are in a quiet room or university lecture, you might be annoying when tying on this keyboard.
There are 3 USB ports, so you might consider plugging in another full size keyboard, if needed. I didn't try that though. There are many functional keys. The keyboard I have comes with English and small Chinese letters.
The Back-Space button should have been much bigger. Perhaps bigger than the Enter. Because you will make lots of typos on this keyboard. Other than that - the keyboard is a little bit swimming. So it's not that feel like keyboard is firm in place. But what can you expect for 300 dollar machine??
Application-wise - I didn't have much time to discover this but couple of intersting things:
Software update - it's easy. There is a utility that you can start and update your software. So far, there is not much to update, just the BIOS.
Skype. Hmmm. I wonder how will be the quality. Need to test this as well.
Games - nice set of sweet games.
Media Player - SMPlayer comes preinstalled.
There are other typical KDE applications.
Comes with an antivirus (from Xandros, the maker of this Linux distro)
The software takes lots of space. There is only like 1.3 GB left out of 4 GB for my files. Of course I can use SD or MMC cards or express canrd but.. anyway. There might be a way to put it on a diet by uninstalling some applications? Not sure I didn't try that yet.
Also I am not clear about how to the complete system backup of this laptop.
The EEE I have has a Webcam. I attempted to start the Web Cam application that came with the machine, but it doesn't start. Not sure why.
The carger. It looks nice (like some LG and Samsung laptop chargers). The power cord is long enough (thanks ASUS).
The power cord plugs from the back of the EEE. ..Which I don't like, but this is a matter of preference. I think it can break easily and it would be better if it is on the side. But this is a matter of preference, I guess.
And that's probably all I have to say. I think many people will love EEE PC and some of them will find that after intial excitement this PC is simply too small and thus a useless gadget that due to low price became a staple and thus a must-have shelf sitter.
If you need extreem mobility and always access to your stuff, work, school, internet, WIFI, movies on subway, then you are going to like EEE PC.
Hope this helps and good luck to buy yours soon. I hope Asus is not going to postpone the release date until after xmas.
Greetings from Canada.
Polocanada
Yes, I will buy one. Even it is a mistake...but for $199 and a full keyboard, 512MB, 4GB storage and a 7" screen, 3 hrs battery... this is the biggest bargain for a long time.
I need a simple, small note-taker portable for a long time. I don't want a PDA. I need a full keyboard that I can type comfortably. I need it to able to check my Email, and run simple applications but don't want to haul a laptop around. There is nothing like this in the whole market now. Great thought, Asus.
Please keep this simple and don't over-expand it.
Please stay as a utra-portable and nothing else.
Don't spend resources on software... let the shareware community to do that for you. Keep it simple and in-expensive.
HEY everyone, I've been hanging out at eeeuser.com following this little beauty.
A couple users uploaded pictures of the interface on the Eee and I built a little Online Test Drive for the Eee.
Check it out at: http://www.honeypothack.com/eee/internet.htm
-Josh
Does it have a cd or dvd drive??? if not, whats the point of having a laptop because of games, installing apps and watching movies???